General Electric Company

Axel Braicks

Jacob Johannes Nies

Leonardo Cesar Kammer

Hubert Oing

Henk-Jan Kooijman

Peter Rogall

Stefan Rieken

Patrick Achenbach

A method for operating an off-shore wind turbine and a wind-turbine is provided. The off-shore wind turbine is at least temporarily situated in water and includes a rotor with at least one rotor blade and a pitch drive system coupled to the at least one rotor blade. The pitch drive system is adapted for pitching the at least one rotor blade, wherein the wind turbine further includes a wind turbine control. The method includes determining at least one of a water condition; in dependence of the outcome of the determining, defining peak shaver settings; and pitching the at least one rotor blade according to the peak shaver settings. Furthermore, the wind turbine has a sensor adapted for measuring one of the water current-speed, the water current direction and the water level at or close to the wind turbine.

Apparatus and method for operation of an off-shore wind turbine

A brake system is provided for controlling a rotational speed of a drivetrain for a wind turbine. The drivetrain is coupled to a rotor shaft and a generator rotor shaft. The brake system includes a mechanical brake operatively coupled to the drivetrain. The mechanical brake includes a brake caliper and a brake disc coupled to the drivetrain. A sensor is configured to detect a parameter of the wind turbine. A controller is configured to actuate the brake caliper to apply a braking force on the brake disc. The controller is configured to control the mechanical brake based on the parameter to adjust a brake torque generated by the braking force.

Methods and systems for providing variable mechanical brake torque

The present patent application concerns wind turbine having a rotor with a first rotor blade and a pitch control system with a controller and a first drive system for adjusting a pitch angle of the first rotor blade, wherein the drive system is adapted to transform rotational energy of the rotor blade rotating about its longitudinal axis into another form of energy such that a counter torque against the rotating direction is induced. Further, it concerns a method for controlling a pitch velocity of a rotor blade of a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising at least one drive system for adjusting a pitch angle of said rotor blade, the drive system being adapted to operate in a active mode, wherein the drive system rotates the rotor blade, and in a passive mode, wherein the drive system exerts a counter force against the rotating direction, when the rotor blade being rotated by another force than the force of the drive system, wherein the pitch velocity is controlled by operating the drive system in said passive mode when the pitch of the rotor blade is changed from a first position to a second position.

Speed controlled pitch system

A system and method for reducing rotor loads in a wind turbine that includes a brake and one or more rotor blades coupled to a rotor. Upon detection of a loss of counter torque and a blade-pitch failure in at least one rotor blade, a processor reduces a generator overspeed threshold value by a predetermined amount and determines a brake-release threshold value. The brake is applied to slow the rotor if the generator/rotor speed exceeds the reduced generator/rotor overspeed threshold value. In addition, the brake is applied to slow the rotor until the generator/rotor speed is below the brake-release threshold value. The rate of change of the pitch angle of the rotor blade may be varied as the blade moves toward feather in response to the detected blade-pitch failure.

System and method for reducing rotor loads in a wind turbine upon detection of blade-pitch failure and loss of counter-torque

A torsionally loadable wind turbine blade, includes a loading member secured to a body of the wind turbine blade; and an adjuster for actively displacing the loading member and torsionally deforming the blade on a spanwise axis.

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Rheine, Germany

Axel Braicks