Vestas Wind Systems A/s

Gkn Aerospace Services Limited

Karl Gregory

Joe Cuoghi

Anton Bech

Mark Hancock

Paul Badger

Luke Spandley

Stephen Buggy

Rens Christiaan Verhoef

Adrian Gill

Keld Rasmussen

Paul Todd

Adrian Edwards

Catherine Anne McCarroll

Robert Townsend

Michael James Sheppard

Scott Attrill

Catherine Anne Mccarroll

A method of activating an ice removal system of a wind turbine comprises: monitoring the output power of the wind turbine; monitoring an output from an ice sensor provided on the wind turbine indicative of an atmospheric icing condition; and activating the ice-removal system when the output power is below an expected output power and the output from the ice sensor indicates that an atmospheric icing condition has ended.

Controller and method for a wind turbine

According to an embodiment, a method of controlling a temperature of a blade includes generating a first power production curve based on current weather conditions and generating a second power production curve based on future weather conditions. The method also includes, in response to determining that the second power production curve reduces a net power production loss of the blade more than the first power production curve, adjusting a heating cycle of the blade based on the second power production curve rather than the first power production curve.

Temperature control based on weather forecasting

Temperature Control Based on Weather Forecasting Examples are generally directed to techniques for controlling a temperature of a blade, such as a blade in a wind turbine system. One example of the present disclosure is a method of controlling a temperature of a blade. The method includes inputting current weather conditions and future weather conditions into a processor, generating a first power production, generating a second power production curve based on future weather conditions, comparing the first power production curve to the second power production curve, determining which power production curve minimizes a new power production loss of the blade, and adjusting a heating cycle of the blade based on the power production curve that minimizes the net power productions loss of the blade.

Examples are generally directed to techniques for controlling a temperature of a blade in a wind turbine system. One example of the present disclosure is a method of controlling a temperature of a blade in a wind turbine system. The method includes setting a target temperature, inputting physical conditions of the blade and ambient conditions about the blade into a processor, outputting a minimum amount of energy to a heating element of the blade required to reach the target temperature based on the physical conditions and ambient conditions, and adjusting the energy provided to the heating element to reach the target temperature.

Controlling heating elements in a wind turbine system

The present invention relates to a heating installation arrangement and a method of forming the heating installation arrangement for a wind turbine blade. The heating installation arrangement () for a wind turbine blade comprises a sleigh (), wherein the sleigh () forms a platform of the heating installation arrangement (), the sleigh further includes a recess (), wherein the recess () includes one or more connection points () for a corresponding one or more heating apparatus.

Heating installation arrangement

A method of de-icing a wind turbine blade () comprises the steps of: generating heated air using heating means () provided in the root portion of the blade; and continuously circulating the heated air around the interior of the blade through at least a portion of two more longitudinal blade cavities () defined within the blade. The circulating step includes: channeling the heated air from an outlet () of the heating means at least part way through a first longitudinal blade cavity (), towards the tip end () of the blade; at a position along the length of the blade, diverting the heated air from the first longitudinal blade cavity () into a second longitudinal blade cavity (); and channeling the diverted air at least part way through the second longitudinal blade cavity () back to an inlet () of the heating means (). The heated air is circulated through at least a central cavity () and a leading edge cavity () defined between longitudinal webs () within the blade.

Method of de-icing a wind turbine blade

An elongate web is attached to the root end of a spar of a wind turbine rotor blade to provide additional support along the width of the blade. The root end is formed by a winding operation, and a recess is then cut into the surface of the spar. The recess is defined by a relatively large first, cylindrical surface, which is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the root end, and a relatively small second, conical surface. A tapered end of the elongate web is attached within the recess of the root end using a layer of suitable adhesive and an array of pins. Resilient spacer elements are arranged within the recess so as to surround the pins. The large area of the cylindrical surface causes the tensile and compressive stresses which arise along the elongate web in use to be transmitted to the spar as shear stresses.

Methods of manufacturing wind turbine blades

An air intake duct of an aircraft engine or other component is provided with a thermal anti-icing system. The front of the air intake duct comprises a toroidal outer skin () which forms, with a toroidal internal bulkhead (), a toroidal plenum () about the center line (). The bulkhead has an inner edge nearest the center line. Within the plenum there is a toroidal inner skin () defining with the outer skin a substantially continuous toroidal channel (). Hot air is supplied via an inlet () to the plenum (). The air flows into an inlet () at an end of channel () and out of an outlet () through the bulkhead (). This provide more heat to the leading edge of the duct, and to the surface of the duct facing the center line, than to other parts of the duct to prevent build up of ice which may enter, and damage, the engine. This reduces the mass flow of hot air needed for de-icing.

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Cowes, United Kingdom

Karl Gregory