General Electric Company

Ge Infrastructure Technology, LLC

General Electric Renovables Espana, S.l.

Lijun He

Liwei Hao

Honggang Wang

Mohamed Osama

Karim Younsi

David Allan Torrey

Biao Fang

Di Pan

Jayakrishnan Unnikrishnan

Andrew Thomas Cross

Brett Alexander Matthews

John Joseph Mihok

Stefan Grubic

Arvind Kumar Tiwari

Joseph John Zierer

Alexandre Lagarde

Raphael De Rocca-Serra

Mohammad Attia

Virginie Peron

A method for monitoring at least one rotor blade of a wind turbine includes implementing, via a controller, a control scheme for monitoring blade damage of the at least one rotor blade. The control scheme includes monitoring at least one electrical condition of a pitch system of the wind turbine. The method also includes converting the electrical condition(s) of the pitch system into a frequency domain. Further, the method includes determining one or more peaks of the frequency domain around a frequency component related to a natural frequency of the rotor blade. Moreover, the method includes determining a frequency deviation between the one or more peaks of the frequency domain and the frequency component related to the natural frequency of the rotor blade. As such, a frequency deviation outside of a predetermined frequency range is indicative of a rotor blade anomaly. Thus, the method includes implementing a control action when the frequency deviation is outside of the predetermined frequency range.

System and method for monitoring rotor blade health of a wind turbine

A method of operating a wind converter is provided. The method includes receiving a plurality of forecasted datasets. The forecasted datasets include event signals for the wind converter during fast transient operating conditions (OCs) and operational data for the wind converter having a low sampling rate. The method further includes estimating a converter life consumption during normal OCs and a converter life consumption during the fast transient OCs. Further, the method includes computing a total converter life consumption of the wind converter. Moreover, the method includes predicting, using a remaining useful life (RUL) prediction module, an RUL for the wind converter based on the total converter life consumption. The method further includes adjusting operation of the wind converter by adjusting operating variables of the wind converter.

Systems and methods for controlling wind converters

A system and method for monitoring a pitch system of a wind turbine includes monitoring, via one or more first sensors, at least one electrical condition of the pitch system. The method also includes monitoring, via one or more second sensors, at least one mechanical condition of the pitch system. Further, the method includes receiving, via a controller communicatively coupled to the one or more first and second sensors, sensor signals representing the at least one electrical condition and the at least one mechanical condition of the pitch system. Thus, the method includes determining, via the controller, a bearing condition of a pitch bearing of the pitch system based on the at least one electrical condition and the at least one mechanical condition of the pitch system.

System and method for monitoring a wind turbine pitch bearing

An electric machine includes at least one rotor module. A rotor module includes a rotor hub having a hub body, and a plurality of first protrusions and a plurality of second protrusions. One or more first protrusions include an elongated portion and a head portion. One or more second protrusions include a wedge-shaped profile. The rotor module further includes a magnetic core having a plurality of core members disposed on the rotor hub. A core member of the plurality of core members is disposed such that the head portion of the first protrusion located between the adjacent second protrusions engages with the core member, and each of the one or more second protrusions extends at least partially in a space between adjacent core members of the plurality of core members. Moreover, the rotor module includes a permanent magnet disposed in a space between the adjacent core members.

Electric machine and a turbo machine having the same

Systems and methods for detecting faults are provided. A method for determining a fault condition for a component of a drivetrain in a wind turbine can include receiving an acoustic signal from an acoustic signal measuring device. The method can further include receiving a vibration signal from a vibration signal measuring device. The method can further include analyzing the acoustic signal to determine an analyzed acoustic signal. The method can further include analyzing the vibration signal to determine an analyzed vibration signal. The method can further include determining a fault condition for the component based at least in part on the analyzed acoustic signal and analyzed vibration signal. The fault condition can further be determined based at least in part on an analyzed electrical signal.

Wind turbine fault detection using acoustic, vibration, and electrical signals

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for detecting damage of a pitch bearing of a wind turbine. The pitch bearing is part of a pitch drive system having a plurality of pitch drive motors. The method includes measuring at least one electrical signal of the pitch drive system. The method also includes processing the electrical signal(s) of the pitch drive system and comparing the electrical signals of the pitch drive system with a baseline threshold. Thus, the method also includes determining whether damage is present in the pitch bearing based, at least in part, on the comparison, wherein the electrical signal(s) exceeding the baseline threshold is indicative of damage in the pitch bearing.

System and method for detecting pitch bearing damage in a wind turbine

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Schenectady, NY, United States of America

Lijun He