Alstom Renewable Technologies

Alstom Renovables Espańa, S.l.

Ge Renewable Technologies Wind B.v.

Marc Guadayol Roig

Jaume Betran Palomas

Josep Prats Mustarós

Carlo Enrico Carcangiu

Pau Nualart

Methods of operating a variable speed wind turbine as a function of a wind speed, the wind turbine having a rotor with a plurality of blades, a generator having a rated output power, and one or more pitch mechanisms for rotating the blades around their longitudinal axis, and a system for varying a torque of the generator. The methods comprise a sub-nominal zone of operation for wind speeds below a nominal wind speed and a supra-nominal zone of operation for wind speeds at or above the nominal wind speed, wherein at wind speeds at or near the nominal wind speed, the generator is allowed to generate more than its rated output power for a limited period of time. Also disclosed are wind turbines and wind farms adapted to perform these methods.

Methods of operating a wind turbine, wind turbines and wind parks

The present invention provides a method of operating a wind turbine having a rotor with a plurality of blades, a system for determining one or more loads on the wind turbine, a historical register of data on the wind turbine operation, and a control system for controlling one or more operational parameters of the wind turbine. The method comprises determining the loads on the wind turbine, and storing the determined loads on the wind turbine in the historical register. The method further comprises obtaining, from the historical register, a characteristic indicative of the loads on the wind turbine accumulated over time, and determining one or more wind thrust limits depending on the obtained characteristic indicative of the loads accumulated over time. One or more operational parameters of the wind turbine are controlled to keep the wind thrust on the wind turbine within the determined wind thrust limits.

Method of operating a wind turbine

A method of operating a wind turbine having a rotor with a plurality of blades, and one or more pitch mechanisms for rotating the blades including a sub-nominal zone of operation and a supra-nominal zone of operation for wind speeds above the nominal wind speed wherein the sub-nominal zone of operation includes a first, a second and a third operational range. The first operational range extends from a cut-in wind speed to a first wind speed, wherein the rotor speed is kept substantially constant at a first value. The second operational range extends from the first wind speed to a second wind speed, wherein both the rotor speed and generator torque are varied as a function of wind speed. The third operational range extends from the second wind speed to the nominal wind speed, wherein the rotor speed is kept substantially constant at a second value, and wherein in the second operational range, the generator torque, T, is determined in accordance with T=k&#xb7;co2, wherein co is the generator speed and k is non-constant over the second operational range.

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Terrassa, Spain

Marc Guadayol Roig