General Electric Company

Mark Lee Cook

Nadine Schuell

A system and method for monitoring and controlling the deflection of rotor blades of a wind turbine so as to prevent tower strikes is disclosed. The method includes operating the wind turbine at standard pitch angle settings. Another step includes monitoring a loading condition of the wind turbine over a predetermined time period. A further step includes tracking a number of wind condition deviations of a certain magnitude occurring during a predetermined time period. The method also include altering one or more of the standard pitch settings of the rotor blades in response to the number of wind condition deviations exceeding a wind deviation threshold and/or the loading condition exceeding a loading threshold as an exceedance indicates an increased probability of rotor blade deflection. The method further includes performing one or more additional corrective actions so as to reduce the probability of a rotor blade tower strike.

System and method for monitoring and controlling wind turbine blade deflection

A method for controlling an operation of a wind turbine. A plurality of operating specifications, each of which corresponds to a season, is defined. A current season is determined. An operating specification corresponding to the current season is selected. An operation of a wind turbine is controlled based at least in part on the selected operating specification. The current season may be determined, for example, based on a schedule of seasons and/or meteorological conditions.

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Tehachapi, CA, United States of America

Mark Lee Cook