General Electric Company

General Electric Renovables Espana, S.l.

Noah Pennington

Joseph Lawrence Chacon

William Earl Fish

Kristina Anne Gerber

Mark Edward Cardinal

Thomas Frank Fric

Edward Wayne Hardwicke, Jr

Jay F Leonard

Devendra Shashikant Dange

Scott Shapiro

Renjith Viripullan Kekkaroth

Edward Wayne Hardwicke Jr

Jay Leonard

A method for refurbishing a wind turbine includes terminating use of an existing uptower electrical system of the wind turbine. The method also includes installing a new uptower electrical system for the wind turbine at an uptower location of the wind turbine. Further, the method includes providing an electrical adaptor at an uptower location for connecting the new uptower electrical system with an existing downtower electrical system. Moreover, the method includes electrically connecting the electrical adaptor between the existing downtower electrical system and the new uptower electrical system.

Methods for refurbishing wind turbines

A system for controlling a wind turbine may include at least one sensor configured to provide at least one of a wind speed signal or a wind direction signal and a turbine controller configured to control the operation of the wind turbine. The system may also include a secondary controller inserted between the sensor(s) and the turbine controller. The secondary controller may be separated from the turbine controller by a distance and may be configured to receive the wind speed signal and/or the wind direction signal from the sensor(s) over a communication interface. In addition, the secondary controller may be configured to adjust the wind speed signal and/or wind direction signal based at least in part on a signal bias value(s) to an adjusted signal(s) and to provide the adjusted signal(s) to the turbine controller.

Wind turbine control using secondary controller to adjust wind speed and/or direction input values

Systems and methods for controlling a wind turbine based on sensor readings are provided. A signal path between a sensor and a turbine controller can be modified and a secondary controller can be inserted between the turbine controller and the sensor. The secondary controller can receive a signal from the sensor and adjust the signal to an adjusted signal. The adjusted signal can be communicated to the turbine controller which can control operation of the wind turbine based at least in part on the adjusted signal. In this way, the operation of the wind turbine based on various sensor readings can be adjusted to provide for increased energy production without requiring access to computer-readable instructions, such as source code, implemented by the wind turbine controller.

System and method for controlling a wind turbine

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for controlling and/or upgrading aftermarket multivendor wind turbines. The system includes a turbine controller configured to control operations of the wind turbine, a safety device configured to provide a signal indicative of a health status of the safety device, and a secondary controller inserted between the safety device and the turbine controller. The secondary controller is configured to receive the signal from the safety device over a communication interface. As such, if the signal indicates a normal health status, the secondary controller is configured to send the signal to the turbine controller, i.e. maintain normal operation. Alternatively, if the signal indicates a poor health status, the secondary controller is configured to adjust the signal based at least in part on a signal bias to an adjusted signal and to provide the adjusted signal to the turbine controller.

System and method for upgrading multivendor wind turbines

Systems and methods for controlling the pitch angle of rotor blades in a wind turbine are provided. A signal path between a turbine controller and a pitch of a wind turbine can be broken r modified and a secondary controller can be inserted between the turbine controller and the pitch system. The secondary controller can receive a pitch angle setpoint from the turbine controller and adjust the pitch angle setpoint to an adjusted pitch angle setpoint. The adjusted pitch angle setpoint can be communicated to the pitch system. In this way, the pitch angle setpoints for the wind turbine can be adjusted to provide for increased energy production without requiring access to computer-readable instructions, such as source code, implemented by the wind turbine controller.

Wind turbine setpoint control

In one aspect, embodiments of a method of controlling a power rating of a wind turbine are described. One embodiment of the method comprises retrieving, by a computing device, one or more preset values from a memory, wherein the one or more preset values include at least an initial torque setpoint for a wind turbine; determining, by the computing device, an adjusted torque setpoint for the wind turbine based at least in part on one or more operating conditions received from one or more measurement devices associated with the wind turbine; and adjusting a real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint. In one aspect, the computing device can be a controller for the wind turbine.

Growing community of inventors

Simpsonville, SC, United States of America

Noah Pennington