General Electric Company

Other

Ralph W Blakemore

Kirk Gee Pierce

David Lawrence LeMieux

Emilian Mieczyslaw Moroz

Peter McKeich Jamieson

Chris Hornzee-Jones

Vertical and horizontal wind shears, yaw misalignment and/or turbulence act together to produce asymmetric loading across a wind turbine rotor. The resultant load produces bending moments in the blades that are reacted through the hub and subsequently to the main shaft. As a result, the main shaft may be radially displaced from its at rest positions. The amount of radial displacement is measured using two or more sensors. The output signals from the sensors are used to determine the magnitude and/or the orientation of the resultant rotor load. This information is used to affect the blade pitch change or other action with similar system effect to reduce the asymmetric load and thereby reduce fatigue and loading on various turbine components.

Method and apparatus for wind turbine rotor load control based on shaft radial displacement

A system and method for changing wind turbine rotor diameters to meet changing wind speeds and control system loads is disclosed. The rotor blades on the wind turbine are able to adjust length by extensions nested within or containing the base blade. The blades can have more than one extension in a variety of configurations. A cable winching system, a hydraulic system, a pneumatic system, inflatable or elastic extensions, and a spring-loaded jack knife deployment are some of the methods of adjustment. The extension is also protected from lightning by a grounding system.

Variable diameter wind turbine rotor blades

A wind turbine capable of driving multiple electric generators having a ring or shroud structure for reducing blade root bending moments, hub loads, blade fastener loads and pitch bearing loads. The shroud may further incorporate a ring gear for driving an electric generator. In one embodiment, the electric generator may be cantilevered from the nacelle such that the gear on the generator drive shaft is contacted by the ring gear of the shroud. The shroud also provides protection for the gearing and aids in preventing gear lubricant contamination.

Wind turbine ring/shroud drive system

A wind turbine. In one embodiment, the wind turbine includes a platform and one or more gyroscopes connected to the platform to detect movement of the platform. A control circuit is coupled with the one or more gyroscopes to determine loads placed on one or more turbine components and to mitigate the loads in response to signals from the one or more gyroscopes.

Method and apparatus for wind turbine rotor load control

Golf club heads each having a specifically contoured back side shaped to provide an optimal three-dimensional mass distribution, the invention preferably takes the form of 'oversize' iron club heads having an unusually large 'sweet spot' while retaining traditional iron head weights. The optimally distributed mass of each head is provided over the entire back side of the head with the back side contour interacting with face-stiffening ribs located on the top and toe of the head to yield performance advantages. The versatility found in the contouring of the back side of each head to yield optimal mass distribution allows the hitting area of each club face in a set of clubs to increase incrementally as the loft of each iron decreases, thereby resulting in a more uniform 'sight picture' between clubs as viewed by the player.

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Tehachapi, CA, United States of America

Ralph W Blakemore