Vestas Wind Systems A/s

Stephen Buggy

Paul Badger

Luke Spandley

Arran Wood

John Bengtson

Karl Gregory

The present invention relates to a method and controller for heating a wind turbine blade that comprises a plurality of heating zones. An icing factor is determined based on environmental conditions and one or more heating zones are determined based on the determined icing factor, wherein each heating zone comprises one or more Electro-Thermal Heating Elements. The one or more Electro-Thermal Heating Elements corresponding to the determined heating zones are activated to generate heat.

Electro-thermal heating

The present invention relates to a method of controlling an electro-thermal heating system in a wind turbine blade, comprising measuring a supply voltage to the electro-thermal heating system, determining a duration of a variable time based enforced off period based on the measured supply voltage, and inserting the variable time based enforced off period between subsequent switching duty cycles that controls the electro-thermal heating system. The present invention also relates to a wind turbine that comprises one or more wind turbine blades wherein each wind turbine blade comprises an electro-thermal heating system and a processor adapted to perform the method.

Electro-Thermal Heating system for wind turbine blades

Examples are generally directed to techniques for monitoring and controlling heating elements in wind turbine blades and the wind turbine blades. One example of the present disclosure is a method of monitoring and controlling a condition of a heating element in a wind turbine blade and the wind turbine blade. The method includes measuring a voltage applied to the heating element and measuring the current flowing through the heating element. The method further includes calculating a resistance of the heating element using the measured voltage and the measured current and storing the resistance in a database. The method further includes determining whether an event corresponding to a failure of the wind turbine blade or the heating element in the wind turbine blade has occurred. When the event occurs, control of the heating element is adjusted.

Condition monitoring and controlling of heating elements in wind turbines

The present invention relates to a method of identifying an electrical contact fault in a wind turbine blade electrical heating system, comprising inserting a predetermined enforced off cycle between or within a switching duty cycle, wherein the switching duty cycle controls the switching of one or more electrical contacts in the electrical heating system, measuring a current consumption during the predetermined enforced off cycle, determining if the measured current consumption exceeds a predetermined threshold, and wherein if the measured current consumption exceeds the predetermined threshold shutting down at least part of the electrical heating system. The present invention also relates to a wind turbine with one or more wind turbine blades that can identify an electrical contact fault.

Electrical contact fault diagnosis

Examples of the present disclosure generally relate to wind turbine blades configured to minimize or eliminate buildup of ice on the blades. In order to maintain an ice free surface on a wind turbine blade, one or more ETH panels are embedded in the wind turbine blade to heat the wind turbine blade. One or more busbars are electrically connected to each of the one or more ETH panels for conducting electrical power to the ETH panels. The busbars may be disposed in an overlapping configuration to provide uniform heating of the wind turbine blade.

Busbars in a stacking arrangement

A method of securing a cable () to a wind turbine blade is described. The method involves providing a pre-assembled cable assembly () comprising a cable () and a plurality of mounts (-) pre-attached to the cable () at intervals along the length of the cable (). The plurality of mounts (-) is attached to a surface () of a wind turbine blade such that the mounts (-) are spaced apart along the surface () of the blade. The spacing between adjacent mounts (-) when the mounts (-) are attached to the blade is less than the length of the cable () between said adjacent mounts (-) such that a predetermined amount of slack is provided in the cable () between said adjacent mounts (-). A pre-assembled cable assembly for use in the method is also described together with a method of assembling the cable assembly.

Method of securing cables to a wind turbine blade

Examples are generally directed to techniques for controlling a temperature of a blade in a wind turbine system. One example of the present disclosure is a method of controlling a temperature of a blade in a wind turbine system. The method includes setting a target temperature, inputting physical conditions of the blade and ambient conditions about the blade into a processor, outputting a minimum amount of energy to a heating element of the blade required to reach the target temperature based on the physical conditions and ambient conditions, and adjusting the energy provided to the heating element to reach the target temperature.

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Cowes, United Kingdom

Stephen Buggy