General Electric Company

Thomas Frank Fric

Kirk Gee Pierce

Bernard P Landa

Robert Patrick Campbell

Thomas Edward Johnson

Bharat S Bagepalli

Patrick Lee Jansen

Douglas Carl Hofer

Clifford L Spiro

Thomas Franklin Perley

Masayoshi Kuwata

William E Holley

Arne Koerber

Gary Randall Barnes

Kevin James Standish

Edward Wayne Hardwicke, Jr

Ross Michael Leon

Paolo Graziosi

James Patrick Francis Lyons

Gert Torbohm

Ramani Mani

Corneliu Barbu

Richard Edwin Warren, Jr

Anil Gulati

Thomas Ernst Dinjus

Noah Pennington

Mark Roger Brown

Devendra Shashikant Dange

Nadine Schuell

Carlos Eduardo Latorre

Anne Elizabeth Kolman

Negel Ernesto Martin

Michael Gregory Brown

Jonathan Henry Zalar

Thomas Omar Converse

Bryan J Troise

Renjith Viripullan Kekkaroth

Michael Lewis James

Robert Otto Auer

Edward Wayne Hardwicke Jr

Bernard Landa

A method is provided for operation of a wind turbine having rotor blades attached to a hub, wherein a controller compensates for torsionally induced blade twist. The method includes operating the wind turbine according to a rated power output curve and maximum design thrust value, and periodically or continuously detecting for induced torsional twist in the rotor blades. Upon determination of torsional twist being induced in the rotor blades, the method includes adjusting the maximum thrust value in the control program to compensate for the induced twist. The wind turbine controller then controls pitch of the rotor blades as a function of the increased maximum thrust value so that power output of the wind turbine is not unnecessarily limited or increased by the induced twist on the rotor blades.

Methods for controlling wind turbine with thrust control twist compensation

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.

System and method of wind turbine control using a torque setpoint

A method for controlling a wind farm having a power output constraint is disclosed. The method may include operating a plurality of wind turbines within the wind farm. Each wind turbine may include a baseline power output and a maximum power output. The baseline power output may be defined by a control-limited power curve as a function of wind speed. In addition, the method may include comparing a total power output for the wind farm to the power output constraint of the wind farm, controlling the operation of at least one wind turbine of the plurality of wind turbines to provide an increased power output for the at least one wind turbine when the total power output is less than the power output constraint.

System and method for controlling a wind farm

A method for operating a wind turbine. The method includes providing a wind turbine having at least one blade having adjustable pitch angle that is adjusted according to an operational parameter schedule. A blade efficiency parameter is determined in response to a wind speed and a rotor speed. A minimum pitch angle is determined in response to the blade efficiency parameter and the pitch angle of the at least one blade in response to the blade efficiency parameter is maintained to an angle equal to or greater than the minimum pitch angle independent of the operational parameter schedule. A wind turbine plant and a method for servicing a wind turbine are also disclosed.

Blade pitch management method and system

A wind turbine pitch control system is disclosed that provides a pulsed torque to the blade pitch actuator if continuous torque fails to adjust the blade pitch angle to a commanded pitch angle. This invention provides a cost-effective way to increase peak torque capability for existing wind turbines that have problems, under certain operating conditions, moving blades per the control command.

Pulsed torque control of wind turbine pitch systems

A method of controlling a wind turbine that includes at least one rotor shaft and at least one blade operatively coupled to the rotor shaft includes measuring a first wind turbine operational condition that is representative of a blade deflection value and generating a first operational condition signal based on that first wind turbine operational condition. The wind turbine also includes a drive train including at least one rotor shaft and an electric generator. The method also includes measuring at least one second wind turbine operational condition and generating at least one second operational condition signal. The method further includes changing the blade deflection value by changing the second operational condition.

Wind turbine farm and method of controlling at least one wind turbine

A control system for a rotary machine is provided. The rotary machine has at least one rotating member and at least one substantially stationary member positioned such that a clearance gap is defined between a portion of the rotating member and a portion of the substantially stationary member. The control system includes at least one clearance gap dimension measurement apparatus and at least one clearance gap adjustment assembly. The adjustment assembly is coupled in electronic data communication with the measurement apparatus. The control system is configured to process a clearance gap dimension signal and modulate the clearance gap dimension.

Methods and apparatus for controlling rotary machines

A combustion liner for a gas turbine combustion system is provided. The combustion liner comprises a combustion zone between an inlet end and an exhaust end. The combustion liner comprises a one-piece casting construction. The combustion liner is formed from a nickel-based superalloy having strength characteristics.

Combustion liner for gas turbine formed of cast nickel-based superalloy

A diffuser includes an opening along the diffuser wall for preventing or delaying boundary layer separation of the main flow. The opening may include a curved passageway having a curvature convex relative to the main flow for utilizing the Coanda effect. A gas turbine may include the diffuser with an opening and a centerbody with an opening, each for providing a secondary flow of fluid into the diffuser. The gas turbine may direct fluid from an upstream turbine stage to the opening. A steam turbine may include the diffuser and may situate the opening downstream the diffuser inlet but upstream the location of boundary separation.

Fluidic actuation for improved diffuser performance

Method for improving the cooling effectiveness of a gaseous coolant stream which flows through a substrate, and related articles of manufacture

A method of superficial laser induced fluorescence for measuring film cooling performance within a fluid tunnel apparatus includes the step of introducing a test fluid uniformly dyed with a fluorescent dye into the fluid tunnel apparatus so as to surround a cooling model having a test geometry. The cooling model is positioned adjacent to a laser sheet. A background fluorescent image of the test fluid about the cooling model is recorded. The test fluid is then flushed from the tunnel apparatus. Next, a cooling simulation fluid flow and a hot gas simulation flow are introduced within the fluid tunnel apparatus. The cooling simulation fluid contains the same fluorescent dye concentration as the test fluid and the hot gas simulation fluid contains no fluorescent dye. A data image of the cooling simulation fluid flow is recorded about the cooling model as the cooling simulation fluid flow passes through the cooling model and into the hot gas simulation fluid flow. Finally, the data image is corrected using the background fluorescent image so as to determine superficial flow characteristics of the cooling simulation fluid flow passing through the cooling model.

Superficial laser induced fluorescence

A strut bridges inner and outer walls of a frame defining a flow channel for channeling a fluid therethrough. The strut has leading and trailing edges, and a root and tip, and is tapered between the root and tip for varying frequency and amplitude of vortex shedding.

Tapered strut frame

Insect debris is removed from or prevented from adhering to insect impingement areas of an aircraft, particularly on an inlet cowl of an engine, by heating the area to 180.degree.-500.degree. C. An apparatus comprising a means to bring hot air from the aircraft engine to a plenum contiguous to the insect impingement area provides for the heating of the insect impingement areas to the required temperatures. The plenum can include at least one tube with a plurality of holes contained in a cavity within the inlet cowl. It can also include an envelope with a plurality of holes on its surface contained in a cavity within the inlet cowl.

Aircraft anti-insect system

Lean direct injection is used in a gas turbine combustor to reduce NO.sub.x emissions. The combustor has a plurality of fuel jets for tangentially injecting fuel and a plurality of air jets for tangentially injecting air therein. The fuel jets and the air jets are preferably disposed in a common cross-sectional plane, although additional groups of fuel and air jets in other planes can be provided. The jets are all evenly spaced and alternate between fuel and air jets. All of the jets preferably point in the same circumferential direction. Alternatively, the jets can be arranged so that all fuel jets are located in a first cross-sectional plane, and all air jets are located in a second cross-sectional plane. Preferably, the fuel jets point in one circumferential direction while the air jets point in the opposite circumferential direction.

Low emission combustor having tangential lean direct injection

Lean direct injection is used in a gas turbine combustor to reduce NO.sub.x emissions. The combustor has a multi-hole perforated plate disposed at the head end of the combustion chamber. The plate has a plurality of independent fuel jets and air jets for separately injecting fuel and air, respectively, into the combustion chamber in amounts which produce a lean fuel-air equivalence ratio. The perforated plate permits the fuel and air to be injected separately without any mixing outside of the combustion chamber. Fuel is delivered to the fuel jets by a fuel manifold having a branch connected to each one of the fuel jets. Air can be delivered to the air jets by an air plenum chamber located upstream of the perforated plate and in fluid communication with the air jets.

Low-emission combustor having perforated plate for lean direct injection

Growing community of inventors

Greer, SC, United States of America

Thomas Frank Fric