US4420692A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Motion responsive wind turbine tower damping
Assignee: RTX Corp
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Filing: 1982-04-02
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Granted: 1983-12-13
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Expires: 2002-04-02
Abstract
Abstract An accelerometer (1) disposed on the support tower (12) of a wind turbine electric generating system in the vicinity of the rotor (10, 16) thereof provides a signal (1) indicative of acceleration of the tower in the direction of the rotor rotational axis. The signal (2) is passed through a band-pass filter (4) for summation (9) with a torque/power controlled (100) blade pitch angle reference rate signal (98), the integral (104) of which provides a blade pitch angle reference signal (40) to control the pitch angle of the rotor blades (10) through a pitch change mechanism (38), thereby to provide additional, positive aerodynamic damping to the tower while modulating blade angle for constant torque/power in response to wind turbulence.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph M. Kos
- 👤 John P. Patrick
- 👤 Kermit I. Harner
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 08:51
CPC Classifications
F; F03; F03D; F03D7/00; F03D7/02; F03D7/04; F03D7/042; F03D7/043; F03D7/022; F03D7/0224; F03D7/028; F03D7/0292; F03D80/00; F03D9/00; F03D9/20; F03D9/25; F05; F05B; F05B2240/00; F05B2240/90; F05B2240/91; F05B2240/912; F05B2260/00; F05B2260/96; F05B2270/00; F05B2270/10; F05B2270/103; F05B2270/1033; F05B2270/30; F05B2270/322; F05B2270/334; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E10/00; Y02E10/70; Y02E10/72; Y02E10/728
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
164 words
A wind turbine system for generating electric power, comprising: a tower; a rotor disposed on said tower including blades disposed for rotation about an axis and a blade pitch angle change mechanism; means for providing an actual torque/power signal indicative of actual torque/power generated by said wind turbine system; and signal processing means for providing a reference torque/power signal indicative of desired generated torque/power, and for providing to said blade pitch angle change mechanism a blade pitch angle reference signal as a function of the difference between said actual torque/power signal and said reference torque/power signal; characterized by: motion responsive means disposed on said tower in the vicinity of said rotor for providing a motion signal indicative of motion of said tower parallel with said blade rotation axis; and said signal processing means comprising means for providing said blade pitch angle reference signal as a function of both said motion signal and the difference between said actual torque/power signal and said reference torque/power signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
164 words
A wind turbine system for generating electric power, comprising: a tower; a rotor disposed on said tower including blades disposed for rotation about an axis and a blade pitch angle change mechanism; means for providing an actual torque/power signal indicative of actual torque/power generated by said wind turbine system; and signal processing means for providing a reference torque/power signal indicative of desired generated torque/power, and for providing to said blade pitch angle change mechanism a blade pitch angle reference signal as a function of the difference between said actual torque/power signal and said reference torque/power signal; characterized by: motion responsive means disposed on said tower in the vicinity of said rotor for providing a motion signal indicative of motion of said tower parallel with said blade rotation axis; and said signal processing means comprising means for providing said blade pitch angle reference signal as a function of both said motion signal and the difference between said actual torque/power signal and said reference torque/power signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
A wind turbine system according to claim 1 characterized by said motion responsive means comprising an accelerometer; and said signal processing means comprising means for providing said blade pitch angle reference signal as an integral function of said motion signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
60 words
A wind turbine system according to claim 1 characterized by said motion responsive means comprising an accelerometer; and said signal processing means comprising means for providing said blade pitch angle reference signal as an integral function of the summation of said motion signal with a signal indicative of the difference between said actual torque/power signal and said reference torque/power signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
A wind turbine system according to claim 1 characterized by said signal processing means comprising means for providing said blade pitch angle reference signal as a band-pass filtered function of said motion signal, the passband of said filtered function passing signals at the primary bending frequency of said tower.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-12-12 | 1987-06-13 | 1987-12-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-12-12 | 1991-06-13 | 1991-12-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-12-12 | 1995-06-13 | 1995-12-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |