Method of yawing a rotor of a wind turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10202964-B2
Application number	US-201214129400-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2012
Priority date	Jul 4, 2011
Publication date	Feb 12, 2019
Grant date	Feb 12, 2019

Abstract

A wind turbine (1) in which the yaw speed of a rotor (4) of the wind turbine (1) is increased, in a direction to reduce yaw error, from a first speed to a faster second speed when at least one of a yaw error threshold and a rate of change in yaw error threshold is exceeded. Yaw error is an amount an axis about which the rotor (4) is rotatable is offset from the wind direction to which the rotor (4) is exposed. As a result, the maximum loads that a wind turbine 1 should withstand may be reduced and lighter wind turbine components result.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of yawing a rotor of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
increasing a yaw speed of the rotor of the wind turbine, in a direction to reduce a yaw error, from a first speed to a faster second speed when at least one of a yaw error threshold and a rate of change in yaw error threshold is exceeded, the yaw error being an amount an axis about which the rotor is rotatable is offset from a wind direction to which the rotor is exposed.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second speed is between substantially 3 times and substantially 20 times faster than the first speed.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the second speed is between substantially 5 times and 15 times faster than the first speed.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the second speed is substantially 10 times faster than the first speed.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first speed is substantially 0.3 degrees per second.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein blades of the rotor are pitchable to induce stall.

7. The method according to claim 1 , comprising controlling at least one motor to increase the yaw speed of the rotor.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one motor is an electric motor.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the yaw speed is increased to the faster second speed when the rate of change in the yaw error threshold is exceeded.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the yaw speed is increased to the faster second speed when both the yaw error threshold and the rate of change in yaw error threshold are exceeded.

11. The method according to claim 8 wherein the faster second speed is achieved by operating the electric motor above a rated speed of the electric motor.

12. A controller comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor and storing program code that, when executed by the processor, causes the controller to:
increase a yaw speed of a rotor of a wind turbine, in a direction to reduce a yaw error, from a first speed to a faster second speed when at least one of a yaw error threshold and a rate of change in yaw error threshold is exceeded, the yaw error being an amount an axis about which the rotor is rotatable is offset from a wind direction to which the rotor is exposed.

13. A computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and
program code stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:
increase a yaw speed of a rotor of a wind turbine, in a direction to reduce a yaw error, from a first speed to a faster second speed when at least one of a yaw error threshold and a rate of change in yaw error threshold is exceeded, the yaw error being an amount an axis about which the rotor is rotatable is offset from a wind direction to which the rotor is exposed.

14. A wind turbine comprising:
a rotor; and
a controller including a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing program code that, when executed by the processor, causes the controller to:
increase a yaw speed of the rotor of the wind turbine, in a direction to reduce a yaw error, from a first speed to a faster second speed when at least one of a yaw error threshold and a rate of change in yaw error threshold is exceeded, the yaw error being an amount an axis about which the rotor is rotatable is offset from a wind direction to which the rotor is exposed.

15. A wind turbine comprising:
a rotor; and
a computer program product including:
a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and
program code stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:
increase a yaw speed of the rotor of the wind turbine, in a direction to reduce a yaw error, from a first speed to a faster second speed when at least one of a yaw error threshold and a rate of change in yaw error threshold is exceeded, the yaw error being an amount an axis about which the rotor is rotatable is offset from a wind direction to which the rotor is exposed.

Assignees

• Spruce Chris
• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Spruce Chris

Classifications

• F05B2270/329

  Azimuth or yaw angle · CPC title

• F05B2270/321

  Wind directions · CPC title

• F05B2270/701

  proportional · CPC title

• F03D7/0204 Primary

  for orientation in relation to wind direction · CPC title

• F05B2270/309

  Rate of change of parameters · CPC title