Handling a wind turbine in a severe weather condition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12467432-B2
Application number	US-202218278257-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2022
Priority date	Mar 1, 2021
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A method of handling a wind turbine is provided including a nacelle coupled via a yawing system to a tower for protection against high wind load, the method including: supplying a control signal to a yawing actuator of the yawing system, while the nacelle is in a first orientation; exerting, by the yawing actuator, a torque to the nacelle relative to the tower, thereby turning the nacelle to a second orientation being a downwind orientation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method of handling a wind turbine comprising a nacelle coupled via a yawing system to a tower, the method comprising:
supplying a control signal to a yawing actuator of the yawing system, while the nacelle is in a first orientation; and exerting, by the yawing actuator, a torque to the nacelle relative to the tower, thereby turning the nacelle to a second orientation being a downwind orientation, wherein the second orientation is defined with respect to an actual wind direction measured by one or more wind direction sensors or with respect to the first orientation, wherein a definition of the second orientation is switched during the turning of the nacelle as a result of the torque exerted by the yawing actuator, depending on an availability of a wind direction signal provided by the one or more wind direction sensors.

2 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein in the downwind orientation a rotor blade hub at which a plurality of rotor blades are mounted is opposite to facing a wind direction and an angle between a rotor axis and the wind direction is within a tolerance angle range, being in between 0° and 20°,
wherein at a nacelle orientation of 180° the wind direction is parallel to the rotor axis and the rotor blade hub is opposite to facing the wind direction.

3 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first orientation is an upwind orientation; and/or wherein active yaw control is performed when in first orientation and the second orientation.

4 . The method according to claim 3 ,
wherein in the upwind orientation a rotor blade hub at which a plurality of rotor blades are mounted faces a wind direction and an angle between a rotor axis and the wind direction is within a tolerance angle range, being between 0° and 20, wherein at a nacelle orientation of 0° the wind direction is parallel to the rotor axis and the rotor blade hub faces the wind direction.

5 . The method according to claim 1 ,
commanding the yaw actuator to turn the nacelle by 180° starting from the first orientation to reach the second orientation, without considering wind direction information.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising providing wind direction information by at least one of:
monitoring a wind direction while turning the nacelle and/or while in the second orientation and/or while in the first orientation; and filtering the monitored wind direction, wherein a filter time constant depends on a wind speed.

7 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the one or more wind direction sensors includes at least a first wind direction sensor and a second wind direction sensor mounted at different locations at the wind turbine and/or located externally to the wind turbine are used, whose measurement signals and/or state information are considered in combination and/or in a weighted manner for providing the wind direction information.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, when the second orientation is reached and/or while turning the nacelle:
supplying control signals to the yaw actuator to maintain nacelle orientation in a tolerance angle range measured from 180° when the monitored wind direction changes.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising, if nacelle orientation is outside the tolerance angle range:
controlling the yaw actuator to exert a torque on the nacelle to turn the nacelle such that the nacelle orientation is readjusted to be within tolerance angle range; and stopping exerting the torque when a predetermined stop orientation within the tolerance angle range is reached.

10 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein turning the nacelle starting from the first orientation is in a turning direction to cause smallest amount of cable twist when the second orientation is reached.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
exerting, by the yawing actuator, a torque to the nacelle relative to the tower, thereby turning the nacelle from the second orientation to a third orientation being an upwind orientation, wherein the third orientation is reached when the nacelle is turned by 180° starting from the second orientation and/or when the nacelle orientation is in a tolerance angle range measured from 0°.

12 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein turning the nacelle starting from the second orientation is in a turning direction to cause a smallest amount of cable twist when the third orientation is reached, wherein the method is performed and/or triggered and/or activated and/or the nacelle is turned from the second orientation to the third orientation automatically based on a measured and/or estimated wind speed, and/or wherein a delay is applied to avoid prematurely yawing upwind during an eye of storm or temporary lull in the storm.

13 . The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein for actuating the yaw actuator electric energy is received from at least one of:
a utility grid;
a power backup system;
one or more batteries;
a combustion engine driven generator; and/or
wherein the method is performed or triggered and/or activated or the nacelle is turned to the second orientation,
when a high wind load that include a wind speed above a speed threshold, is expected and/or predicted and/or detected.

14 . An arrangement for handling a wind turbine comprising a nacelle coupled via a yawing system to a tower for protection against high wind load, the arrangement comprising:
a control signal generator configured:
to supply a control signal to a yawing actuator of the yawing system, while the nacelle is in a first orientation;
to cause the yawing actuator to exert a torque to the nacelle relative to the tower, thereby turning the nacelle to a second orientation being a downwind orientation,
wherein the second orientation is defined with respect to an actual wind direction measured by one or more wind direction sensors or with respect to the first orientation,
wherein a definition of the second orientation is switched during the turning of the nacelle as a result of the torque exerted by the yawing actuator, depending on an availability of a wind direction signals from the one or more wind direction sensors.

15 . A wind turbine, including:
a tower; a nacelle on top of the tower coupled to the tower via a yawing system including a yawing actuator; and an arrangement according to claim 14 communicatively coupled to the yawing actuator.

Assignees

• Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy As

Inventors

• Andersen Martin Folmer
• Brun Soeren Trabjerg
• Esbensen Thomas
• Hagler Carla
• Khan Muhammad Arsalan
• Ramirez Requeson Oscar
• Sievers Ryan A
• Toft Henrik Stensgaard

Classifications

• F05B2270/329

  Azimuth or yaw angle · CPC title

• F05B2270/321

  Wind directions · CPC title

• F05B2260/821

  Parameter estimation or prediction · CPC title

• F05B2270/1077

  Storm protection · CPC title

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title