A method for operating a plurality of wind energy installations configured for supplying electric power to an electrical supply system, that each have an aerodynamic rotor with rotor blades and an electrical generator and also operating equipment, is disclosed. The wind energy installations are operated while they are not connected to the electrical supply system, where at least one of the wind energy installations produces electric power and inputs the electric power into a local DC voltage system that connects the wind energy installations if the at least one of the wind energy installations currently produces more power than needed for supplying its own operating equipment. Additionally or alternatively, the operating equipment is supplied totally or in part with power from the local DC voltage system if the at least one of the wind energy installations currently produces less power than needed for supplying its operating equipment.

A system for adjusting environmental operating conditions associated with heat generating components located within a tower of a wind turbine may include a heat generating component located within an interior of the tower, a sensor configured to monitor a heat exchange parameter associated with the wind turbine and a split heat exchange system provided relative to the tower. The split heat exchange system may include a first heat exchanger located within the interior of the tower and a second heat exchanger located exterior to the tower. The system may also include a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor and the split heat exchange system. The controller may be configured to control the operation of the split heat exchange system based at least in part on the monitored heat exchange parameter to adjust an environmental operating condition associated with the heat generating component.

A hybrid heat engine system includes a chamber housing including an inlet and an outlet. A piston is disposed in an interior volume of the chamber housing. The hybrid heat engine system further includes a valve configured to provide a first fluid in a heated state from a heat source to the interior volume via the inlet. The first fluid in the heated state is to push against a first side of the piston to cause a second side of the piston to push a working fluid out of the interior volume and through a turbine to generate energy.

A method of de-icing a wind turbine blade (5) comprises the steps of: generating heated air using heating means (10) provided in the root portion of the blade; and continuously circulating the heated air around the interior of the blade through at least a portion of two more longitudinal blade cavities (24, 26, 28) defined within the blade. The circulating step includes: channeling the heated air from an outlet (32a) of the heating means at least part way through a first longitudinal blade cavity (26), towards the tip end (18) of the blade; at a position along the length of the blade, diverting the heated air from the first longitudinal blade cavity (26) into a second longitudinal blade cavity (24); and channeling the diverted air at least part way through the second longitudinal blade cavity (24) back to an inlet (34) of the heating means (10). The heated air is circulated through at least a central cavity (24) and a leading edge cavity (26) defined between longitudinal webs (22) within the blade.

A lubricant cooler, a cooling and lubricating system of a speed-up gear box, a wind power unit and a low-temperature starting method of the wind power unit. The lubricant cooler includes a radiating plate and a one-way valve arranged on a lubricant conveying pipeline, wherein the radiating plate and the one-way valve are arranged in parallel, and the one-way valve and/or the lubricant conveying pipeline in communication with the one-way valve are integrated on the radiating plate. The lubricant cooler can solve the problem that, when the wind power unit is started at a low temperature, the cooling and lubricating system of the speed-up gear box causes the shut-down of the wind power unit because the lubricant blocks the radiating plate.

A method for controlling heating of rotor blades of an aerodynamic rotor of a wind turbine, wherein, the heating of the rotor blades is initiated, if icing of the rotor blades is expected, wherein according to an icing criteria, if icing is expected is evaluated depending on a determined ambient temperature, a determined relative humidity, and a determined wind speed, each defining a determined weather parameter, and further according to the icing criteria, if icing is expected is evaluated depending on a temporal change of at least one of these weather parameters and/or of at least one other weather parameter.

A shroud for a compressor is provided. The shroud may include a first annular portion constructed of a first material, a second annular portion coupled to the first annular portion and constructed of a second material, and a first coating disposed on the first annular portion and constructed of a third material. At least one of the first material, the second material, and the third material may be a different material from at least one other of the first material, the second material, and the third material.

A fan casing assembly for a turbine engine including a casing having an annular fan cooler. The annular fan cooler includes first and second connection assemblies to fix movement of the fan cooler during engine operation, while permitting circumferential thermal growth of the fan cooler without suffering from high cycle fatigue.

A combustor basket assembly for a gas turbine engine that includes a combustor basket having a basket liner including an input end and an output end. A double-wall exit cone is mounted to the output end of the basket liner, where the exit cone includes an inner wall and an outer wall defining an exit cone channel therebetween. A splash plate is mounted to the outer wall to define a splash plate channel between the splash plate and the basket liner. A series of pairs of cooling feed holes are provided through the basket liner, where one of the feed holes in each pair provides cooling air to the cone channel and the other feed hole provides cooling air to the splash plate channel. The outer surface of the outer wall and the inner surface of the inner wall are coated with a thermal barrier coating.

There is provided a gas turbine combustor capable of improving cooling performance of a combustion chamber thereof and reducing the amount of NOx emissions. The gas turbine combustor includes: a cylindrical combustion chamber that burns combustion air and fuel to thereby produce combustion gas; an outer casing disposed concentrically on an outside of the combustion chamber; an end cover disposed at an upstream side end portion of the outer casing; an annular passage formed by an outer peripheral surface of the combustion chamber and an inner peripheral surface of the outer casing, the annular passage allowing the combustion air to flow therethrough; and a passage formed inside a combustion chamber wall between the outer peripheral surface and an inner peripheral surface of the combustion chamber, the passage having a U-shape turned sideways and having ends disposed on an upstream side in a transverse cross-sectional view, in which the passage includes a first passage that extends in parallel with an axial direction of the combustion chamber and has a supply hole on a first end side thereof, the supply hole communicating with an outside of the combustion chamber wall, and a second passage that has a second end side communicating with a second end side of the first passage and has a jet hole on a first end side thereof, the jet hole communicating with an inside of the combustion chamber wall.