A wind turbine and associated control method includes a controller configured with a high speed shaft brake in the generator gear train. The controller receives an input signal corresponding to rotational speed of the high speed shaft, wherein upon the high speed shaft reaching a predefined rotational speed and under a braking condition that calls for the rotor to come to a complete standstill, the controller generates an activate signal to activate the brake. An interlock system is in communication with the low speed shaft sensor and the controller and is configured to override the activate signal when the rotational speed of the low speed shaft is above a threshold value.

A hybrid solar/wind turbine apparatus, which includes a blade and shelf assembly configured to provide wind impulsion and wind capture. The blade and shelf assembly are located between an upper and a lower platform assembly. The blade assembly is helically disposed about an axis, for generating torque. A transmission shaft is in communication with the blade assembly and configured to receive the generated torque. One or more photovoltaic cells are in communication with the blade assembly for photovoltaic energy generation, either alone or in combination, with the torque. A means to integrate and combine the photovoltaic energy generating photovoltaic cells into the wind capturing blade assembly.

There is presented a method for damping an edgewise vibration of a rotor blade of a wind turbine, wherein the method comprises measuring at the rotor blade a motion parameter of the edgewise rotor blade vibration, generating based on said motion parameter a blade pitch angle control signal, and damping the edgewise vibration of the rotor blade by pitching the rotor blade according to the blade pitch angle control signal, wherein the blade pitch angle control signal is arranged so that a resulting force on a rotor blade pitched according to the blade pitch angle control signal, in a direction of the edgewise vibration of the rotor blade in a coordinate system, which rotates with a rotor of the wind turbine, is opposite and proportional to the edgewise rotor blade vibration velocity.

Embodiments herein describe validating an emergency stop signal before activating a brake within a wind turbine. The emergency stop signal is received from a control node of a plurality of control nodes distributed throughout the wind turbine, and the emergency stop signal indicates that the wind turbine should be shut down. The wind turbine is shut down by transmitting a shutdown signal to the plurality of control nodes. Upon determining there is no indication a person is present within the wind turbine, the emergency stop signal is validated. Additionally, upon determining the emergency stop signal is valid, a brake within the wind turbine is activated to bring the rotor to a stop.

Damage to a driving device or a ring gear or both due to an excessive force at a meshing portion therebetween is effectively prevented. In the embodiment described above, a driving device includes a driving device body that is provided in one structure at a movable section of a wind turbine and has a drive gear meshing with a ring gear provided in the other structure at the movable section, and an abnormality detection unit that monitors a force generated between the ring gear and the drive gear or the state of the driving device body or monitors both of the face and the state. Output from the drive gear of the driving device body to the ring gear is stopped when the abnormality detection unit detected an abnormality.

A yaw brake for a wind turbine includes a brake housing disposed on one or both sides of a brake surface disposed about a yaw axis. The housing defines a bore and a piston is disposed within the bore. The piston is configured for movement within the bore along an axis between first and second positions in which the piston applies different braking forces to the brake surface. At least one portion of the piston and at least one portion of the bore of the brake housing have complementary non-circular shapes. The at least one portion of the piston is configured to be positioned within and least one portion of the bore when the piston is in the first and second positions. A bushing is disposed radially between the at least one portion of the piston and the at least one portion of the bore of the brake housing.

A yaw brake for a wind turbine includes a brake housing disposed on one or both sides of a brake surface disposed about a yaw axis. The housing defines a bore and a piston is disposed within the bore. The piston is configured for movement within the bore along an axis between first and second positions in which the piston applies different braking forces to the brake surface. At least one portion of the piston and at least one portion of the bore of the brake housing have complementary non-circular shapes. The at least one portion of the piston is configured to be positioned within and least one portion of the bore when the piston is in the first and second positions. A bushing is disposed radially between the at least one portion of the piston and the at least one portion of the bore of the brake housing.

A method for operating a wind turbine includes operating, via a controller, the wind turbine according to a speed set point during normal operation of the wind turbine. The method also includes receiving, via the controller, a command to shut down the wind turbine or to curtail operation of the wind turbine. In response to receiving the command, the method includes initiating, via the controller, a shutdown procedure or a curtailment procedure of the wind turbine. During the shutdown procedure or the curtailment procedure of the wind turbine, the method includes dynamically adjusting a rate of change of the speed set point as a function of a speed tracking error, which corresponds to a difference between an actual rotor speed of the wind turbine and the speed set point.

A system for slew ring repair includes a drive mechanism and a tool coupled thereto. The tool may include a fixture structurally configured to secure the tool to a frame on a top end of a wind tower, and a rotatable shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, where the proximal end is coupled to the drive mechanism and the distal end is structurally configured to insert within a housing on the top end of the wind tower that contains a slew ring of a wind turbine disposed on the wind tower. The tool may further include a grinder disposed on the distal end of the rotatable shaft, where the grinder is structurally configured to engage the slew ring while being rotated by the drive mechanism for repair or maintenance of the slew ring.

Disclosed is a floating wind turbine including a floating platform and a turbomachine resting on the platform, the turbomachine including: first and second transverse flow turbines disposed symmetrically with respect to a first plane, each turbine including blades including central parts that are extended at the ends by arms, connected to shaft elements by pivoting connections, each turbine also including upper and lower fairings; anda structure for holding the turbines including a vertical median pylon between the turbines and upstream of a second plane containing the axes of rotation of the blades of the turbines.