An assembly includes a supporting structure and a measuring device. The measuring device includes a first flexible coupling which is torsionally stiff and non-rotatably connected to the supporting structure, a rod having a longitudinal axis and being non-rotatably connected to the first flexible coupling, and an angle-measuring device including a first component group non-rotatably connected to the rod and a second component group non-rotatably connected to the supporting structure. The first component group is disposed to be rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the rod relative to the second component group, and the angle-measuring device is configured to allow measurement of a relative angular position between the two component groups. By such an assembly, a torsion of the supporting structure about the longitudinal axis of the rod caused by mechanical loading is determinable by measuring the relative angular position between the two component groups.

An automated system for mitigating risk from a wind turbine includes a plurality of optical imaging sensors. A controller receives and analyzes images from the optical imaging sensors to automatically send a signal to curtail operation of the wind turbine to a predetermined risk mitigating level when the controller determines from images received from the optical imaging sensors that an airborne animal is at risk from the wind turbine.

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed towards a system and methods for generating three dimensional (3D) images with increased composite vertical field of view and composite resolution for a spinning three-dimensional sensor, based on actuating the sensor to generate a plurality of sensor axis orientations as a function of rotation of the actuator. The output data from the sensor, such as a spinning LIDAR, is transformable as a function of the actuator angle to generate three dimensional imagery.

A ceiling fan includes a fan body, a sensing unit and a control unit. The fan body includes a base seat, a plurality of fan blades mounted to the base seat, and a motor mounted to the base seat for driving rotation of the fan blades about the base seat. The sensing unit includes an outer casing, a room temperature sensor, and a body temperature sensor. The control unit is mounted to the fan body, in communication with the room temperature sensor, the body temperature sensor and the motor, and operable to adjust a rotational speed of the fan blades by controlling the motor according to a room temperature and a body temperature respectively sensed by the room temperature sensor and the body temperature sensor.

There is presented a method (320) for controlling a wind turbine (100), wherein said wind turbine comprises a wind turbine rotor (102) with one or more blades (103), wherein the wind turbine has a rated angular rotation speed (214) of the wind turbine rotor, said method comprising providing (322) an estimated drop size (324) of rain drops impinging on the one or more blades, determining (326) whether an entry criterion for operation according to a reduced mode is fulfilled, wherein said determining is based at least partially on the estimated drop size (324), controlling (328) the wind turbine according to the reduced mode if the entry criterion is fulfilled, wherein in the reduced mode an angular rotation speed of the wind turbine rotor is limited below an angular rotation speed threshold (216), wherein the angular rotation speed threshold is smaller than the rated angular rotation speed of the wind turbine.

There is presented a method (320) for controlling a wind turbine (100), wherein said wind turbine comprises a wind turbine rotor (102) with one or more blades (103), wherein the wind turbine has a rated angular rotation speed (214) of the wind turbine rotor, said method comprising obtaining (322) information (323) on ambient conditions, determining, based on said information, if an erosion criterion is fulfilled, controlling (328) the wind turbine according to an extended mode if the erosion criterion is fulfilled, wherein in the extended mode an angular rotation speed of the wind turbine rotor is allowed to exceed the rated angular rotation speed (214).

An automated system for mitigating risk from a wind farm. The automated system may include an array of a plurality of image capturing devices independently mounted in a wind farm. The array may include a plurality of low resolution cameras and at least one high resolution camera. The plurality of low resolution cameras may be interconnected and may detect a spherical field surrounding the wind farm. A server is in communication with the array of image capturing devices. The server may automatically analyze images to classify an airborne object captured by the array of image capturing devices in response to receiving the images.

An actuator device for a wind power installation, in particular for a rotor blade of a wind power installation, and also to an associated wind power installation and a method of assembly, with an actuator component and a control component, wherein the actuator component has at least one actuator layer with a preferential direction and, substantially parallel to the actuator layer, at least one exciting layer, wherein the actuator layer comprises a photoactuator, wherein the photoactuator is designed to change a strain and/or stress of the actuator layer in the preferential direction on the basis of excitation light, wherein the exciting layer is designed to guide excitation light into the actuator layer, wherein the control component comprises a light source and a light guide, wherein the light source is arranged away from the exciting layer and is connected to the exciting layer by means of the light guide. The actuator device makes it possible to ensure greater operational reliability.

Methods of operating a variable speed wind turbine as a function of wind speed are described. The wind turbine has a rotor with a plurality of blades and a generator. The generator has a design rotor speed which varies so as to follow a theoretical generator rotor rotational speed curve describing the rotational speed of the rotor as a function of wind speed. The method comprises determining an erosion risk condition of the blades, determining erosion damage of one or more of the blades accumulated over time and changing the rotor rotational speed from the design rotor speed as a function of the determined erosion risk condition and the determined accumulated erosion damage. Wind turbines configured to carry out such methods are also described.

An optical measurement device is disclosed and includes a body configured to be mounted to at least one piston cylinder, and a compression ratio determination unit operatively connected to the body to receive optical measurement data and compute a clearance between at least two opposed pistons disposed within the at least one piston cylinder.