A method of detecting an adjustment fault related to a wind turbine rotor blade mounted at a wind turbine rotor and including an adaptable flow regulating device, in particular spoiler and/or flap, the method including: estimating a quantity indicative of a change of a driving impact of wind on the wind turbine rotor based on at least two settings of the adaptable flow regulating device; determining another quantity indicative of a desired change of the driving impact on the wind turbine rotor, in order to change a value of a rotor speed to a reference value of the rotor speed; and indicating an adjustment fault based on a comparison of the quantity with the other quantity, is provided.

Provided is a blade for a wind turbine, the blade including a joint section configured to connect the blade to a hub of the wind turbine; an active add-on member which is actuated by a corresponding trim actuator to alter aerodynamic properties of the blade; and a channel configured to supply a medium from the joint section to the active add-on member. A wind turbine and a method of preventing icing of the blade is also provided.

A wind turbine (1) comprising a tower (2), a nacelle (3) mounted on the tower (2) via a yaw system, a hub (4) mounted rotatably on the nacelle (3), the hub (4) comprising a blade carrying structure (5), and one or more wind turbine blades (6) connected to the blade carrying structure (5) via a hinge (7) is disclosed. Each wind turbine blade (6) is thereby arranged to perform pivot movements relative to the blade carrying structure (5) between a minimum pivot angle and a maximum pivot angle. The blade carrying structure (5) is provided with one or more elements (8) configured to improve aerodynamic properties of a surface of the blade carrying structure (5) by increasing a lift and/or decreasing a drag of the blade carrying structure. The increase in lift and/or decrease in drag varies as a function of angle of attack (AOA) between the blade carrying structure (5) and the incoming wind.

An apparatus and system for compensating for various load situations in a turbine includes the use of one or more deployable devices configured to extend an air deflector outwardly from a surface of a rotor blade. The air deflector may subsequently be retracted into the rotor blade once the load falls below a certain threshold. Mechanisms for extending and retracting the air deflector may include pneumatic, hydraulic and/or electromechanical devices. Air deflectors are generally configured to modify the air flow around the rotor blade to increase or decrease power generation, or reduce loads so that the risk of potential damage to components of the wind turbine is minimized. Deflectors may be positioned at various chordwise stations including leading-edge, mid-chord, and trailing-edge locations on the upper and lower surfaces at spanwise positions. Accordingly, a plurality of devices can be actuated to aerodynamically control rotor performance and loads based on wind conditions.

A method of controlling a floating-body wind turbine power generating apparatus including a wind turbine generator disposed on a floating body includes a pitch-angle increasing step of increasing a pitch angle of a blade of the wind turbine generator when the wind turbine generator is stopped, so that an aerodynamic braking force is applied to a rotor of the wind turbine generator. In the pitch-angle increasing step, a first change rate of the pitch angle of the blade in a first period during which the wind turbine generator is in an inclining motion toward an upwind side from a vertical direction due to sway of the floating body, is smaller than a second change rate of the pitch angle of the blade in a second period during which the wind turbine generator is in an inclining motion toward a downwind side from the vertical direction due to the sway of the floating body.

Control of a wind turbine in a stop process where a stop controller is used to pitch the blades at a number of pre-set pitch rates including a first pitch rate and a second pitch rate. The stop controller is arranged to access desired pitch angles of the stopping process and add an envelope band to the desired pitch angles. In the stop process, pitching at a selected pitch rate among the number of pre-set pitch rates is performed, and the pitch rate is changed according to criteria to keep the pitch value within the envelope band.

A wind turbine system comprising a nacelle mounted on a tower, a rotor having a plurality of blades and a boundary layer control system configured to control airflow through blade surface openings in each of the blades. The wind turbine system includes a control system configured to perform at least one of the following: to monitor an operational speed parameter of the wind turbine, and to activate the boundary layer control system if it is determined that the 1 operational speed parameter exceeds a predetermined speed parameter threshold; to monitor tower motion and to activate the boundary layer control system based on a determination of excessive tower motion; to monitor for a wind turbine shutdown condition, and to activate the boundary layer control system if it is determined that a wind turbine shutdown condition has been identified; and to monitor the aerodynamic loads on the blades, and to activate the boundary layer control system also based on a determination of excessive blade loads. The system thereby provides an approach to activating and deactivating the boundary layer control system to reduce operational risk to the wind turbine.

One or more controllers may perform one or more methods to control one or more air deflector units of one or more wind turbine rotor blades. The methods include per-blade control methods that may be performed, e.g., to reduce blade loading caused by wind gusts. The methods also include collective control methods that may be performed, e.g., to reduce tower motion and/or rotor speed.

The invention provides a method of shutting down a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising a rotor with a plurality of blades; and a generator system coupled to the rotor. The method comprises: operating the generator system to generate electrical power and apply a load torque to the rotor; controlling the electrical power generated with a power reference signal; determining that a shutdown of the wind turbine is required; in response to the determination that a shutdown of the wind turbine is required, changing the power reference signal so as to increase the electrical power generated thereby slowing the rotor; determining that a speed of the rotor has reduced below a threshold; and in response to the determination that the speed of the rotor has decreased below the threshold, changing a pitch of the blades to further slow the rotor.

A method of detecting an adjustment fault related to a wind turbine rotor blade mounted at a wind turbine rotor and including an adaptable flow regulating device, in particular spoiler and/or flap, the method including: estimating a quantity indicative of a change of a driving impact of wind on the wind turbine rotor based on at least two settings of the adaptable flow regulating device; determining another quantity indicative of a desired change of the driving impact on the wind turbine rotor, in order to change a value of a rotor speed to a reference value of the rotor speed; and indicating an adjustment fault based on a comparison of the quantity with the other quantity, is provided.