The invention relates to a method for monitoring a status of at least one component of a mechanical plant, in particular of a wind turbine, that comprises the following steps: (i) receiving an evaluation signal that is formed based on values of a measurement quantity recorded in the plant, (ii) determining at least one parameter data set on the basis of the evaluation signal as a function of a signal that is representative for a stress of the plant and/or based on a spectral analysis of the evaluation signal, (iii) evaluation of an indicator signal as a function of at least one parameter data set and determining the status of the component of the plant as a function of the indicator signal.

A multi-outlet fluid pump includes a housing, a motorized pump, an electrical power supply, and a self-locking thermal cutoff. In one form, the pump includes a first or primary thermal cutoff and a second or secondary thermal cutoff to prevent the pump from operating once a thermal cutoff has deactivated the pump until a user or operator has taken some affirmative action. Related methods are also disclosed herein. In some forms an indicator is provided to indicate if the thermal cutoff has disabled the pump to alert a user as to the need to unplug or reset the pump before operating the pump again.

A wind turbine, a method and a control system for aligning a nacelle of a wind turbine with a target yaw angle is provided, wherein the control system includes a detection device configured for detecting at least one parameter indicative of wind forces acting on at least one component of the wind turbine for determining a current yaw angle of the nacelle, and an actuation device configured for manipulating a position of the nacelle until the current yaw angle is aligned with the target yaw angle, wherein the detection device includes at least one first bending moment sensor on a first component, wherein the detection device is configured for determining a bending moment of the first component based on data received from the first bending moment sensor as the at least one parameter indicative of wind forces acting on the at least one component of the wind turbine.

A method of controlling a wind turbine is described. The method involves forecasting the temperature evolution of a component of the wind turbine based upon the current operating parameters of the wind turbine and upon a required power output; predicting from the temperature forecast a future alarm event caused by the temperature of the component exceeding a first threshold level or falling below a second threshold level; and adjusting the operating parameters of the wind turbine to control the temperature evolution of the component thereby to avoid or delay the predicted alarm event.

A method is for operating a wind turbine. The wind turbine includes a nacelle including a nacelle component, in particular a rotor bearing, and a nacelle air flow influencing unit. The nacelle air flow influencing unit is configured to influence an air flow entering, flowing through and/or exiting the nacelle. The method includes: determining an operating condition of the nacelle component, determining a cooling demand of the nacelle component dependent on the determined operating condition of the nacelle component, controlling an operation of the nacelle air flow influencing unit dependent on the cooling demand of the nacelle component to adapt the air flow to the cooling demand of the nacelle component.

Provided are embodiments of a wind energy system. The system includes a plurality of wind turbines connected to at least one cable network. The cable network is configured to transmit the electrical power fed-in by the connected wind turbines. The system also includes at least one control apparatus configured to control the power fed into the cable network by at least one of the wind turbine by providing at least one power set point. At least one temperature detecting device is configured to detect the temperature of the cable network. At least one condition detecting device is configured to detect the condition of the wind energy system, and the control apparatus includes at least one control device configured to determine the power set point based on the detected temperature and the detected condition.

An apparatus for controlling a wind power generator unit includes a deviation detection unit to detect an angular deviation between windward and a current rotation direction of a nacelle after a wind power generator is installed so as to face the windward, and a control unit to receive data detected by the deviation detection unit and to control a brake state and a yawing state of a yaw brake unit, wherein when the nacelle rotates out of a preset deviation range, the control unit temporarily releases frictional force of a brake pad coming into close contact with a disk so as to control a brake operation state of the yaw brake unit.

A method of operating a wind turbine is provided. The method includes steps of monitoring the temperature of a component of the wind turbine to obtain a temperature progression for that component; determining the gradient of the temperature progression; and curtailing the power output of the wind turbine on the basis of the temperature progression gradient. The disclosed further describes a wind turbine including a curtailment module configured to curtail the power output of the wind turbine on the basis of a temperature progression gradient.

A method for determining control parameters of a turbine by consideration of component-relevant temperature limits is provided. The method considers the impact of individual turbine manufacturing tolerances on the turbine performance in a turbine model to determine control parameters for the turbine without damaging it. The method includes the steps of: receiving, by an interface, one or more measurement values of turbine sensors; determining, by a processing unit, at components or turbine places being equipped or not with turbine sensors, one or more virtual parameters and/or temperatures by a simulation of the operation of the turbine, the simulation being made with a given turbine model in which the one or more measurement values and one or more characteristic values of the wind turbine are used as input parameters; and deriving, by the processing unit, the control parameters for the wind turbine from the one or more virtual parameters and/or temperatures.

A motor leakage current detector and/or a heat compensating circuit, devices using same and related methods are disclosed herein. Included are a uniquely wired current transformer to allow for polarity agnostic leakage current detection, a leakage current detector using same and having a notifier to alert a user. In other forms, an accessory power cord and power strip are disclosed capable of detecting early motor failure conditions. In still other forms, other machinery failure early warning systems are disclosed as are numerous motor operated devices using same including without limitation pumps.