A benchmark state space model construction method for an offshore wind turbine is provided. The benchmark state space model is constructed by the modal information of the first several orders of the high-order finite element model of the offshore wind turbine. Since the benchmark state space model is only established by the first several orders of the high-order finite element model, the time domain analysis of the offshore wind turbine using the benchmark state space model instead of the high-order finite element model can improve the calculation efficiency and reduce the calculation cost. The benchmark state space model construction method solves the problem of low computational efficiency and high computational cost of time domain analysis of offshore wind turbines using high-order finite element models due to the excessive number of high-order finite element units in existing technologies.

A rotatable solar tower with an airfoil structure is described. Solar panels are stacked vertically to create the skin of an airfoil. By installing the airfoil vertically so that its longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the ground and allowing the airfoil to rotate freely 360 degrees into the wind, the horizontal forces on the airfoil from the wind are significantly reduced compared to a round cylinder with the same diameter. This allows the airfoil structure to be lightweight in design while spanning several hundred feet in height and producing several hundred kilowatts of electrical power on a small footprint of land. The solar panels may have 3-axes of rotation, i.e., rotation of the tower about the base, horizontal extension of the solar frame assemblies and vertical extension of the solar panels. Wind turbines may also be provided in or on the tower.

A state monitoring apparatus for a mechanical apparatus including a rolling bearing includes: a first acquisition portion configured to acquire vibration information or sound information of the rolling bearing during rotation; a second acquisition portion configured to acquire a rotation speed of the rolling bearing during rotation; a derivation portion configured to derive, according to the rotation speed, a timing at which data is sampled from the vibration information or the sound information such that the number of times of sampling per rotation of the rolling bearing is a predetermined value; and a generation portion configured to generate, based on the timing derived by the derivation portion, monitoring data by sampling data from the vibration information or the sound information.

A method for detecting a failure condition in one or more components of a wind turbine is provided. The method includes actuating, via a controller, an impact device to generate a vibration having a vibration frequency and a vibration magnitude in the one or more components. The method further includes receiving data indicative of the vibration frequency and the vibration magnitude from a sensor communicatively coupled to the controller. The method further includes determining, via the controller, whether the data indicative of the vibration frequency and/or the vibration magnitude is outside of a predetermined vibration range for the one or more components.

A method of controlling a wind turbine having a rotor, in particular in all rotational speed regimes is provided, the method including: determining a rotor noise contribution, in particular based on an actual rotor operational state; determining auxiliary noise contributions from plural auxiliary components based on respective actual operational states; determining a total noise based on the auxiliary noise contributions and the rotor noise contribution; comparing the total noise with a noise threshold; adapting a limit value of at least one operational parameter and/or a respective operational state of at least one of the auxiliary components depending on the comparison result.

An example method includes receiving time-series vibration data for multiple components of multiple wind turbines. Based on the time-series vibration data, multiple groups of wind turbines are defined, as well as first and second vibration thresholds for each group. Time-series vibration data for a component of a particular wind turbine is received. A particular group that includes the particular wind turbine, as well as particular first and second vibration thresholds are identified. A vibration of the component has exceeded the particular first vibration threshold is determined. A forecast of at least one of a period of time before the vibration may exceed the particular second vibration threshold and a future date at which the vibration may exceed the particular second vibration threshold is generated. An alert that includes the particular wind turbine and at least one of the period of time and the future date is generated and provided.

The invention relates to a method for controlling a wind power installation, wherein the wind power installation has a tower, a generator and a rotor with rotor blades whose blade angle can be adjusted, an operating point is characterized by an installation power and a rotor speed, to change or maintain the operating point, at least one actuator is controlled in each case via a control variable, and controlling the actuator affects a vibration excitation of at least one component vibration of a vibratory component of the wind power installation, comprising the steps of: determining a preliminary control signal for the control variable, changing the preliminary control signal into a modified control signal in order to reduce the vibration excitation, wherein the preliminary control signal is changed into the modified control signal in such a way that at least one frequency component from the preliminary control signal with a frequency range around a natural frequency of the vibratory component is reduced, and/or at least one frequency component from a resulting excitation signal, which is expected from the preliminary control signal and excites the component vibration, with a frequency range around the natural frequency of the vibratory component is reduced, and controlling the actuator on the basis of the modified control signal.

A method for monitoring a machine state of a machine system, in particular a wind power plant, may include the steps of providing a time series of measured natural vibration spectra of the machine system, detecting a deformation parameter in at least one monitoring time interval, wherein the deformation parameter is characteristic of a deviation of the measured natural vibration spectra from a reference natural vibration spectrum of at least one reference machine system, detecting a noise parameter at the at least one monitoring time interval, wherein the noise parameter is characteristic of a noise of the measured natural vibration spectra, and determining the machine state from the deformation parameter and the noise parameter. A monitoring apparatus for monitoring a machine state of a machine system, in particular a wind power plant, is also described.

A system and method are provided for reducing vibrations and loads in one or more rotor blades on a rotor hub of a wind turbine when the rotor hub is in a locked or idling condition. An electronically tunable spring mass damper is attached to a fixed location on one or more of the rotor blades. The spring mass damper is maintained on the rotor blades during the locked or idling condition of the rotor hub. The method includes sensing movement of the mass component resulting from the vibrations induced in the blade. Based on the sensed movement of the mass component, the spring mass damper is automatically tuned to the amplitude of the vibrations by operating the electric machine as a generator in a virtual damper mode and/or tuned to the frequency of the vibrations by operating the electrical machine as a motor-generator in a virtual spring mode.

A wind power generation device includes a blade, a main shaft of which one end is connected to the blade, a speed increaser connected to the other end of the main shaft, an output shaft of which one end is connected to the speed increaser, a power generation unit connected to the other end of the output shaft, a vibration sensor, and an abnormality diagnosis unit. The power generation unit is configured to rotate the output shaft and the main shaft by performing powering operation. The abnormality diagnosis unit diagnoses the presence or absence of an abnormality based on data acquired by the vibration sensor during a period in which the power generation unit performs powering operation.