The method according to the invention for operating a wind turbine, comprising a tower and a rotor arranged at the top of the tower and having at least one rotor blade, which can be adjusted about a blade setting axis, has a first operating mode in which the at least one rotor blade has an operating angular position about the blade setting axis and a wind-force-dependent rotation of the rotor is converted into electrical power using a generator unit, which power is delivered from the wind turbine into an electrical network and/or stored, and a second operating mode in which the at least one rotor blade is adjusted by at least 60° and/or max. 110° about the blade setting axis relative to the operating angular position into a damping angular position, and a counter torque braking the rotor is controlled based on a vibration of the tower.

An information generating device includes a control unit for causing a motor to rotate a pinion gear meshing with a ring gear while a predetermined braking force is applied to brake rotation of a turnable part of a wind turbine, thereby causing a fastening part to deform, where the fastening part is provided to fixedly attach the motor to a target part, a deformation amount obtaining unit for obtaining an amount of deformation experienced by the fastening part, and an information generating unit for generating correlation information indicating a correspondence between a driving torque of the motor and the amount of deformation experienced when the driving torque is used to rotate the motor.

A novel lightweight high efficiency wind generator with low noise and low vibrational levels comprising a vertical mast with a rotation element mounted at the top of the mast, with a frame attached to the rotation element with its bottom, such that the rotation element provides axial rotation of the frame in the range from 0° to 360°, is disclosed. The frame comprises a three-dimensional truss frame construction with traverses, to which at least one rigid closed elliptical base is attached. The at least one elliptical base carries a guide rail with grooves, the guide rail comprises at least one pair of rollers in the grooves which can rotate and roll in the grooves along the entire closed circuit of the elliptical base. Along the entire contour of the elliptical base blades are radially fixed and arranged in one plane using carriages.

A controller for the yaw function is coupled with a yaw system for controlling the operation of yaw motors in the yaw function of a wind turbine. A control signal is provided to the controller that is reflective of a grid condition of an electric grid. The control signal is evaluated, and the controller selectively delays the yaw function based upon the control signal. In another embodiment, the yaw system includes brakes for the yaw motors that are coupled with an independent power supply. The controller selectively delays the yaw function if the brake power supply is not operational.

A method of controlling a wind turbine for the avoidance of edgewise vibrations. The method comprises the steps of determining a whirling mode frequency of a rotor blade of the wind turbine; determining a rotational frequency of the rotor blade corresponding to the speed of the rotor blade; determining a threshold value for the whirling mode frequency based on the rotational frequency; and, reducing the speed of the rotor blade if the whirling mode frequency substantially equals or is less than the threshold value.

A wind turbine apparatus for use in movement of components of a wind turbine. The wind turbine apparatus has an upright support means, the upright support means being adaptable to be set on a surface below a load in use, such that the weight of the load is transferred to the surface. The wind turbine apparatus further has a load bearing means for engaging a load, the load bearing means being operably coupled with the upright support means and being configured to be moveable laterally when bearing a load. The wind turbine apparatus further has a means for raising and lowering the load bearing means. The wind turbine apparatus can be used for supporting, raising and lowering yaw brake calipers.

A yaw braking assembly of a wind turbine is presented. Accordingly, the yaw braking assembly includes a bedplate support frame having an annular flange defining a plurality of recesses formed into a lower-most annular surface of the annular flange and extending at least partially through an axial thickness of the annular flange. Each of the plurality recesses define an open exterior circumferential side. The yaw braking assembly also includes a plurality of brake pads which are positioned within the plurality of recesses and configured to engage at least one race of an adjacent yaw bearing. The yaw braking assembly further includes a plurality of actuators for driving the plurality of brake pads to engage the yaw bearing.

Provided is a wind turbine brake control device including: an electromagnetic brake for braking at least one of relative rotation between a pinion gear installed in a first structure and a ring gear installed in a second structure or rotation of a motor having the pinion gear mounted thereto, the first structure and the second structure constituting a movable section of a wind turbine; and a contactless relay disposed on a power supply line between a power supply for operation of the electromagnetic brake and the electromagnetic brake and configured to open and close the power supply line.

A wind turbine drive control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a wind turbine drive control device for controlling at least one drive device for moving two structures included in a wind power generation device relative to each other, the wind turbine drive control device including: an obtaining unit for obtaining information related to a load occurring between the at least one drive device and one of the two structures that receives a force generated by the at least one drive device; and a control unit for controlling the at least one drive device so as to cause a force generated by the at least one drive device to be reduced or zero based on the information related to the load obtained by the obtaining unit during a stop period in which the two structures are stopped relative to each other.

A method for operating a generator of a wind turbine includes generating, via a controller, a time series of a plurality of operating signals of the generator. The method also includes applying at least one algorithm to the time series of the plurality of operating signals of the generator to generate a processed time series of the of the plurality of operating signals of the generator. Moreover, the method includes identifying, via the controller, patterns in the processed time series of the plurality of operating signals of the generator to identify one or more of at least one slip event occurring in the slip coupling or a surface health of the slip coupling. Further, the method includes implementing, via the controller, a control action when the at least one slip event occurring in the slip coupling is identified or the surface health of the slip coupling is indicative of degradation in the slip coupling.