A method (1000-1004) for operating a wind turbine (10, 11) including a drive train (64) including a generator (42) and a rotor shaft (44) mechanically connected with the generator (42) and having an axis (30) of rotation, and a rotor (18) having rotor blades (22-22c). The rotor (18) is mechanically connected with the rotor shaft (44) and rotatable about the axis (30) of rotation. The method (1000-1004) includes determining (1100) that the generator (42) is not operating in a power generating mode, and operating (1200) the rotor (18) to move around a predefined desired angular orientation (α.sub.des) with respect to the axis (30) of rotation in an alternating fashion.

The nacelle of a horizontal axis wind turbine is fixedly mounted on a tower, and the tower is mounted off-center with respect to a ring around which it is rotatable. The tower is a tripod. Two legs of the tripod are of fixed length and lie in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the turbine blades. The third leg of the tripod is of adjustable length and is aligned with the axis of rotation of the turbine blades. The third leg thus may be controlled to adjust for pitching of the base and other purposes. Multiple turbines, spaced apart laterally, may be mounted on a platform in a fixed orientation, with the platform rotatably mounted off-center relative to a base.

Aspects of the present invention relate to a computer-implemented method for predicting energy production losses associated with high wind hysteresis control of a wind turbine generator. The method comprises: determining a distribution of wind speeds; determining a high wind hysteresis band that comprises wind speed values between an upper threshold and a lower threshold; and predicting energy production loss due to the high wind hysteresis control. The prediction includes: determining a high wind factor corresponding to a probability that the wind speeds in the hysteresis band occur when the generator is shut off by the high wind hysteresis control, determining, based on the distribution and power data, an energy value associated with the wind speeds falling within the hysteresis band over a predetermined time period; and determining the energy production loss by applying the high wind factor to the determined energy value.

The present disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for self-adaption of a cut-out strategy. The method may include: predicting, using a wind speed prediction model, a wind resource parameter of a wind turbine at each machine location; predicting, using a load prediction model, a fatigue load and a limit load of the wind turbine based on the predicted wind resource parameter and an air density; comparing the predicted fatigue load and limit load with a reference load; and determining the cut-out strategy based on a result of the comparison, wherein determining the cut-out strategy includes determining a cut-out wind speed and an output power.

A method for controlling wind turbines. Incident signal data is obtained from wind turbines and fed to an artificial intelligence (AI) model in order to identify patterns in the incident signals generated by the wind turbines. One or more actions are associated to the identified patterns, based on identified actions performed by the wind turbines in response to the generated incident signals. During operation of the wind turbines, one or more incident signals from one or more wind turbines are detected and compared to patterns identified by the AI model. In the case that the detected incident signal(s) match(es) at least one of the identified patterns, the wind turbine(s) are controlled by performing the action(s) associated with the matching pattern(s).

Method for operating a wind turbine, the wind turbine including a wind characteristics sensor for measuring a wind characteristic and at least one wind turbine state sensor for measuring a state of the wind turbine, the method comprising: determining or adjusting (102) one or more wind characteristics relationships; and, performing (104) an operation phase, the operation phase including: measuring the wind characteristics with the wind characteristics sensor, thereby obtaining measured wind characteristics; measuring the state of the wind turbine with the at least one wind turbine state sensor and determining an estimated wind characteristics from the measured state of the wind turbine and parameters of the wind turbine; comparing the estimated wind characteristics to an expected wind characteristics determined from the measured wind characteristics, wherein the expected wind characteristics is determined based on the one or more wind characteristics relationships; and, operating or shutting down the wind turbine based at least in part on the comparison result.

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for micrositing a wind farm having a plurality of wind turbines. The method includes (a) determining, via a loads optimization function, one or more wind directions with or without turbine shadow for each of the wind turbines in the wind farm, (b) determining, via the loads optimization function, at least one additional wind parameter for each of the wind directions, (c) calculating, via simulation, loads for each of the wind turbines in the wind farm based on the identified wind directions with or without turbine shadow for each of the wind turbines in the wind farm and the at least one additional wind parameter for each of the wind directions, and (d) determining a site layout for the wind farm based on the calculated loads.

An APU has a gas turbine engine and a starter generator to be selectively driven by the gas turbine engine. A sensor senses windmilling of components associated with the starter generator. A lock feature limits rotation within the starter generator when windmilling is sensed. A method of operation is also disclosed.

Method of operating a wind turbine in response to a wind speed, the wind turbine having at least a rotor with a plurality of blades and a generator comprising a generator rotor and a generator stator, the method comprising, at wind speeds above a first wind speed, increasing the pitch angle of the blades and reducing the rotor speed with increasing wind speed, said first wind speed being superior to the nominal wind speed; wherein at a second wind speed, the speed of the generator rotor is equal to the synchronous generator rotor speed, said second wind speed being superior to said first wind speed; and wherein at wind speeds superior to said second wind speed, the speed of the generator rotor is lower than the synchronous generator rotor speed.

A method of controlling a wind power plant for generating electrical power from wind is provided. The plant comprises a rotor having rotor blades with adjustable blade angles and the rotor can be operated at a variable rotational speed. The method includes controlling the plant in a partial load mode when wind speed is below a nominal speed and, controlling the plant in a storm mode when the wind speed is above a storm commencement speed. An output power of the plant in the partial load mode and storm mode is adjusted according to an operating characteristic curve that determines a relationship between the rotational speed and the output power. A partial load characteristic curve is used as the operating characteristic curve for controlling the power plant in partial load mode, and a storm mode characteristic curve is used as the operating characteristic curve for controlling the plant in storm mode.