General Electric Renovables Espana, S.L.

The present disclosure relates to drive train assemblies for a wind turbine. These assemblies may comprise a rotor hub and a generator module. The generator module comprises a generator stator, and a stationary frame for supporting the generator stator. The generator further comprises a generator rotor, a shaft for supporting the generator rotor, and a bearing assembly for rotatably mounting the shaft on the stationary frame. The shaft is removably connected to the generator rotor, and the bearing assembly comprises a front bearing and a rear bearing. An upwind end of the generator module is attached to a downwind end of the rotor hub. The present disclosure further relates to wind turbines including such wind turbine assemblies and to methods for assembling drive train assemblies.

A method for improving quality of a rotor blade of a wind turbine includes receiving, via a data acquisition module of a controller, image data relating to the rotor blade. The image data is collected during or after manufacturing of the rotor blade before the rotor blade is placed into operation on the wind turbine. The method includes identifying, via a processor of the controller, an anomaly on the rotor blade using the image data relating to the rotor blade. The method also includes determining, via the processor, a location of the anomaly of the rotor blade using a combination of at least two of the following: an estimated location of an imaging device when the image data was collected, a known location of a pixel as represented by multiple angles that describe a location of the pixel and the anomaly within the image data as projected onto a spherical shell, Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) data of a cross section of the rotor blade at a time and location when the image data was collected, a specific internal cavity that the imaging device is in when the image data was collected, or a computer-aided design (CAD) model of the rotor blade. Further, the method includes displaying, via the processor, the location of the anomaly of the rotor blade. Moreover, the method includes implementing, via the processor, a corrective action for a subsequent manufacturing process of another rotor blade based on the location of the anomaly of the rotor blade.

A wind turbine blade ( 10, 10 ′) includes a shell ( 11 ) and a torque transferring member ( 20 ) at least partly arranged inside the shell ( 11 ). The shell ( 11 ) includes a root portion ( 12 ) and defines a longitudinal direction (r 11 ). The torque transferring member ( 20 ) includes a root section ( 21 ) and a longitudinal axis (r 20 ) at least substantially parallel oriented to the longitudinal direction (r 11 ). The root section ( 21 ) of the torque transferring member ( 20 ) is rotatably around the longitudinal axis (r 20 ) with respect to the root portion ( 12 ) of the shell ( 11 ). The torque transferring member ( 20 ) is mechanically connected via a coupling ( 26 ) with the shell ( 11 ) for providing a torsional moment (ΔT 1 -ΔT 3 ) on the shell ( 11 ).

The present disclosure is directed to a method for optimizing control of a wind turbine that includes receiving, via a control system, a condition of the wind turbine. The method also includes estimating a current state of the wind turbine using the condition. The method also includes calculating, via a model implemented by the control system, a linearized representation of an operation of the wind turbine for a future time interval following the current state. The method also includes defining an optimization problem to be solved. The method also includes determining a pitch adjustment factor for modifying the current state of the wind turbine. The method also includes calculating, via the optimization solver, an optimized pitch parameter for a rotor blade of the wind turbine. The method also includes adjusting a pitch parameter of the rotor blade to the optimized pitch parameter to improve control.

The present disclosure relates to coils ( 121 ), electrical machines ( 100 ) comprising coils ( 121 ), e.g. a wind turbine generator ( 42 ), and methods for cooling coils ( 121 ) of electrical machines ( 100 ) and for winding and/or electrically insulating ( 200 ) coils ( 121 ). An electrical machine ( 100 ) comprises a rotor ( 110 ) and a stator ( 120 ). At least one of the rotor ( 110 ) and the stator ( 120 ) comprises a plurality of teeth ( 119 ) and a plurality of coils ( 121 ), the coils ( 121 ) comprising strand ( 150 ) which is wound around the teeth ( 119 ) in layers ( 130, 131 ). A first axial end portion of a first layer ( 130 ) of at least one of the coils ( 121 ) is axially displaced ( 117 ) with respect to a first axial end portion of a second layer ( 131 ) of the coil ( 121 ).

A method for operating a power supply system connected to a grid, the power supply system including a rotor, a doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG), a power conversion assembly, and an active filter. The DFIG includes a generator rotor mechanically connected with the rotor and a generator stator. The power conversion assembly includes a rotor-side power converter. The active filter electrically connected with the generator stator via a stator bus and the rotor-side power converter electrically connected with the generator rotor via a rotor bus. Based on a rotor frequency of the generator rotor, the method determines an expected harmonic frequency for a stator current flowing on the stator bus. An amplitude of the stator current at the expected harmonic frequency is determined via a data set of stator current values. The method controls the active filter based on the amplitude of the stator current at the expected harmonic frequency.

The present disclosure relates to methods for rotating a locked rotor of a wind turbine in case of an imbalance in a rotor plane of the rotor, comprising: rotating the rotor using an inching tool to apply torque on a drive train of the wind turbine to reduce the imbalance in the rotor plane; and removing a locking pin from a locking disc operatively connected to the rotor after reducing the imbalance in the rotor plane. The methods further comprise estimating a direction of a torque load due to the imbalance in the rotor plane using one or more sensors, and impeding the inching tool to apply torque on the drive train of the wind turbine in the estimated direction of the torque load due to the imbalance. The present disclosure further relates to inching tools and to methods for installing rotor blades on a hub of a wind turbine.

The present disclosure relates to methods for installing and uninstalling devices for reducing vibrations in wind turbines and to such devices. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to methods for installing and uninstalling devices for reducing vortex induced vibrations and stall induced vibrations when the wind turbine is parked, especially during wind turbine installation and/or maintenance, and to such devices. A method for installing a vibration mitigating device for mitigating wind turbine vibrations on a wind turbine blade of a parked wind turbine is provided. The method comprises moving the vibration mitigating device at least partially around the wind turbine blade using one or more drones; and securing the vibration mitigating device to the wind turbine. In some examples, the vibration mitigating device may be carried to the wind turbine blade using the one or more drones.

The present disclosure is related to methods ( 400; 500; 600 ) configured for detecting the state of a wind turbine blade ( 22 ). The methods ( 400; 500; 600 ) comprising receiving ( 401; 501 ) load signals from a wind turbine blade ( 22 ), determining ( 402; 503 ) an energy of the load signal in a first and second frequency and comparing ( 403; 504 ) said energy to generate a flag signal if the energy in the first frequency is smaller than the energy in the second frequency. A control system ( 600 ) suitable to detect the state of a wind turbine blade ( 22 ) is also provided, as well as wind turbines ( 10 ) including such a control system ( 600 ).

A hub assembly for a wind turbine includes a hub having a surface defining a first set of bolt holes and a shaft having a flange having a second set of bolt holes. The first set of bolt holes is aligned with the second set of bolt holes at a hub-shaft interface. The hub assembly also includes a plurality of hub bolts extending through the first and second sets of bolt holes at the hub-shaft interface, a plurality of washers with one of the plurality of washers extending around each of the plurality of hub bolts, and at least one spacer positioned between the surface of the hub and a subset of the plurality of washers. At least two of the plurality of hub bolts extend through the at least one spacer.