Windpower system
A windpower system includes a support and a turbine having a shaft rotatively mounted to the support. The turbine has variable pitch blades whose pitch is controlled by the differential motion of a rotary control shaft coaxial with the turbine shaft and the turbine shaft itself so that the blade pitch can be varied by a stationary motor without requiring any slip rings or other such wear-prone couplings. In the event of a power failure, rotary motion of the control shaft is prevented so that the turbine blades arefeathered solely due to the force developed by the rotating turbine. Also, if the turbine is used to generate electrical power, an induction generator coupled to the turbine shaft is employed whose shaft speed is indicative of generator output power. Accordingly, generator speed is monitored and used to control the pitch of the the turbine blades so as to maintain generator output power at the maximum value when wind speed is below the machine's rated wind speed, and no more than rated output power when wind speed exceeds rated wind speed.
- Assignee:
- US Windpower Inc.
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4490093
- OSTI ID:
- 5875295
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Unintended stalling of the USW 56--100 during optimum pitch control operation
Blade pitch control of a wind turbine
Related Subjects
170603* -- Wind Energy Engineering-- Power-Conversion Systems
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
CONTROL
ELECTRIC GENERATORS
INDUCTION
MACHINE PARTS
MACHINERY
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
OPERATION
OPTIMIZATION
ORIENTATION
POWER GENERATION
PRODUCTION
SHAFTS
SUPPORTS
TURBINE BLADES
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
WIND TURBINES