SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USE OF A TUNABLE MASS DAMPER TO REDUCE VIBRATIONS IN WIND TURBINE BLADES IN A LOCKED OR IDLING CONDITION OF THE ROTOR HUB

• Main Authors: Delgado, Eladio Clemente, Seeley, Charles Erklin, Danielsen, Darren John
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 06.09.2023
• Subjects: BLASTING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; MEANS FOR DAMPING VIBRATION; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER; SHOCK-ABSORBERS; SPRINGS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; WEAPONS; WIND MOTORS; WIND, SPRING WEIGHT AND MISCELLANEOUS MOTORS

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 mass damper is attached to a fixed location on one or more of the rotor blades. The mass damper is maintained on the rotor blades during the locked or idling condition of the rotor hub. The method includes sensing movement of a mass component of the mass damper from vibrations or oscillations induced in the rotor blade. The mass damper is automatically tuned based on the sensed movements of the mass component by automatically varying an electrical characteristic of the mass damper.