대표
청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A horizontal wind-powered electrical generating unit apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a. a tower; b. an electrical generator, said electrical generator being supported by said tower above a ground; c. a wind turbine rotor, said wind turbine rotor being operably connected to said electrical generator and supported by said tower above said ground, said turbine rotor having a first position and a second position, said turbine rotor having a rotor hub, said turbine rotor being configured for rotation about said rotor hub in respon...
What is claimed is: 1. A horizontal wind-powered electrical generating unit apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a. a tower; b. an electrical generator, said electrical generator being supported by said tower above a ground; c. a wind turbine rotor, said wind turbine rotor being operably connected to said electrical generator and supported by said tower above said ground, said turbine rotor having a first position and a second position, said turbine rotor having a rotor hub, said turbine rotor being configured for rotation about said rotor hub in response to a wind when said turbine rotor is in said first position, said turbine rotor having a blade, said blade being releasably attached to said tower and said turbine rotor not being rotatable when said turbine rotor is in said second position; d. an actuator, said actuator being operably connected to said tower, said actuator being configured to receive a mooring command and an un-mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said first position to said second position in response to said mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said second position to said first position in response to said un-mooring command. 2. The wind-powered electrical generating unit apparatus of claim 1, the apparatus further comprising: a. a weather sensor, said weather sensor being configured to detect a weather condition; b. a control system, said control system being in communication with said weather sensor, said control system being configured to generate said mooring command and said un-mooring command based upon said weather condition detected by said weather sensor, said control system being configured to communicate said mooring command and said un-mooring command to said actuator. 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said weather sensor is located at a weather sensor location, said weather sensor location is in a spaced apart relation to said tower and said rotor. 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said sensor is a one of a plurality of weather sensors located at a plurality of weather sensor locations and wherein said weather condition is a one of a plurality of weather conditions, said control system being configured to generate said mooring command based upon said plurality of weather conditions detected by said plurality of weather sensors. 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said control system comprises: a. a microprocessor, said microprocessor being operably connected to said plurality of weather sensors and to said mooring actuator; b. a computer memory connected to said microprocessor, said computer memory storing a control rule accessible to said microprocessor, said microprocessor being configured to apply said control rule to said plurality of weather conditions detected by said plurality of weather sensors to generate said mooring and said unmooring command. 6. A horizontal wind-powered electrical generating unit apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a. a tower; b. an electrical generator, said electrical generator being supported by said tower above a ground; c. a wind turbine rotor, said wind turbine rotor being operably connected to said electrical generator and supported by said tower above said ground, said turbine rotor having a first position and a second position, said turbine rotor being configured for rotation in response to a wind when said turbine rotor is in said first position, said turbine rotor being moored to said tower and not rotatable when said turbine rotor is in said second position; d. an actuator, said actuator being operably connected to said tower, said actuator being configured to receive a mooring command and an un-mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said first position to said second position in response to said mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said second position to said first position in response to said un-mooring command; e. a weather sensor, said weather sensor being configured to detect a weather condition, wherein said weather sensor is located at a weather sensor location, said weather sensor location is in a spaced apart relation to said tower and said rotor; f. a control system, said control system being in communication with said weather sensor, said control system being configured to generate said mooring command and said un-mooring command based upon said weather condition detected by said weather sensor, said control system being configured to communicate said mooring command and said un-mooring command to said actuator, wherein said sensor is a one of a plurality of weather sensors located at a plurality of weather sensor locations and wherein said weather condition is a one of a plurality of weather conditions, said control system being configured to generate said mooring command based upon said plurality of weather conditions detected by said plurality of weather sensors, wherein said control system comprises: i. a microprocessor, said microprocessor being operably connected to said plurality of weather sensors and to said mooring actuator; ii. a computer memory connected to said microprocessor, said computer memory storing a control rule accessible to said microprocessor, said microprocessor being configured to apply said control rule to said plurality of weather conditions detected by said plurality of weather sensors to generate said mooring and said unmooring command; and iii. a condition sensor, said condition sensor being configured to detect an operating condition of the apparatus, said microprocessor being in communication with said condition sensor, said microprocessor being configured to apply said control rule to said operating condition detected by said condition sensor in combination with said plurality of weather conditions to generate said mooring and said unmooring command. 7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said operating condition is selected from a list consisting of: a rotational speed of said rotor; a feather angle of said rotor; a lag angle of said rotor, a teeter angle of said rotor, a yaw of said rotor axis of rotation; a rotational location of said rotor; a temperature of a speed increaser, a lubrication status of said speed increaser, a temperature of a bearing; a vibration status of said rotor, a clamping status of a rotor clamp, a status of a rotor cradle, and a power generation status of said electrical generator. 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said weather conditions are selected from a list consisting of a wind speed, a wind direction, a wind profile by elevation, an air temperature, a relative humidity, a return of a radar signal, and a weather prediction. 9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said control system further comprises: a human interface, said human interface being located remotely from said tower, said human interface being configured to communicate said plurality of weather conditions and said operating condition to a human operator, said human interface being configured to receive an instruction from said human operator and to communicate said instruction to said microprocessor, said microprocessor being configured to generate said mooring and said unmooring commands in response to said instruction from said human operator. 10. A horizontal wind-powered electrical generating unit apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a. a tower; b. an electrical generator, said electrical generator being supported by said tower above a ground; c. a wind turbine rotor, said wind turbine rotor being operably connected to said electrical generator and supported by said tower above said ground, said turbine rotor having a first position and a second position, said turbine rotor being configured for rotation in response to a wind when said turbine rotor is in said first position, said turbine rotor being moored to said tower and not rotatable when said turbine rotor is in said second position; d. an actuator, said actuator being operably connected to said tower, said actuator being configured to receive a mooring command and an un-mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said first position to said second position in response to said mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said second position to said first position in response to said un-mooring command said actuator comprising: i. an electrical engagement system, said electrical engagement system selectably connecting an electrical output of said electrical generator to an electrical load, said electrical engagement system being configured to remove said electrical load from said electrical output of said generator in response to said mooring command, said electrical engagement system being configured to restore said electrical load to said electrical output of said generator in response to said unmooring command; ii. a brake/indexer supported by said tower, said rotor having an axis of rotation, said axis of rotation being generally horizontal with respect to said ground, said brake/indexer being configured to selectably restrain a rotation of said rotor about said axis of rotation in response to said mooring command, said brake/indexer being configured to release said rotor and to allow said blade to rotate about said axis of rotation in response to said un-mooring command; iii. a folding actuator, said rotor defining a mooring hinge, said rotor when in said second position being folded about said mooring hinge, said rotor when in said first position being unfolded about said mooring hinge, said folding actuator being configured to selectably fold and unfold said rotor about said mooring hinge in response to said mooring command and said un-mooring command, respectively; iv. a cradle, said cradle being attached to said tower, said rotor engaging said cradle when said rotor is in said second position; v. a clamp, said clamp being attached to said tower, said clamp being selectably movable between a clamped position and a released position, said clamp when in said clamped position securing said rotor to said cradle when said rotor is in said second position, said clamp when in said released position not securing said rotor to said cradle. 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said rotor comprising: a. a hub beam, said hub beam being configured to rotate about said axis of rotation, said hub beam having a hub beam end, said hub beam end being in a spaced apart relation to said axis of rotation; b. a feathering hinge attached to said hub beam end; c. a lag/fold hinge attached to said feathering hinge, said lag/fold hinge and said feathering hinge in combination defining said mooring hinge; d. a turbine blade attached to said lag/fold hinge, said turbine blade extending radially from said lag/fold hinge when said rotor is in said first position, said turbine blade engaging said cradle when said rotor is in said second position. 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said hub beam end is one of a pair of opposing hub beam ends, both of which hub beam ends are in spaced-apart relation to said axis of rotation, said feathering hinge is a one of a pair of opposing feathering hinges attached to said opposing hub beam ends, said lag/fold hinge is one of a pair of said lag/fold hinges attached to said feathering hinges, and said blade is a one of a pair of said blades attached to said lag/fold hinges. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, the apparatus further comprising: a nacelle, said nacelle being supported by said tower, said nacelle housing said electrical generator, said nacelle supporting said hub beam such that a plane of rotation of said rotor is in a spaced apart relation with said tower, said spaced-apart relation being selected to avoid a strike by a one of said blades against said tower, said spaced-apart relation between said pair of feathering hinges being selected to avoid an interference between said pair of blades and said nacelle when said rotor is in said second position. 14. The apparatus of claim 12, the apparatus further comprising: a strap, said strap being formed into a loop, said strap being composed of a fabric, said strap connecting said pair of feathering hinges one to the other. 15. A method for generating electrical power, the method comprising: a. providing a tower and a rotor supported by said tower above a ground, said rotor having a first position and a second position, said rotor defining a rotor hub, said rotor being configured for rotation about said rotor hub in response to a wind when said rotor is in said first position, said rotor defining a blade, said blade having a folding hinge, said blade being folded about said folding hinge and releasably attached to said tower when said rotor is in said second position, said blade not being releasably attached to said tower when said rotor is in said first position; b. generating electrical power by an electrical generator, said electrical generator being rotationally attached to said rotor, said electrical generator being configured to generate electrical power in response to a rotation of said rotor when said rotor is in said first position; c. detecting a weather condition using a weather sensor, said weather sensor being located at a weather sensor location, said weather condition sensor being in communication with a control system; d. determining by said control system of whether an operating limitation may be exceeded based on said weather condition; e. generating a mooring command by said control system when said rotor is in said first position and said control system determines that said operating limitation may be exceeded based on said weather condition; f. activating an actuator in response to said mooring command, said actuator being operably connected to said tower, said actuator being configured to receive said mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said first position to said second position in response to said mooring command g. generating an un-mooring command by said control system when said blade is in said second position and said control system determines that said operating limitation will not be exceeded based on said weather condition; h. activating said actuator in response to said un-mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said second position to said first position in response to said un-mooring command. 16. A method for generating electrical power, the method comprising: a. providing a tower and a rotor supported by said tower above a ground, said rotor having a first position and a second position, said rotor being configured for rotation in response to a wind when said rotor is in said first position, said rotor being moored to said tower when said rotor is in said second position; b. generating electrical power by an electrical generator, said electrical generator being rotationally attached to said rotor, said electrical generator being configured to generate electrical power in response to a rotation of said rotor when said rotor is in said first position; c. detecting a weather condition using a weather sensor, said weather sensor being located at a weather sensor location, said weather condition sensor being in communication with a control system; d. determining by said control system of whether an operating limitation may be exceeded based on said weather condition; e. generating a mooring command by said control system when said rotor is in said first position and said control system determines that said operating limitation may be exceeded based on said weather condition; f. activating an actuator in response to said mooring command, said actuator being operably connected to said tower, said actuator being configured to receive said mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said first position to said second position in response to said mooring command g. generating an un-mooring command by said control system when said blade is in said second position and said control system determines that said operating limitation will not be exceeded based on said weather condition; h. activating said actuator in response to said un-mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said second position to said first position in response to said un-mooring command, wherein said weather sensor is a one of a plurality of weather sensors located at a plurality of weather sensor locations, and wherein said weather condition is a one of a plurality of weather conditions, said plurality of weather conditions being selected from a list consisting of a wind direction, a wind speed, a wind profile by elevation, an air temperature, a humidity, a barometric pressure, a radar return, a weather prediction and a weather alert, said control system being configured to generate said mooring command based upon said plurality of weather conditions detected by said plurality of weather sensors. 17. The method of claim 16 wherein said control system comprises: a. a microprocessor, said microprocessor being operably connected to said sensor and to said mooring actuator; b. a computer memory connected to said microprocessor, said computer memory storing a control rule accessible to said microprocessor, said microprocessor applying said control rule to said plurality of weather conditions detected by said plurality of weather sensors to determine whether to generate said mooring or said unmooring command, the method further comprising: detecting an operating condition using a condition sensor, said condition sensor being operatively connected to said microprocessor, said control system generating said mooring command when said control system determines that said operating limitation may be exceeded based on said weather condition and said operating condition, said operating condition being selecting from a list consisting of: a rotor speed, a lag angle, a feather angle, a teeter angle, a yaw, a rotational location of said rotor, a lighting strike status, a speed increaser temperature, a speed increaser lubrication status, a bearing temperature, a rotor vibration status, a clamp status and a power generation status. 18. The method of claim 17 wherein said tower and said rotor are a one of a plurality of said towers and a plurality of said rotors, each of said plurality of said rotors having said first and said second positions, said electrical generator being a one of a plurality of said electrical generators, each said electrical generator being operably attached to a one of said rotors, each said electrical generator being configured to generate said electrical power in response to said rotation of said one of said rotors when said one of said rotors is in said first position, the method further comprising: a. generating said mooring command for any one of said rotors by said control system when said any one of said rotors is in said first position and said control system determines that said operating limitation may be exceeded based on said weather condition or said operating condition; b. activating said actuator in response to said mooring command, said actuator being operably connected to said one of said plurality of towers, said actuator being configured to receive said mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said one of said rotors from said first position to said second position in response to said mooring command; c. generating an un-mooring command by said control system when said one of said rotors is in said second position and said control system determines that said operating limitation will not be exceeded based on said weather condition; d. activating said actuator in response to said un-mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said one of said rotors from said second position to said first position in response to said un-mooring command. 19. A method for generating electrical power, the method comprising: a. providing a tower and a rotor supported by said tower above a ground, said rotor having a first position and a second position, said rotor being configured for rotation in response to a wind when said rotor is in said first position, said rotor being moored to said tower when said rotor is in said second position; b. generating electrical power by an electrical generator, said electrical generator being rotationally attached to said rotor, said electrical generator being configured to generate electrical power in response to a rotation of said rotor when said rotor is in said first position; c. detecting a weather condition using a weather sensor, said weather sensor being located at a weather sensor location, said weather condition sensor being in communication with a control system; d. determining by said control system of whether an operating limitation may be exceeded based on said weather condition; e. generating a mooring command by said control system when said rotor is in said first position and said control system determines that said operating limitation may be exceeded based on said weather condition; f. activating an actuator in response to said mooring command, said actuator being operably connected to said tower, said actuator being configured to receive said mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said first position to said second position in response to said mooring command g. generating an un-mooring command by said control system when said blade is in said second position and said control system determines that said operating limitation will not be exceeded based on said weather condition; h. activating said actuator in response to said un-mooring command, said actuator being configured to move said rotor from said second position to said first position in response to said un-mooring command, wherein said actuator comprises: i. a brake/indexer supported by said tower, said brake/indexer being configured to selectably restrain a rotation of said rotor in response to said mooring command, said brake/indexer being configured to release said rotor and to allow said rotor to rotate in response to said un-mooring command; ii. a mooring hinge actuator, said rotor comprising a mooring hinge, said rotor when in said second position being folded about said mooring hinge, said rotor when in said first position being unfolded about said mooring hinge, said mooring hinge actuator being configured to selectably fold said rotor about said mooring hinge in response to said mooring command, said mooring hinge actuator being configured to selectably unfold said rotor about said mooring hinge in response to said un-mooring command; iii. a cradle, said cradle being attached to said tower, said rotor engaging said cradle when said rotor is in said second position; iv. a clamp, said clamp being attached to said tower, said clamp being selectably movable between a clamped position and a released position, said clamp when in said clamped position securing said folded rotor to said cradle when said rotor is in said second position, said clamp when in said released position not securing said rotor to said cradle; v. an electrical engagement system, said electrical engagement system selectably connecting an electrical output of said electrical generator to an electrical load, said electrical engagement system being configured to remove said electrical load from said electrical output of said generator in response to said mooring command, said electrical engagement system being configured to restore said electrical load to said electrical output of said generator in response to said unmooring command. 20. The method of claim 19 wherein said rotor comprises: a. a hub beam having two opposing ends in a spaced-apart relation, said hub beam being attached to said tower by a teetering hinge intermediate between said two opposing ends of said hub beam, said hub beam being rotatable about an axis of rotation, said axis of rotation passing through said teetering hinge; b. a pair of feathering hinges disposed at said opposing ends of said hub beam and an opposing pair of lag/fold hinges attached to said pair of feathering hinges; c. a pair of turbine blades attached to said opposing pair of lag/fold hinges, said pair of turbine blades each defining a chord and a longitudinal dimension, said lag/fold hinges being configured to allow a pivoting of said turbine blades about said lag/fold hinges in a plane corresponding to said chord of a root of said turbine blade, said feathering hinges being configured to allow a rotation of said blade generally about said longitudinal dimension of said blade, said mooring hinge comprising said feathering and said lag/fold hinges, said mooring hinge actuator being configured to fold said turbine blades about said feathering hinge and said lag/fold hinge; d. a strap joining said pair of feathering hinges one to the other, said strap defining a loop, said loop being disposed within said hub beam.
