초록 ▼

A method of identifying a load on a wind turbine is provided. The method includes sensing accelerations of a rotor in a plurality of dimensions via at least one acceleration sensor and transmitting, from the acceleration sensor, signals indicative of the sensed accelerations to a control system. The

A method of identifying a load on a wind turbine is provided. The method includes sensing accelerations of a rotor in a plurality of dimensions via at least one acceleration sensor and transmitting, from the acceleration sensor, signals indicative of the sensed accelerations to a control system. The method also includes receiving, at the control system, the transmitted signals from the acceleration sensor and identifying, via the control system, a load on the wind turbine based on the received signals.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of identifying a load on a wind turbine, said method comprising: sensing accelerations of a rotor in a plurality of dimensions via at least one acceleration sensor;transmitting, from the acceleration sensor, signals indicative of the sensed accelerations to a control system;receiving, at

1. A method of identifying a load on a wind turbine, said method comprising: sensing accelerations of a rotor in a plurality of dimensions via at least one acceleration sensor;transmitting, from the acceleration sensor, signals indicative of the sensed accelerations to a control system;receiving, at the control system, the transmitted signals from the acceleration sensor; and,identifying, via the control system, a load on the wind turbine based on the received signals by associating an acceleration value with each received signal and using at least one of the acceleration values to identify a displacement function usable by the control system to calculate a displacement of the rotor, wherein the calculated displacement is indicative of the load on the wind turbine. 2. A method of assembling a load identification system to a wind turbine having a rotor including a rotatable hub and a plurality of rotor blades coupled to the hub, said method comprising: coupling at least one acceleration sensor to the rotor;communicatively coupling the acceleration sensor with a control system, the acceleration sensor configured to sense accelerations of the rotor in three dimensions and to transmit signals indicative of the sensed accelerations to the control system, the control system configured to receive the signals from the acceleration sensor and to identify a load on the wind turbine based on the received signals; and,programming the control system to: associate an acceleration value with each received signal; and,use at least one of the acceleration values to identify a displacement function usable by the control system to calculate a displacement of the rotor, wherein the calculated displacement is indicative of the load on the wind turbine. 3. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein coupling at least one acceleration sensor to the rotor comprises mounting the acceleration sensor within the hub. 4. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the hub includes a pitch drive coupled to each rotor blade of the plurality of rotor blades, said method further comprising programming the control system to control the pitch drive of at least one rotor blade of the plurality of rotor blades in response to the identified load on the wind turbine. 5. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the plurality of rotor blades includes a first blade, a second blade, and a third blade, said mounting the acceleration sensor within the hub comprises mounting a first acceleration sensor with respect to the first blade, mounting a second acceleration sensor with respect to the second blade, and mounting a third acceleration sensor with respect to the third blade. 6. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein the hub includes an axis box, said mounting the acceleration sensor within the hub comprises mounting the acceleration sensor within the axis box. 7. A method in accordance with claim 2, further comprising programming the control system to: identify a “zero” position of the rotor; and,calculate the displacement of the rotor relative to the “zero” position. 8. A method in accordance with claim 2, further comprising programming the control system to: input at least one of the acceleration values into an acceleration function;integrate the acceleration function into a velocity function; and,integrate the velocity function into the displacement function. 9. A method in accordance with claim 8, further comprising programming the control system to: calculate a rotational order of the rotor; and,input the rotational order of the rotor into the acceleration function prior to integrating the acceleration function. 10. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein coupling at least one acceleration sensor to the rotor comprises coupling a plurality of acceleration sensors to the rotor, said method further comprising programming the control system to identify a first predetermined group of acceleration sensors and a second predetermined group of acceleration sensors from the plurality of acceleration sensors, the control system configured to use only signals received from the first predetermined group of acceleration sensors to identify the load on the wind turbine.