Patent · US Active

Method and system for determining and tracking the top pivot point of a wind turbine tower

US11199175B1 · kind B1 · utility

3Cited by
117References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 9, 2020
Grant dateDec 14, 2021
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 9, 2040

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E10/72
  • WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A system and method are provided for determining a geographic location of a tower top pivot point (TPP) of a wind turbine tower having a nacelle that includes a machine head and rotor at a top thereof. At least one rover receiver of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is configured at a fixed position on the nacelle. A plurality of 360-degree yaw sweeps of the nacelle are conducted and the geo-location signals received by the rover receiver during the yaw sweeps are recorded. With a controller, the geo-location signals are converted into a circular plot and a radius of the plot is determined, the radius being a distance between the rover receiver and the TPP. Based on a GNSS geo-location of the rover receiver and the radius, a geo-location of the TPP is computed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.