US 11,946,452 B2
Control system for wind turbines in cold climates
Jiarong Hong, New Brighton, MN (US); and Linyue Gao, Minneapolis, MN (US)
Assigned to Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (US)
Appl. No. 18/005,549
Filed by Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (US)
PCT Filed Jul. 13, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/041427
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 13, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/015729, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 20, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/052,212, filed on Jul. 15, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0258154 A1, Aug. 17, 2023
Int. Cl. F03D 7/02 (2006.01); F03D 80/40 (2016.01)
CPC F03D 7/0224 (2013.01) [F03D 80/40 (2016.05); F05B 2270/328 (2013.01); F05B 2270/335 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
 
1. A method for controlling a wind turbine, the method comprising:
determining, with a control system, that an icing event has begun to affect the wind turbine;
based on a determination that the icing event has begun to affect the wind turbine, changing a phase of the wind turbine with the control system to an operational-icing phase, wherein changing the phase of the wind turbine to the operational-icing phase comprises:
determining a modified angle of attack of blades of the wind turbine based on a current wind speed, current power production of the wind turbine, and baseline power production data; and
modifying an angle of attack of the blades of the wind turbine to the modified angle of attack via changing a blade pitch angle, wherein the wind turbine continues to generate electrical power when the wind turbine is in the operational-icing phase; and
based on a determination that electrical power generation of the wind turbine is below a threshold, changing the phase of the wind turbine with the control system to a stopped-icing phase, wherein rotation of the blades of the wind turbine is halted when the wind turbine is in the stopped- icing phase.