US 12,140,118 B2
Floating wind turbine platform controlled to optimize power production and reduce loading
Pauline Louazel, San Francisco, CA (US); Bingbin Yu, Hayward, CA (US); Sam Kanner, Oakland, CA (US); Antoine Peiffer, Oakland, CA (US); and Dominique Roddier, Emeryville, CA (US)
Assigned to Principle Power, Inc., Emeryville, CA (US)
Filed by Principle Power, Inc., Emeryville, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 7, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/165,903.
Application 18/165,903 is a continuation of application No. 17/563,194, filed on Dec. 28, 2021, granted, now 11,572,864.
Application 17/563,194 is a continuation of application No. 16/427,208, filed on May 30, 2019, granted, now 11,225,945, issued on Jan. 18, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0175483 A1, Jun. 8, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F03D 7/02 (2006.01); B63B 35/44 (2006.01); B63B 39/03 (2006.01); F03D 9/25 (2016.01); F03D 13/25 (2016.01)
CPC F03D 7/0204 (2013.01) [B63B 35/44 (2013.01); B63B 39/03 (2013.01); F03D 9/25 (2016.05); F03D 13/25 (2016.05); B63B 2035/446 (2013.01); F05B 2240/95 (2013.01); F05B 2270/20 (2013.01); F05B 2270/32 (2013.01); F05B 2270/321 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for controlling an inclination of a first floating wind turbine platform to optimize power production, the first floating wind turbine platform including: a shaft having a shaft longitudinal axis; a set of turbine blades connected to the shaft; a tower having a tower longitudinal axis; and a ballast system for distributing ballast, the first floating wind turbine platform having a rated wind speed and a minimum wind speed, the method comprising:
receiving, by a control software module executing on a processor of the ballast system, inclination data associated with an inclination of the first floating wind turbine platform;
receiving, by the control software module, first wind speed data and first wind direction data;
determining, by the control software module using the first wind speed data, a platform wind speed;
determining, by the control software module using the first wind direction data, an angle of difference between the shaft longitudinal axis and a wind direction, the angle of difference having a vertical component relative to a horizontal plane; and
causing, by the control software module when the platform wind speed is greater than the minimum wind speed and less that the rated wind speed, the ballast system to distribute ballast to lean the floating wind turbine platform a first angle of inclination chosen to reduce the vertical component of the angle of difference to a first vertical target angle to optimize power production;
receiving, by the control software module executing on the processor, first power data regarding power produced by the generator when the platform has attained the first vertical target angle;
modifying, by the control software module, the first vertical target angle to a second vertical target angle;
receiving, by the control software module, second power data regarding power produced by the generator when the platform has attained the second vertical target angle; and
maintaining, by the control software module, the first floating wind turbine platform at a second angle of inclination associated with the second vertical target angle when the second power data is greater than the first power data.