General Electric Company
Wind Turbine Operation

Abstract:

Methods of operating a variable speed wind turbine as a function of wind speed are described. The wind turbine has a rotor with a plurality of blades and a generator. The generator has a design rotor speed which varies so as to follow a theoretical generator rotor rotational speed curve describing the rotational speed of the rotor as a function of wind speed. The method comprises determining an erosion risk condition of the blades, determining erosion damage of one or more of the blades accumulated over time and changing the rotor rotational speed from the design rotor speed as a function of the determined erosion risk condition and the determined accumulated erosion damage. Wind turbines configured to carry out such methods are also described.