{
  "patent_number": "US 11946452",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How Wind Turbines Adapt to Icy Weather to Keep Making Power",
  "original_title": "Control system for wind turbines in cold climates",
  "summary": "This patent describes a control system that helps wind turbines manage ice buildup on their blades, allowing them to either keep generating electricity safely or shut down gracefully when conditions get too severe.",
  "what_it_does": "The control system described in this patent helps wind turbines deal with ice. When it determines an \"icing event has begun to affect the wind turbine\" (Claim 1), it shifts the turbine into an \"operational-icing phase.\" In this phase, the system changes the \"angle of attack of blades\" by adjusting their \"blade pitch angles\" (Claim 1). This adjustment is based on current wind speed, power output, and historical performance data, allowing the turbine to \"continue to generate electrical power\" even with some ice. If the power generation drops \"below a threshold\" (Claim 1), the system then moves the turbine to a \"stopped-icing phase,\" where the blades' rotation is halted. For example, if sensors detect ice causing vibrations or reduced power, the system might adjust blade angles to shed ice or maintain some power, only stopping if power output falls too low.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover de-icing methods that involve heating elements or chemical sprays; it focuses on aerodynamic adjustments and operational phases.",
    "Does not cover systems that simply shut down a wind turbine immediately upon detecting ice without attempting to continue power generation.",
    "Does not cover control systems that do not adjust the \"angle of attack of blades\" by changing \"blade pitch angles\" during an icing event.",
    "Does not cover detection of icing events solely through visual inspection or manual input without sensor data or weather forecasts.",
    "Does not cover stopping the turbine for reasons other than power generation falling below a threshold during an icing event."
  ],
  "filed": "2021-07-13",
  "granted": "2024-04-02",
  "expires": "2041-07-13",
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "University of Minnesota System",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/university-of-minnesota-system",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Jiarong HONG",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/jiarong-hong"
    },
    {
      "name": "Linyue Gao",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/linyue-gao"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 2,
  "tags": [
    "energy",
    "mechanical",
    "software",
    "telecommunications"
  ],
  "abstract": "Control systems are described that mitigate the effects of icing events on wind turbines. Example methods include 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 by modifying angles of attack of blades of the wind turbine via changing blade pitch angles, 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.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11946452/control-system-for-wind-turbines-in-cold-climates",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/11946452/control-system-for-wind-turbines-in-cold-climates/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US11946452",
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      "countryCode": "US",
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    }
  ]
}