IP Library Granted Patent US 12,372,057
Granted Patent B1
US 12,372,057 · App. 18/244,385 · Granted Jul 29, 2025

Wind turbine management system for controlled energy storage

Inventors: Ross Guttromson (Albuquerque, NM); Ian Gravagne (Waco, TX)
Assignees: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC; Baylor University
F03D7/0284F03D7/0276F05B2270/1033F05B2270/327F05B2270/337
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,372,057
App. No.
18/244,385
Granted
Jul 29, 2025
Kind
B1
Abstract

A system and method of managing a wind turbine, by receiving one or more characteristics from a first grid node from one or more grid sensors at a first time and receiving one or more characteristics from a second grid node from one or more grid sensors at a second time. The system and method also determine a power output requirement based on the one or more characteristics from the first grid node and the second grid node and regulate the operation of the wind turbine, based on the power output requirement by causing the blade rotational speed of the wind turbine to oscillate.

Claims (40)

1. A wind turbine management system connected to an electrical grid, the wind turbine management system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the wind turbine management system to execute instructions comprising:

receive one or more characteristics from a first grid node from one or more sensors at a first time;

receive one or more characteristics from a second grid node from one or more sensors at a second time; and

input the one or more characteristics into a controller to regulate the operation of one or more wind turbines by modulating wind power output of the one or more wind turbines without a reduction in the wind power output using torque control;

wherein a speed of rotation of the one or more wind turbines oscillates between a first blade rotational speed and a second blade rotational speed; and

wherein the first blade rotational speed is less than the second blade rotational speed.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein a blade rotational speed of a maximum power tracking point is greater than the first blade rotational speed and less than the second blade rotational speed.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the oscillation between the first blade rotational speed and the second blade rotational speed is asymmetric with respect to the maximum power tracking point.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein a frequency of modulation of the one or more wind turbines is between 0.01 hertz and 2 hertz.

5. The system of claim 1 :

wherein the receive one or more characteristics from the first grid node includes a first synchrophasor determined by the one or more characteristics from the first grid node at the first time; and

wherein the receive one or more characteristics from the second grid node includes a second synchrophasor based on the one or more characteristics from the second grid node at the second time.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising determining a power output requirement determined by the first synchrophasor and the second synchrophasor.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein regulating the operation of one or more wind turbines determined by the one or more characteristics includes regulating the operation of one or more wind turbines based on the first synchrophasor and the second synchrophasor.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the oscillation of the speed of rotation includes a speed that is between 5 percent and 95 percent of a rated speed of the turbine.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising determining a torque profile in real time.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein regulating the operation includes regulating the torque applied to a wind turbine shaft.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first time and the second time are substantially the same.

12. A wind turbine management system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the wind turbine management system to:

receive a power output requirement;

determine operating parameters of a wind turbine using a wind turbine model and the power output requirement; and

input the one or more characteristics into a controller to regulate the operation of a wind turbine by modulating wind power output of the one or more wind turbines without a reduction in the wind power output using torque control;

wherein a blade rotational speed of the wind turbine oscillates between a first blade rotational speed and a second blade rotational speed determined by the operating parameters; and

wherein the first blade rotational speed is less than the second blade rotational speed.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising determine a torque profile determined by the energy output requirement.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein regulating the operation of the wind turbine includes applying a torque to a shaft of the wind turbine determined by the torque profile.

15. A method of managing a wind turbine system, the wind turbine system including one or more wind turbines, one or more sensors coupled to an electrical grid and configured to measure at least one characteristic of the electrical grid, one or more sensors coupled to the one or more wind turbines and configured to measure at least one characteristic of the one or more wind turbines, and a wind turbine management system including a processor and a memory, the method comprising:

receiving, by the wind turbine management system, one or more characteristics from a first grid node from one or more grid sensors at a first time;

determining, by the wind turbine management system, a power output requirement determined by the one or more characteristics from the first grid node; and

regulating, by the wind turbine management system, the operation of the one or more wind turbines by modulating wind power output without a reduction in the wind power output using torque control, determined by the power output requirement;

wherein the regulating causes the blade rotational speed of the one or more wind turbines to oscillate.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the regulating includes regulating a torque applied to a shaft of the one or more wind turbines.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the blade rotational speed of the one or more wind turbines to oscillate between a first blade rotational speed and a second blade rotational speed, wherein the first blade rotational speed is less than the second blade rotational speed.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising receiving, by the wind turbine management system, one or more characteristics from a second grid node from one or more grid sensors at a second time;

wherein the power output requirement is determined by the one or more characteristics from the first grid node and the one or more characteristics from the second grid node.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first time and the second time are less than about 10 milliseconds.

Assignments (4)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Sep 16, 2025
From: NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS OF SANDIA, LLC
To: NNSA
Reel/Frame 072270/0810 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 1, 2025
From: GRAVAGNE, IAN
To: BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 071583/0611 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 2, 2023
From: GUTTROMSON, ROSS
To: NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS OF SANDIA, LLC
Reel/Frame 065088/0379 →
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Oct 2, 2023
From: NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS OF SANDIA, LLC
To: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 065089/0859 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 63405647 · Sep 12, 2022
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