Patent ID: 9621088
Date: 2017-04-11
CPC Classifications: F03D,F05B,H02K,H02P,Y02E

Claim:
1. A method for reducing ice or condensation that forms on a power component of a wind turbine during a power outage, the method comprising: determining an ambient temperature near the power component; providing one or more parameters of the power component; determining a down time of the power component for the power outage; determining a wait time for the power component to stay offline as a function of the ambient temperature, the one or more parameters, or the down time of the power component, wherein the wait time is approximately equal to a thermal time constant between an observed surface temperature of the power component and a monitored surface temperature of an additional nearby power component if the ambient temperature is above a freezing temperature and wherein the wait time is determined based at least on the thermal time constant and an inferred surface temperature of the power component at a start of the power outage when the ambient temperature is below the freezing temperature, and further wherein the inferred surface temperature is based on at least one of the thermal memory the time stamp, the down time, or the thermal time constant, and wherein the thermal time constant refers to a ratio of the density, volume, and heat capacity and a heat transfer coefficient and a surface area of the power component; and, heating the power component for the wait time before supplying power to the power component such that a surface temperature of the power component is raised above the ambient temperature.