Patent ID: 8647061

Claim:
A wind turbine system comprising: a shaft; a rotor for driving the shaft, the rotor comprising a first blade engaged to the shaft by a hub, wherein the first blade has a degree of freedom to pivot relative to the shaft, and wherein a first teeter angle is defined between an instantaneous position of the first blade and a time-averaged plane of rotation of the first blade; and a first fluidic teeter control assembly engaged between the rotor and the shaft for selectively providing a first dynamic teeter restraining force as a function of the first teeter angle and a fluidic resistance, wherein the first dynamic restraining force is relatively low when the first teeter angle is within a first teeter operation range, and wherein the first dynamic restraining force is higher when the first teeter angle is outside the first teeter operation range, the first fluidic teeter control assembly comprising: a piston tube; a piston assembly comprising: a piston head movable within the piston tube along a piston axis and having a central opening; and an at least partially hollow piston shaft connected to the piston head and having a piston shaft opening defined through a wall of the piston shaft; a rod extending into the piston tube and having an internal cavity and a rod opening in fluid communication with the internal cavity, wherein the rod is arranged coaxially with the piston axis such that the rod can pass through the central opening in the piston head and into the piston shaft, and wherein the rod is axially fixed relative to the piston tube; and a working fluid, wherein the working fluid is displaced as a function of movement of the piston head, and wherein the rod and the piston assembly are configured to allow alignment of the rod opening, the internal cavity, and the piston shaft opening such that the working fluid can flow therethrough, wherein the rod is rotatable to selectively move the rod opening and the piston shaft opening out of alignment to prevent the working fluid from flowing therebetween.