Patent ID: 8734105

Claim:
A method of operating a wind turbine having a bearing assembly, a shaft received in the bearing assembly, and at least one sub-system capable of altering a dynamic state of the wind turbine, comprising: providing a bearing assembly including a bearing housing having a passageway configured to receive the shaft therein, and a bearing surface defining the passageway and configured as a generally continuous surface, the bearing surface including a stationary portion and a movable portion, wherein the movable portion is positioned within the stationary portion so as to be surrounded thereby; allowing the wind turbine to be driven by the wind such that the shaft rotates in the bearing assembly and at least a portion of the bearing assembly supports the shaft on a fluid film; monitoring at least one parameter of the fluid film indicative of a load on the shaft; comparing the at least one parameter to a threshold criteria; and performing at least one of the following steps when the at least one parameter meets the threshold criteria: i) altering the dynamic state of the wind turbine to reduce the load on the shaft; and ii) altering the state of the bearing assembly so as to better accommodate the load on the shaft.