Patent ID: 8235662

Claim:
A wind turbine comprising: at least one wind sensor for determining at least one wind characteristic, the at least one wind characteristic chosen from the group comprising, at least one of, wind direction, wind speed, horizontal wind speed, horizontal wind direction, vertical wind speed, vertical wind direction, and absolute wind velocity; said at least one wind sensor located at a predetermined distance outward from a nosecone of said wind turbine, the predetermined distance between about one to about ten meters, the at least one wind sensor comprising an anemometer, the at least one wind sensor mounted on a boom extending in a substantially horizontal direction, the boom mounted on the nose cone, the boom further comprising a plurality of deployable arms supporting the at least one wind sensor, and the boom being about one to about ten meters in length; and wherein, at least one operating mode of the wind turbine is controlled based on said at least one wind characteristic, the at least one operating mode chosen from, at least one of the group comprising, yaw direction and blade pitch angle.