DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 8, “performing a method of determining a value” should be changed to “performing the method of determining a value”
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 5 recitation, “the first surface being an outer surface of the blade facing a tower, the second surface being an inner surface of the blade facing the tower” is indefinite because it proposes both the outer and inner side of the blades both face the tower. How are the inner and outer surfaces of the rotor blades both facing the tower?
For examining purposes the Examiner is interpreting the stress related quantity includes values at the surface of the blade facing the tower.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Bosche (US 2004/0057828).
Regarding claim 1, Bosche discloses a method of determining a value of a stress related quantity (Para. 0019-0020, blade deflection) of a rotor blade (4 of Figure 1) of a wind turbine (see Figure 1), the method comprising:
emitting a primary radar signal (10 of Figure 2; Para. 0018) towards a portion of the rotor blade;
receiving a secondary radar signal (10 of Figure 2; Para. 0018) emanating from the rotor blade due to interaction with the primary radar signal;
analyzing at least the received secondary radar signal (Para. 0019-0020); and
deriving, based on the analyzing, the value of the stress related quantity as related to or indicating a blade acceleration and/or a first temporal derivative of the blade acceleration and/or a higher temporal derivative of the blade acceleration (Para. 0019-0020, blade deflection and velocity).
Regarding claim 2, Bosche discloses wherein analyzing at least the received secondary radar signal (10 of Figure 2; Para. 0018) comprises:
determining a frequency shift (L of Figure 1; Para. 0014-0015, 0018) of the secondary radar signal relative to the primary radar signal (10 of Figure 2; Para. 0018); and
deriving the stress related quantity based on a temporal change of the frequency shift (Para. 0019-0020).
Regarding claim 3, Bosche discloses wherein the stress related quantity (Para. 0019-0020, blade deflection) of the rotor blade (4 of Figure 1) includes the blade acceleration, determined as a temporal derivative or temporal differential quotient of the frequency shift (L of Figure 1; Para. 0014-0015, 0018).
Regarding claim 4, Bosche discloses wherein the stress related quantity of the rotor blade (4 of Figure 1) includes jerk (Para. 0017, 0019-0020, accelerometer/strain gage sensor), determined as a second temporal derivative or second temporal differential quotient of the frequency shift (L of Figure 1; Para. 0014-0015, 0018), wherein deriving the value of the stress related quantity includes determining a sign of a value of the jerk (Para. 0014-0020).
Regarding claim 5, Bosche discloses wherein deriving the value of the stress related quantity includes determining values of jerk (Para. 0019-0020, strain gage sensor) at a first surface of the rotor blade and a second surface of the rotor blade (4 of Figure 1), the first surface being an outer surface of the blade facing a tower (1 of Figure 1-2), the second surface being an inner surface of the blade facing the tower and being spaced apart from the first surface.
Regarding claim 6, Bosche discloses wherein the frequency shift (L of Figure 1; Para. 0014-0015, 0018) is caused by blade movement comprising at least one of:
movement away and towards a tower (1 of Figure 1-2), away and towards from a radar equipment (9 of Figure 2) mounted at the tower, movement out of a rotation plane, and/or
edgewise movement, substantially in a rotation plane (Para. 0014-0020).
Regarding claim 7, Bosche discloses further comprising:
determining, later in time, after at least one more revolution, a further value
of the stress related quantity (Para. 0019-0020, blade deflection); and
comparing the value with the further value and/or at least one previous value, in order to determine stress of the rotor blade (Para. 0020, 0023).
Regarding claim 8, Bosche discloses a plurality of rotor blades (4 of Figure 1) mounted on a rotation shaft (Para. 0012), the method comprising:
performing a method of determining a value of a stress related quantity of a rotor blade of the wind turbine according to claim 1; and
controlling the wind turbine based on the value of the stress related quantity (Para. 0020-0022).
Regarding claim 9, Bosche discloses wherein controlling the wind turbine comprises:
yawing a nacelle harboring the rotation shaft at which the plurality of rotor blades are mounted and/or pitching at least one rotor blade and/or controlling generator torque and/or power based on the value of the stress related quantity of the rotor blade (Para. 0020-0022).
Regarding claim 10, Bosche discloses wherein the wind turbine is controlled such that the value of the stress related quantity of the rotor blade is substantially at a stress reference value or below a stress threshold value, comprising smoothed control of pitching and/or smoothed control of yawing and/or curtailed pitching (Para. 0020-0022).
Regarding claim 11, Bosche discloses wherein controlling the wind turbine comprises to employ a cascade control comprising:
an inner control loop with feedback of a measured inner control variable, the inner control variable comprising pitch angle or yaw position or generator torque or generator power (Para. 0020-0022); and
an outer control loop with feedback of a measured outer control variable (Para. 0018),
the outer control variable comprising the stress related quantity (Para. 0019-0020, blade deflection),
wherein the outer control loop receives a difference between a reference value for the outer control variable, and an actual value of the outer control variable as an input to an outer controller which derives therefrom a reference value or reference offset value, for the inner control variable, wherein a difference between the reference value of the inner control variable and the actual value of the inner control variable is supplied to an inner controller (Para. 0020-0022).
Regarding claim 12, Bosche discloses wherein controlling the wind turbine comprises:
shutting down the wind turbine, if the value of the stress related quantity and/or a jerk value exceeds a stress threshold value (Para. 0022).
Regarding claim 13, Bosche discloses an arrangement for determining a value of a stress related quantity (Para. 0019-0020, blade deflection) of a rotor blade (4 of Figure 1) of a wind turbine (see Figure 1), the arrangement comprising:
a radar emitter (9 of Figure 2) configured to emit a primary radar signal (10 of Figure 2; Para. 0018) towards a portion of the rotor blade;
a radar receiver (9 of Figure 2; Para. 0018) configured to receive a secondary radar signal (10 of Figure 2; Para. 0018) emanating from the rotor blade due to interaction with the primary radar signal;
an analysis module configured:
to analyze at least the received secondary radar signal (Para. 0019-0020);
to derive, based on the analysis, the value of the stress related quantity as related to or indicating a blade acceleration and/or a first temporal derivative of the blade acceleration and/or a higher temporal derivative of the blade acceleration (Para. 0019-0020, blade deflection and velocity).
Regarding claim 14, Bosche discloses a controller (Para. 0012, 0020-0022) for controlling a wind turbine (see Figure 1) comprising a plurality of rotor blades (4 of Figure 1) mounted on a rotation shaft (Para. 0012), the controller comprising:
an arrangement for determining a value of a stress related quantity of a rotor blade of the wind turbine according to claim 13; and
a control module configured to control the wind turbine based on the value of the stress related quantity (Para. 0020-0022).
Regarding claim 15, Bosche discloses a wind turbine (see Figure 1), comprising:
a rotation shaft (Para. 0012) having plural a plurality of rotor blades (4 of Figure 1) mounted thereon;
a controller (Para. 0012, 0020-0022) according to the preceding claim 14.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Stahler (US 2024/0102447), Olesen (US 2016/0186722), Esbensen (US 12,018,653) disclose an arrangement for determining a value of a stress related quantity of a rotor blade of a wind turbine.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES H REID whose telephone number is (571)272-9248. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-4:45 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tulsidas Patel can be reached at 571-272-2098. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Charles Reid Jr./ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834