Gamesa has announced the winners of the third edition of its Patents and Innovators Competition, which acknowledges its employees' innovation and patenting efforts.
The first prize-winning patent is a system that regulates, depending on readings for variables – mainly turbine rotation speed and initial blade pitch, in a controlled manner – the hydraulic propeller that alters the blade's pitch in order to avoid excessive transient loads in the event of strong wind gusts, thereby enhancing overall turbine design, reducing the cost of its structure and extending its lifespan.
The second patented development is a device for on-site validation of turbines' electric grid connection that replicates all possible grid situations for the purpose of testing how turbines respond.
The selection process entailed the evaluation of 64 patents registered in 2011 and 2012 under the following criteria: innovative ideas that dovetail with the company's technology strategy and generate value for the company either by reducing the cost of energy or creating a competitive advantage.
At year-end 2012, Gamesa had registered 283 patents, while its portfolio of patent families stood at 583.
