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Wind Energy 2019/ key applicants

Recent Inventions / Brief Overview

The proposed review provides statistical data on patent applications registered in patent offices around the world in 2019, and is related to the subject of wind energy, mainly to applications concerning horizontal axis wind turbines which were found as the result of a deliberate search and processed on the date of this publication. In total, the patent search resulted in 2125 patent applications published in 23 offices around the world and filed by 485 applicants from 29 countries. The methodology of searching and processing patent documents is provided on the Advanced Energy Technologies website.

Among the top ten applicants by the number of registered applications are the residents of four countries – Denmark, Germany, the US and China. This year the patenting leaders are Wobben Properties GmbH (German), Vestas Wind Systems A/S (Denmark) and General Electric (US). Their aggregate share accounted for nearly 55% of the total number of patent applications.

 

Top 10 applicants by the number of patent applications filed in 2019

StatusCountryNameAverage ratingTotal, 2019
CompanyDEWobben Properties GmbH12.1304
CompanyDKVestas Wind Systems A/S13.3267
CompanyUSGeneral Electric14.6182
CompanyDKSiemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S11.3156
CompanyDKLm Wind Power International Tech II Aps9.866
CompanyDESenvion Deutschland GmbH14.251
CompanyCNBeijing Goldwind Science & Creation Windpower Equipment Co Ltd1045
CompanyDENORDEX ENERGY GMBH12.631
CompanyDKLM WP Patent Holding A/S11.630
CompanyDKMHI Vestas Offshore Wind A/S11.129


Source: Advanced Energy Technologies

With some minor exceptions, almost all companies from the top 10 list were the only applicants in their patent applications. Wobben Properties GmbH had the highest share in the register of intellectual property among all of the patent applications collected. It comprised more than 14%.

All companies that appear in the top 10 list in addition to the patent office of their registration country also filed their inventions in the patent offices of other countries. Seven companies used the WIPO patent office to register their documents.
Several companies, including General Electric, Lm Wind Power International Tech II Aps, Vestas Wind Systems A/S, MHI Vestas Offshore Wind A/S and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S filed their applications in 7 offices around the world. Wobben Properties GmbH was the most successful in this regard by registering its applications in 9 patent offices, including the large ones, such as CNIPA (CN), EPO, USPTO (US) и WIPO.

Distribution of patent applications by patent offices around the world among the top 10 applicants

Source: Advanced Energy Technologies

CIPO (CA) - Canadian Intellectual Property Office; CNIPA (CN) - National Intellectual Property Administration; DPMA (DE) - German Patent and Trade Mark Office; EPO - European Patent Organization; IMPI (MX) - Mexican Institute of Industrial Property; INAPI (CL) - National Institute of Industrial Property (Chile); INNORPI (TN) - National Institute for Standardization and Industrial; INPI (AR) - National Institute of Industrial Property (Argentina); INPI (BR) - National Institute of Industrial Property (Brazil); IP Australia (AU) - IP Australia; IPOS (SG) - Intellectual Property Office of Singapore; JPO (JP) - Industrial Property Office (Japan); KIPO (KR) - Korean Intellectual Property Office; Rospatent (RU) - Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Russia); TIPO (TW) - Taiwan Intellectual Property Office; USPTO (US) - United States Patent and Trademark Office; WIPO - World Intellectual Property Organization

Vestas Wind Systems A/S was predominantly patented in CNIPA (CN), EPO, USPTO (US) and WIPO, while General Electric in USPTO (US), EPO and WIPO.

Applicants in their inventions have applied for technical solutions in the form of devices or methods in about the same degree.

In their patent applications all of the companies from the list of leaders were to some extent concerned with such important wind turbine structural elements as Blades and components thereof. Lm Wind Power International Tech II Aps and LM WP Patent Holding A/S paid more attention to this than others. Control and safety systems were largely popular as well.
Beijing Goldwind Science & Creation Windpower Equipment Co Ltd dedicated a substantial portion of its patent solutions to Structural elements, while MHI Vestas Offshore Wind A/S to Maintenance, repair and replacement.

Technological elements of the top 10 applicants


Source: Advanced Energy Technologies

AC - Aerodynamic casings (nacelles, shrouds, etc.); B- Blades and components thereof; CSS - Control and safety systems; EE - Electrical equipment and generators; ESH - Energy storage and hybrid generation systems; GT - Gearbox and transmission; MRR - Maintenance, repair and replacement; OTE - Other technology elements; R - Rotors and components thereof; SE - Structural elements
 

The inventors were most often focused on the problems High OPEX/Repair and replacement, High CAPEX/Equipment production and High CAPEX / Plant construction.

According to our calculations, the highest bibliography rating was gained by, among others, the following patent applications:

- Methods For Joining Blade Components Of Rotor Blades Using Printed Grid Structures / A: US20190293049A1 / IPC: F03D1/06, B29C65/48, G05B19/414 / Roberts David, Althoff Nicholas K, Nielsen Michael Wenani, Tobin James Robert, Mccalip Andrew / Gen Electric / Appl. date: 26.03.2018; Publ. date: 26.09.2019. Technology categories: HWT / Technology elements: B / Problems: ESI, HCP / Technical solution types: D, M / Claims: 20 / Rate: 19;

- 测量风力发电机力矩的装置、风力发电机运行方法及风力发电机 (Measure device, wind-driven generator operation method and the wind-driven generator of wind-driven generator torque) / A: CN109596255A / IPC: G01L5/00, F03D17/00 / Warfen Karsten, Hopp Eckart / Senvion Gmbh / Appl. date: 25.09.2018; Publ. date: 09.04.2019. Technology categories: HWT / Technology elements: CSS / Problems: HCC, HOM / Technical solution types: D, M / Claims: 14 / Rate: 18

In the group of patent documents that were not included in the previously formed patent families (single applications) and having at the same time a sufficiently high bibliographic rating prevailed:

- Hybrid-additive gear for a wind turbine gearbox / A: WO2019246510A1 / IPC: F03D15/00, B22F3/00, B22F3/105, B22F3/115, B22F5/08, B22F7/04, B23K26/342, B33Y10/00, B33Y80/00, C23C4/10, C23C24/04, F16C33/14, F16H55/06, F16H55/17, F16H57/04 / Wertz Aaron, Hasan Raed Zuhair, Minadeo Adam Daniel, Porel Souvik, Raut Ganesh, Ridge Jeremy Charles / Gen Electric / Appl. date: 21.06.2019; Publ. date: 26.12.2019. Technology categories: HWT / Technology elements: GT / Problems: HCP, HOM, HOR / Technical solution types: C, D, M / Claims: 20/ Rate: 17

More detailed information on the methodology as well as on the results of patent researches in the most important fields of contemporary energy industry can be found at Advanced Energy Technologies.