WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A method for reducing vibrations and loads in one or more rotor blades on
a rotor hub of a wind turbine when the rotor hub is in a locked or idling condition, the
method comprising:
attaching an electronically tunable mass damper at a fixed location on one or more of the rotor blades, the tunable mass damper having a mass component that moves along a stroke path;
maintaining the mass damper on the rotor blades during the locked or idling condition of the rotor hub;
sensing movement of the mass component resulting from vibrations or oscillations induced in the rotor blade during the locked or idling condition; and
automatically tuning the mass damper based on the sensed movement of the mass component by varying an electrical characteristic of the mass damper.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of automatically tuning the mass damper is accomplished completely by the mass damper without outside operator or device action.
3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising automatically and remotely adjusting operating parameters of the tunable mass damper.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the mass component is sensed continuously or periodically with one or more sensors configured in the mass damper.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mass damper is tuned to an excitation frequency of the rotor blade during the locked or idling conditions.
6. The method according to claim 1,wherein the mass damper is operationally insensitive to temperature changes.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mass damper is in communication with a remote central controller, wherein operating parameters of the mass damper are remotely adjusted by the remote central controller.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the mass damper is also in communication with a mobile smart device that is in communication with the remote central controller.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein an operator adjusts the operating parameters of the mass damper via the mobile smart device or via the remote central controller.
10. The method according to claim 7, wherein each of the rotor blades is configured with one of the mass dampers, each of the mass dampers in communication with a wind turbine controller, the wind turbine controller in communication with the remote central controller.
11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mass damper includes a flywheel connected to a rotation damper, the step of automatically tuning the mass damper comprising electronically controlling a counter-torque exerted against rotation of the flywheel by the rotation damper.
12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the flywheel is in geared engagement with a track gear and is rotationally driven as the mass component moves along the stroke path, the flywheel coupled to a shaft that is coupled to the rotation damper, wherein the counter-torque exerted by the rotation damper is proportional to a rotational velocity of the flywheel.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the rotation damper includes an electrical generator in geared engagement with and driven by the flywheel, wherein an electrical output of the generator is directly proportional to the rotational velocity of the flywheel and is used to produce the counter-torque.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the automatic tuning step comprises remotely varying an effective resistance placed on the generator to change the counter-torque exerted by the generator at a given rotational speed of the flywheel.
15. A wind turbine configured for reducing vibrations and loads in rotor
blades during a non-operational mode of the wind turbine, comprising:
a plurality of rotor blades on a rotor hub;
in the non-operational mode of the wind turbine with the rotor hub in a locked or idling condition, the wind turbine further comprising a mass damper attached at a fixed location on one or more of the rotor blades, the mass damper comprising a mass component that is movable along a stroke path;
one or more sensors configured within the mass damper to sense movement of the mass component along the stroke path, wherein the movement is generated by

vibrations or oscillations induced in the rotor blades during the locked or idling condition of the rotor hub; and
wherein the mass damper is automatically tunable by varying an electrical characteristic of the mass damper based on the sensed movement of the mass component.
16. The wind turbine according to claim 15, wherein the mass damper is in communication with a remote central controller, wherein operating parameters of the mass damper are remotely adjusted by the remote central controller.
17. The wind turbine according to claim 16, wherein the mass damper is also in communication with a mobile smart device, wherein an operator adjusts the operating parameters of the mass damper via the mobile smart device or via the remote central controller.
18. The wind turbine according to claim 16, wherein each of the rotor blades is configured with one of the mass dampers, each of the mass dampers in communication with a wind turbine controller, the wind turbine controller in communication with the remote central controller.
19. The wind turbine according to claim 15, wherein the mass damper comprises a flywheel connected to a rotation damper that exerts a counter-torque against rotation of the flywheel, wherein the counter-torque is electronically tunable.
20. The wind turbine according to claim 19, wherein the flywheel is in geared engagement with a track gear and is rotationally driven as the mass damper moves along a stroke length, wherein the rotation damper comprises an electrical generator in geared engagement with and driven by the flywheel, wherein an electrical output of the generator is directly proportional to the rotational velocity of the flywheel and produces the counter-torque, the generator coupled to a variable effective resistive load for changing the generator output.