Wind power generation equipment control system

Abstract

To provide a wind power generation device control system and a blade wind detection device that can drive a wind power generation device by accurately grasping the state of wind received by the wind power generation device.SOLUTION: A wind power generation device control system comprises a blade wind detection device for detecting at least one of a wind direction and a wind velocity on at least one blade comprised in a wind power generation device, and a blade control device for controlling at least one of the pitch angle of the at least one blade and the yaw angle of the wind power generation device on the basis of the at least one of the wind direction and the wind velocity detected by the blade wind detection device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Some aspects of the present invention relate to wind power generation equipment control systems Mu To relate to. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a wind power generation device comprising multiple blades, a nacelle, a tower, and the like. In this Patent Document 1, a nacelle wind direction detection device is installed on the nacelle to detect the wind direction. Based on the wind direction data detected by the nacelle wind direction detection device installed on the nacelle, the rotation angle (i.e., yaw angle) of the nacelle mounted on the tower is controlled. By performing such control, Patent Document 1 improves the power generation amount of the wind power generation device and prevents the drive unit that drives the blades from being struck by gusts of wind. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-118076 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] In the wind power generation device disclosed in Patent Document 1, multiple blades rotate due to the wind blowing toward the wind power generation device. A nacelle wind direction detection device, installed on the nacelle, detects the wind passing between the multiple blades. However, in the wind power generation device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the nacelle wind direction detection device is installed behind the multiple blades, and there is a distance between the multiple blades and the nacelle wind direction detection device. Therefore, the wind direction detected by the nacelle wind direction detection device installed on the nacelle may differ from the wind direction on the multiple blades. Consequently, in the wind power generation device disclosed in Patent Document 1, it may not be possible to accurately grasp the wind direction on the multiple blades and control the rotation angle (i.e., yaw angle) of the nacelle mounted on the tower of the wind power generation device.

[0005] Some aspects of the present invention have been made to solve the above problems, and are wind turbine control systems that can accurately grasp the wind conditions on the wind turbine and drive the wind turbine. Mu The purpose is to provide. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) To solve the above problems, a wind power generation device control system according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a blade wind detection device that detects at least one of the wind direction and wind speed on at least one blade of the wind power generation device, and a blade control device that controls at least one of the pitch angle of the at least one blade and the yaw angle of the wind power generation device based on the wind direction and wind speed detected by the blade wind detection device. This configuration allows for accurate understanding of the wind conditions acting on the wind turbine and enables its operation accordingly.

[0007] (2) In the wind power generation device control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the blade wind detection device may include at least one stress sensor provided on the blade and a transmitting unit provided on the blade that wirelessly transmits the measurement result of the stress sensor to the blade control device. With this configuration, wind direction and wind speed data can be acquired wirelessly even while the blades are rotating, and the wind turbine can be driven based on the acquired data.

[0008] (3) In addition, in the wind power generation device control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the stress sensor may be a plurality of stress sensors provided along the circumferential direction of the blade. With this configuration, multiple stress sensors placed circumferentially around the blades allow for the understanding of wind conditions blowing from all 360 degrees around the blades. This enables accurate understanding of the wind conditions acting on the blades and allows for the driving of the wind power generation device.

[0009] (4) In addition, in a wind power generation device control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the blade wind detection device may include a pitch angle acquisition unit that acquires the pitch angle of the blade, and a wind direction detection unit that identifies the orientation of at least one of the plurality of stress sensors based on the pitch angle at the time of measurement of the stress sensor, and detects the wind direction on the blade based on the identified orientation and the measurement results of each of the plurality of stress sensors. With this configuration, even when the blade pitch angle changes, the positions of the multiple stress sensors attached to the blade can be accurately identified, and the wind direction and wind speed can be accurately determined.

[0010] (5) In addition, in a wind power generation device control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the blade wind detection device may include a rotation angle acquisition unit that acquires the rotation angle at the rotation center axis when the blade rotates due to being subjected to wind, and a wind direction detection unit that identifies at least one direction among the plurality of stress sensors based on the rotation angle at the time of measurement of the stress sensor, and detects the wind direction on the blade based on the identified direction and the measurement results of each of the plurality of stress sensors. With this configuration, even when the blade is rotating, the position of the multiple stress sensors attached to the blade can be accurately determined, and the wind direction and wind speed can be accurately determined.

[0011] (6) In addition, in a wind power generation device control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the blade wind detection device may include: a correspondence information storage unit that stores correspondence information indicating the correspondence relationship between wind speed and the measurement results of the stress sensor; an index value calculation unit that calculates an index value obtained by statistically processing the measurement results of each of the plurality of stress sensors; and a wind speed detection unit that detects the wind speed on the blade based on the index value and the correspondence information. With this configuration, correspondence information showing the relationship between wind speed and the measurement results of the stress sensor is created in advance, and wind speed is detected based on this information, thus reducing the load required for detection processing.

[0012] (7) In addition, the wind power generation device control system according to the first aspect of the present invention may further include a nacelle wind direction detection device attached to the nacelle of the wind power generation device, and the control unit may control at least one of the pitch angle and the yaw angle based on the wind direction detected by the nacelle wind direction detection device until the blade reaches the rated rotation, and while the blade has reached the rated rotation, the control unit may control at least one of the pitch angle and the yaw angle based on the wind direction detected by the blade wind detection device. With this configuration, after the blades of the wind turbine reach their rated rotation speed, the system switches to driving the wind turbine based on the wind direction detected by a wind direction detection device attached to the nacelle, as well as the wind direction detected by a detection unit on the blade. This allows the wind turbine to appropriately understand the wind conditions during power generation and drive accordingly.

[0013] (8) In addition, in a wind power generation device control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the blade wind detection device may include a deviation calculation unit that calculates a wind direction deviation, which is the amount of change in wind direction over a predetermined period of time, and may further include a load detection device that detects the load on a yaw drive device that rotates the yaw angle, and an output device that outputs to an external device the load on the yaw drive device and the wind direction deviation for a specific period including the time when the load on the yaw drive device exceeds a predetermined threshold when the load on the drive device exceeds a predetermined threshold. With this configuration, there is no need to continuously store load data measured by the load measurement unit or detection results data from the detection unit installed on the blades in the wind turbine. This reduces the storage capacity of the wind turbine, and the data transmitted externally can be used to understand the status of the wind turbine.

[0014] (9) In addition, in a wind power generation device control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, the blade wind detection device may include a deviation calculation unit that calculates a wind direction deviation, which is the amount of change in the wind direction over a predetermined period of time, and may further include a load detection device that detects the load applied to a yaw drive device that rotates the yaw angle, and an output device that, when the wind direction deviation exceeds a predetermined threshold, outputs to an external device the load applied to the yaw drive device and the wind direction deviation for a specific period including the time when the wind direction deviation exceeds the predetermined threshold. With this configuration, there is no need to continuously store load data measured by the load measurement unit or detection results data from the detection unit installed on the blades in the wind turbine. This reduces the storage capacity of the wind turbine, and the data transmitted externally can be used to understand the status of the wind turbine.

[0015] (10) The wind power generation device control system according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a stress sensor that measures the stress applied to at least one blade included in the wind power generation device, and based on the measurement result of the stress sensor, stops the output of a yaw drive device that rotationally drives the yaw angle of the blade, and releases the braking by a braking mechanism that brakes the rotational drive of the yaw drive device. According to this configuration, when a strong force is applied to the blade, the yaw drive device is not driven, so it is possible to prevent the yaw drive device from malfunctioning.

[0016] (11) In the wind power generation device control system according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the distance from the root to the tip of the blade is Z, the stress sensor may be provided in the region from the root of the blade to 0 to Z / 8. According to this configuration, the moving distance of the blade wind detection device when the blade rotates around the main shaft becomes small. Therefore, the influence based on the main shaft rotation can be reduced more, and the wind received by the wind power generation device can be detected more accurately by the blade.

[0017] (12) The blade wind detection device according to the second aspect of the present invention includes a detection unit that detects at least one of the wind direction and wind speed on at least one blade included in the wind power generation device, and a transmission unit that wirelessly transmits at least one of the wind direction and wind speed detected by the detection unit to a blade control device provided in a nacelle incorporating a generator that generates electricity by the rotation of the blade. <00​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing an example of a wind power generation device control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the nacelle and other components of a wind power generation device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the blades of a wind power generation device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view of AA in Figure 3. [Figure 5] This is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a blade wind detection device included in a wind power generation device control system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a blade control device included in a wind power generation device control system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows the processing of the blade wind detection device in the wind power generation device control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of data obtained by measuring stress sensors 410A to 410L in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart showing the processing of the blade control device of a wind power generation device control system in a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This figure shows an example of data generated by the control unit of the blade control device in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view showing an example of a wind power generation system control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] This is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a blade control device included in a wind power generation device control system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] This is a flowchart showing the processing of the blade control device of a wind power generation device control system in a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14]This graph illustrates the processing of a wind power generation system control system in a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] This is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a blade control device included in a wind power generation device control system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] This is a flowchart showing the processing of the blade control device of a wind power generation device control system in a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] This graph illustrates the processing of a wind power generation system control system in a third embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0020] Hereinafter, several embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] (First embodiment) Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a wind power generation device control system 100a in a first embodiment of the present invention. The wind power generation device control system 100a comprises a wind power generation device 200, a blade control device 300a, and a blade wind detection device 400 (blade wind detection devices 400a, 400b, 400c).

[0022] The wind turbine 200 comprises a tower 210, a nacelle 220, blades 230a, 230b, 230c, and a hub 240. While Figure 1 shows the wind turbine 200 with blades 230a, 230b, and 230c, it is not limited to this configuration; the wind turbine 200 may have two or fewer blades, or four or more blades. The tower 210 is a cylindrical structure. The central axis of the tower 210 is positioned perpendicular to the ground. The nacelle 220 is attached to the upper end of the tower 210. The nacelle 220 is capable of rotating (yaw rotation) around the central axis of the tower 210. A blade control device 300a is built into the nacelle 220.

[0023] Each of the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c has an elongated, flat shape. The blades 230a, 230b, and 230c are attached to the hub 240 so as to be fixed radially around the hub 240. The longitudinal directions of two blades intersect at a 120-degree angle. Blade wind detection devices 400a, 400b, and 400c, which detect wind speed, are installed at the base of each of the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c.

[0024] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the nacelle 220 and blades 230a, 230b, and 230c of the wind power generation device 100a (Figure 1) in the first embodiment of the present invention. A generator 260 is installed inside the nacelle 220. The rotation of the main shaft 250 connected to the hub 240 is accelerated by a speed increaser 270 and transmitted to the generator 260 to generate electricity. A blade control device 300a is built into the nacelle 220, but the blade control device 300a is not shown in Figure 2. Three types of rotation occur in the wind power generation device 100a. The first rotation is the yaw rotation R1 of the nacelle 220, which rotates around the central axis of the cylindrical tower 210. The second rotation is the main shaft rotation R2 of the hub 40 to which the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c are attached, which rotates around the main shaft 250, which is a horizontal axis to the ground. The third type of rotation is pitch rotation R31, R32, and R33, which rotates around the longitudinal axis of the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c on the elongated flat plate.

[0025] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the blade 230a of the wind power generation device 100a (Figure 1) in the first embodiment of the present invention. Blades 230b and 230c have the same configuration as blade 230a shown in Figure 3. Blade 230a has an elongated, flat plate shape that extends in the longitudinal direction D1 from the base 232 to the tip 231. The base 232 of blade 230a is attached to the hub 240 and fixed so that it can rotate about the longitudinal direction D1 as an axis.

[0026] A blade wind detection device 400a is positioned near the base 232 of the blade 230a, along the circumferential direction of the blade 230a. The vicinity of the base 232 of the blade 230a refers to the region from 0 to Z / 8, where Z is the distance from the base 232 of the blade 230a. By providing the blade wind detection device 400a near the base 232 of the blade 230a, the distance traveled by the blade wind detection device 400a when the blade 230a rotates on the main shaft R2 (see Figure 2) is reduced compared to when the blade wind detection device 400a is provided in a region other than the vicinity of the base 232. Therefore, the influence based on the main shaft rotation R2 can be reduced, and the wind received by the wind power generation device 200 can be detected more accurately by the blade 230a. In Figure 3, the blade wind detection device 400a is shown to be installed near the base 232 of the blade 230a, but it is not limited to this, and the blade wind detection device 400a may be installed in a region other than near the base 232 of the blade 230a. However, if the blade wind detection device 400a is installed at the tip of the blade 230a, the influence of wind caused by the rotation of the blade 230a itself will be large, and noise due to this wind influence may be included in the stress sensors 410A to 410L, or it may lead to failure of the stress sensors 410A to 410L.

[0027] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of AA in Figure 3. The cross-section near the root 232 of the blade 230a is circular. The blade wind detection device 400 is provided on the circumference of the circle. The blade wind detection device 400 is equipped with 12 stress sensors 410A, 410B, 410C, 410D, 410E, 410F, 410G, 410H, 410I, 410J, 410K, and 410L that detect externally applied forces. The same sensor is used for stress sensors 410A to 410L. Each of the stress sensors 410A to 410L detects the stress received from the outside.

[0028] Note that while Figure 4 shows a case where 12 stress sensors 410A to 410L are provided on the blade 230a, it is not limited to this. For example, the blade 230a may be equipped with 1 to 11 stress sensors, or 13 or more stress sensors. Reducing the number of stress sensors on the blade 230a can reduce the cost of manufacturing the blade wind detection device 400. On the other hand, increasing the number of stress sensors on the blade 230a allows for a more detailed understanding of the wind speed and direction acting on the blade 230a.

[0029] Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the blade wind detection device 400a included in the wind power generation device control system 100a (Figure 1) in the first embodiment of the present invention. Note that the blade wind detection devices 400b and 400c have the same configuration as the blade wind detection device 400a, so their descriptions are omitted. The blade wind detection device 400a includes a stress measurement unit 401, a detection device control unit 402, a transmission unit 403, and a rotation angle acquisition unit 404. The stress measurement unit 401 includes 12 stress sensors 410A to 410L (Figure 4). The stress measurement unit 401 simultaneously measures the stress received by the stress sensors 410A to 410L from external sources and outputs it to the detection device control unit 402. The detection device control unit 402 controls each part of the blade wind detection device 400a. The control unit 402 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The detection device control unit 402 includes a wind speed detection unit 4021 and a wind direction detection unit 4022. The transmission unit 403 is composed of wireless transmission equipment. The transmission unit 403 transmits wind speed data output by the wind speed detection unit 4021 and wind direction data detected by the wind direction detection unit 4022 to the blade control device 300a built into the nacelle 220 via wireless communication. The rotation angle acquisition unit 404 acquires the rotation angle at the rotation center axis (main axis 250) when the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c rotate due to being exposed to wind. For example, when blade 230a is facing up, right, down, and left, the rotation angle acquisition unit 404 acquires rotation angles of 0 o'clock, 90 degrees, 180 degrees, and 270 degrees, respectively.

[0030] Figure 6 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the blade control device 300a included in the wind power generation device control system 100a (Figure 1) in the first embodiment of the present invention. The blade control device 300a includes a receiving unit 301, a storage unit 302, a blade control unit 303a, a main axis angle acquisition unit 304, a yaw angle acquisition unit 305, and a pitch angle acquisition unit 306. The receiving unit 301 is composed of wireless communication equipment. The receiving unit 301 receives data such as wind speed and wind direction transmitted from the transmitting unit 403 of the blade wind detection device 400 and outputs it to the blade control unit 303a. The storage unit 302 is composed of memory. The storage unit 302 stores data acquired by the blade control unit 303a, such as data output from the receiving unit 301 to the blade control unit 303a, data output from the spindle angle acquisition unit 304 to the blade control unit 303a, data output from the yaw angle acquisition unit 305 to the blade control unit 303a, and data output from the pitch angle acquisition unit 306 to the blade control unit 303a.

[0031] The blade control unit 303a controls each part of the blade control device 300a. The blade control unit 303a is composed of a CPU. The blade control unit 303a includes a yaw angle control unit 3031 and a pitch angle control unit 3032. The yaw angle control unit 3031 controls the angle at which the nacelle 220 rotates with a yaw rotation R1 (Figure 2) by outputting instructions to a yaw drive device installed between the tower 210 and the nacelle 220. The pitch angle control unit 3032 outputs instructions to the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c attached to the hub 240, and controls the angle at which the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c rotate with pitch rotations R31, R32, and R33 (Figure 2).

[0032] The spindle angle acquisition unit 304 acquires data on the current rotation angle of the spindle 250 (Figure 2) and outputs it to the blade control unit 303a. For example, if the blade 230a shown in Figure 1 is pointing straight up, the spindle angle acquisition unit 304 outputs data to the blade control unit 303a indicating that blade 230a is at a rotation angle of 0 degrees, blade 230b is at a rotation angle of 120 degrees, and blade 230c is at a rotation angle of 240 degrees.

[0033] The yaw angle acquisition unit 305 acquires data on the direction in which the nacelle 220 is facing on the tower 210 and outputs it to the yaw angle control unit 3031. For example, if the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c shown in Figure 1 are facing south and generating power, the yaw angle acquisition unit 305 outputs data to the yaw angle control unit 3031 indicating that the yaw angle is south (180 degrees).

[0034] The pitch angle acquisition unit 306 acquires data regarding the direction in which the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c, which are rotatably mounted on the hub 240, are facing relative to the hub 240, and outputs this data to the pitch angle acquisition unit 306. For example, if the wind-receiving surfaces of the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c shown in Figure 1 are all facing forward, the pitch angle acquisition unit 306 outputs data to the pitch angle control unit 3032 indicating that the pitch angles of the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c are all 0 degrees.

[0035] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating the processing of the blade wind detection device 400a in the wind turbine control system 100a (Figure 1) according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Although Figure 7 describes the processing of the blade wind detection device 400a attached to the blade 230a of the wind turbine control system 100a (Figure 1), the same processing as shown in the flowchart in Figure 7 is performed for the blade wind detection devices 400b and 400c attached to the other blades 230b and 230c.

[0036] First, the rotation angle acquisition unit 404 acquires the rotation angle of the blade 230a, which is equipped with the blade wind detection device 400a (step S101). If the blade 230a is facing upwards, a rotation angle of 0 degrees is acquired. If the blade 230a is facing to the right, a rotation angle of 90 degrees is acquired. If the blade 230a is facing downwards, a rotation angle of 180 degrees is acquired. If the blade 230a is facing left, a rotation angle of 270 degrees is acquired. Next, the detection device control unit 402 of the blade wind detection device 400a determines whether the blade wind detection device 400a has reached the top or bottom of its rotation trajectory (step S102). When blades 230a, 230b, and 230c rotate clockwise at a spindle rotation R2 (see Figure 2), the blade wind detection device 400a changes in the following order: blade 230a facing directly upwards (rotation angle 0 degrees), blade 230a facing to the right (rotation angle 90 degrees), blade 230a facing directly downwards (rotation angle 180 degrees), blade 230a facing to the left (rotation angle 270 degrees), and blade 230a facing directly upwards (rotation angle 0 degrees). The blade wind detection device 400a repeats this process until it is either facing directly upwards (rotation angle 0 degrees) or blade 230a is facing directly downwards (rotation angle 180 degrees).

[0037] Furthermore, whether the blade 230a is pointing straight up (rotation angle 0 degrees) or straight down (rotation angle 180 degrees) can be determined, for example, by attaching a GPS (Global Positioning System) to the blade wind detection device 400a and determining whether the altitude of the blade wind detection device 400a has reached the highest and lowest points of its rotation trajectory. Alternatively, the rotation angle of the main shaft 250 may be determined based on instructions from the blade control unit 303a obtained from the main shaft angle acquisition unit 304 (Figure 6), and whether the altitude of the blade wind detection device 400a has reached the highest and lowest points of its rotation trajectory.

[0038] If the detection device control unit 402 determines "YES" in step S102 (i.e., if the blade 230a is pointing straight up or straight down), the detection device control unit 402 proceeds to step S103. The detection device control unit 402 measures stress by controlling the stress sensors 410A to 410L (step S103). Specifically, at the time when the blade wind detection device 400a is pointing straight up and at the time when the blade 230a is pointing straight down, the detection device control unit 402 simultaneously causes the stress sensors 410A to 410L to measure stress. Then, at the same time, the wind speed detection unit 4021 detects the wind speed on the stress sensors 410A to 410L based on the stress measured by the stress sensors 410A to 410L (step S104). Specifically, the wind speed detection unit 4021 stores in advance the correspondence between the magnitude of stress detected by the stress sensor and the wind speed as data, and based on that data, it determines the wind speed corresponding to the detected stress.

[0039] The detection device control unit 402 may also detect the wind speed on blades 230a, 230b, and 230c by comparing the stress detected by each of the stress sensors 410A to 410L with pre-stored statistically processed index values ​​(e.g., total value, mean, median, difference between maximum and minimum values). For example, the wind speed detection unit 4021 may acquire the sum of the stress data measured by the stress sensors 410A to 410L provided by the stress measurement unit 401. The sum of the stress data and the wind speed value may be stored in association with each other in advance, and the wind speed corresponding to the sum of the stress data measured by the stress sensors 410A to 410L may be detected based on this association. In this way, it is not necessary to convert each of the measurement results from the stress sensors 410A to 410L into wind speed in order to detect the wind speed, thus reducing the amount of calculation performed by the blade wind detection device 400a.

[0040] Next, the wind direction detection unit 4022 detects the wind direction at the time when the stress sensors 410A to 410L measured stress (step S105). Specifically, it detects the wind direction as the direction of the stress sensor that observed the largest wind speed among the wind speeds detected by the wind speed detection unit 4021 and detected by each of the stress sensors 410A to 410L constituting the stress measurement unit 401. Since the directions of the multiple stress sensors 410A to 410L change as the main shaft 250 rotates, the wind direction detection unit 4022 detects the direction that the stress sensor that measured the largest stress is facing as the wind direction, based on the rotation angle acquired by the rotation angle acquisition unit 404. Alternatively, the wind direction detection unit 4022 may acquire stress data measured by the stress sensors 410A to 410L provided in the stress measurement unit 401, and detect the wind direction as the direction that the stress sensor that measured the largest stress among the acquired stresses is facing. In this way, it becomes unnecessary to detect wind speed in order to detect wind direction, thus reducing the amount of computation required by the blade wind detection device 400a.

[0041] Next, the transmitting unit 403 transmits the wind speed and wind direction data detected in step S102 to the receiving unit 301 of the blade control device 300a (Figure 6) (step S106). Specifically, the blade control device 300a associates the stress detected by the wind speed detection unit 4021 in step S104 with blade identification information to identify the blade (in this case, blade 230a) where the stress was detected, the rotation angle of blade 230a when the wind speed was detected (in this case, 0 degrees or 180 degrees), and the time when the wind speed was detected. The processing in the flowchart of Figure 7 is performed not only by the blade wind detection device 400a attached to blade 230a, but also by the blade wind detection devices 400b and 400c attached to blades 230b and 230c. Therefore, when the processing in step S103 of the flowchart of Figure 7 is performed, data as shown in Figure 8 is accumulated.

[0042] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, stress sensors 410A to 410L are attached to blade 230a. In this case, when blades 230a, 230b, and 230c of the wind turbine 200 are facing south, blade 230a is pointing straight up, and stress sensor 410A in Figure 4 is pointing north, the wind speed detected based on the stress measured by stress sensor 410E is for winds blowing from the east, and the wind speed detected based on the stress measured by stress sensor 410J is for winds blowing from the west. On the other hand, in this situation, when blades 230a, 230b, and 230c of the wind turbine 200 are facing south, and blade 230a is pointing straight down, the wind speed detected based on the stress measured by stress sensor 410E is for winds blowing from the west, and the wind speed detected based on the stress measured by stress sensor 410J is for winds blowing from the east. Therefore, the blade control unit 303a identifies the position of each of the multiple stress sensors 410A to 410L based on the rotation angle of the main axis 250 of the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c, and determines at least one of the wind direction and wind speed on the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c based on the identified positions of the multiple stress sensors 410A to 410L.

[0043] The processing shown in the flowchart in Figure 7 yields the data shown in Figure 10. In the data shown in Figure 10, the maximum wind speed (e.g., 10 m / s), the wind speed detection time (e.g., 0:00:00), and the wind direction (e.g., east-southeast (120 degrees)) are associated. Here, the wind direction is represented numerically, with north being 0 degrees, east 90 degrees, south 180 degrees, and west 270 degrees. By referring to the data shown in Figure 10, it is possible to determine the maximum wind speed in m / s and the wind direction at a given time (hours, minutes, seconds).

[0044] Alternatively, the wind direction may be determined by converting the stress measured by each stress sensor 410A to 410E and the direction in which each stress sensor 410A to 410E is facing into vectors and determining the direction of the resultant force vector. In order to accurately determine the direction in which each stress sensor 410A to 410E is facing, the pitch angles and rotation angles of blades 230a, 230b, and 230c are taken into consideration.

[0045] Figure 8 shows an example of data obtained by measurement using stress sensors 410A to 410L in the first embodiment of the present invention. In the data shown in Figure 8, blade identification information (e.g., blade 230a), spindle rotation angle (e.g., 0 degrees), stress detection time (e.g., 0:00:00), and stress measured by the stress sensors 410A to 410L equipped on each of the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c are associated with each other (e.g., 0, 0, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 (m / sec)).

[0046] In Figure 7, the flowchart illustrates the case where the blade wind detection device 400 detects wind speed and direction when it reaches the top or bottom of its rotational trajectory. However, the detection of wind speed and direction is not limited to when the blade wind detection device 400 reaches the top or bottom of its rotational trajectory. However, if the wind turbine 200 is facing south and the blade 230a is facing east (i.e., the rotation angle of the blade 230a is 90 degrees), the central axis of the ring-shaped stress sensors 410A to 410L on the blade 230a will be oriented in the east-west direction, making it difficult to detect wind blowing from the east or west. As explained in the flowchart of Figure 7, it is preferable to configure the blade wind detection device 400a to measure wind speed when it reaches the top or bottom of its rotational trajectory, so that the central axis of the ring-shaped stress sensors 410A to 410L is perpendicular to the ground, and wind blowing from any of the four cardinal directions can be detected.

[0047] In the flowchart of Figure 7, the blade wind detection device 400 is configured to detect wind speed and direction when it reaches the top or bottom of the rotational trajectory, but this is not the only configuration. For example, the blade wind detection device 400 may be configured to detect wind speed and direction only when it reaches the top of the rotational trajectory, or it may be configured to detect wind speed only when it reaches the bottom of the rotational trajectory. This reduces the number of operations required to determine wind speed and direction by half, thereby reducing the load on the blade control device 300a.

[0048] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the processing of the blade control device 300a of the wind power generation device control system 100a (Figure 1) in the first embodiment of the present invention. First, the blade control unit 303a of the blade control device 300a (Figure 6), which is installed in the nacelle 220 (Figure 1), receives data on wind speed and wind direction from the blade wind detection device 400 via the receiving unit 301 (step S201). The blade control unit 303a stores the data on wind speed and wind direction received in step S201 in the storage unit 302 (step S202). Next, the blade control unit 303a determines whether the current time is the time to control the yaw rotation R1 (Figure 2) or the pitch rotations R31, R32, R33 (step S203). For example, since yaw rotation and pitch rotation are performed every 10 minutes, the blade control unit 303a performs the processing in step S203 by determining whether 10 minutes have passed since the time when the yaw rotation was last controlled.

[0049] If the blade control unit 303a determines that the current time is not the time to control the yaw rotation R1 (Figure 2), it determines "NO" in step S203 and proceeds to the process in step S201. On the other hand, if the blade control unit 303a determines that the current time is the time to control the yaw rotation R1 (Figure 2), it determines "YES" in step S203 and determines the yaw rotation angle based on the wind direction data (see Figure 8) stored in the memory unit 302 (step S204). Specifically, the yaw angle control unit 3031 determines the yaw rotation angle so that the wind turbine 200 faces the wind direction received in step S201. Next, the yaw angle control unit 3031 performs a yaw rotation on the nacelle 220 so that the current yaw angle obtained from the yaw angle acquisition unit 305 becomes the yaw rotation angle determined in step S204 (step S205).

[0050] Next, the pitch angle control unit 3032 determines the pitch rotation angle based on data related to wind speed and other data stored in the memory unit 302 (see Figure 8) (step S206). Specifically, the pitch angle control unit 3032 determines the pitch rotation angle based on the wind speed received in step S201 and the rotation angle of the main spindle 250. More specifically, the pitch angle control unit 3032 determines and controls the pitch angle based on the wind speed and determines the pitch rotation angle in such a way that it maintains the rated rotation speed by feeding back the rotation speed calculated from the main spindle rotation angle. Next, the pitch angle control unit 3032 performs pitch rotation on the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c so that the current pitch angle obtained from the pitch angle acquisition unit 306 becomes the pitch rotation angle determined in step S206 (step S207).

[0051] In the first embodiment described above, the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c, which directly receive the wind, are controlled to face the wind direction as directly as possible by performing a yaw rotation R1 (Figure 2) based on the wind direction on the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c. Therefore, compared to the case where the turbulent wind caused by the rotation of the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c around the main shaft 250 (Figure 2) is detected by a nacelle wind direction detection device installed on the nacelle 220 of the wind power generation device 200, the wind direction received by the wind power generation device 200 can be determined more accurately. Therefore, the wind power generation device 200 can be directed towards the direction of the strongest wind speed, thereby improving the power generation efficiency of the wind power generation device 200.

[0052] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, pitch rotations R31, R32, and R33 (Figure 2) are performed based on the wind speed on the wind-receiving blades 230a, 230b, and 230c. In other words, the pitch angle is controlled so that the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c reach rated operation more quickly based on the detected wind speed. As a result, the wind power generation device 200 can reach rated operation more quickly, thereby improving the power generation efficiency of the wind power generation device 200.

[0053] In the first embodiment, a case was described in which multiple blade wind detection devices 400a, 400b, and 400c are provided on the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c, and the wind direction data detected by these blade wind detection devices 400a, 400b, and 400c is transmitted to the blade control device 300a via wireless communication. However, the invention is not limited to this. For example, a weather vane may be provided on one of the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c, and an imaging device such as a camera may be provided on the nacelle 220. The imaging device provided on the nacelle 220 may then image the weather vane provided on one of the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c to detect the wind direction on the blade. By adopting such a configuration, it becomes unnecessary to provide a receiving unit 301 for the blade control device 300a in the first embodiment, and the structure of the blade control device 300a can be simplified.

[0054] Although step S207 in the flowchart of Figure 9 describes the case where pitch rotation is performed, if the wind turbine 200 does not perform pitch control, it is not necessary to perform steps S206 and S207 in the flowchart of Figure 9.

[0055] Furthermore, while the flowchart in Figure 9 illustrates the case where the yaw rotation processing (steps S204 and S205) is performed first, followed by the pitch rotation processing (steps S206 and S207), the process is not limited to this. The yaw rotation processing may be performed first, followed by the pitch rotation processing. The yaw rotation processing and the pitch rotation processing may also be performed simultaneously. The yaw rotation processing and the pitch rotation processing may also be performed independently.

[0056] In the first embodiment, the case in which the blade wind detection devices 400a, 400b, and 400c are equipped with a stress measurement unit 401, a detection device control unit 402, a transmission unit 403, and a rotation angle acquisition unit 404 was described, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the blade wind detection devices 400a, 400b, and 400c only need to be equipped with a stress measurement unit 401 and a transmission unit 403, and the other components may be provided in the blade control device 300a or an external device so that the wind speed on the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c is detected by a device other than the blade wind detection devices 400a, 400b, and 400c. The same applies to subsequent embodiments.

[0057] (Second embodiment) Figure 11 is a perspective view showing an example of a wind turbine control system 100b in a second embodiment of the present invention. The wind turbine control system 100b in the second embodiment differs from the wind turbine control system 100a (Figure 1) in the first embodiment in that it includes a nacelle wind direction detection device 500 and has a blade control device 300b instead of a blade control device 300a. The other components of the wind turbine control system 100b (Figure 11) in the second embodiment are the same as those of the wind turbine control system 100a (Figure 1) in the first embodiment, so they are given the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. The nacelle wind direction detection device 500 is a cup-shaped wind direction detection device, etc., and is installed in an area on the nacelle 220, away from the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c. The wind direction detected by the nacelle wind direction detection device 500 is transmitted by wired communication or wireless communication to the blade control device 300b installed in the nacelle 220.

[0058] Figure 12 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the blade control device 300b included in the wind power generation device control system 100b (Figure 11) in the second embodiment of the present invention. The blade control device 300b in the second embodiment differs from the blade control device 300a (Figure 6) in the first embodiment in that it includes a nacelle wind direction detection device data acquisition unit 307 and has a blade control unit 303b instead of a blade control unit 303a. The other components of the blade control device 300b (Figure 12) in the second embodiment are the same as those of the blade control device 300a (Figure 6) in the first embodiment, so they are given the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted. The nacelle wind direction detection device data acquisition unit 307 receives data related to the wind direction detected by the nacelle wind direction detection device 500, which is provided on the nacelle 220. The blade control unit 303b is composed of a CPU and the like. The blade control unit 303b performs the processing described later in Figure 13 based on the wind direction data output from the nacelle wind direction detection device data acquisition unit 307.

[0059] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the processing of the blade control device 300b of the wind power generation device control system 100b (Figure 11) in the second embodiment of the present invention. First, the blade control unit 303b receives data related to the wind direction detected by the nacelle wind direction detection device 500, which is provided on the nacelle 220 (step S301). Next, in step S301, the blade control unit 303b stores the wind direction data received from the nacelle wind direction detection device 500 in the storage unit 302 via the nacelle wind direction detection device data acquisition unit 307 (step S302). Next, the blade control unit 303b determines whether the rotational speed of the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c of the wind power generation device 200 has reached the rated rotational speed (step S303). For example, the blade control unit 303b determines whether the rotational speed R2 (see Figure 2) of the main spindle rotation of the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c has reached the rated rotational speed N (for example, 6 revolutions / minute).

[0060] If the rotational speed of the main shaft rotation R2 (see Figure 2) of the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c does not reach the rated rotational speed N, the blade control unit 303b determines "NO" in step S303 and performs a yaw rotation R1 (Figure 2) based on the wind direction data received from the nacelle wind direction detection device 500 in step S301. For example, if the directional angle currently facing the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c of the wind turbine 200 does not match the wind direction received from the nacelle wind direction detection device 500 in step S301, the yaw angle control unit 3031 of the blade control unit 303b performs a yaw rotation R1 (Figure 2) so that the directional angle currently facing the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c of the wind turbine 200 matches the wind direction received from the nacelle wind direction detection device 500 in step S301.

[0061] When the rotational speed of the main shaft rotation R2 (see Figure 2) of blades 230a, 230b, and 230c reaches the rated rotational speed N, the blade control unit 303b determines "YES" in step S303, and the blade control unit 303b starts processing according to the flowchart shown in Figure 9, rather than the flowchart shown in Figure 13 (step S305). Based on the wind direction data received from the nacelle wind direction detection device 500 in step S301, a yaw rotation R1 (Figure 2) is performed. For example, if the directional angle of the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c of the wind turbine 200 does not match the wind direction received from the nacelle wind direction detection device 500 in step S301, the yaw angle control unit 3031 of the blade control unit 303b performs a yaw rotation R1 (Figure 2) so that the directional angle of the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c of the wind turbine 200 matches the wind direction received from the nacelle wind direction detection device 500 in step S301.

[0062] Figure 14 is a graph illustrating the processing of the wind turbine control system 100b in a second embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 14, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the rotational speed of the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c due to the spindle rotation R2 (see Figure 2). In Figure 14, the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c of the wind turbine 200 of the wind turbine control system 100b (Figure 11) are rotated at time t A The spindle rotation R2 (see Figure 2) is then started. Subsequently, the rotational speed of the spindle rotation R2 (see Figure 2) of blades 230a, 230b, and 230c is set at time t B Then, it reaches the rated rotational speed N. Time t A ~time t B During this time, the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 13 is performed. The rotational speed of the main spindle rotation R2 (see Figure 2) of blades 230a, 230b, and 230c is determined at time t B Then, it reaches the rated rotational speed N. Time t B From this point onward, the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 9 will be used instead of the process shown in the flowchart in Figure 13.

[0063] In the second embodiment, at time t when the power generation amount by the wind power generation device 200 is not sufficient in the wind power generation device control system 100b A to time t B until, based on one nacelle wind direction detection device 500 (FIG. 11) provided on the nacelle 220 behind the blades 230a, 230b, 230c, the wind direction is detected. On the other hand, at time t B after the power generation amount by the wind power generation device 200 becomes sufficient, the wind direction is detected based on the blade wind detection device 400 provided on the blades 230a, 230b, 230c. In the second embodiment, after the power generation amount by the wind power generation device 200 becomes sufficient rather than before the power generation amount by the wind power generation device 200 becomes sufficient, the blade wind detection device can detect the wind direction more accurately, and control such as the yaw angle is performed using the blade wind detection device installed on the blade. Therefore, the processing load of wind direction detection before the power generation amount by the wind power generation device 200 becomes sufficient can be reduced.

[0064] In step S303 of the flowchart in FIG. 13, the case of switching to the process using the flowchart in FIG. 8 when the blades 230a, 230b, 230c of the wind power generation device 200 reach the rated rotation has been described, but it is not limited to this. For example, while the blades 230a, 230b, 230c of the wind power generation device 200 reach the rated rotation, the process using the flowchart in FIG. 8 may be switched. Thereby, when the wind power generation device 200 once reaches the rated rotation and then becomes a state other than the rated rotation, the process using the flowchart in FIG. 13 can be switched instead of the flowchart in FIG. 8, and the process performed by the yaw drive can be reduced. In step S304 of the flowchart in FIG. 13, the case of controlling the yaw angle has been described, but it is not limited to this, and the pitch angle may be controlled instead of the yaw angle, or the pitch angle may be controlled together with the yaw angle.

[0065] (Third Embodiment) Next, a wind power generation system control system according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Since the wind power generation system control system according to the third embodiment has the same configuration as the wind power generation system control system 100a (Figure 1) according to the first embodiment, a detailed explanation will be omitted, and only the differences will be described.

[0066] Figure 15 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the blade control device 300c included in the wind power generation system control system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The blade control device 300c in the third embodiment differs from the blade control device 300a (Figure 6) in the first embodiment in that it includes a deviation calculation unit 308, a load measurement unit 310 (also referred to as a load detection device), and an output unit 311 (also referred to as an output device), and that it includes a blade control unit 303c instead of a blade control unit 303a. The other components of the blade control device 300c (Figure 15) in the third embodiment are the same as those of the blade control device 300a (Figure 6) in the first embodiment, so they are given the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0067] The yaw drive unit rotates the nacelle 103 relative to the tower 102 to yaw drive the blades. The deviation calculation unit 308 calculates the wind direction deviation, which is the amount of change in wind direction over a predetermined period (for example, 3 seconds). If the wind direction changes significantly during the predetermined time (for example, if the wind direction changes by 90 degrees or more), the wind direction deviation will be large. On the other hand, if the wind direction does not change significantly during the predetermined time, the wind direction deviation will be small. The load measurement unit 310 includes a bolt strain sensor and a torque sensor. The bolt strain sensor is a bolt-type sensor used to determine how much load is being applied, and a sensor for detecting strain is incorporated inside the bolt. This bolt strain sensor is used when fixing the yaw drive unit to the wind power generation device 200, so that it is possible to understand how much load is being applied to the yaw drive unit during yaw drive operation. The torque sensor is a sensor used to measure the rotational force (torque) applied to the rotating shaft. The torque sensor is installed on the shaft used for yaw drive. The blades 230a, 230b, and 230c are driven by the yaw drive device via the main shaft 250. The load measuring unit 310 detects the yaw load applied to the yaw drive device (not shown), which is installed between the tower 210 and the nacelle 220 (see Figure 1) and causes the nacelle 220 to rotate yaw R1 (Figure 2) on the tower 210. The output unit 311 transmits predetermined data from the data stored in the storage unit 302 to an external device based on the control of the blade control unit 303c. The external device is a storage device (not shown) installed in the blade control device 300a or a cloud server outside the wind power generation control system. The blade control unit 303c is composed of a CPU and the like. The blade control unit 303c performs the processing shown in Figure 16, which will be described later, based on the load data output from the load measuring unit 310.

[0068] Figure 16 is a flowchart showing the processing of the blade control device 300c (Figure 15) of the wind power generation device control system 100 in a third embodiment of the present invention. First, the blade control unit 303c acquires the yaw load applied to the yaw drive device that rotates the nacelle 220 yaw R1 (Figure 2) on the tower 210 from the load measurement unit 310 and stores it in the storage unit 302 (step S401). Also, the deviation calculation unit 308 acquires data related to wind direction from the blade wind detection device 400 (Figure 1), generates data based on wind direction deviation from that wind direction data, and stores it in the storage unit 302 (step S402).

[0069] Next, the blade control unit 303c determines whether an abnormality has occurred in at least one of the yaw load obtained from the load measurement unit 310 in step S401 and the wind direction deviation generated in step S402 (step S403). If an abnormality has occurred in at least one of the yaw load obtained in step S401 and the wind direction deviation generated in step S402, the blade control device 303c determines "YES" in step S403 and transmits data on the yaw load, wind direction, and wind direction deviation for a predetermined period before and after the time the abnormality occurred, in association with the time when that data was detected, to the outside via the output unit 311 (step S404). After that, the blade control unit 303c performs the processing in step S405. Note that in step S404, the blade control unit 303c may transmit at least some of the data on the yaw load, wind direction, and wind direction deviation to the outside, rather than all of it.

[0070] For example, if the yaw load acquired in step S401 exceeds a predetermined yaw load threshold, data on the yaw load, wind direction, and wind direction deviation from a predetermined time (e.g., 20 seconds) before to a predetermined time (e.g., 20 seconds) after the time the predetermined yaw load threshold was exceeded is transmitted to an external device. Alternatively, if the wind direction deviation generated in step S402 exceeds a predetermined wind direction deviation threshold, data on the yaw load, wind direction, and wind direction deviation from a predetermined time (e.g., 20 seconds) before to a predetermined time (e.g., 20 seconds) after the time the predetermined wind direction deviation threshold was exceeded is transmitted to an external device.

[0071] Subsequently, the blade control unit 303c deletes data from the storage unit 302 that was prior to a predetermined time (e.g., 20 seconds) from the time when an abnormality occurred in the yaw load or wind direction deviation (step S405). By doing this, data from around the time the abnormality occurred is transmitted to an external device and retained, while data that does not have an abnormality and does not require verification is deleted, thereby reducing the amount of data stored in the storage unit 302 of the blade control device 303c. After that, the blade control unit 303c performs the processing in step S401. Note that in step S405, the blade control unit 303c may delete not all of the data related to yaw load, wind direction, and wind direction deviation stored in the storage unit 302, but at least some of that data that was prior to a predetermined time (e.g., 20 seconds) from the time when the abnormality occurred.

[0072] Figure 17 is a graph illustrating the processing of a wind power generation system control system in a third embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 17, the horizontal axis represents time, the left vertical axis represents yaw load, and the right vertical axis represents wind direction deviation. In Figure 17, the yaw load threshold is set to TX. The wind direction deviation threshold is set to TY. Graph GX shows the change in yaw load over time. Graph GY shows the change in wind direction deviation over time.

[0073] In the graph shown in Figure 16, between time t2 and time t3, the wind direction deviation exceeds the wind direction deviation threshold TY. Therefore, data from time t1, which is a predetermined time (e.g., 20 seconds) before time t2, to time t4, which is a predetermined time (e.g., 20 seconds) after time t3, including data on yaw load and data on wind direction deviation, is transmitted to an external device such as a cloud server. Also, in the graph shown in Figure 16, between time t6 and time t7, the yaw load exceeds the yaw load threshold TX. Therefore, data from time t5, which is a predetermined time (e.g., 20 seconds) before time t6, to time t8, which is a predetermined time (e.g., 20 seconds) after time t7, including data on yaw load and data on wind direction deviation, is transmitted to an external device such as a cloud server.

[0074] As a result, if an anomaly occurs where the yaw load exceeds the yaw load threshold TX, or where the wind direction deviation exceeds the wind direction deviation threshold TY, data on the yaw load and wind direction deviation for time periods t1-t4 and t5-t8, which cover the time periods t2-t3 and t6-t7 in which the anomaly occurred, is transmitted to an external device. Therefore, the user can analyze the situation by comparing and analyzing the data on either the yaw load or wind direction deviation in which an anomaly occurred, with the data on the other in which no anomaly occurred, as received by the external device.

[0075] When the wind direction deviation increases, that is, when the wind direction changes rapidly, the load on the yaw drive device installed between the tower 210 and the nacelle 220 increases, which can cause the wind turbine 200 to malfunction. In the third embodiment, the relationship between the yaw load and the wind direction deviation can be verified, and based on the verification results, it is possible to determine whether to install a new wind turbine 200 near the existing wind turbine 200 or whether it would be better to install it in another location.

[0076] In step S404 of the flowchart in Figure 16, the blade control unit 303c transmits data on the yaw load and wind direction deviation to an external device when an abnormality occurs in either the yaw load or the wind direction deviation, but this is not the only way to do so. For example, if an abnormality occurs in the yaw load, data on the wind direction deviation, which is not abnormal, may be transmitted to the external device. Similarly, if an abnormality occurs in the wind direction deviation, data on the yaw load, which is not abnormal, may be transmitted to the external device. By doing so, the amount of data transmitted from the blade control device 300c to the external device can be reduced, and the user of the external device can acquire and analyze data on the yaw load and wind direction deviation that are not abnormal during the period in which abnormalities occur in either the yaw load or the wind direction deviation.

[0077] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the fourth embodiment, the yaw drive device comprises a motor that supplies a driving force to drive the yaw angle of the blades, and a braking mechanism that brakes the driving force from the motor. In addition, one stress sensor is provided on each of the multiple blades 230a, 230b, and 230c. When the stress sensors on the blades 230a, 230b, and 230c measure a stress above a threshold, the release unit stops the output of the motor's driving force and releases the rotational braking by the braking mechanism, performing so-called free yaw control. This control allows free relative rotation between the nacelle 220 and the tower 210, and reduces or releases the braking force and driving force that could hinder the free relative rotation between the nacelle 220 and the tower 210. Alternatively, rotational braking may be released by controlling the power supply to the motor so that no braking force is applied from the motor braking unit to the motor drive unit. For example, if an external force such as a gust of wind is applied, and the rotation of the blade is restricted by the braking force of the braking mechanism, the load on the meshing part of the gear connecting the motor and the blade will become excessive. Therefore, when a stress sensor on the blade detects an abnormality, the release unit releases the braking force of the drive unit's braking mechanism, which not only prevents an increase in the load on the meshing part but also releases the load that has occurred on the meshing part.

[0078] Furthermore, programs for realizing the functions of each part in the blade wind detection device 400 (Figure 5), blade control device 300a (Figure 6), blade control device 300b (Figure 12), and blade control device 300c (Figure 15) may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the programs recorded on this recording medium may be loaded into a computer system and executed to perform the processing of each part in Figures 5, 6, 12, and 15. Here, "computer system" includes hardware such as the OS and peripheral devices. Furthermore, "computer system" also includes a WWW system equipped with a homepage provisioning environment (or display environment). Furthermore, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into a computer system. In addition, "computer-readable recording medium" also includes volatile memory (RAM) inside a computer system that acts as a server or client when a program is transmitted via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line, which holds the program for a certain period of time. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 100a, 100b... Wind turbine control system, 200... Wind turbine, 210... Tower, 220... Nacelle, 230a, 230b, 230c... Blades, 240... Hub, 250... Main shaft, 260... Generator, 270... Amplifier, 300a, 300b, 300c... Blade control device, 301... Receiver, 302... Memory unit, 303a, 303b, 303c... Blade control unit, 3031... Yaw angle control unit, 3032... Pitch angle control unit, 304... Main shaft angle 305...Yaw angle acquisition unit, 306...Pitch angle acquisition unit, 307...Nacelle wind direction detection device data acquisition unit, 308...Deviation calculation unit, 310...Load measurement unit, 311...Output unit, 400, 400a, 400b, 400c...Blade wind detection device, 401...Stress measurement unit, 402...Detection device control unit, 403...Transmission unit, 404...Rotation angle acquisition unit, 410A~410L...Stress sensor, 500...Nacelle wind direction detection device, 4021...Wind speed detection unit, 4022...Wind direction detection unit

Claims

1. A blade wind detection device that detects at least one of the wind direction and wind speed on at least one blade of a wind turbine, A blade control device controls the pitch angle of at least one blade and the yaw angle of the wind turbine based on at least one of the wind direction and wind speed detected by the blade wind detection device. Equipped with, The aforementioned blade wind detection device is A plurality of stress sensors provided on the at least one blade along the circumferential direction of the at least one blade, A pitch angle acquisition unit that acquires the pitch angle of at least one of the blades, A wind direction detection unit identifies the orientation of at least one of the multiple stress sensors based on the pitch angle at the time of measurement of the multiple stress sensors, and detects the wind direction on the at least one blade based on the identified orientation and the measurement results of each of the multiple stress sensors, A transmitting unit provided on at least one of the blades, which wirelessly transmits the measurement results of the plurality of stress sensors to the blade control device, A wind power generation equipment control system equipped with the following features.

2. A blade wind detection device that detects at least one of the wind direction and wind speed on at least one blade of a wind turbine, A blade control device controls the pitch angle of at least one blade and the yaw angle of the wind turbine based on at least one of the wind direction and wind speed detected by the blade wind detection device. Equipped with, The aforementioned blade wind detection device is A plurality of stress sensors provided on the at least one blade along the circumferential direction of the at least one blade, A rotation angle acquisition unit that acquires the rotation angle at the rotation center axis when at least one of the blades rotates due to being exposed to wind, A wind direction detection unit identifies at least one orientation among the multiple stress sensors based on the rotation angles at the time of measurement of the multiple stress sensors, and detects the wind direction on the at least one blade based on the identified orientation and the measurement results of each of the multiple stress sensors, A transmitting unit provided on at least one of the blades, which wirelessly transmits the measurement results of the plurality of stress sensors to the blade control device, A wind power generation equipment control system equipped with the following features.

3. A blade wind detection device that detects at least one of the wind direction and wind speed on at least one blade of a wind turbine, A blade control device controls the pitch angle of at least one blade and the yaw angle of the wind turbine based on at least one of the wind direction and wind speed detected by the blade wind detection device. Equipped with, The aforementioned blade wind detection device is A plurality of stress sensors provided on the at least one blade along the circumferential direction of the at least one blade, A correspondence information storage unit that stores correspondence information showing the relationship between wind speed and the measurement results of the multiple stress sensors, An index value calculation unit calculates an index value obtained by statistically processing the measurement results of each of the aforementioned multiple stress sensors, A wind speed detection unit that detects the wind speed on at least one blade based on the index value and the corresponding information, A transmitting unit provided on at least one of the blades, which wirelessly transmits the measurement results of the plurality of stress sensors to the blade control device, A wind power generation equipment control system equipped with the following features.

4. The wind turbine further comprises a nacelle wind direction detection device attached to the nacelle of the wind turbine, The blade control device controls at least one of the pitch angle and the yaw angle based on the wind direction detected by the nacelle wind direction detection device until at least one of the blades reaches its rated rotation speed. While at least one of the blades reaches the rated rotation speed, the pitch angle and the yaw angle are controlled based on the wind direction detected by the blade wind detection device. A wind power generation device control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The blade wind detection device includes a deviation calculation unit that calculates the wind direction deviation, which is the amount of change in wind direction over a predetermined period. A load detection device for detecting the load applied to a yaw drive device that rotates and drives the yaw angle, An output device that outputs to an external device the load on the yaw drive device and the wind direction deviation for a specific period including the time when the load on the yaw drive device exceeds a predetermined threshold when the load on the yaw drive device exceeds the predetermined threshold. It also has A wind power generation device control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The blade wind detection device includes a deviation calculation unit that calculates the wind direction deviation, which is the amount of change in wind direction over a predetermined period. A load detection device for detecting the load applied to a yaw drive device that rotates and drives the yaw angle, When the wind direction deviation exceeds a predetermined threshold, an output device outputs to an external device the load on the yaw drive device and the wind direction deviation for a specific period including the time when the wind direction deviation exceeded the predetermined threshold. It also has A wind power generation device control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. When the distance from the root to the tip of the at least one blade is Z, the plurality of stress sensors are provided in the region from 0 to Z / 8 from the root of the at least one blade. A wind power generation device control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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