Autonomous Wind Turbine Yaw Control Under Load Constraints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wind turbines face challenges in extreme wind conditions due to reliance on yaw systems that require numerous large and expensive yaw drives, leading to increased loads and component wear, especially when the turbine controller is offline, resulting in reduced efficiency and shortened machine life.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a load-dependent autonomous yaw control system that uses sensors to monitor wind and load conditions, activating yaw drives only when wind conditions exceed thresholds and load moments remain below predefined limits, with contingency measures for system failures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the turbine controller is offline during adverse grid or weather events, then the control system becomes unavailable, but the wind turbine is subjected to increased asymmetric loads from yaw misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements autonomous yaw control where the yaw system can operate independently without requiring the main turbine controller to be online. The system uses local sensors and embedded control logic to detect wind direction changes and activate yaw drives autonomously, enabling the system to serve itself during controller outages or maintenance periods
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary assessment of wind direction changes and load conditions before activating yaw drives. By evaluating whether wind direction deviation exceeds thresholds and whether load conditions are within acceptable ranges, the system prepares and executes yaw control actions autonomously without waiting for main controller intervention
2Reliability
If robust yaw systems with large number of yaw drives are used to handle extreme wind conditions, then the rotor can be aligned to wind in high wind conditions, but integrating high number of yaw drives into the nacelle becomes difficult and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the control parameters by introducing autonomous activation thresholds for wind direction deviation and load conditions. Instead of relying on a large number of yaw drives, the system optimizes the utilization of available yaw drives through intelligent parameter-based control, activating them only when wind direction changes exceed predetermined thresholds and load conditions are favorable
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial action by not always activating all available yaw drives. Instead, it selectively activates yaw drives based on assessed wind direction changes and load conditions, using only the necessary portion of the yaw system capacity required for the current operational context
Data Source
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AI summary
The present application discloses novel systems and methods for yawing an autonomous wind turbine. In an embodiment, the wind turbine includes a control system configured to determine a control action signal for a yaw drive mechanism of the wind turbine as a function of the wind condition(s) and as a function of the load condition(s). The control system is configured to monitor change(s) associated with the load condition(s) to determine if the load condition(s) is too high for too long, or in need of attention, before yawing of the wind turbine is initiated or, if the load condition(s) are getting too high, after yawing has been initiated. In another embodiment, the control system includes a load sensor system with proximity sensors arranged adjacent, on, and/or about the main shaft flange of the nacelle or on the rotor blades of the wind turbine.