Wind Turbine Blade Load Management Actuation Sequences
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbines face challenges in managing loads and reducing shut downs due to erratic wind conditions and high wind speeds, with existing control methods being slow to respond and inefficient, particularly in optimizing the deployment of load management devices like air deflectors.
Innovation Solution
Implementing actuation sequences for load management devices on wind turbine blades, such as root-to-tip, tip-to-root, maximum-distributed-load, and random sequences, to selectively activate air deflectors based on sensed operating conditions, ensuring optimal load reduction and power production while minimizing duty cycles and component stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If pitch control is used to vary blade pitch to reduce loads, then load reduction is achieved, but response speed is slow and effectiveness against sudden wind gusts is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is segmented into multiple zones with independently controllable load management devices at different spanwise locations. This allows selective activation of specific segments based on wind conditions, enabling faster and more localized response compared to traditional pitch control of the entire blade.
Solution Approach 2:
Load management devices are positioned and pre-configured along the blade span, ready for immediate deployment. The segmented structure allows certain segments to be pre-positioned to counteract anticipated wind gusts before they fully impact the blade, reducing response time.
2Force
If stall control is used to reduce loads through aerodynamic stall, then load reduction is achieved, but the system is difficult to optimize and slow to respond
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying on passive aerodynamic stall of the entire blade, the system segments the blade and uses actively controlled load management devices at specific segments. This transforms a difficult-to-optimize passive aerodynamic problem into a more controllable active system with discrete control points.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the control parameter from global blade pitch angle to localized load management device activation states. This allows independent optimization of each segment's response characteristics, simplifying the overall optimization process while maintaining effectiveness.
3Power
If variable length rotor blade systems are used to adjust blade length, then power output is increased in low wind and loads are reduced in high wind, but response to wind gusts is slow
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than requiring movement of the entire blade length, the system segments the blade and uses localized load management devices that can be rapidly deployed or retracted. This segmented approach enables much faster response to wind gusts compared to telescopic blade systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The load management devices are designed for rapid dynamic deployment and retraction, allowing the system to quickly adapt to changing wind conditions. This dynamic capability provides faster response than variable length blade systems while still achieving power optimization.
4Force
If deflectors are deployed to control loads on turbine components, then load control is achieved, but some deflectors may be deployed more than others leading to hyperactivity and early failure
Solution Approach 1:
Different segments of the blade experience different aerodynamic loads and wind conditions. The system assigns specific activation criteria to each load management device segment, allowing localized optimization of deployment patterns. This prevents uniform hyperactivity across all devices and distributes usage more evenly.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system monitors and adjusts activation parameters for each load management device based on real-time wind conditions and historical usage data. This dynamic parameter adjustment balances the duty cycles of individual devices, preventing early failure from excessive usage of specific segments.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The proposed solution effectively reduces loads on wind turbine components, decreases shut downs, and optimizes the lifespan of load management devices by evenly distributing their usage, thereby enhancing power production and system reliability in varying wind conditions.
Implementation Method 1
deflectors have been used to disrupt the airflow on a wind turbine blade thus reducing lift and the corresponding load placed on the wind turbine components
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for actuating less than all of a plurality of load management devices on a wind turbine and/or a wind turbine blade. In some embodiments, the actuation sequences may be a root-to-tip, tip-to root, maximum-distributed-load, random, and/or a cycle-count actuation sequence. Further, a combination of two or more actuation sequences may be utilized to achieve a desired result. The system may choose an appropriate blade-based and/or rotor-based actuation sequence according to operating conditions, may alternate actuation sequences, and/or may employ different actuation sequences among the plurality of blades of a wind turbine. The load management devices may be actuated to different maximum heights and/or may be configured to be actuated to variable heights. The load management devices may be included as part of a distributed management system providing a corresponding controller and/or sensor at each load management device.