Decentralized Wind Turbine Control System for Rapid Farm Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wind turbine generator control systems face delays in responding to changes in operational conditions, such as grid frequency fluctuations and wind turbine breakdowns, due to the centralized generation of command values and sequential data receipt in large wind farms.
Innovation Solution
A decentralized control system where each wind turbine generator shares operational data with others and receives data from its group, allowing for swift control adjustments based on the operational conditions of the wind farm, with the ability to dynamically group turbines by location, wind speed, or breakdown status.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a centralized wind farm controller generates all command values for controlling multiple wind turbine generators, then the control system is simple to manage, but it takes time to generate command values and causes delays in responding to operational changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized control function into distributed control units, with each wind turbine generator equipped with its own control unit that can independently generate command values. This segmentation eliminates the bottleneck of centralized command generation and enables parallel processing across multiple turbines, significantly improving response speed while maintaining manageable complexity through modular architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines local measurement data from each wind turbine with shared operational information from other turbines in the wind farm. Each control unit merges its own real-time data with aggregated data from the wind farm controller, enabling decentralized decision-making that is both rapid and coordinated, thus resolving the contradiction between distributed speed and centralized coordination
2Ease of manufacture
If the wind farm controller receives measurement data from all wind turbine generators sequentially, then data collection is straightforward, but time delays occur in data reception and processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements segmented data collection where each wind turbine generator transmits its measurement data independently and simultaneously to the wind farm controller, rather than sequential transmission. This parallel data flow eliminates waiting time between data points from different turbines, dramatically reducing total data reception time while maintaining straightforward implementation through standardized communication protocols
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables each wind turbine control unit to preliminarily process and prepare its measurement data locally before transmission to the wind farm controller. This preliminary preparation includes formatting and initial validation of data, so that when data arrives at the controller, it is ready for immediate processing, reducing overall data reception and processing delays
3Reliability
If control changes are needed swiftly in response to grid frequency changes or turbine breakdowns, then rapid response is achieved, but the centralized control system cannot respond quickly enough
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control authority so that each wind turbine generator has its own control unit capable of immediate local response to operational changes. When grid frequency changes or turbine breakdowns occur, affected turbines can adjust their operation instantly without waiting for centralized controller processing, significantly reducing control adjustment time while maintaining power supply stability through coordinated action
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements rapid feedback loops where each wind turbine control unit continuously monitors its own operational status and receives real-time information from other turbines and the wind farm controller. This distributed feedback system enables swift detection of grid frequency changes or turbine breakdowns and triggers immediate control adjustments, improving both response speed and power supply reliability
Data Source
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AI summary
A wind-turbine control system (18) is provided for each of a plurality of wind turbine generators (16) constituting a wind farm (10), sends wind-turbine data about a controlled wind turbine generator (16) to the wind-turbine control systems (18) provided for the other wind turbine generators (16), and receives wind-turbine data about the other wind turbine generators (16) from the wind-turbine control systems (18) provided for the other wind turbine generators (16). Then, the wind-turbine control system (18) controls the controlled wind turbine generator (16) based on the wind-turbine data about the controlled wind turbine generator (16) and the wind-turbine data about the other wind turbine generators (16). Therefore, the control of the wind turbine generators constituting the wind farm can be changed more swiftly according to the operational condition of the wind farm.