Multi-Rotor Wind Turbine Control Network With Deterministic Sync
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing control systems for multi-rotor wind turbine systems face challenges in scaling safety functionality and maintaining deterministic behavior due to increased complexity, while also needing to ensure continued operation during maintenance or commissioning.
Innovation Solution
A control network architecture comprising a central network connected to local networks for each rotor-nacelle assembly, with a synchronisation device to ensure deterministic data transmission and precise timing for safety-related functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a control network connects multiple rotor-nacelle assemblies in a unified manner, then the system can achieve economies of scale and improved productivity, but the network complexity increases by an order of magnitude
Solution Approach 1:
The control network is segmented into multiple independent Ethernet segments, each serving a specific rotor-nacelle assembly or functional group. Each segment operates autonomously with its own broadcast domain, reducing the complexity of individual network sections while maintaining overall system unity through controlled interconnections via switches.
2Reliability
If safety functionality is scaled to cover the entire multi-rotor system, then system protection is improved, but maintaining data integrity and deterministic behavior becomes increasingly difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A dedicated safety controller acts as an intermediary between the process control network and safety-critical systems. This intermediary receives process data, evaluates safety conditions, and triggers safety functions independently, ensuring that safety functionality scales with the system while maintaining data integrity through a specialized safety management layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The control architecture is segmented into process control and safety control domains. Safety-critical data and control functions are separated from general process control, allowing safety functionality to be scaled and managed independently with deterministic behavior guaranteed through dedicated safety networks and protocols.
3Reliability
If the control system implements immediate override capability for safety functions, then personnel and system protection is improved, but the risk of inadvertently causing other problems increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety control system implements comprehensive feedback mechanisms that monitor the state of all rotor-nacelle assemblies and system components before and during safety function execution. This feedback allows the safety controller to evaluate potential side effects, coordinate override actions across multiple RNAs, and ensure that emergency protection is applied safely without causing unintended harm to the system or personnel.
Data Source
AI summary
A control network for a wind turbine system, the wind turbine system comprising multiple rotor-nacelle assemblies mounted on a support structure, the control network comprising: a respective local network associated with each rotor-nacelle assembly, each local network comprising multiple nodes; a central network that is connected to each local network, the central network comprising multiple nodes; and a synchronization device that synchronizes data transmission throughout the control network.