Wind Turbine Rotor Plane Wind Speed Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wind turbine control and monitoring techniques are unable to accurately measure wind speed in the rotor plane, relying on expensive LiDAR sensors and complex data conversion, which is costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A method that constructs a wind turbine model using measurements of rotational speed, blade angle, and generated power to determine wind speed in real time, employing classification and regression techniques such as k-means clustering and Gaussian process regression, allowing for precise wind speed estimation without specific instruments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If LiDAR sensors are used to measure wind speed in the rotor plane, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the LiDAR measurement capability through software modeling. Instead of using physical LiDAR sensors, the system uses a virtual LiDAR model that processes data from existing sensors (anemometers, tachometers, pitch angle sensors) to reconstruct wind speed measurements, eliminating the need for expensive physical LiDAR hardware while maintaining measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/optical LiDAR sensor system with a computational/software-based system. The physical measurement system is substituted by mathematical models and signal processing algorithms that calculate wind speed from available sensor data, transforming a hardware-intensive solution into a software-intensive solution
2Measurement precision
If LiDAR sensors and complex data conversion are used, then wind speed determination accuracy is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, sophisticated LiDAR sensors with inexpensive, readily available sensors (anemometers, tachometers, pitch angle sensors). The solution uses cheap, off-the-shelf components that are already standard in wind turbines, eliminating the need for costly specialized equipment while achieving the same measurement objective
3Device complexity
If current control techniques are used, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes existing sensors serve multiple functions. The anemometer, tachometer, and pitch angle sensors originally designed for other purposes are repurposed to provide wind speed measurement data. This multi-functional use of existing components achieves precise wind speed determination without adding specialized measurement equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual LiDAR model as an intermediary computational layer between the existing sensors and the control system. This virtual model processes and integrates data from multiple sensors to produce accurate wind speed measurements, acting as a mediator that transforms available data into precise measurement information without requiring direct physical LiDAR sensors
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method of determining the wind speed in the plane of a rotor (PR) of a wind turbine (1), by measuring (MES2) the rotational speed of the rotor, the angle of the blades and the generated power. The method according to the invention uses a wind turbine model (MOD) constructed from wind speed measurements (LID), and by use of measurement clustering (GRO) and regressions (REG).