Dynamic Wind Farm Control Optimizing Energy Output

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional wind farm control systems operate independently, leading to sub-optimal performance at the farm level due to inaccurate modeling of ambient conditions and neglect of prevailing wind inflow, resulting in marginal improvements in energy output and increased fatigue loads.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that collects and processes wind parameters and operating data from multiple turbines to determine optimal control settings across time intervals, using SCADA data and data quality algorithms to estimate energy production and adjust settings for maximum energy output while maintaining load thresholds, dynamically selecting algorithms based on performance metrics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional control models are used, then initial setup is simplified, but accuracy deteriorates due to changing ambient conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemodel setup simplicityVSAvoidenergy production estimate accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from static conventional control models to dynamic models that adapt to changing ambient conditions. The system continuously updates its predictions and control parameters based on real-time weather data, wind conditions, and turbine performance measurements, maintaining accuracy despite environmental variability while preserving ease of implementation through automated adaptation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts control parameters based on changing ambient conditions such as wind speed, direction, and temperature. By modifying operational parameters in response to environmental changes, the system maintains high accuracy in energy production estimates without requiring complex manual reconfiguration, thus balancing simplicity with precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If more data is collected from turbines, then energy production estimates improve, but data quality and availability challenges increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy production estimate accuracyVSAvoiddata quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces data quality assessment algorithms as intermediaries between raw turbine data and energy production estimates. These algorithms filter, validate, and weight data from multiple sources, resolving conflicts and uncertainties to produce reliable estimates. This intermediary layer enables the system to utilize comprehensive data while maintaining high reliability by systematically handling data quality issues.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2940295B1System and method for controlling a wind farm
Publication Date: 2018.04.11 GENERAL ELECTRIC CO
  • EP2940295B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2940295B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2940295B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method 100 for controlling a wind farm. The method 100 includes operating 102 the wind farm based on multiple control settings over a plurality of time intervals. A next step 104 includes collecting one or more wind parameters of the wind farm over the plurality of time intervals and 106 one or more operating data points for each of the wind turbines in the wind farm for the plurality time intervals. The method 100 also includes calculating 108 a contribution of the operating data points for each of the wind turbines as a function of the one or more wind parameters. Further steps of the method 100 include estimating 110 an energy production for the wind farm for each of the control settings based at least in part on the contribution of the operating data points and controlling 112 the wind farm based on optimal control settings.