Wind Farm Controller Gradient Setpoint Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind farms face challenges in smoothly increasing power output due to grid connection guidelines that restrict rapid power increases, leading to stepped or kinked power delivery, which existing control methods struggle to manage effectively.
Innovation Solution
A method where a wind farm controller calculates and compares average power increases over multiple time intervals, using a gradient factor to determine new setpoints that avoid excessive increases, ensuring continuous and controlled power growth while adhering to specified maximum values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the wind farm increases power output quickly to meet demand, then productivity is improved, but the power increase exceeds grid connection guidelines and causes stepped or kinked delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The control method performs preliminary calculations of future setpoints based on current power output and projected wind conditions. By pre-calculating the power increase trajectory and comparing it against gradient limitations before implementation, the system proactively adjusts the setpoint to ensure compliance while maximizing power output within allowed constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the power setpoint based on real-time conditions including current power output, wind speed predictions, and gradient limitation requirements. The setpoint is continuously updated to maintain the steepest allowable increase trajectory, transforming the static gradient limitation into a dynamic control parameter that adapts to changing conditions.
2Reliability
If the wind farm throttles power output to comply with gradient limitations, then compliance with grid connection guidelines is improved, but productivity and power delivery efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the control parameter from binary throttle/not-throttle to continuous setpoint adjustment. By calculating the maximum allowable power increase based on gradient limitations and adjusting the setpoint accordingly, the system maintains continuous operation at the boundary of compliance, eliminating unnecessary throttling while ensuring gradient requirements are met.
3Ease of operation
If the farm controller uses discrete setpoint adjustments, then ease of operation is improved, but the power delivery exhibits stepped increases and kinks
Solution Approach 1:
The control method transitions from static, discrete setpoint adjustments to dynamic, continuous setpoint calculation. By continuously updating the setpoint based on current power output and projected increases, the system generates smooth power delivery trajectories that eliminate steps and kinks while maintaining operational simplicity through automated calculation.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 3
Figure 5a~5b
AI summary
Method for operating a wind farm with two or more wind turbines, which has a park control system that specifies a setpoint for an electrical quantity to be generated by the wind farm, wherein: - the park control system continuously calculates an average increase in the actual values of the electrical quantity for at least one time interval and compares each with a maximum value for the increase of the electrical quantity in the time interval; - the park control system determines a new setpoint for the electrical quantity of the wind farm if the average increase in each of the at least one time interval is less than the maximum value for the increase in the corresponding time interval by: - the park control system determines a setpoint proposal for each time interval based on an actual value of the electrical quantity continuously averaged over the time interval.which represents the sum of the actual value averaged over the time interval and the maximum value for the increase of the electrical quantity in the time interval, multiplied by a gradient factor, where the gradient factor is greater than zero and less than one, and the park control further selects a smallest value from the setpoint proposals as the new setpoint for the wind farm.