Wind Park Damping Control for Turbine Oscillation Stability
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for damping mechanical oscillations in wind turbines are not sufficiently effective across all conditions to meet grid operator requirements, particularly during faults and low-frequency oscillations, leading to undesired power output fluctuations and mechanical stress.
Innovation Solution
A method and arrangement where a wind park controller determines and supplies damping control signals to wind turbines to counteract oscillations, ensuring the sum of these signals is below a threshold, allowing for active damping during or after grid faults, thereby reducing mechanical stress and maintaining stable power output.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If conventional damping methods are applied to all wind turbines, then mechanical oscillations are reduced, but power output oscillations increase due to synchronization effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different damping control strategies to different wind turbines based on their individual oscillation characteristics. Instead of uniform damping across all turbines, each turbine receives customized control signals tailored to its specific mechanical oscillation patterns, thereby achieving effective local damping without causing synchronized power output oscillations at the grid level.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system determines damping control signals in advance based on predicted or measured oscillation patterns, and applies these signals proactively to prevent oscillations from developing into problematic synchronized power fluctuations. This preliminary action allows the system to counteract oscillations before they propagate through the grid.
2Stability of the object's composition
If damping control signals are supplied to all wind turbines, then mechanical oscillations are counteracted, but cumulative control signals exceed acceptable thresholds causing grid instability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent selectively applies damping control signals to only those wind turbines that require damping, rather than supplying signals to all turbines. This partial action approach ensures that the cumulative control signals remain below grid stability thresholds while still achieving effective oscillation damping in the specific turbines where it is needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system acts as an intermediary that coordinates damping signals across multiple wind turbines, adjusting and modulating individual turbine control signals to ensure their sum remains within acceptable limits. This intermediary function balances local damping needs with overall grid stability requirements.
3Stability of the object's composition
If active damping is applied during grid faults, then mechanical oscillations are reduced, but system complexity and control difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The damping control system dynamically adapts its operation based on grid conditions, automatically activating or deactivating damping functions in response to grid faults or normal operation. This dynamic behavior allows the system to provide oscillation damping during faults when needed, while simplifying control during normal conditions, thereby managing system complexity through adaptive responsiveness.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
It is described a method of damping mechanical oscillations of plural wind turbines (15.1, 15.2, ..., 15.n) of a wind park (13) commonly supplying electric energy to a grid (41), the method comprising: determining, for each of the plural wind turbines (15.1, 15.2, ..., 15.n), a damping control signal (21.1, 21.2, ..., 21.n) for counteracting an oscillation of the respective wind turbine; supplying at least a subset of or a subset (21.1, 21.2) of modified versions of the damping control signals to respective wind turbines (15.1, 15.2) such that a sum of the supplied damping control signals is lower than a threshold.