Wind Park Energy Error Compensation via Temporal Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Power control inaccuracies in wind turbine parks and mixed energy production systems lead to energy errors due to bandwidth limitations and delayed control signals, making it challenging to maintain desired energy production levels.

Innovation Solution

A method that determines an energy error during a first period and compensates it during a subsequent second period by adjusting the power reference among a different selection of power generating units, allowing for precise adjustment of energy production to match grid demands, with the option to distribute compensation over multiple sub-periods and consider power error limits.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If central power plant controller is used for controlling power production, then power production can be controlled according to power reference, but control inaccuracies and energy errors occur due to bandwidth limitations and delayed control signals

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower controlVSAvoidenergy production accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by determining an energy error during a first period and using this determined error to guide compensation actions in a subsequent second period. The controller proactively calculates the deviation between produced energy and reference energy, then prepares and applies compensation before the error accumulates further, thereby improving energy production accuracy while maintaining operational simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring the energy error between actual power production and reference power, then using this feedback information to adjust control signals for compensating units. The controller determines energy error based on accumulated power differences and feeds this information back to modify power set-points of compensating power generating units, creating a closed-loop control system that reduces energy errors

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If power set-points are changed to compensate for deviations in produced power, then power reference for entire power plant can be satisfied, but control signals are delayed due to bandwidth limitations causing energy errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower reference satisfactionVSAvoidcontrol signal delay

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by determining the energy error over a first period before implementing compensation. This allows the system to accumulate accurate error data and then apply compensation in a subsequent second period, rather than reacting in real-time with delayed signals. The compensation is planned in advance based on the determined energy error, reducing the impact of bandwidth limitations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the control process into distinct first and second periods. During the first period, energy error is determined without immediate compensation. During the second period, compensation is applied based on the previously determined error. This temporal segmentation allows the system to separate error measurement from error correction, avoiding the delays associated with continuous real-time adjustment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Measurement precision

If energy error compensation is implemented by distributing modified active power reference among power generating units, then energy production accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy production accuracyVSAvoidcontrol system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by selectively applying compensation only to specific compensating power generating units rather than uniformly adjusting all units. The controller identifies which units are suitable for compensation and distributes the modified power reference among them based on their capabilities and current operating conditions. This localized approach improves energy accuracy while minimizing the complexity increase compared to system-wide adjustments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by allowing the selection of compensating power generating units to vary over time. The controller can change which units serve as compensating units based on changing operating conditions, availability, and efficiency considerations. This dynamic allocation optimizes the compensation process and prevents the system from becoming overly complex by adapting to different scenarios rather than requiring fixed complex control logic for all possible configurations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3639342B1Control of energy production errors in a wind park

Publication Date: 2022.01.19 VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS AS

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Figure 3A~3B

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for correcting deviations of power produced by a power plant which includes at least one wind turbine generator and possibly other types of power generating units. The power deviations, i.e. deviations from a power reference for the power plant, are determined as energy errors. The invention addresses solutions for determining and compensating the energy errors.