Wind Turbine Azimuth and Blade Control for Load Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbines experience alternating loads and noise due to wind height profiles, leading to inefficient torque output and increased noise emissions, particularly as turbine size increases.
Innovation Solution
Adjusting the azimuth position and blade angle of wind turbines to compensate for wind height profiles, using an azimuth compensation angle and cyclic blade angle adjustments to maintain a consistent angle of attack across the rotor surface, thereby reducing alternating loads and noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the wind turbine operates with a large rotor diameter to increase energy capture, then the rotor sweeps a larger area and captures more wind energy, but the difference in wind speed between the lowest and highest points of the rotor surface increases, leading to greater alternating loads and noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by optimizing each section of the rotor blade for its specific location and operating conditions. Different sections of the blade are designed with different aerodynamic characteristics suited to their local wind conditions and load requirements, allowing the large rotor to operate efficiently while reducing alternating loads through localized optimization rather than uniform design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics through active control systems that adjust blade pitch angles and rotor speed in real-time based on measured wind conditions. This dynamic adjustment allows the rotor to adapt to varying wind speeds and directions, maintaining optimal performance while reducing alternating loads caused by wind shear across the rotor surface
2Use of energy by moving object
If the rotor blade is optimized for a single optimal angle of attack to maximize glide ratio, then energy efficiency is improved, but the blade cannot accommodate varying wind conditions across the rotor surface, leading to suboptimal performance under wind height profiles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses dynamics by implementing active pitch control systems that adjust blade angles in real-time based on measured wind conditions. This allows the blade to transition from a fixed optimal angle design to a dynamically adaptable system that maintains optimal performance across varying wind conditions and rotor positions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by varying the pitch angle and other aerodynamic parameters based on operating conditions. Instead of fixing the blade geometry for a single optimal angle, the system changes key parameters like pitch angle and rotor speed to adapt to different wind conditions, maintaining energy efficiency across the entire rotor surface
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the azimuth position is adjusted to compensate for wind height profile effects, then alternating loads are reduced, but the turbine deviates from optimal wind alignment, potentially reducing energy capture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamics through active azimuth control that adjusts the rotor orientation in real-time based on measured wind conditions. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize both load reduction and energy capture by adapting the azimuth angle to current wind patterns rather than using a fixed offset
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback mechanisms where wind sensors continuously measure actual wind conditions, and this information feeds back to the control system to adjust azimuth and pitch settings. This closed-loop feedback ensures that energy yield is maximized while alternating loads are reduced, as the system learns from actual performance data
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces alternating loads and noise emissions while maintaining optimal energy yield, with minimal loss due to non-optimal settings, by ensuring consistent blade loading and angle of attack across the rotor surface.
Implementation Method 1
aerodynamic rotor with rotor blades with an essentially horizontal axis of rotation
Implementation Method 2
wind turbines are exposed to more or less pronounced shear currents within the atmospheric boundary layer
Implementation Method 3
Increased noise emissions due to flow separation on the rotor blade can also occur
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for operating a wind turbine (1) with a rotor (6) having rotor blades (8) with a substantially horizontal axis of rotation for producing electrical energy from wind energy. According to the invention, the wind turbine (1) is oriented such that the azimuth position of the wind turbine (1) deviates from an alignment into the wind (16) by an azimuth adjustment angle, and/or the blade angle of the rotor blades (8) is adjusted in terms of the rotation cycle thereof such that dynamic loads caused by a height profile of the wind (16) are reduced.