Wind Turbine Blade Model for Real-Time Pitch and Load Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbine pitch control systems are limited in their ability to effectively manage rotor loads during unusual or extreme operating conditions due to simulated loop gains that do not account for the entire operating envelope, reducing their adaptability and responsiveness to changing wind conditions.
Innovation Solution
A computerized real-time blade model calculates operational parameters based on a determined wind turbine operating point and estimated rotor-plane wind speed, allowing for adaptive control of blade pitch and improved load management by calculating gain parameters such as pitch to thrust, torque, flap load, and chord-wise bending moment sensitivities using a computationally efficient blade element momentum model.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If loop gains are determined through design phase modelling for selected operating points, then the control system can achieve desired control objectives at those points, but the system's ability to control rotor loads during unusual or extreme operating conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic gain scheduling where controller gains are continuously adjusted based on real-time operating conditions. The system transitions from static gains determined at design phase to dynamic gains that adapt to the current operating point, enabling effective control across the entire operating envelope including unusual and extreme conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes control parameters (loop gains) based on the operating point of the wind turbine. By monitoring operating conditions and adjusting gains accordingly, the controller maintains optimal performance across varying wind speeds and operating scenarios, resolving the contradiction between reliability at predicted points and adaptability to extreme conditions.
2Ease of manufacture
If a fixed pitch control strategy is used based on design phase modelling, then the control system is simple to implement, but the system's responsiveness to changing wind conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic gain scheduling where controller gains are continuously adjusted based on real-time operating conditions. The system transitions from static gains determined at design phase to dynamic gains that adapt to the current operating point, enabling effective control across the entire operating envelope including unusual and extreme conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from real-time operating conditions to adjust control gains. By continuously monitoring the operating point and adapting gains accordingly, the controller maintains optimal performance while remaining computationally efficient and implementable in real-time control systems.
3Ease of operation
If blade pitch control is applied collectively to all blades, then the control action is simple to implement, but the ability to balance loads on individual blades deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the pitch control into independent control for each blade. Instead of applying a single collective pitch command to all blades, the system calculates and applies individual pitch adjustments for each blade based on its specific loading conditions, enabling effective load balancing while maintaining computational efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
A wind turbine control system comprising a controller of a control mechanism of a wind turbine, wherein the controller implements a computerised real-time blade model to calculate operational parameters of the controller, and wherein the computerised real-time blade model receives as inputs a determined wind turbine operating point and a rotor-plane wind speed value that is estimated in real-time. In another aspect, the embodiments of the invention provide a method of controlling a control mechanism of a wind turbine. Advantageously, the invention provides a more flexible and responsive control system that is able to adapt to changing wind conditions even if those wind conditions are beyond what is usually predicted.