Wind Turbine Configuration Optimization for Micro-Site Conditions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbines experience variations in power production and fatigue life due to site-specific conditions, leading to underutilization and inefficiencies, as they are typically designed for aggregate conditions over a 20-year lifespan and manufactured in limited variants.
Innovation Solution
A method and computer system that determine the optimal configuration of wind turbines by storing combinations of physical and control parameters, calculating wind flow characteristics, and applying a function to select parameters that maximize performance and fatigue life based on specific site conditions, allowing for customization of turbine types for specific micro-sites.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If wind turbines are designed for aggregate conditions over a 20-year lifespan with limited variants, then manufacturing cost and efficiency are improved, but performance optimization for specific micro-sites deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by systematically varying physical parameters (blade length, hub height, rotor diameter) and control parameters (pitch control, torque control, power curve settings) of wind turbine configurations to optimize performance for specific micro-site conditions while maintaining manufacturing efficiency through a limited set of standardized turbine types.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by enabling flexible adjustment of control parameters during operation and through different configuration variants, allowing the same turbine type to adapt to varying wind conditions, turbulence levels, and site-specific requirements without requiring complete redesign for each location.
2Ease of manufacture
If wind turbines are designed for aggregate conditions over a 20-year lifespan, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but annual energy production and fatigue life vary sub-optimally
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes annual energy production by selecting and adjusting physical and control parameters of turbine configurations to match specific wind flow characteristics at each micro-site, maximizing energy capture while maintaining cost-effective standardized manufacturing through a limited variant portfolio.
3Device complexity
If standard wind turbine types are used for all sites, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but underutilization of turbine capacity occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves underutilization by optimizing the selection and configuration of physical and control parameters within standardized turbine types to match specific site conditions, enabling each turbine to operate at or near its optimal capacity without requiring a proliferation of turbine variants.
Data Source
AI summary
Determination of Wind Turbine Configuration The present invention relates to a method and computer system for determining a configuration of a wind turbine of a given wind turbine type, the method comprising the steps of: storing in a database a plurality of combinations of physical and control parameters of the wind turbine that can be varied; determining a plurality of wind flow characteristics at a target location; applying a function which defines a relationship between a performance parameter, a fatigue life estimation, the combination of physical and control parameters and the plurality of wind flow characteristics, to at least some of the plurality of combinations in the database to determine values of the performance parameter and the fatigue life estimation for those combinations; and selecting one of the combinations of physical and control parameters as the configuration of the wind turbine for the target location on the basis of the performance parameter and fatigue life estimation values.