Wind Turbine Control for Fatigue-Driven Lifetime Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbines in a farm experience varying environmental conditions, leading to differing fatigue loads and residual lifetimes, resulting in reduced energy output and premature failure of some turbines, while others underperform due to excess residual lifetime.
Innovation Solution
A method to control the operation of wind turbines by adjusting their operating modes to optimize energy production and extend the residual lifetime of all turbines, considering the impact of one turbine's operation on others, through candidate operating schemes that specify different modes for each turbine, including power curtailment and wake-steering to reduce turbulence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If wind turbines are operated at maximum power output, then energy production is maximized, but residual lifetime is reduced due to increased fatigue loads
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes operating parameters (power output, rotor speed, pitch angle) of wind turbines based on real-time fatigue load assessments and predicted weather conditions. By adjusting these parameters, the system optimizes the trade-off between energy production and lifetime consumption, allowing turbines to operate at higher power when fatigue loads are low and reduce power when fatigue loads are high.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements dynamic operation control where wind turbines can switch between different operating modes (maximum power mode, reduced power mode, shutdown) based on real-time conditions. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to respond to changing environmental conditions and fatigue states, optimizing both energy production and residual lifetime throughout the operational period.
2Reliability
If some wind turbines are operated more conservatively to extend their lifetime, then their residual lifetime increases, but overall energy production of the wind farm decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different operating strategies to different wind turbines based on their individual fatigue states, locations, and residual lifetimes. Instead of uniform operation across all turbines, each turbine receives customized control instructions that consider its specific condition and the predicted weather conditions at its location, optimizing the overall farm performance while extending the lifetime of critical turbines.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system acts as an intermediary that coordinates operation between upstream and downstream wind turbines. By considering wake effects and fatigue propagation, the system can adjust the operation of upstream turbines to protect downstream turbines, or vice versa, optimizing the overall farm energy production while ensuring all turbines meet their lifetime targets.
3Adaptability or versatility
If wind turbines in a wind farm are exposed to different environmental conditions, then individual turbine performance varies, but the overall energy output of the wind farm is reduced due to premature failures
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessments of fatigue loads and predicts future weather conditions before making operation decisions. By anticipating high-fatigue periods or adverse weather conditions, the system can proactively adjust turbine operation to prevent premature failures, ensuring all turbines remain operational and contribute to energy production throughout the planning horizon.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of controlling plural wind turbines is provided, wherein each wind turbine is operable in different operating modes, wherein operating parameters and/or operating features are set differently in the different operating modes. For at least a first of the plural wind turbines, at least some of the different operating modes have a different impact on a residual lifetime of at least a second of the plural wind turbines. In embodiments, the method includes providing at least one candidate operating scheme and estimating a residual lifetime and/or at least one optimization parameter. Estimating of the residual lifetime and/or the optimization parameter considers the impact of the operating mode of the first wind turbine specified in the candidate operating scheme on the residual lifetime of the second wind turbine. The plural wind turbines are then operated in accordance with an operating scheme selected from the candidate operating schemes.