Wind Turbine Information Sharing for Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind power plants face challenges in maintaining reliability, availability, and productivity due to the lack of effective communication and information sharing between wind turbine generators, particularly in hazardous conditions or sensor failures, which can lead to reduced operational efficiency and safety.
Innovation Solution
Establishing a communicative coupling between wind turbine generators to exchange information using a predetermined transfer relationship, indicated by a transfer curve, that dictates the degree of information usage based on wind direction, enabling backup and improved control during hazardous conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wind turbine generators operate independently without communication, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to inability to backup each other during sensor failures or hazardous conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the operational data and control systems of multiple wind turbine generators into a communicatively coupled network. Each turbine shares sensor data, operational status, and control information with others in the wind power plant, creating a collective system where failures can be compensated by other units, thereby improving overall reliability without requiring complete redundancy at each individual turbine.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a communication network and control system as an intermediary between wind turbine generators. This intermediary facilitates the exchange of operational data and control signals, enabling turbines to coordinate their operations and provide mutual backup during hazardous conditions or sensor failures, thus enhancing reliability while maintaining manageable system complexity.
2Reliability
If wind turbine generators share information through communicative coupling, then reliability improves through backup capabilities, but device complexity increases due to additional communication infrastructure and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal communication and control system that serves multiple functions simultaneously: data exchange between turbines, coordinated control during hazardous conditions, sensor failure detection and compensation, and optimization of power generation. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems, improving reliability while limiting the increase in device complexity.
3Productivity
If wind turbine generators operate independently, then device complexity is lower, but productivity deteriorates due to reduced operational efficiency and inability to maintain operation during hazardous conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes feedback loops where wind turbine generators continuously exchange operational data and control information with each other. This feedback mechanism enables real-time coordination, allowing the system to maintain optimal productivity by adjusting operations based on collective data from all turbines, particularly during hazardous conditions when individual turbines might otherwise shut down.
Data Source
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AI summary
A wind power plant comprises at least a first and one or more other wind turbine generators (10,20,30,40), wherein the first and one or more other wind turbine generators are communicatively coupled in order to exchange information between the first wind turbine generator and the one or more other wind turbine generators, and wherein a predetermined transfer relationship is established between the first and one or more other wind turbine generators, said predetermined transfer relationship indicating the degree to which the first wind turbine generator may use information from each of the one or more other wind turbine generator for the control of the first wind turbine.