Wind Turbine Load Control via Upwind LIDAR Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wind turbine control systems experience time lags in responding to transient wind conditions, leading to excessive loading and potential damage due to the delayed detection of wind gusts and turbulence, as existing sensors measure conditions only when they affect the turbine, resulting in rotor acceleration and power output exceeding safe limits.
Innovation Solution
The system employs LIDAR sensors and other wind parameter sensors to detect conditions upwind of the turbine, combined with a processor that generates a control wind profile based on actual and estimated conditions, allowing for preemptive corrective actions to prevent excessive loading, such as de-rating the generator or adjusting blade pitch, before the conditions reach the turbine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional sensors are used to detect wind conditions at the turbine location, then the measurement is direct and accurate, but the response time is delayed causing excessive loading
Solution Approach 1:
The LIDAR sensor detects wind conditions upwind of the turbine before the wind reaches the rotor blades. This preliminary detection allows the control system to initiate corrective actions in advance, eliminating the time lag inherent in conventional sensing methods that only detect conditions when they directly affect the turbine.
Solution Approach 2:
The LIDAR sensor acts as an intermediary device positioned between the incoming wind and the turbine. It measures wind parameters in the upstream atmosphere, providing advance information about approaching wind gusts and turbulence without being directly exposed to the extreme loads that the turbine components would experience.
2Productivity
If the wind turbine operates at rated power during high wind speeds, then maximum energy production is achieved, but component fatigue and damage risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control system applies preliminary anti-action by reducing generator torque and adjusting blade pitch in response to detected upcoming wind gusts, before the gust reaches the turbine. This preemptive load reduction prevents excessive component fatigue while minimizing impact on energy production during transient events.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts operating parameters based on real-time LIDAR measurements and estimated future wind conditions. Rather than operating at fixed rated power, the control system modulates generator torque and blade pitch angles dynamically to optimize the trade-off between energy capture and load management throughout the wind gust lifecycle.
3Reliability
If static trip limits are used to protect the turbine, then component protection is simplified, but the turbine shuts down unnecessarily during transient wind conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of approaching wind conditions using LIDAR measurements and compares them against predicted load thresholds. This allows the control system to take preventive action or prepare for potential trip conditions before the wind gust arrives, enabling more informed decisions about whether shutdown is truly necessary or if load management can suffice.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from using fixed static trip limits to dynamic trip limits that are adjusted based on real-time LIDAR measurements, current turbine operating state, and predicted future wind conditions. This dynamic parameter adjustment allows the turbine to operate closer to actual safety boundaries, reducing unnecessary shutdowns while maintaining component protection.
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 effectively reduces turbine loading by enabling early detection and response to transient wind conditions, preventing damage and maintaining operational safety within predetermined limits, even in high turbulence or gusts, without requiring new hardware beyond existing sensors and processing capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
one or more LIDAR sensors may be used to detect the actual wind parameter
Implementation Method 2
The rotor blades capture kinetic energy of wind using known airfoil principles
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems 30 and methods 100 for preventing excessive loading on a wind turbine 10 are disclosed. The method 100 includes: measuring 102 an actual wind parameter upwind from the wind turbine using one or more sensors 48-54; providing 104 the measured wind parameter to a processor 58; providing 106 a plurality of wind turbine operating data to the processor 58; utilizing 108 the plurality of operating data to determine an estimated wind turbine condition at the wind turbine 10; generating 110 a control wind profile based on the actual wind parameter and the estimated wind turbine condition; and implementing 114 a control action based on the control wind profile to prevent excessive loading from acting on the wind turbine 10.