Wind Turbine Power Scheduling for Fatigue Life Trade-Off
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbines face challenges in optimizing energy capture while managing fatigue loads, as over-rating for increased energy production reduces their lifetime and leads to premature component failure.
Innovation Solution
A method for generating a control schedule that adjusts the wind turbine's maximum power level over time, based on input data and sensor information, to balance energy capture and fatigue lifetime, allowing for optimized operation and extended component lifespan.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the wind turbine operates at maximum power level continuously, then energy production is maximized, but fatigue loads increase and component lifetime is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of the maximum power level based on real-time fatigue lifetime assessment. The control schedule varies the power output over time, transitioning from static maximum power operation to dynamic power management that adapts to current component condition and remaining fatigue life, thereby resolving the contradiction between continuous maximum production and component reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameter (maximum power level) based on assessed fatigue lifetime. By adjusting the power level parameter dynamically according to component health status and remaining life predictions, the system optimizes the trade-off between energy production and reliability, allowing higher power when components have sufficient remaining life and reduced power when fatigue accumulates
2Productivity
If the wind turbine is over-rated for increased energy production, then short-term energy capture is improved, but the turbine lifetime is reduced and component failure occurs prematurely
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary assessment of fatigue lifetime before determining the optimal power level. By evaluating the current fatigue state and predicting remaining life in advance, the control schedule can proactively adjust power levels to prevent premature failure while maximizing energy capture during periods when components can sustain higher loads
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the assessed fatigue lifetime continuously informs the control schedule adjustments. The system monitors component condition, updates fatigue lifetime predictions, and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust power levels, creating a closed-loop control system that balances energy capture with long-term reliability
Data Source
AI summary
Generating a control schedule for a wind turbine, the control schedule indicating how the turbine maximum power level varies over time. Generating the control schedule includes determining a value indicative of the current remaining fatigue lifetime of the turbine, or one or more turbine components, based on measured wind turbine site and/or operating data; applying an optimisation function that varies an initial control schedule to determine an optimised control schedule by varying the trade off between energy capture and fatigue life consumed by the turbine or the one or more turbine components until an optimised control schedule is determined.