Wind Turbine Speed Exclusion Control for Tower Resonance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbine control methods fail to effectively prevent resonance-induced vibrations and fatigue loads while minimizing power loss, often requiring additional structural reinforcement or complex damping systems.
Innovation Solution
A control method that dynamically adjusts the rotational speed exclusion zone based on real-time vibration levels using a variable width determined by a transfer function, allowing the wind turbine to operate closer to optimal conditions while avoiding resonance frequencies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the width of the exclusion zone is increased to prevent resonance, then vibrations and fatigue loads are reduced, but power loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The exclusion zone width is made dynamic rather than fixed. The control system continuously monitors vibration levels and adjusts the exclusion zone width in real-time based on current operating conditions. When vibration levels are high, the exclusion zone width is increased to prevent resonance. When vibration levels are low, the exclusion zone width is reduced to minimize power loss. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by allowing the system to optimize both vibration prevention and power efficiency under different operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The key parameter being changed is the width of the rotational speed exclusion zone. By varying this parameter based on measured vibration levels, the system can adapt its behavior to current conditions. The control method uses vibration level measurements to dynamically adjust the exclusion zone width, thereby changing the operational parameters to balance between preventing resonance (reducing vibrations) and maintaining power production efficiency.
2Device complexity
If a fixed width exclusion zone is used to avoid resonance, then the control system is simple, but either power loss increases (large width) or vibrations increase (narrow width)
Solution Approach 1:
The control system implements feedback by continuously monitoring vibration levels and using this information to adjust the exclusion zone width. Vibration sensors measure the actual vibration levels in the wind turbine tower, and this measurement is fed back to the control system. Based on this feedback, the control system dynamically adjusts the exclusion zone width to optimize both power production and vibration prevention, resolving the limitation of fixed-width exclusion zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system serves itself by automatically adjusting the exclusion zone width based on real-time vibration measurements without requiring external intervention or complex manual configuration. The system monitors its own operational state and autonomously optimizes its control parameters, thereby maintaining both simplicity and effectiveness in power production while preventing resonance.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to a wind turbine (1) and a method of operating a wind turbine with at least one rotational speed exclusion zone (18, 19), wherein the wind turbine (!) comprises a wind turbine control system (10) monitoring the vibrations of the wind turbine tower (2) and the rotational speed of the rotor. The wind turbine control system (10) controls the rotational speed of the rotor based on the measured vibration level (13), wherein the control system (10) uses the at least one exclusion zone (18, 19) to avoid rotational speeds that coincide with the eigenfrequency (14) of the wind turbine tower (2). The at least one exclusion zone (18, 19) has a variable width, which is determined based on the measured vibration level ( 13) so that resonance in the wind turbine tower (2) is avoided while minimizing the power loss.