Wind Turbine Safe Operation Mode via External Weather Data

Solution Overview

Problem

Wind turbines often fail to transition to a safe operational state in time during severe weather conditions like storms or cyclones, leading to high loads and potential damage, as existing systems rely on individual measurements and reactive safety measures that may not provide sufficient protection when weather conditions are rapidly approaching.

Innovation Solution

A method and arrangement where wind turbines receive safety-relevant information from external sources, allowing them to activate a safe operation mode proactively, which may include yawing to a downwind position, reducing rotor speed or power output, and disconnecting from the grid, based on weather data and evaluation logic to mitigate damage from high wind loads.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If wind turbines rely on individual measurements and reactive safety systems, then the system responds to detected abnormal conditions, but the response time is insufficient when severe weather approaches rapidly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety protection effectivenessVSAvoidresponse time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by receiving safety-relevant information from external sources (weather services, radar, other turbines) before the severe weather condition reaches the wind turbine. This allows the control system to activate safe operation mode in advance, performing the protective yawing and power reduction actions before the storm arrives, thus resolving the time response contradiction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces external sources as intermediaries that provide early warning information about approaching severe weather conditions. These external sources (weather services, radar systems, neighboring turbines) act as mediators that deliver safety-relevant information to the wind turbine controller, enabling earlier detection and response than individual turbine measurements alone would allow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If wind turbines yaw to downwind position to protect against severe weather, then structural loads are reduced, but the design and support structure must be heavier to handle potential high loads

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural loads from severe weatherVSAvoidwind turbine and support structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The control system performs preliminary protective action by receiving early warning of severe weather and automatically activating safe operation mode, which includes yawing to downwind position and reducing power output. This preliminary protection prevents the occurrence of extreme high loads that would otherwise require heavier structural design, thus resolving the contradiction between load protection and structure weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If conventional safety systems react to abnormal events detected by individual turbines, then each turbine protects itself, but the protection is insufficient when weather conditions approach very fast

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety protection levelVSAvoidtime to reach safe state

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces external sources as intermediaries that provide early warning information about approaching severe weather conditions. These external sources (weather services, radar systems, neighboring turbines) act as mediators that deliver safety-relevant information to the wind turbine controller, enabling earlier detection and response than individual turbine measurements alone would allow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The control system performs preliminary protective action by receiving early warning of severe weather and automatically activating safe operation mode, which includes yawing to downwind position and reducing power output. This preliminary protection prevents the occurrence of extreme high loads that would otherwise require heavier structural design, thus resolving the contradiction between load protection and structure weight.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4295041B1Operating a wind turbine in a severe weather condition

Publication Date: 2024.07.03 SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY AS

Figure 1~2

AI summary

It is described a method of operating a wind turbine (3a, 3b, 3c), in particular plural wind turbines of a wind park (1), the method comprising: receiving, by the wind turbine (3a) or a wind park controller, safety relevant information (9, 9a) from an external source (10) external to the wind turbine (3a); activating, by the wind turbine (3a) or the wind park controller, a safe operation mode depending on the received information, wherein the external source (10) is different from a wind park controller.