Wind Turbine Thrust-Speed Control via Dynamic Pitch Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wind turbine control technologies fail to independently control speed and thrust, leading to increased mechanical loads and material costs, as they often prioritize constant power output over load reduction, which can result in accentuated thrust variations and inefficient energy production.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for dynamically controlling wind turbines by implementing a closed-loop control system that sets thrust and speed points, using multi-variable control to adjust pitch and torque settings in real-time, allowing for independent control of speed and thrust while maintaining optimal power output, thereby reducing operational fatigue on structural components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If rotor diameter is increased to produce more power, then energy production increases, but mechanical loads and material costs increase disproportionately
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic thrust control by actively adjusting blade pitch angles in response to varying wind conditions. This allows the rotor to adapt its aerodynamic characteristics in real-time, optimizing power capture while dynamically managing mechanical loads to prevent disproportionate increases in structural stress as rotor size scales up.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system modifies operational parameters (blade pitch angle, rotor speed) to optimize the relationship between power output and mechanical loads. By changing these parameters dynamically, the system can maintain efficient energy production while keeping mechanical loads within acceptable limits, enabling larger rotor diameters without proportional increases in structural requirements.
2Power
If constant power output is maintained through current control technologies, then power production is stabilized, but thrust variations are accentuated and mechanical loads increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a closed-loop control system that continuously monitors thrust, power output, and blade pitch angle. This feedback mechanism allows the system to detect thrust variations and automatically adjust blade pitch to counteract excessive thrust fluctuations while maintaining stable power production, thereby decoupling power stabilization from thrust variation amplification.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system dynamically adjusts blade pitch angles in response to real-time thrust and power measurements. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to smooth thrust variations during power stabilization, preventing the accentuation of mechanical loads that occurs with conventional control methods.
3Strength
If blade pitch control is used to reduce fatigue loads, then structural loads are reduced, but independent speed and thrust control is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control functions by implementing independent control loops for thrust, speed, and power. The blade pitch control specifically targets thrust and load reduction, while separate control mechanisms manage rotor speed and power output. This segmentation allows each control objective to be optimized independently without compromising the others.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically coordinates multiple control objectives through a hierarchical control architecture. Blade pitch adjustments for load reduction are dynamically complemented by torque control and speed regulation, enabling the system to simultaneously achieve fatigue load reduction while maintaining independent speed and thrust control capabilities.
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 enables the reduction of operational fatigue on wind turbine components, allows for larger rotor diameters with reduced material costs, and smooths power output fluctuations, making it suitable for integration with existing wind turbine systems without the need for new equipment.
Implementation Method 1
The rotor blades capture kinetic energy of wind using known airfoil principles
Implementation Method 2
The generator then converts the mechanical energy to electrical energy
Data Source
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AI summary
The present subject matter is directed to a system and method 200 for dynamically controlling a wind turbine 10. The method 200 includes operating the wind turbine 10 based on a thrust set point 74 and a speed set point 76. A next step includes determining a desired change in actual speed 75 of the wind turbine 10 in response to control actuations starting from an instantaneous operating point 81. The method 200 also includes determining a desired change in thrust 73 of the wind turbine 10 in response to control actuations starting from the instantaneous operating point 81. Next, the method 200 determines at least one parameter set point that achieves the desired change in speed 75 and the desired change in thrust 73 and controls the wind turbine 10 based on the parameter set point so as to maintain the actual thrust and the actual speed of the wind turbine 10 within a certain tolerance of the thrust set point 74 and the speed set point 76, thereby regulating loads acting on the wind turbine 10 while simultaneously maintaining optimal or near optimal power output.