Wind Turbine Control System Trajectory Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbine safety systems react late to potential faults, leading to increased structural loads and costs due to limited computational capabilities and high costs of safety-certified equipment, as they rely on measuring only a subset of turbine states and react only when predefined limits are exceeded.
Innovation Solution
A control system that calculates predicted operational trajectories and validates them using a safety controller, allowing for proactive safe-mode operation by splitting the system into a main controller for complex calculations and a safety controller for validation, utilizing standard industrial computing and safety-certified equipment to ensure timely intervention before faults occur.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If existing safety systems use predefined limits based on a small subset of turbine states, then the system complexity and cost are reduced, but the detection timing is delayed and structural strength requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The safety system performs preliminary validation of predicted operational trajectories before faults occur. By validating predicted trajectories in advance using a safety controller, the system detects potential faults before they materialize into actual safety issues, enabling proactive rather than reactive safety management.
Solution Approach 2:
A trajectory validator acts as an intermediary component between the main controller and the turbine operation. This intermediary validates predicted operational trajectories against safety constraints, providing a bridge between complex predictive algorithms and safety-critical decision-making without requiring full safety certification of the entire control system.
2Reliability
If predictive algorithms with high performing computing equipment are used, then fault detection capability is improved, but the cost of safety-certified equipment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into two distinct parts: a main controller that handles complex predictive algorithms without safety certification, and a separate safety controller that performs validation with limited computational requirements. This segmentation allows high-performance computing for prediction while keeping safety-critical components simple and cost-effective.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety controller validates trajectories by checking against predefined safety constraints rather than running full predictive algorithms. This copying approach replicates the essential safety validation function using simplified logic and constraints, avoiding the need for expensive safety-certified high-performance computing equipment.
3Productivity
If the wind turbine operates at maximum power output, then productivity is improved, but the risk of exceeding operational limits increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety controller continuously validates predicted operational trajectories against safety constraints and provides feedback to the main controller. This feedback mechanism ensures that maximum power output operations are continuously monitored and adjusted to remain within safe operational limits, balancing productivity and safety dynamically.
Solution Approach 2:
By validating predicted trajectories before execution, the system proactively identifies and prevents operations that would exceed safety limits. This preliminary safety check allows the turbine to operate at maximum power output when safe, while automatically preventing unsafe operations before they occur.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates tocontrol of wind turbines based on predicted operational trajectories. A control system for a wind turbineis described wherea main controller calculating one or more predicted operational trajectories and a safety controller validates at least one of the one or more predicted operational trajectories. The control system controls the wind turbine with the predicted control trajectory if the validation is valid, and controls the wind turbine with a safe-mode control trajectory if the validation is invalid. In an embodiment, the main controller is implemented as a receding horizon controller, e.g. in the form of a model predictive controller (MPC).