Yaw Error Sensor Using Hub-Mounted Pitot Tubes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing yaw error detection systems for wind turbines suffer from inaccuracies due to swirl created by rotor blades, leading to power loss and increased load on blades, and are often complex and prone to damage.
Innovation Solution
A yaw error detection sensor using a pitot tube mounted on the front side of the wind turbine hub, measuring stagnation pressure and wind velocity at two different positions along a horizontal plane, allowing for accurate determination of wind direction and correction of yaw angle without being hindered by rotor swirl.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a wind direction sensor is mounted on top of the nacelle behind the rotor, then the measurement is simpler, but the swirl created by the rotor causes errors in the wind direction measurement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the measurement from a single point behind the rotor to two distinct points in front of the rotor, changing the spatial dimension of measurement. This allows the system to measure wind velocity vectors at multiple locations and use vector addition to eliminate the swirl effect, thereby achieving accurate wind direction measurement without being hindered by rotor-induced turbulence.
2Measurement precision
If sensors are mounted in front of the rotor plane using long booms, then the measurement is more accurate, but the device becomes complex and prone to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the measurement function into two separate sensor points located at different positions in front of the rotor. Instead of using a single long boom structure, the system uses two distributed measurement points that can be mounted on the hub or nacelle structure. This segmentation eliminates the need for long, vulnerable booms while maintaining measurement accuracy through vector-based calculation.
3Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are used to compensate for turbulence, then the measurement accuracy improves, but the device complexity and reliability issues increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical sensor arrangements (multiple anemometers, long booms, rotating hub mounts) with a simpler approach using two fixed measurement points and vector-based mathematical calculation. By substituting mechanical complexity with computational methodology, the system achieves accurate wind direction measurement while improving reliability through simpler, more robust sensor mounting.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention describes a yaw error detection sensor which is adapted to be mounted to a front side of a hub (4) of a wind turbine of a horizontal axis type. The mounted sensor is adapted to measure a stagnation pressure or/and a wind velocity at two different positions along a horizontal plane of the hub (4). The invention further describes a wind turbine of a horizontal axis type comprising such a sensor. The invention further describes a method for adjusting a yaw angle and use of a pitot tube for detecting a yaw error.