Wind Turbine Yaw System Load Sharing Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbine yaw systems with mechanically connected motors experience load sharing issues, leading to uneven tear and wear of mechanical and electrical components, especially at high loads, due to differences in motor sizes and characteristics.
Innovation Solution
A wind turbine yaw system with a control system that generates drive unit control signals based on reference signals and feedback signals from torque sensors, position encoders, and frequency converters to minimize load differences between drive units, ensuring even distribution of mechanical and electrical loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mechanically connected motors are used to drive pinion gears, then the yaw system can rotate the nacelle to align with wind direction, but unequal load distribution occurs between motors leading to uneven wear and tear
Solution Approach 1:
The control system segments the load distribution by individually controlling each drive unit based on its actual load feedback, rather than treating all motors as a unified system. This allows independent adjustment of each motor's contribution to the total yaw torque.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system implements feedback loops that continuously monitor operational parameters (such as current consumption, torque, or speed) of each drive unit and use this information to dynamically adjust control signals, ensuring equal load sharing between motors.
2Adaptability or versatility
If motors with different characteristics are used, then the yaw system can accommodate varying performance requirements, but load sharing becomes uneven causing higher wear on specific components
Solution Approach 1:
The control system changes operational parameters (such as voltage, current, or frequency) of individual motors dynamically based on their characteristics and real-time load conditions, allowing motors with different characteristics to operate in a balanced manner.
3Power
If high load operation is maintained, then the yaw system can effectively reposition the rotor, but the driving motor with lower slip takes higher load share causing unequal wear
Solution Approach 1:
During high load operation, the feedback mechanism continuously monitors the load share of each motor and adjusts control signals to prevent any single motor from bearing excessive load, thereby extending component service life while maintaining yaw capability.
Data Source
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AI summary
A wind turbine yaw system with a yaw gear (11), at least two pinion gears (13), at least two drive units (23), where each drive unit (23) is associated to one of the pinion gears (13) for driving the respective pinion gear (13)i, is provided. The yaw system comprises a control system with a controller (25) for generating for each drive unit (23) a drive unit control signal for controlling the respective drive unit (23) according to a drive unit reference signal comprising at least one desired operational parameter value for the respective drive unit (23) so as to realise the at least one desired operational parameter value in the respective drive unit (23). The control system comprises at least one feedback loop for each drive unit (23) feeding at least one drive unit feedback signal comprising at least the actual value of one operational parameter of the respective drive unit (23) back to the controller (25). Furthermore, the controller (25) is adapted to generate the drive unit control signals based on the reference signal and the feedback signals.