Vestas Wind Systems A/s

Kelvin Hales

Chris Spruce

Judith Turner

Chakradhar Byreddy

Robert Bowyer

Ian Couchman

Yu Zhou

Eik Herbsleb

Christopher Palmer

Alex Pericleous

Søren Lund Bjerregaard

Poul Oslo Rasmussen

Jenny Goodman

Generating a control schedule for a wind turbine, the control schedule indicating how the turbine maximum power level varies over time. Generating the control schedule includes determining a value indicative of the current remaining fatigue lifetime of the turbine, or one or more turbine components, based on measured wind turbine site and/or operating data; applying an optimisation function that varies an initial control schedule to determine an optimised control schedule by varying the trade off between energy capture and fatigue life consumed by the turbine or the one or more turbine components until an optimised control schedule is determined.

Methods and systems for generating wind turbine control schedules

A method of generating a control schedule for a wind turbine is provided, the control schedule indicating how the turbine maximum power level varies over time, the method comprising: receiving input indicative of a target minimum wind turbine lifetime; determining a value indicative of the current remaining fatigue lifetime of the wind turbine or one or more turbine components, based on measured wind turbine site and/or operating data; and varying a parameter of an initial predefined control schedule that specifies how the turbine maximum power level varies over time. The parameter is varied by: (i) adjusting the parameter of the initial predefined control schedule; (ii) estimating the future fatigue lifetime consumed by the wind turbine or the one or more turbine components, over the duration of the varied control schedule, based upon the varied control schedule; and (iii) repeating steps (i) and (ii) until the estimated future fatigue lifetime consumed by the wind turbine or each of the one or more turbine components is sufficient to allow the target minimum wind turbine life to be reached.

A wind turbine, power plant and associated method of controlling a wind turbine is provided. Data is obtained that identifies, based on forecast data, one or more future periods of time during which it would be desirable to over-rate the wind turbine, and measures of the fatigue life consumed by one or more turbine components are determined. The total fatigue life consumed by the one or more turbine components is limited prior to the one or more periods of time by controlling the power output of the wind turbine, in advance of the one or more periods of time, based upon the measure of the fatigue life consumed by the one or more turbine components.

Wind turbine control based on forecasts

A method of generating a control schedule for a wind turbine is provided, the control schedule indicating how the turbine maximum power level varies over time, the method comprising: receiving input indicative of the maximum number of times that each of one or more turbine components are to be replaced over the remaining lifetime of the turbine; determining a value indicative of the current remaining fatigue lifetime of the turbine, or one or more of the turbine components, based on measured wind turbine site and/or operating data; and varying a parameter of an initial predefined control schedule that specifies how the turbine maximum power level varies over time. The varying is performed by: (i) adjusting the parameter of the initial predefined control schedule; (ii) estimating the future fatigue lifetime consumed by the wind turbine, or one or more turbine components, over the duration of the varied control schedule, based upon the varied control schedule and accounting for the replacements of the one or more turbine components; and (iii) repeating steps (i) and (ii) until the estimated future fatigue lifetime consumed by the wind turbine or each of the one or more turbine components is sufficient to allow a target minimum wind turbine life to be reached.

Determination of Wind Turbine Configuration The present invention relates to a method and computer system for determining a configuration of a wind turbine of a given wind turbine type, the method comprising the steps of: storing in a database a plurality of combinations of physical and control parameters of the wind turbine that can be varied; determining a plurality of wind flow characteristics at a target location; applying a function which defines a relationship between a performance parameter, a fatigue life estimation, the combination of physical and control parameters and the plurality of wind flow characteristics, to at least some of the plurality of combinations in the database to determine values of the performance parameter and the fatigue life estimation for those combinations; and selecting one of the combinations of physical and control parameters as the configuration of the wind turbine for the target location on the basis of the performance parameter and fatigue life estimation values.

Determination of wind turbine configuration

A method is disclosed for controlling a wind turbine generator to provide power above a rated level. The wind turbine includes one or more electrical components that conduct current from the internal generator to supply the external grid. The control method calculates the maximum current that the electrical components can carry at the ambient temperature. The calculated current is combined with a measurement of the voltage and an estimate of reactive power in the system to give a maximum power at which the wind turbine can operate without the maximum allowable current being exceeded for the electrical components. The electrical components may be housed in the main electrical panel of the wind turbine.

Over-rating control of a wind turbine generator

The present invention relates to a method and control system comprising at least one cable temperature sensor for measuring cable temperature values for at least one power collection cable () connected to a wind turbine () and a controller () arranged to generate and output an overrating control signal to the wind turbine (). The output overrating control signal sets an amount by which the power output of the wind turbine () is to be overrated. It is determined whether the measured cable temperature values exceed a temperature set point and modifying the overrating control signal to reduce the amount of overrating if the temperature set point is exceeded.

Control of wind turbines

A method is disclosed for controlling a wind turbine generator to provide power above a rated level based upon operational constraints. The wind turbine includes an over-rating controller that calculates an over-rating power demand in response to the values of one or more operating parameters, and communicates this demand to the generator. An over-rating command value is calculated according to set points of the operating parameter(s), the calculation taking into account the extent to which the operating parameter differs from these set points. The over-rating command value may vary proportionately with the difference between the operating parameter and the associated set point. If multiple operating parameters are used then the over-rating power demand may correspond to the minimum over-rating command value. Furthermore, the power demand maybe communicated to wind turbine generators individually, or may be calculated for a wind turbine park.

Wind turbine with over-rating control

The present invention relates to determining and setting wind turbine type maximum power level () and individual wind turbine maximum power level () for over-rating control.

Simulation of a maximum power output of a wind turbine

Methods and systems for reducing an output power of a group of wind turbines are provided. A measure of life usage by at least one component of each of a plurality of the turbines is determined, and is compared to a threshold value for life usage for the component. Power output is preferentially reduced from those turbines having at least one component for which the measure of life usage exceeds the corresponding threshold value.

Control of a group of wind turbines

A method of controlling a wind turbine rotor blade, the blade comprising a pitch axis about which the blade can be pitched, and a flap movable to alter the aerodynamic profile of the blade, the method comprising the steps of: providing a pitch angle request (&#x3b8;) to a pitch actuator; determining an initial flap angle request (&#x3b2;_flap); providing a decoupled flap angle request (&#x3b2;) to a flap actuator; herein the decoupled flap angle request (&#x3b2;) is calculated from the pitch angle request (&#x3b8;) and the initial flap angle request (&#x3b2;_flap) such that the decoupled flap angle (&#x3b2;) provided to the flap actuator does not counteract the pitch angle request (&#x3b8;); and pitching the blade according to the pitch angle request (&#x3b8;) and moving the flap according to the decoupled flap angle request (&#x3b2;).

Method of controlling a wind turbine

Embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems, and apparatus for determining a property of wind approaching a wind turbine. A light detection and ranging equipment may be used to determine a property of the wind at a plurality of locations ahead of a turbine. A wind flow model may be used to determine the property of wind expected at the rotor of the wind turbine based on the readings of the light detection and ranging device.

Estimation of wind properties using a light detection and ranging device

Method of operating a wind power plant including the steps of: operating the wind power plant at an current parameter schedule (P(v)) performing a wind prediction of wind data (V) for a time frame (&#x394;T) extending to a future time T, determining a desired fatigue load level (F) of a wind power plant component at the future time T, and during operation of said wind power plant generating an updated parameter schedule (P(v)) to provide the desired fatigue load level (F) at time T if exposed to the predicted wind conditions (V(t)) during said time frame (&#x394;T).

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Surrey, United Kingdom

Kelvin Hales