Windesco, Inc.

Nathan L Post

Mohit Dua

Brendan F Taylor

Jonathan A Kossuth

Peter Bachant

David Hastings

Danian Zheng

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a retrofit auxiliary nacelle yaw position control system that enables advanced nacelle yaw position control of a wind turbine by comparing a desired nacelle yaw position signal with the actual nacelle yaw position and generating a virtual relative wind direction signal that is provided to the existing turbine control unit. This method and system enable implementation of wake steering, collective yaw optimization and dynamic yaw optimization of a collection of wind turbines referred to as a wind plant. Modification of the existing turbine control unit is not required, greatly simplifying the implementation process of advanced yaw control strategies on existing wind plants.

Methods and systems of advanced yaw control of a wind turbine

Systems and methods of autonomous farm-level control and optimization of wind turbines are provided. Exemplary embodiments comprise a site controller running on a site server. The site controller collects and analyzes yaw control data of a plurality of wind turbines and wind direction data relating to the plurality of wind turbines. The site server determines collective wind direction across an area occupied by the plurality of wind turbines and sends yaw control signals including desired nacelle yaw position instructions to the plurality of wind turbines. The site controller performs wake modeling analysis and determines desired nacelle positions of one or more of the plurality of wind turbines. The desired nacelle yaw position instructions systematically correct static yaw misalignment for all of the plurality of wind turbines. Embodiments of the disclosure provide means to perform whole site or partial site level controls of the yaw controllers of a utility scale wind turbine farm. The overall effect of the coordinated yaw control of wind turbines across the whole or partial site is intended to keep the wake loss of the wind turbines from the upstream wind turbines to the minimum and to maximize the production of turbines that are not waking other turbines.

Systems and methods of coordinated yaw control of multiple wind turbines

Embodiments of the present disclosure include a data processing and control augmentation system capable of identifying overloading of one or more wind turbine assemblies and providing information to a wind farm controller to reduce a power output of each overloaded turbine. The augmentation system thus reduces the power output of each overloaded turbine and, in turn, reduces loads applied to the wind turbine assembly, such as for a period of time until conditions favorably change. A described analysis of the present disclosure is able to utilize several incoming data streams from sensors so arranged to measure wind effects on blades to calculate and compare cyclic loads to threshold limits to o keep the loads within design limits. The control strategy reduces premature failure of components within the wind turbine assembly, and can be applied across an entire wind farm, even with only a subset of wind turbine assemblies being retrofitted.

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Malden, MA, United States of America

Nathan L Post