Wind turbine wake steering apparatus

Abstract

Systems and methods enable yaw offsets on wind turbines in a wind farm. A wind turbine yaw controller receives a present wind direction signal from a local wind direction sensor and aligns the wind turbine in a substantially perpendicular direction based upon the present wind direction signal. A yaw controller is retrofitted between the wind direction sensor and the yaw controller to provide an adjusted wind direction signal to the yaw controller based upon the present wind direction signal and a yaw offset signal. An offset table relating yaw offsets with wind direction signal values may be stored locally at a wind turbine or at a site controller in communication with the wind tribune. Each wind turbine in the wind farm may be retrofitted with the yaw controller to enhance the power output of the wind farm by adjusting the wake effect between wind turbines of the wind farms.