Methods and systems for generating wind turbine control schedules

A controller comprising:

• a memory;
• a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to perform an operation, comprising:
• receiving an input indicative of a maximum number of times that each of one or more components of a wind turbine are to be replaced over a remaining lifetime of the wind turbine;
• determining, based on one or more both of site data and operating data of the wind turbine, a value indicative of a current remaining fatigue lifetime of the wind turbine or of one or more of the components;
• and
• generating a control schedule for the wind turbine that specifies how a maximum power level of the wind turbine varies over time, wherein generating the control schedule comprises:
• i) adjusting a parameter of a current iteration of the control schedule to generate a varied control schedule;
• ii) estimating a future fatigue lifetime consumed by the wind turbine, or of the one or more components, over a duration of the varied control schedule, based upon the varied control schedule and accounting for replacements of the one or more components;
• and
• iii) repeating (i) and (ii) until the estimated future fatigue lifetime is sufficient to reach a target minimum wind turbine life of the wind turbine.

A method of generating a control schedule for a wind power plant comprising two or more wind turbines, the method comprising:

• receiving an input indicative of a maximum number of times that each of one or more components, for each wind turbine of the two or more wind turbines, are to be replaced over a remaining lifetime of the wind turbine;
• determining, based on one or both of site data and operating data of each wind turbine of the two or more wind turbines, a value indicative of a current remaining fatigue lifetime of the wind turbine or of one or more components of the wind turbine;
• and
• generating a control schedule for the two or more wind turbines that specifies how a maximum power level of each wind turbine of the two or more wind turbines varies over time, wherein generating the control schedule comprises:
• i) adjusting a parameter of a current iteration of the control schedule to generate a varied control schedule;
• ii) estimating a future fatigue lifetime consumed by the two or more wind turbines, or of the one or more components, over a duration of the varied control schedule, based upon the varied control schedule and accounting for replacement of the one or more components using a site check program that determines loads acting on the one or more components based upon sensor data obtained from sensors of the wind power plant and parameters relating to the wind power plant and to the design of the wind turbine, and includes interactions between the two or more wind turbine;
• and
• iii) repeating (i) and (ii) until the estimated future fatigue lifetime is sufficient to reach a target minimum wind turbine life of the two or more wind turbines.