# US 2017/0284368 A1 · Optimal wind farm operation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0284368 A1 - Document ID: US20170284368A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/631,783 - Filed: 2017-06-23 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-23 - Assignees: ABB Schweiz AG - Applicants: ABB Schweiz AG - Inventors: Carsten Franke; Kedar Kulkarni; Adrian Timbus; Jan Poland; Silvia Mastellone; Yan Zhang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170284368A1 ## CPC - F03D 7/0292: {to reduce fatigue} - F03D 7/0204: {for orientation in relation to wind direction} - F03D 7/048: {controlling wind farms} - F03D 7/02: the wind motors having rotation axis substantially parallel to the air flow entering the rotor - F03D 7/04: Automatic control; Regulation - F05B 2270/204: taking into account the wake effect - Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction - F03D: WIND MOTORS - F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract The present invention relates to a method of operating a wind farm comprising an upstream and a downstream turbine, wherein the upstream turbine is operated with current operation parameters under current wind conditions, wherein the method comprises the steps of: receiving future wind conditions for a time period for the wind farm, and evaluating required operation parameters for minimising wake effect of the downstream turbine under the future wind conditions, and determining a cost coefficient for changing the operation parameters to required operation parameters under consideration of fatigue effect of the wind turbine, calculating power productions Po and Pc, in the predetermined time period, by the wind farm if operated with the current operation parameters under the current wind conditions and if operated with the required operation parameters under the future wind conditions, respectively, and operating the upstream turbine with the required operation parameters if the cost coefficient is lower than a cost that would be obtained by a power production increment Pc-Po. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-6. (canceled) ### Claim 7 A method of operating a wind farm with an upstream turbine and a downstream turbine, wherein the upstream turbine is operated with a current upstream operation parameter value under current wind conditions, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining, for each time interval of a sequence of time intervals of a forecast time period, forecast wind conditions at the upstream wind turbine and at the downstream wind turbine, determining a candidate upstream operation parameter sequence minimizing a wake effect at the downstream turbine under the forecast wind conditions, estimating a parameter change expense indicative of a change from the current upstream operation parameter value to a first upstream operation parameter value of the candidate upstream operation parameter sequence, estimating wind farm productivity P0, Pc during the forecast time period if the upstream turbine is operated under the forecast wind conditions with the current upstream operation parameter value or according to the candidate upstream operation parameter sequence, respectively, calculating a wind farm productivity gain as a difference (Pc-P0) between the wind farm productivity according to the candidate upstream operation parameter sequence and the wind farm productivity with the current upstream operation parameter value, and operating the upstream turbine with the current upstream operation parameter value if the parameter change expense exceeds the productivity gain. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein wake effect, parameter change expense, productivity gain, and/or a fatigue effect are evaluated over the forecast time period. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the wake effect, the parameter change expense, the productivity gain, and/or the fatigue are integrated or averaged over the forecast time period, preferably with a time interval or step size depending on the coarseness of the forecast wind conditions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, comprising: estimating a parameter change expense including an energy consumed by a driving motor for moving turbine parts of the upstream turbine when operating the driving motor according to a change in the upstream operation parameter from the current upstream operation parameter value to a first upstream operation parameter value of the candidate upstream operation parameter sequence. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, comprising: estimating a parameter change expense including a component wear suffered by the driving motor or by the moving turbine parts, when operating the driving motor according to a change in the upstream operation parameter from the current upstream operation parameter value to a first upstream operation parameter value of the candidate upstream operation parameter sequence. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, comprising: estimating a fatigue effect of the upstream wind turbine if operated according to the candidate upstream operation parameter sequence rather than with the current upstream operation parameter value under the forecast wind conditions during the forecast time period, and operating the upstream turbine based on a forecast balance including the parameter change expense, the productivity gain, and the fatigue effect. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein a length of the forecast time period is between one minute and three hours. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the operation parameter comprises one of a yaw angle indicative of an alignment between a wind direction at the upstream turbine and a rotor axis of the upstream turbine, a pitch angle indicative of an alignment between the wind direction and a rotor blade orientation, a generator torque or a rotor speed. ### Claim 15 A controller for operating a wind farm comprising an upstream turbine and a downstream turbine, wherein the upstream turbine is operated with a yaw angle yo under current wind conditions, wherein the controller is configured to: receive future wind conditions for a predetermined time period based on a wind forecast for the wind farm, calculate a yaw angle Yc for minimising wake effect at the downstream turbine under the future wind conditions, determine a cost for changing the yaw angle from Y0 to Yc, calculate power productions P0 and Pc of the wind farm under the future wind conditions in the predetermined time period, assuming the upstream turbine being operated with the yaw angle Y0 and Yc respectively, set the yaw angle to Yc if the cost is lower than a profit of a power production increment a Pc-P0. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The controller of claim 15, wherein said controller is further configured to determine a cost for changing the yaw angle from Y0 to Yc under consideration of driving motor involvement. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The controller of claim 15, wherein said controller is further configured to determine a cost for wear and fatigue effects at the upstream turbine. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The controller of claim 15, wherein said controller is further configured to evaluate wake effect, parameter change expense, productivity gain, and/or a fatigue effect over the forecast time period. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The controller of claim 18, wherein said controller is further configured to integrate or average wake effect, parameter change expense, productivity gain, and/or a fatigue effect over the forecast time period, preferably with a time interval or step size depending on the coarseness of the forecast wind conditions. ### Claim 20 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, comprising: estimating a parameter change expense including an energy consumed by a driving motor for moving turbine parts of the upstream turbine when operating the driving motor according to a change in the upstream operation parameter from the current upstream operation parameter value to a first upstream operation parameter value of the candidate upstream operation parameter sequence. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, comprising: estimating a parameter change expense including a component wear suffered by the driving motor or by the moving turbine parts, when operating the driving motor according to a change in the upstream operation parameter from the current upstream operation parameter value to a first upstream operation parameter value of the candidate upstream operation parameter sequence. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, comprising: estimating a fatigue effect of the upstream wind turbine if operated according to the candidate upstream operation parameter sequence rather than with the current upstream operation parameter value under the forecast wind conditions during the forecast time period, and operating the upstream turbine based on a forecast balance including the parameter change expense, the productivity gain, and the fatigue effect. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein a length of the forecast time period is between one minute and three hours. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the operation parameter comprises one of a yaw angle indicative of an alignment between a wind direction at the upstream turbine and a rotor axis of the upstream turbine, a pitch angle indicative of an alignment between the wind direction and a rotor blade orientation, a generator torque or a rotor speed. ### Claim 25 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein a length of the forecast time period is between three and five minutes. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein the operation parameter comprises one of a yaw angle indicative of an alignment between a wind direction at the upstream turbine and a rotor axis of the upstream turbine, a pitch angle indicative of an alignment between the wind direction and a rotor blade orientation, a generator torque or a rotor speed.