# US 2019/0170120 A1 · Wind turbine control method and system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0170120 A1 - Document ID: US20190170120A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/323,117 - Filed: 2017-06-15 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-09 - Assignees: Mhi Vestas Offshore A/S - Applicants: Vestas Wind Systems A/S - Inventors: Tue HALD; Alex PERICLEOUS; Henrik Bæk JØRGENSEN - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170120A1 ## CPC - F03D 7/048: {controlling wind farms} - F03D 7/028: {controlling wind motor output power} - F03D 7/0284: {in relation to the state of the electric grid} - F03D 9/257: {the wind motor being part of a wind farm} - H02J 3/38: Arrangements for feeding a single network from two or more generators or sources in parallel; Arrangements for feeding already energised networks from additional generators or sources in parallel - H02J 3/381: {Dispersed generators} - H02J 3/46: Controlling the sharing of generated power between the generators, sources or networks - F03D 1/00: Wind motors with rotation axis substantially parallel to the air flow entering the rotor (controlling thereof F03D7/02) - F05B 2220/30: in turbines - F05B 2260/40: Transmission of power - F05B 2260/80: Diagnostics - F05B 2270/1033: Power (if explicitly mentioned) - F05B 2270/332: Maximum loads or fatigue criteria - F05B 2270/335: Output power or torque - F05B 2270/337: Electrical grid status parameters, e.g. voltage, frequency or power demand - F05B 2270/402: passive or reactive, e.g. using large wind vanes - H02J 2101/28: Wind energy - Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction - Y02E 10/76: Power conversion electric or electronic aspects - F03D: WIND MOTORS - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - 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 A method for controlling a wind power plant including a plurality of wind turbines that provide output power through a transmission line arrangement, wherein each wind turbine in the wind power plant has a nominal power limit setting. The method comprises determining spare capacity on the transmission line arrangement; and configuring one or more of the wind turbines in dependence on the determined spare capacity, such that said wind turbines are operable to exceed their respective nominal power limit setting in order to exploit the spare capacity on the transmission line arrangement. Aspects of the invention also relate to a power plant controller configured to implement the method. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of controlling a wind power plant including a plurality of wind turbines that provide output power through a transmission line arrangement, wherein each wind turbine in the wind power plant has a nominal power limit setting, wherein the method comprises: determining spare capacity on the transmission line arrangement; and configuring one or more of the plurality of wind turbines in dependence on the determined spare capacity, such that said wind turbines are operable to exceed their respective nominal power limit setting in order to exploit the spare capacity on the transmission line arrangement. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein configuring one or more of the wind turbines includes commanding selected ones of the one or more wind turbines to exceed their respective nominal power limit setting during appropriate wind conditions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, including transmitting a margin value to said selected ones of the one or more wind turbines indicating the amount by which the respective nominal power limit setting may be exceeded. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the margin value is determined in dependence on the space capacity of the wind power plant divided by the number of wind turbines that are in an operating condition. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein configuring one or more of the wind turbines includes providing a new nominal power limit setting to a respective wind turbine. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein configuring a nominal power limit setting of one or more of the wind turbines includes transmitting a new nominal power limit setting to a respective wind turbine over a communication network. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein configuring a nominal power limit setting of one or more of the wind turbines includes providing a plurality of new nominal power limit settings by way of an iterative process. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the new nominal power setting limit is based on the spare capacity of the wind power plant divided by the number of wind turbines that are in an operating condition. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein configuring a nominal power limit setting of one or more of the wind turbines includes identifying one or more wind turbines that are affected by wakes of other turbines and providing new power limit setting values to one or more of the identified wind turbines. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, where in the nominal power limit setting of the wind turbines is a rated power setting. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining spare capacity on the transmission line arrangement includes comparing measured power on the transmission line arrangement against a value of maximum transmission capacity on the transmission line arrangement. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the maximum transmission capacity is varied in dependence on environmental conditions. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein measured power is at least one of measured apparent power, measured active power, or measured reactive power. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the measured power on the transmission line is filtered to account for short-term variations in power production. ### Claim 15 (canceled) ### Claim 16 A power plant controller comprising at least a processor, a memory module, and an input/output system, and wherein the memory module includes a set of program code instructions which when executed by the processor, implements an operation of controlling a wind power plant including a plurality of wind turbines that provide output power through a transmission line arrangement, wherein each wind turbine in the wind power plant has a nominal power limit setting, the operation comprising: determining spare capacity on the transmission line arrangement; and configuring one or more of the plurality of wind turbines in dependence on the determined spare capacity, such that said wind turbines are operable to exceed their respective nominal power limit setting in order to exploit the spare capacity on the transmission line arrangement. ### Claim 17 A computer program product downloadable from a communication network and/or stored on a machine readable medium, comprising program code instructions for implementing an operation of controlling a wind power plant including a plurality of wind turbines that provide output power through a transmission line arrangement, wherein each wind turbine in the wind power plant has a nominal power limit setting, the operation comprising: determining spare capacity on the transmission line arrangement; and configuring one or more of the plurality of wind turbines in dependence on the determined spare capacity, such that said wind turbines are operable to exceed their respective nominal power limit setting in order to exploit the spare capacity on the transmission line arrangement. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The power plant controller of claim 16, wherein the input/output system is coupled to the plurality of wind turbines. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The power plant controller of claim 16, wherein configuring one or more of the wind turbines includes commanding selected ones of the one or more wind turbines to exceed their respective nominal power limit setting during appropriate wind conditions. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The power plant controller of claim 19, including transmitting a margin value to said selected ones of the one or more wind turbines indicating the amount by which the respective nominal power limit setting may be exceeded. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The power plant controller of claim 20, wherein the margin value is determined in dependence on the space capacity of the wind power plant divided by the number of wind turbines that are in an operating condition.