System and method for loads reduction in a horizontal-axis wind turbine using upwind information
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsCorneliu Barbu, Parag Vyas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method provide a proactive mechanism to control pitching of the blades of a wind turbine to compensate for rotor imbalance during normal operation by pitching the blades individually or asymmetrically, based on turbulent wind gust measurements in front of the rotor, determined before it reaches the rotor blades.
Claims16
A method for controlling rotor imbalance of a wind turbine generator in response to an anticipated change in wind dynamics, comprising:
- sensing a plurality of upwind wind dynamics at a desired distance from at least one wind turbine blade in a direction of the wind coming toward the wind turbine generator, wherein at least one of the wind dynamics is distinct from wind speed;
- and
- controlling pitch of at least one blade of the wind turbine generator based upon the plurality of sensed wind dynamics in advance of a change in wind dynamics at the at least one blade, such that rotor imbalance due to wind shear and/or wind turbulence is reduced across the rotor, wherein sensing a plurality of upwind wind dynamics comprises sensing at least two wind parameters selected from upwind wind speed, upwind wind shear, and upwind wind turbulence.
A method for controlling rotor imbalance of a wind turbine generator in response to an anticipated change in wind dynamics, comprising:
- sensing a plurality of upwind wind dynamics at a desired distance from the wind turbine generator in a direction of the wind, wherein at least one sensed upwind wind dynamic is distinct from upwind wind speed;
- determining a feed forward signal based upon a change in the plurality of sensed upwind wind dynamics;
- and
- utilizing the feed forward signal to determine individual blade pitch command signals configured to preemptively and asymmetrically control pitch of a plurality of wind turbine blades in advance of a change in upwind wind dynamics at the wind turbine generator, such that rotor imbalance due to wind shear and/or wind turbulence is reduced across the rotor, wherein sensing a plurality of upwind wind dynamics comprises sensing at least two wind parameters selected from upwind wind speed, upwind wind shear, and upwind wind turbulence.
A wind turbine, comprising:
- a plurality of blades mounted on a rotor;
- at least one upwind wind dynamics sensor configured to sense a plurality of upwind transient wind dynamics at a desired distance from the wind turbine generator in a direction of the wind moving toward the wind turbine generator, wherein at least one upwind transient wind dynamic is distinct from wind speed;
- and
- a pitch control system configured to asymmetrically control pitch of a plurality of blades of the wind turbine generator based upon a change in the plurality of sensed transient wind dynamics in advance of a change in transient wind dynamics at the plurality of blades, such that rotor imbalance due to wind shear and/or turbulence is reduced across the rotor, wherein the sensed upwind transient wind dynamics are selected from wind speed, wind shear and wind turbulence.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.