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JP-2026076136-A - Control methods for wind power plants

JP2026076136AJP 2026076136 AJP2026076136 AJP 2026076136AJP-2026076136-A

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a control system for wind power plants that maintains efficiency while consuming little to no computing power. [Solution] Each wind turbine has an operating point adjustable by an actuator, a) model a spatial region approximating the wake of each wind turbine with respect to a range of misalignment angles and a predetermined threshold for insufficient wind speed, b) identify wind turbines in the modeled wake of another wind turbine based on the modeled wake, and store identification parameters that associate each wind turbine with the wind turbines in the modeled wake in which it is located, c) consider the identification parameters stored in step b) in order to cluster the wind turbines into a plurality of subfarms, d) optimize the power generated by each subfarm by setting at least one operating setpoint for the wind turbines of each subfarm, and e) apply the operating setpoint to the wind turbine. [Selection Diagram] Figure 8

Inventors

  • ユーゼフ ベン ファデル
  • ニナ クボエンコヴァ
  • イブティヘル ベン ガルビア
  • ファブリス グイルミン

Assignees

  • イエフペ エネルジ ヌヴェル

Dates

Publication Date
20260511
Application Date
20251022
Priority Date
20241023

Claims (13)

  1. A method for controlling a wind turbine in a wind power plant, wherein the wind turbine is of a single type or various types, and each wind turbine in the wind power plant has at least one operating point including a misalignment angle (θ) and/or throttling, and the at least one operating point is adjustable by at least one actuator. The aforementioned method, a) For various wind turbine bins, a range of predetermined misalignment angles (θ) and a predetermined threshold for insufficient wind speed (δ) are determined by modeling a spatial region that approximates the wake of each type of wind turbine (this region is called the modeled wake), b) Based on the wake modeled in step a), identify the wind turbines in the modeled wake of another wind turbine in each wind bin, and store identification parameters that associate each wind turbine with the wind turbine in the modeled wake in each wind bin. c) With respect to a wind turbine bin, the step of clustering the wind turbines into a plurality of subfarms, each containing wind turbines located in the modeled wake of the wind turbine bin or the wind turbine bin closest to the measured wind turbine bin, taking into account the identification parameters stored in step b), d) For each subfarm's wind turbine, the steps of determining at least one operating setpoint, including the misalignment angle (θ) and/or the throttling, by a method that optimizes the power generated by each subfarm, e) A method for controlling a wind turbine, comprising the step of applying the at least one operating setpoint determined in step d) to the wind turbine of the wind turbine by operating the at least one actuator.
  2. A method for controlling a wind power plant according to claim 1, characterized in that steps a), b), c), d), and e) are repeated for each new measurement of the wind turbine bin.
  3. The method for controlling a wind turbine according to claim 1, characterized in that step a) determining the modeled wake is performed for a range of misalignment angles (θ) between -θ and +θ, where these values correspond to limitations defined in the specifications of the wind turbine, and in particular θ is equal to 20°.
  4. The method for controlling a wind power plant according to claim 3, wherein, in step a), each wake modeled for the range of misalignment angles (θ) is the envelope of the sum of multiple wakes modeled for various misalignment angles within the range of angles (θ), and in particular, the envelope of wakes modeled for -θ, +θ, and 0°.
  5. A method for controlling a wind turbine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that step a) determining the modeled wake is performed for a wind speed deficiency threshold (δ) equal to 0.75 m/s to 0.20 m/s, particularly 0.70 m/s to 0.45 m/s, and particularly 0.65 m/s.
  6. A method for controlling a wind turbine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that step a) determining the modeled wake is performed for a wind speed deficiency threshold (δ) considering at least one of the following: the number of wind turbines in the wind turbine, the distance between wind turbines, the configuration of the wind turbine, the geographical location of the wind turbine in the wind turbine, and the parameters of the wind rose.
  7. In step a), the modeled wake is - Considering the wind bin and wake at a certain height, particularly a height equal to the height of the rotor axis supporting the blades of the wind turbine, it is approximated in a two-dimensional representation form with a trapezoidal shape, such that the smallest base of the trapezoid becomes the initial width of the wake. - Or, in particular, a method for controlling a wind power plant according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is approximated in a three-dimensional representation form as a frustum whose smallest base is the initial size of the wake.
  8. A method for controlling a wind turbine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the various wind bins considered in step a) for determining the wake by modeling are all possible wind bins recorded over a certain period, particularly one year, in the geographical area including the wind turbine.
  9. A method for controlling a wind power plant according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, in step b), the distribution of wind bins, particularly wind speed and direction, and/or wind speed and direction, are measured in real time by at least one lidar sensor and/or at least one anemometer and/or at least one SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system.
  10. A method for controlling a wind power plant according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, in step d) determining at least one operating setpoint, the power generated for each sub-farm is optimized in parallel and/or sequentially for each sub-farm.
  11. A method for controlling a wind power plant according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, in step d) determining at least one operating setpoint, the power generated for each subfarm is optimized considering the constraints of structural fatigue of the wind turbine or each type of wind turbine in the wind power plant.
  12. A method for controlling a wind turbine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that step a) determining the modeled wake is performed offline by one or more arbitrary periodic updates and/or arbitrary updates based on measurements of the wind bin performed in real time in step c).
  13. A wind power plant, i.e., a wind turbine power plant, wherein the wind turbines are of a single or multiple type, and each wind turbine of the wind power plant has at least one adjustable operating point including its misalignment angle (θ) and/or throttling, and the at least one operating point is adjustable by at least one actuator, and the wind power plant is equipped with or connected to information technology for implementing the control method described in any one of claims 1 to 4 in order to apply the operating setpoint including its misalignment angle (θ) and/or throttling to the wind turbines of the power plant by acting the actuator.

Description

This invention relates to the field of controlling wind power plants to maximize power generation and reduce wind turbine fatigue. A wind farm (also called a wind park or wind power plant) is a facility that generates electricity using multiple wind turbines. These facilities are installed on land or at sea. Therefore, they are distinguished as onshore wind farms and offshore wind farms (i.e., offshore wind power plants). The wind turbines in these wind farms are generally horizontal-axis wind turbines, equipped with a system that aligns the horizontal rotation axis with the wind direction to maximize the energy the wind turbine obtains. Wind turbines can convert the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical or mechanical energy. To convert wind energy into electrical energy, wind turbines consist of the following elements: - A tower (required for horizontal-axis wind turbines) that allows the rotor to be positioned at a sufficient height to enable its movement, or a tower that allows the rotor to be driven by stronger, more regular winds than those at ground level. This tower may house some of the turbine's electrical and electronic components (modulator, controller, gearbox, generator, etc.). - The nacelle, located at the top of the tower, houses the mechanical, pneumatic, and some electrical and electronic components (modulator, controller, gearbox, generator, etc.) necessary for the machine's operation. The nacelle rotates to orient the rotor in the correct direction. - A rotor fixed to a nacelle, consisting of multiple blades (usually three) and a wind turbine nose cone. The rotor is driven by wind energy and connected directly or indirectly (via a system including a gearbox and a mechanical shaft) to an electric motor (such as a generator) that converts the collected energy into electrical energy. The rotor may be equipped with control systems such as variable-angle blades and aerodynamic brakes. - Optionally, a transmission consisting of two axles (the rotor's mechanical shaft and the electric motor's mechanical shaft) connected by a transmission (gearbox). Since the early 1990s, interest in wind energy has grown, particularly in the European Union (EU), where annual growth rates have reached approximately 20%. This growth is due to wind energy's inherent ability to generate electricity without emitting carbon. To maintain this growth rate, continuous improvements in the efficiency of wind turbines and wind farms are necessary. Increasing wind energy generation requires the development of effective production tools and advanced control tools to improve mechanical performance. Wind turbines are designed to generate electricity at the lowest possible cost. To regulate power generation, control systems have been designed for variable-speed wind turbines. The purpose of these systems is to maximize power generation, minimize rotor speed fluctuations, and minimize fatigue and overload on the structure (blades, tower, platform). Wind power plants are generally affected by what is called the "wake effect." This is a phenomenon where turbulence generated by turbines located upstream of a wind power plant prevents other turbines from maintaining optimal power generation conditions. Specifically, a swirling wake is formed downstream of the wind turbine, and in this wake, some of the wind's kinetic energy is absorbed by the wind turbine, increasing the turbulence level and thus reducing the average wind speed. (The terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the position of a wind turbine relative to other wind turbines in the direction of the prevailing wind at a particular point in time.) A known strategy for maximizing the energy production of a wind turbine is to orient the rotor in the direction of the wind. In this case, the angle between the rotor and the wind direction (called the misalignment angle or yaw angle) is 0°. Figure 1 schematically and non-restrictively illustrates the misalignment angle. Figure 1 is a bird's-eye view of a wind turbine. The wind turbine comprises blades 1 and a nacelle 2 oriented in direction AA. The wind is represented by an arrow U with direction DD. The angle θ between direction AA and direction DD is the misalignment angle. When the turbine of the wind turbine coincides with the wind direction, the angle θ is 0. However, applying this strategy (misalignment angle θ = zero) to all turbines using the so-called "greedy" method in a wind power plant results in the effects of the so-called "wake effect." The wake effect is a phenomenon where, as wind turbines extract energy from the wind, downstream wind speed decreases and turbulence increases. As a result, conditions become less than optimal for energy production by downstream turbines, potentially leading to a total offshore production loss of up to 40%. To mitigate this effect, a certain number of controllable actuators can be used. For example, controlling the blade orientation or generator torque can influence energy cap