System and method for improving LIDAR sensor signal availability on a wind turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10338202-B2
Application number	US-201615008858-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2016
Priority date	Jan 28, 2016
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

The present subject matter is directed to a system and method for sequencing Light Detecting and Ranging (LIDAR) sensor beam signals from a LIDAR sensor mounted on a nacelle of a wind turbine with the rotor position of the wind turbine so as to improve signal availability. More specifically, the method includes generating, via the LIDAR sensor, one or more laser signals towards the rotor of the wind turbine, the rotor having one or more rotor blades. The method also includes receiving, via a controller, a rotor position of the rotor of the wind turbine. Thus, the method further includes coordinating, via a control algorithm programmed within the controller, the rotor position with the one or more laser signals of the laser sensor so as to minimize interference between the laser signal(s) and the rotor blades during rotation of the rotor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for improving signal availability of a laser sensor mounted on a nacelle of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
generating, via the laser sensor, one or more laser signals towards a rotor of the wind turbine, the rotor comprising one or more rotor blades mounted to a rotatable hub;
receiving, via a controller, a rotor position of the rotor of the wind turbine; and,
coordinating, via a control algorithm programmed within the controller, the rotor position with the one or more laser signals of the laser sensor so as to minimize interference between the laser signals and the rotor blades during rotation of the rotor, wherein coordinating the rotor position with the one or more laser signals of the laser sensor further comprises switching a rotational direction of the one or more laser signals.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the laser sensor comprises a Light Detecting and Ranging (LIDAR) sensor.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more laser signals comprise fiber-optic-based laser signals.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the controller comprises at least one of a LIDAR controller or a wind turbine controller.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising detecting, via one or more sensors, the rotor position of the rotor.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of main shaft positional sensors, hub sensors, pitch system sensors, or the LIDAR sensor.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising optimizing a mounting location of the laser sensor on the nacelle of the wind turbine so as to minimize interference of the rotor blades with the one or more laser signals.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising optimizing geometry of the one or more laser signals, wherein the geometry of the one or more laser signals further comprises at least one of cone angle shape, fore-aft orientation, or side-to-side orientation of the one or more laser signals.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein coordinating the rotor position with the one or more laser signals of the laser sensor further comprises:
receiving the geometry of the one or more laser signals and one or more laser signal switch times, and
defining, via the control algorithm, a sequencing control scheme for the laser sensor.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein coordinating the rotor position with the one or more laser signals of the laser sensor further comprises switching the one or more laser signals off as one of the rotor blades rotates through a path of the one or more laser signals.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein coordinating the rotor position with the one or more laser signals of the laser sensor further comprises switching the one or more laser signals on if the rotor blades are not in the path of the one or more laser signals.

12. A method for optimizing operation of a wind turbine having a rotor with one or more rotor blades, the method comprising:
generating, via a LIDAR sensor mounted on a nacelle of the wind turbine, one or more laser signals towards the rotor;
receiving, via a controller of the LIDAR sensor, a rotor position of the rotor;
coordinating, via a control algorithm programmed within the controller of the LIDAR sensor, the rotor position with the one or more laser signals of the LIDAR sensor, wherein coordinating the rotor position with the one or more laser signals of the LIDAR sensor further comprises switching a rotational direction of the one or more laser signals; and,
defining, via the control algorithm, a sequencing control scheme based on the coordination so as to minimize interference between the laser signals and the rotor blades during rotation of the rotor.

13. A system for improving signal availability of a Light Detecting and Ranging (LIDAR) sensor mounted on a nacelle of a wind turbine, the system comprising:
one or more sensors configured to generate signals indicative of a rotor position of a rotor of the wind turbine, the rotor having one or more rotor blades, the sensors comprising at least one LIDAR sensor configured to generate one or more laser signals towards the rotor of the wind turbine; and,
a controller configured to receive the one or more laser signals, the controller comprising a control algorithm configured to coordinate the rotor position with the one or more laser signals of the LIDAR sensor so as to minimize interference between the laser signals and the rotor blades during rotation of the rotor, wherein coordinating the rotor position with the one or more laser signals of the LIDAR sensor further comprises switching a rotational direction of the one or more laser signals.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the one or more sensors further comprise at least one of main shaft positional sensors, hub sensors, or pitch system sensors.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller comprises at least one of a LIDAR controller or a wind turbine controller.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the laser signals comprise fiber-optic-based laser signals.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to optimize geometry of the one or more laser signals, wherein the geometry of the one or more laser signals comprises at least one of cone angle shape, fore-aft orientation, or side-to-side orientation of the one or more laser signals.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is further configured to coordinate the rotor position with the one or more laser signals of the LIDAR sensor by:
receiving the geometry of the one or more laser signals and laser signal switch times, and
defining, via the control algorithm, a sequencing control scheme for the LIDAR sensor based on the laser signals and the switch times.

19. The system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further configured to coordinate the rotor position with the one or more laser signals of the LIDAR sensor by:
switching the one or more laser signals off as one of the rotor blades rotates through a path of the laser signals, and
switching the one or more laser signals on if the rotor blades are not in the path of the laser signals.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Mashtare Dale Robert
• Draper Samuel David
• Markham Thomas Stephen
• Shane Conner B
• Stinson Katherine Derksen

Classifications

• G01S7/497

  Means for monitoring or calibrating · CPC title

• Y02E10/721

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F05B2270/8042

  Lidar systems · CPC title

• G01S17/95

  for meteorological use · CPC title

• F03D17/00 Primary

  Monitoring or testing of wind motors, e.g. diagnostics (testing during commissioning of wind motors F03D13/30) · CPC title