System and method for micrositing a wind farm for loads optimization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10598151-B2
Application number	US-201615165019-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2016
Priority date	May 26, 2016
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for micrositing a wind farm having a plurality of wind turbines. The method includes (a) determining, via a loads optimization function, one or more wind directions with or without turbine shadow for each of the wind turbines in the wind farm, (b) determining, via the loads optimization function, at least one additional wind parameter for each of the wind directions, (c) calculating, via simulation, loads for each of the wind turbines in the wind farm based on the identified wind directions with or without turbine shadow for each of the wind turbines in the wind farm and the at least one additional wind parameter for each of the wind directions, and (d) determining a site layout for the wind farm based on the calculated loads.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of maximizing power output of a wind farm having a plurality of wind turbines, the method comprising:
(a) receiving a predetermined site layout for the wind farm;
(b) determining a number of hours of operation at different wind directions with or without turbine shadow for each of the wind turbines in the wind farm for the predetermined site layout;
(c) receiving a wind speed and a turbulence intensity for each of the wind directions;
(d) calculating, via computer-implemented simulation, loads for each of the plurality of wind turbines in the wind farm as a function of the number of hours of operation at different wind directions with or without turbine shadow for each of the wind turbines in the wind farm, the wind speed, and the turbulence intensity for each of the wind directions;
(e) comparing the calculated loads to a predetermined threshold;
(f) if the calculated loads are below the predetermined threshold, approving of the predetermined site layout; and
(g) after installation of the wind farm according to the predetermined site layout, controlling one or more turbine components of the plurality of wind turbines in the wind farm so as to maximize the power output of the wind farm, the various components comprising at least of a generator, a power converter, a pitch system, one or more brakes, or a yaw mechanism.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, if the calculated loads are at or above the predetermined threshold, providing a different site layout for the wind farm and repeating steps (b) through (f).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined threshold corresponds to one or more design load values for one or more wind turbine components plus a safety factor.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying at least one of the following: one or more sensor locations for load sensors on each of the wind turbines, neighboring turbines for each of the wind turbines, or a wind speed distribution of the wind farm.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising calculating the loads for each of the plurality of wind turbines in the wind farm as a function of at least one of the load sensors, the neighboring turbines, and/or the wind speed distribution.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing cumulative loads in one or more wind directions with design loads of a turbine model of each of the plurality of wind turbines in the wind farm and calculating the loads of each of the plurality of wind turbines in the wind farm as a function of the comparison.

7. A system for maximizing power output of a wind farm having a plurality of wind turbines, the system comprising:
a controller comprising at least one processor, the processor comprising a loads optimization loop stored therein, the loads optimization loop configured to implement a loads optimization function, the loads optimization function comprising:
receiving a wind speed and a turbulence intensity for each of the wind directions;
determining a number of hours of operation at different wind directions with or without turbine shadow for each of the wind turbines in the wind farm for the predetermined site layout;
receiving at least one additional wind parameter for each of the wind directions;
calculating loads for each of the wind turbines in the wind farm as a function of the number of hours of operation at different wind directions with or without turbine shadow for each of the wind turbines in the wind farm, the wind speed, and the turbulence intensity for each of the wind directions;
comparing the calculated loads to a predetermined threshold; and
if the calculated loads are below the predetermined threshold, approving of the predetermined site layout for installation;
the processor further configured to perform one or more additional operations, the one or more additional operations comprising:
after installation of the wind farm according to the predetermined site layout, controlling one or more turbine components of the plurality of wind turbines in the wind farm, so as to maximize the power output of the wind farm, the various components comprising at least of a generator, a power converter, a pitch system, one or more brakes, or a yaw mechanism.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more wind conditions comprise at least one of wind direction, turbine shadow, turbulence intensity, or wind speed distributions in respective wind directions.

9. The system of claim 7 , further comprising, if the calculated loads are at or above the predetermined threshold, providing a different site layout for the wind farm and repeating steps (b) through (f).

10. The system of claim 7 , further comprising identifying at least one of the following: one or more sensor locations for load sensors on each of the wind turbines, neighboring turbines for each of the wind turbines, or a wind speed distribution of the wind farm.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising calculating the loads for each of the wind turbines in the wind farm as a function of at least one of the sensor locations, the neighboring turbines, or the wind speed distribution.

12. The system of claim 7 , further comprising comparing cumulative loads in one or more wind directions with design loads of a turbine model of each of the wind turbines in the wind farm and calculating the loads of each of the wind turbines in the wind farm as a function of the comparison.

13. The system of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined threshold corresponds to one or more design load values for one or more wind turbine components plus a safety factor.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Saxena Vikas
• Gujju Srinivasa Reddy

Classifications

• F05B2270/20

  to optimise the performance of a machine · CPC title

• G05B17/02

  electric · CPC title

• F05B2270/321

  Wind directions · CPC title

• F03D80/00

  Details, components or accessories not provided for in groups F03D1/00 - F03D17/00 · CPC title

• F05B2270/3201

  "cut-off" or "shut-down" wind speed · CPC title