Method for controlling a wind farm under turbulent wind conditions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11959461-B2
Application number	US-202017618316-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 29, 2020
Priority date	Jun 14, 2019
Publication date	Apr 16, 2024
Grant date	Apr 16, 2024

Abstract

A method for controlling wind turbines of a wind farm is disclosed. The wind farm is positioned at a site which includes one or more turbulence generating structures, such as hills, valleys, trees or buildings. A wind direction at the site of the wind farm is detected, and one or more upstream wind turbines and one or more downstream wind turbines are identified, based on the detected wind direction, where each of the upstream wind turbines is arranged in front of one or more of the downstream wind turbines, as seen in the wind direction. If it is detected that turbulent wind conditions are occurring, based on measurements performed by the wind turbines of the wind farm, then at least one of the upstream wind turbines is controlled based on measurements performed by at least one wind turbine which is a downstream wind turbine relative to the upstream wind turbine.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling wind turbines of a wind farm comprising a plurality of wind turbines, the wind farm being positioned at a site which includes one or more turbulence generating structures, the method comprising:
detecting a wind direction at the site of the wind farm;
identifying one or more upstream wind turbines and one or more downstream wind turbines, based on the detected wind direction, where each of the upstream wind turbines is arranged in front of one or more of the downstream wind turbines, as seen in the wind direction;
detecting that turbulent wind conditions are occurring, based on measurements performed by the wind turbines of the wind farm, and wherein detecting that turbulent wind conditions are occurring comprises:
measuring wind speed by one of the one or more upstream wind turbines and by one of the one or more downstream wind turbines; and
determining that turbulent wind conditions are occurring if the wind speed measured by the one of the one or more downstream wind turbines exceeds the wind speed measured by the one of the one or more upstream wind turbines by a predefined wind speed difference; and

controlling at least one of the upstream wind turbines based on measurements performed by at least one wind turbine which is a downstream wind turbine relative to the upstream wind turbine.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling at least one of the upstream wind turbines comprises derating the upstream wind turbine in the case that a wind speed measured by the at least one downstream wind turbine exceeds a predefined first threshold value.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling at least one of the upstream wind turbines comprises stopping the upstream wind turbine in the case that a wind speed measured by the at least one downstream wind turbine exceeds a predefined second threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting that turbulent wind conditions are occurring is performed on the basis of wind speed measurements performed by at least two of the wind turbines of the wind farm.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one turbulence generating structure forms part of a terrain of the site of the wind farm.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one turbulence generating structure is or forms part of an object positioned at the site of the wind farm.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the at least one of the upstream wind turbines based on measurements performed by the at least one wind turbine which is the downstream wind turbine relative to the upstream wind turbine is performed only if the detected wind direction is within a predefined wind direction range.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting a wind direction is performed on the basis of measurements performed by the wind turbines of the wind farm.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting that turbulent wind conditions are no longer occurring; and
stop controlling the at least one upstream wind turbine based on measurements performed by the at least one downstream wind turbine.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the at least one of the upstream wind turbines comprises:
derating the upstream wind turbine in the case that a wind speed measured by the at least one downstream wind turbine exceeds a predefined first threshold value; and
stopping the upstream wind turbine in the case that a wind speed measured by the at least one downstream wind turbine exceeds a predefined second threshold value.

11. A method for controlling wind turbines of a wind farm comprising a plurality of wind turbines, the wind farm being positioned at a site which includes one or more turbulence generating structures, the method comprising:
detecting a wind direction at the site of the wind farm;
identifying one or more upstream wind turbines and one or more downstream wind turbines, based on the detected wind direction, where each of the upstream wind turbines is arranged in front of one or more of the downstream wind turbines, as seen in the wind direction;
detecting that turbulent wind conditions are occurring, based on measurements performed by the wind turbines of the wind farm;
in response to determining that the turbulent wind conditions are occurring, switching a first control scheme to a second control scheme, wherein implementing the first control scheme comprises controlling at least one of the one or more downstream wind turbines based on measurements performed by at least one of the one or more upstream wind turbines, and wherein implementing the second control scheme comprises:
controlling at least one of the upstream wind turbines based on measurements performed by at least one wind turbine which is a downstream wind turbine relative to the upstream wind turbine, wherein controlling at least one of the upstream wind turbines comprises:
derating the upstream wind turbine in the case that a wind speed measured by the at least one downstream wind turbine exceeds a predefined first threshold value; and
stopping the upstream wind turbine in the case that a wind speed measured by the at least one downstream wind turbine exceeds a predefined second threshold value.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein detecting that turbulent wind conditions are occurring is performed on the basis of wind speed measurements performed by at least two of the wind turbines of the wind farm.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein detecting that turbulent wind conditions are occurring comprises:
measuring wind speed by one of the one or more upstream wind turbines and by one of the one or more downstream wind turbines; and
determining that turbulent wind conditions are occurring if the wind speed measured by the one of the one or more downstream wind turbines exceeds the wind speed measured by the one of the one or more upstream wind turbines by a predefined wind speed difference.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein at least one turbulence generating structure forms part of a terrain of the site of the wind farm.

15. The method of claim 11 , at least one turbulence generating structure is or forms part of an object positioned at the site of the wind farm.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein controlling the at least one of the upstream wind turbines based on measurements performed by the at least one wind turbine which is the downstream wind turbine relative to the upstream wind turbine is performed only if the detected wind direction is within a predefined wind direction range.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein detecting a wind direction is performed on the basis of measurements performed by the wind turbines of the wind farm.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
detecting that turbulent wind conditions are no longer occurring; and
stop controlling the at least one upstream wind turbine based on measurements performed by the at least one downstream wind turbine.

19. A method for controlling wind turbines of a wind farm comprising a plurality of wind turbines, the wind farm being positioned at a site which includes one or more turbulence generating structures, the method comprising:
detecting a wind direction at the site of the wind farm;
identifying one or more upstream wind turbines and one or more downstream wind turbines, based on the detected wind direction, where each of the upstream wind turbines is arranged in front of one or more of the downstream wind turbines, as seen in the wind direction;
detecting that turbulent wind conditions are o

Assignees

• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Frank Marco
• Franz Michael
• Schelch Gernot

Classifications

• F03D7/048 Primary

  controlling wind farms · CPC title

• F05B2270/32

  Wind speeds · CPC title

• F05B2270/321

  Wind directions · CPC title

• F03D9/48

  using landscape topography, e.g. valleys · CPC title

• Y02B10/30

  Wind power · CPC title