Controller for detecting an ice event at a wind farm

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12012937-B2
Application number	US-201917288859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2019
Priority date	Oct 26, 2018
Publication date	Jun 18, 2024
Grant date	Jun 18, 2024

Abstract

Techniques for determining the presence of ice at a wind farm with a number of wind turbines. The controller receives a current ambient temperature of the wind farm. The controller also receives a measured current wind speed from wind speed sensors of the wind turbines. The controller also receives an estimated current wind speed of each of the wind turbines that is based on measured performance parameters of the associated wind turbine. The controller determines a current wind speed difference between the measured current wind speed and the estimated current wind speed for each of the wind turbines, and determines a current delta distribution based on the current wind speed differences. The controller also determines whether an ice event has occurred, the determination being in dependence on the current ambient temperature and in dependence on the current delta distribution, and then outputs an outcome of the ice event determination.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A controller for determining the presence of ice at a wind farm including a plurality of wind turbines each having a wind speed sensor, the controller comprising:
an input configured to receive:
a current ambient temperature of the wind farm;
a measured current wind speed from each of the wind speed sensors;
an estimated current wind speed of each of the wind turbines, wherein each of the estimated current wind speeds is based on at least one measured performance parameter of an associated wind turbine within the plurality of wind turbines; and

a processor configured to:
train the plurality of wind turbines within the wind farm to generate a reference delta distribution, wherein the training comprises operating the plurality of wind turbines in an environment having a reference ambient temperature greater than a reference threshold temperature;
upon determining that the current ambient temperature is lower than the reference threshold temperature, determine a current wind speed difference between the measured current wind speed and the estimated current wind speed for each of the wind turbines;
generate a current delta distribution based on the current wind speed differences, wherein the current delta distribution comprises one or more quantiles, and each quantile indicates a percentage of the current wind speed differences falling below a certain value within the current delta distribution; and
upon determining that an ice event has occurred by comparing the current delta distribution with the reference delta distribution, discard data collected by the wind speed sensors during a prescribed period of time, wherein the ice event comprises ice being present on one or more of the wind speed sensors or one or more blades of the wind turbines during the prescribed period of time.

2. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein when the current ambient temperature is greater than a threshold ambient temperature, the processor is configured to determine that the ice event has not occurred.

3. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein, during a training period of the wind farm:
the input is configured to receive:
a measured reference wind speed from each of the wind speed sensors;
an estimated reference wind speed of each of the wind turbines, wherein each of the estimated reference wind speeds is based on the at least one measured performance parameter of the associated wind turbine; and

the processor is configured to:
determine a reference wind speed difference between the measured reference wind speed and the estimated reference wind speed for each of the wind turbines; and
determine the reference delta distribution based on the reference wind speed differences.

4. The controller according to claim 3 , wherein, during the training period of the wind farm:
the input is configured to receive the reference ambient temperature of the wind farm; and
the processor is configured to determine the reference delta distribution based on those of the reference wind speed differences associated with the reference ambient temperature being greater than the reference threshold temperature.

5. The controller according to claim 1 , wherein:
the input is configured to receive:
a measured further reference wind speed of each of a plurality of further wind turbines, wherein the measured further reference is from a further wind speed sensor associated with a respective further wind turbine of the plurality of further wind turbines; and
an estimated further reference wind speed of each of the plurality of further wind turbines, wherein the estimated further reference wind speed is based on at least one measured performance parameter of a respective further wind turbine of the plurality of further wind turbines; and

the processor is configured to:
determine a further reference wind speed difference between the measured further reference wind speed and the estimated further reference wind speed for each of the plurality of further wind turbines; and
determine the reference delta distribution based on the further reference wind speed difference for each of the plurality of further wind turbines.

6. The controller according to claim 1 , the processor being configured to determine a lower quantile of the current delta distribution and an upper threshold quantile of the reference delta distribution, and the processor being configured to determine that the ice event has occurred if the lower quantile is above the upper threshold quantile.

7. The controller according to claim 6 , wherein the lower quantile is a lower percentage quantile than the upper threshold quantile.

8. The controller according to claim 1 , the processor being configured to determine an upper quantile of the current delta distribution and a lower threshold quantile of the reference delta distribution, and the processor being configured to determine that the ice event has occurred if the upper quantile is below the lower threshold quantile.

9. The controller according to claim 8 , wherein the upper quantile is a higher percentage quantile than the lower threshold quantile.

10. The controller according to claim 1 , the processor being configured to determine whether the ice event has occurred at each of a plurality of prescribed time intervals for a prescribed time period, and the processor being configured to make an overall determination of whether the ice event has occurred for the prescribed time interval in dependence on the determination at each of the prescribed time intervals.

11. A method of determining the presence of ice at a wind farm including a plurality of wind turbines each having a wind speed sensor, the method comprising:
receiving a current ambient temperature of the wind farm;
receiving a current measured wind speed from each of the wind speed sensors;
receiving an estimated current wind speed of each of the wind turbines, wherein each of the estimated current wind speeds is based on at least one measured performance parameter of an associated wind turbine within the plurality of wind turbines;
training the plurality of wind turbines within the wind farm to generate a reference delta distribution, wherein the training comprises operating the plurality of wind turbines in an environment having a reference ambient temperature greater than a reference threshold temperature;
upon determining that the current ambient temperature is lower than the reference threshold temperature, determining a current wind speed difference between the measured current wind speed and the estimated current wind speed for each of the wind turbines;
generating a current delta distribution based on the current wind speed differences, wherein the current delta distribution comprises one or more quantiles, and each quantile indicates a percentage of the current wind speed differences falling below a certain value within the current delta distribution; and
upon determining that an ice event has occurred by comparing the current delta distribution with the reference delta distribution, discarding data collected by the wind speed sensors during a prescribed period of time, wherein the ice event comprises ice being present on one or more of the wind speed sensors or one or more of the plurality of wind turbines during the prescribed period of time.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining that the ice event has not occurred when the current ambient temperature is greater than a threshold ambient temperature.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining a lower quantile of the current delta distribution and an upper threshold qua

Assignees

• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Bertelsen Kresten
• Berra Asier
• Nielsen Carsten Krogh

Classifications

• F03D17/00

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

• F05B2270/325

  Air temperature · CPC title

• F05B2270/32

  Wind speeds · CPC title

• F03D80/40 Primary

  Ice detection; De-icing means · CPC title

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title