System and method for reducing wind turbine noise during high wind speed conditions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018355849-A1
Application number	US-201715618180-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 9, 2017
Priority date	Jun 9, 2017
Publication date	Dec 13, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for reducing noise of a wind turbine includes monitoring, via one or more sensors, a wind speed at the wind turbine. The method also includes determining, via a turbine controller, a nominal wind direction for producing rated power of the wind turbine. Further, the method includes determining a pitch angle of at least one rotor blade of the wind turbine. As such, the method includes determining a yaw offset for a nacelle of the wind turbine based on the wind speed and/or the pitch angle. Thus, the method further includes changing a yaw angle of the nacelle by the yaw offset when the wind speed exceeds a predetermined threshold so as to reduce noise of the wind turbine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for reducing noise of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
determining a wind speed at the wind turbine; determining, via a turbine controller, a nominal wind direction for producing rated power of the wind turbine; determining a pitch angle of at least one rotor blade of the wind turbine; determining a yaw offset for a nacelle of the wind turbine based on the wind speed and the pitch angle; and, changing a yaw angle of the nacelle by the yaw offset when at least one of the wind speed or the pitch angle exceeds a predetermined threshold so as to reduce noise of the wind turbine.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising changing the yaw angle of the nacelle by the yaw offset so as to increase an angle of attack on the rotor blade, wherein the increase of the angle of attack reduces noise from a pressure side surface of the rotor blade.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the yaw offset for the nacelle of the wind turbine based on the wind speed and the pitch angle further comprises selecting a predetermined yaw offset from a look-up table when the wind speed exceeds the predetermined threshold.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the yaw offset for the nacelle of the wind turbine based on the wind speed and the pitch angle further comprises calculating the yaw offset as a function of the wind speed and the pitch angle when the wind speed exceeds the predetermined threshold.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising incrementally yawing the nacelle away from the nominal wind direction over a range of wind speeds.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring the wind speed at the wind turbine in real-time.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of an accelerometer, a wind vane, an anemometer, or a LIDAR sensor.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined threshold comprises at least one of wind speeds greater than a wind speed at which the rated power is reached or pitch angles greater than a minimum pitch setting of the wind turbine.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the yaw offset comprises angles greater than about sixteen (16) degrees.

10 . A system for reducing noise of a wind turbine caused by excessive pitching of at least one rotor blade, the system comprising:
at least one sensor configured for monitoring a wind speed at the wind turbine; a controller communicatively coupled to the at least one sensor, the controller comprising at least one processor configured to perform one or more operations, the one or more operations comprising:
determining a nominal wind direction for producing rated power of the wind turbine;
determining a yaw offset for a nacelle of the wind turbine based on, at least, the wind speed; and,
changing a yaw angle of the nacelle by the yaw offset when the wind speed exceeds a predetermined threshold so as to increase an angle of attack on the rotor blade, wherein the increase of the angle of attack reduces noise from a pressure side surface of the rotor blade.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more operations further comprise:
determining a pitch angle of at least one rotor blade of the wind turbine; and, determining the yaw offset for the nacelle of the wind turbine based on the wind speed and the pitch angle.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein determining the yaw offset for the nacelle of the wind turbine based on the wind speed and the pitch angle further comprises selecting a predetermined yaw offset from a look-up table when the wind speed exceeds the predetermined threshold.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein determining the yaw offset for the nacelle of the wind turbine based on the wind speed and the pitch angle further comprises calculating the yaw offset as a function of the wind speed and the pitch angle when the wind speed exceeds the predetermined threshold.

14 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising incrementally yawing the nacelle away from the nominal wind direction over a range of wind speeds.

15 . The system of claim 10 , further comprising monitoring the wind speed at the wind turbine in real-time.

16 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise at least one of an accelerometer, a wind vane, an anemometer, or a LIDAR sensor.

17 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined threshold comprises wind speeds greater than a wind speed at which the rated power is reached.

18 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the yaw offset comprises angles greater than about sixteen (16) degrees.

19 . A method for reducing noise of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
monitoring, via one or more sensors, a wind speed at the wind turbine; determining, via a turbine controller, a nominal wind direction for producing rated power of the wind turbine; determining a yaw offset for a nacelle of the wind turbine based on, at least, the wind speed; and, changing a yaw angle of the nacelle by the yaw offset when the wind speed exceeds a predetermined threshold so as to increase an angle of attack on the rotor blade, wherein the increase of the angle of attack reduces noise from a pressure side surface of the rotor blade.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:
determining a pitch angle of at least one rotor blade of the wind turbine; and, determining the yaw offset for the nacelle of the wind turbine based on the wind speed and the pitch angle.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Wetzel Drew Adam
• Hallissy Benjamin
• Ehrmann Robert

Classifications

• F05B2270/321

  Wind directions · CPC title

• F05B2270/328

  Blade pitch angle · CPC title

• F05B2260/96

  Preventing, counteracting or reducing vibration or noise · CPC title

• F03D7/0204

  for orientation in relation to wind direction · CPC title

• F03D7/0296 Primary

  to prevent, counteract or reduce noise emissions · CPC title