Innovative Solutions for Minimizing Yaw Misalignment in Wind Turbines

A wind turbine control system that adapts the blade pitch angle and other control parameters when the turbine becomes misaligned with the wind. This adaptation allows the turbine to continue operating efficiently and avoid overloading during rapidly changing wind directions. The control system detects misalignment, calculates a modified lower limit for the blade pitch angle to prevent stalling, and adjusts other control parameters such as torque demand.

A method to improve wind turbine control by accurately aligning the rotor with the wind to maximize energy production while minimizing wear. This method involves calibrating the wind direction sensor to correct its measurements when the rotor is not facing directly upwind. The calibration process includes determining an offset parameter that adjusts the average reading to zero when the rotor is upwind. A compensation parameter is then determined to adjust readings based on the calibrated wind direction, compensating for errors caused by the rotor affecting the sensed wind. These calibrated and compensated measurements are used to determine the actual wind direction and optimize yawing the turbine to face it.

Optimizing wind turbine control by compensating for errors in wind direction measurements that can cause suboptimal yawing and increased wear on the yawing system. The method adjusts the measured wind direction using offsets determined by comparing the yaw angle before and after a yaw event to the wind direction sensor reading. By detecting differences between actual yaw and sensor readings, future wind direction measurements can be adjusted for accuracy. This improves turbine control without additional equipment like LIDAR or met masts.

A wind power generator control system that reduces unnecessary yaw brake usage to minimize vibration and noise. The control system detects the deviation between wind direction and turbine orientation. When the deviation exceeds a threshold, it selectively disables the yaw brake to allow controlled yawing in that direction. This prevents excessive brake use when the turbine rotates beyond the deviation range.

Reducing loads on a wind turbine yaw system by performing blade pitch control before yawing the nacelle to reduce yaw moments. This method helps to reduce the forces on the yaw system when the turbine is not properly aligned with the wind. The pitch control adjusts the blade angles to counteract the yaw moment acting on the turbine before initiating the yaw maneuver. This reduces the load on the yaw drive system and the risk of excessive yaw moments.

An anemometer system for wind turbines that has sensors in the hub nosecone to provide accurate wind speed and direction measurements. This allows precise wind angle alignment and improved yaw control for increased turbine efficiency. The anemometer uses four ultrasonic sensors that measure two intersecting wind velocities. By calculating axial and crosswind components, the turbine can properly yaw to face the wind and optimize blade pitch.

Yaw control system for wind turbines that adaptively adjusts the yaw angle based on a reference model. This improves wind energy capture by tracking the optimal yaw deviation for different wind conditions. A model reference adaptive controller tunes the yaw drive to minimize the difference between actual and optimal yaw angles. This compensates for factors like wind wake effects that can cause the turbine to deviate from the ideal yaw.

A method for verifying the yaw position sensor of a wind turbine and providing accurate yaw data. The method involves comparing the yaw position data from one wind turbine to that of other turbines in the same wind farm. If the data from one turbine deviates significantly from the others, it indicates a faulty sensor. The turbine can then replace the inaccurate yaw data with that from the other turbines to maintain accurate wind direction alignment. This allows the detection and mitigation of faulty sensors without needing to shut down the turbine.

Minimizing energy loss due to nacelle yaw untwist in a wind turbine by dynamically optimizing when to untwist the cables based on wind conditions. The method involves monitoring wind speed and nacelle position. When the nacelle has rotated above a threshold and wind speed is below a threshold, it triggers yaw untwist. This avoids untwisting during productive wind conditions. The result is a system and method to minimize energy loss due to untwisting while still preventing excessive cable twists.

Yaw brake system for wind turbines that can effectively brake yawing while overcoming limited space in the nacelle. The system uses a multi-disk member in the tower that interlocks with braking members in the nacelle to brake yawing. This allows effective braking without needing a separate brake in the nacelle. Using multiple disks and braking members provides increased braking force for larger turbines. This overcomes limited space for larger equipment while being able to more effectively due to rapid wind changes.

Increasing yaw speed of a wind turbine rotor in order to reduce yaw error when extreme wind gusts occur. Rapidly reducing yaw error during extreme changes in wind direction reduces the maximum loads that wind turbine components must withstand. The higher yaw rotation speed is only used briefly when yaw error exceeds a threshold.

An apparatus for reducing the yaw error of a wind turbine to improve performance compared to conventional wind vane based systems. The apparatus includes a separate wind sensor system that measures the yaw error of the turbine. It then modifies the control signal sent to the turbine's yaw motor based on the error, along with additional inputs like power generation, meteorological data, deformation, vibrations, and cardinal direction. This optimizes yaw control for conditions and reduces loads.

A method and system for accurately detecting yaw error of a wind turbine to optimize wind energy capture. The system uses pressure measurements on the turbine spinner to detect the degree of yaw error. The pressure fluctuations when the spinner is facing directly into the wind serve as a reference. Deviations from this reference indicate yaw error, with the phase offset of the pressure fluctuations providing a direct measurement of the yaw error angle. This allows precise determination of the turbine misalignment angle without using unreliable weather station data.

Yawing suppression for floating offshore wind turbines reduces adverse effects on power generation and turbine stress from nacelle yawing due to gyroscopic forces. The suppression is achieved by a hydrodynamic damper attached to the tower structure below the nacelle. The damper interferes with surrounding fluid flow to counteract nacelle yawing caused by gyroscopic forces from the spinning rotor. This allows the freely rotating nacelle to follow wind direction by weathercocking while suppressing additional oscillatory yaw.