Optimal Control of a Wind Turbine With a Variable Ratio Gearbox for Maximum Energy Capture and Prolonged Gear Life

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed L. Shaltout ◽  
John F. Hall ◽  
Dongmei Chen
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Control ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Gear Tooth ◽  
Tangential Force ◽  
Maximum Energy ◽  
Variable Ratio ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Control Approach ◽  
Energy Capture

An optimal control approach for a wind turbine drivetrain with a variable ratio gearbox is presented. The objective is to find the optimum shifting sequence of the variable ratio gearbox in order to maximize power generation and extend gear life. The employment of a variable ratio gearbox enhances the capabilities of the wind turbine to cope with wind speed variations. Based on the authors' preliminary study, the gear ratios of the variable ratio gearbox were carefully selected to maximize the wind energy capture. In this paper, a new control approach is proposed to achieve both extended gear service life and optimal energy harvesting. This new approach finds the gear shifting sequence that will minimize the tangential force on the gear tooth while maximizing the wind energy capture. The wind turbine drivetrain with a variable ratio gearbox is modeled and simulation results based on recorded wind data of different wind classes are presented and compared.

An Integrated Control and Design Framework for Optimizing Energy Capture and Component Life for a Wind Turbine Variable Ratio Gearbox

2015 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
John F. Hall ◽  
Dushyant Palejiya ◽  
Mohamed L. Shaltout ◽  
Dongmei Chen
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Integrated Control ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Maximum Energy ◽  
Variable Ratio ◽  
Wind Turbine Gearbox ◽  
Energy Capture ◽  
Development Framework ◽  
System Life

Small wind turbines are a promising technology that can provide renewable power to rural and remote communities. In order to increase the efficiency and competitiveness of small wind technology, it is necessary to maximize the wind energy capture and to prolong the turbine system life. Accordingly, this paper presents an integrated development framework that optimizes component design goals, including durability and minimal gearbox mass, with the control objective of producing maximum energy over the turbine system’s 20-yr life. This study focuses on the wind turbine gearbox, which plays a critical role in achieving high efficiency and extended system life. A variable ratio gearbox (VRG) previously developed by the authors is used as an example to demonstrate the methodology. In this paper, an algorithm developed for optimizing the VRG gear ratio is integrated with the design selection of commercially available gears, which will be used to construct the VRG gearbox. The proposed multi-objective framework is capable of identifying the optimal gearsets based on a trade-off between selecting gearsets that maximize wind turbine efficiency and choosing gearsets that best meet the design requirements.

An Adaptive Economic Model Predictive Control Approach for Wind Turbines

2017 ◽  
Vol 140 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed L. Shaltout ◽  
Zheren Ma ◽  
Dongmei Chen
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Control ◽  
Model Predictive Control ◽  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Predictive Control ◽  
Economic Model ◽  
Adaptive Approach ◽  
Energy Capture ◽  
Model Plant ◽  
Economic Model Predictive Control

Motivated by the reduction of overall wind power cost, considerable research effort has been focused on enhancing both efficiency and reliability of wind turbines. Maximizing wind energy capture while mitigating fatigue loads has been one of the main goals for control design. Recent developments in remote wind speed measurement systems (e.g., light detection and ranging (LIDAR)) have paved the way for implementing advanced control algorithms in the wind energy industry. In this paper, an LIDAR-assisted economic model predictive control (MPC) framework with a real-time adaptive approach is presented to achieve the aforementioned goal. First, the formulation of a convex optimal control problem is introduced, with linear dynamics and convex constraints that can be solved globally. Then, an adaptive approach is proposed to reject the effects of model-plant mismatches. The performance of the developed control algorithm is compared to that of a standard wind turbine controller, which is widely used as a benchmark for evaluating new control designs. Simulation results show that the developed controller can reduce the tower fatigue load with minimal impact on energy capture. For model-plant mismatches, the adaptive controller can drive the wind turbine to its optimal operating conditions while satisfying the optimal control objectives.

scholarly journals Moving Accelerometers to the Tip: Monitoring of Wind Turbine Blade Bending Using 3D Accelerometers and Model-Based Bending Shapes

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (18) ◽  
pp. 5337
Author(s):  
Theresa Loss ◽  
Alexander Bergmann
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Rotation Frequency ◽  
Real Data ◽  
Maximum Energy ◽  
Wind Turbine Blades ◽  
Energy Capture ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Blade Tip ◽  
Wind Profiles

Increasing the length of wind turbine blades for maximum energy capture leads to larger loads and forces acting on the blades. In particular, alternate bending due to gravity or nonuniform wind profiles leads to increased loads and imminent fatigue. Therefore, blade monitoring in operation is needed to optimise turbine settings and, consequently, to reduce alternate bending. In our approach, an acceleration model was used to analyse periodically occurring deviations from uniform bending. By using hierarchical clustering, significant bending patterns could be extracted and patterns were analysed with regard to reference data. In a simulation of alternate bending effects, various effects were successfully represented by different bending patterns. A real data experiment with accelerometers mounted at the blade tip of turbine blades demonstrated a clear relation between the rotation frequency and the resulting bending patterns. Additionally, the markedness of bending shapes could be used to assess the amount of alternate bending of the blade in both simulations and experiment.s The results demonstrate that model-based bending shapes provide a strong indication for alternate bending and, consequently, can be used to optimise turbine settings.

scholarly journals USING DYNAMIC NEURAL NETWORKS TO GENERATE CHAOS: AN INVERSE OPTIMAL CONTROL APPROACH

2001 ◽  
Vol 11 (03) ◽  
pp. 857-863 ◽  
Author(s):  
EDGAR N. SANCHEZ ◽  
JOSE P. PEREZ ◽  
GUANRONG CHEN
Keyword(s):  
Neural Networks ◽  
Optimal Control ◽  
Chaotic Attractors ◽  
Control Law ◽  
Inverse Optimal Control ◽  
Dynamic Neural Network ◽  
Dynamic Neural Networks ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Control Approach ◽  
Optimal Control Approach

This Letter suggests a new approach to generating chaos via dynamic neural networks. This approach is based on a recently introduced methodology of inverse optimal control for nonlinear systems. Both Chen's chaotic system and Chua's circuit are used as examples for demonstration. The control law is derived to force a dynamic neural network to reproduce the intended chaotic attractors. Computer simulations are included for illustration and verification.

Wind Energy Potential Assessment and Wind Turbine Performance Investigation in the Cotonou Coast (Benin Republic)

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 89-98
Author(s):  
Maurel Aza-Gnandji ◽  
François Xavier Fifatin ◽  
Frédéric Dubas ◽  
Christophe Espanet ◽  
Antoine Vianou
Keyword(s):  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Maximum Energy ◽  
Capacity Factor ◽  
Energy Potential ◽  
Turbine Performance ◽  
Best Fitting ◽  
Wind Energy Potential ◽  
Wind Resource ◽  
Benin Republic

This paper presents a study of the monthly variability of wind energy potential at several heights and an investigation of the best fitting commercial wind turbine in the Cotonou coast (Benin Republic). The monthly Weibull parameters are calculated at 10 m and extrapolated at 30 and 50 m heights. The monthly Weibull wind power density and the wind speed carrying maximum energy are calculated at 10, 30 and 50 m. We showed that wind resource in the Cotonou coast is favorable for wind energy production at 30 and 50 m heights. The capacity factor of selected commercial wind turbines is calculated to investigate the best fitting wind turbine in the Cotonou coast. It turns out that Polaris 19-50 is the best fitting wind turbine in the selected turbines with a mean capacity factor of 0.49.

Optimal Control of a Wind Turbine for Tradeoff Analysis Between Energy Harvesting and Noise Emission

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed L. Shaltout ◽  
Dongmei Chen
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Control ◽  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Load Condition ◽  
Noise Emission ◽  
Continuous Growth ◽  
Control Approach ◽  
The Public ◽  
Partial Load ◽  
Blade Pitch Angle

An optimal control approach for a wind turbine drivetrain with the objective of maximizing energy harvesting and minimizing noise emission is presented. One of the major challenges facing the public acceptance for continuous growth of wind turbine installation is its noise emission. However, reducing the noise emission could lead to decreased wind energy harvesting. As a result, a tradeoff arises between power generation and noise emission, especially when a wind turbine operates under the partial-load condition. This paper will show that through controlling the generator electromagnetic torque and/or the blade pitch angle, an optimal tradeoff between wind turbine energy harvesting and noise emission can be obtained. The dynamic model of a wind turbine drivetrain and a noise emission prediction model are also presented. Simulation results of using the proposed control design for different wind speed ranges are analyzed and compared.

Methods for Increasing Region 2 Power Capture on a Variable-Speed Wind Turbine

2004 ◽  
Vol 126 (4) ◽  
pp. 1092-1100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn E. Johnson ◽  
Lee J. Fingersh ◽  
Mark J. Balas ◽  
Lucy Y. Pao
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Maximum Energy ◽  
Control Methods ◽  
Variable Speed ◽  
Rotor Speed ◽  
Energy Capture ◽  
Control Scheme ◽  
Variable Speed Wind Turbine ◽  
Power Capture ◽  
Speed Fluctuations

The standard region 2 control scheme for a variable-speed wind turbine, τc=Kω2, has several shortcomings that can result in significant power loss. The first of these is that there is no accurate way to determine the gain K; modeling programs are not accurate enough to represent all of the complex aerodynamics, and these aerodynamics change over time. Furthermore, it is not certain whether the value of K used in the standard control even provides for the maximum energy capture under real-world turbulent conditions. We introduce new control methods to address these issues. First, we show in simulation that using smaller values of K than the standard can result in increased energy capture. Second, we give simulation results showing that an optimally tracking rotor control scheme can improve upon the standard scheme by assisting the rotor speed in tracking wind-speed fluctuations more rapidly. Finally, we propose an adaptive control scheme that allows for maximum power capture despite parameter uncertainty.

Research on Capture the Maximum Wind Energy Base on Fuzzy PID Controller

2012 ◽  
Vol 268-270 ◽  
pp. 1422-1425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Ming Liu ◽  
En Yong Yi ◽  
Xiao Dong Wang ◽  
Hong Fang Xie
Keyword(s):  
Wind Energy ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Reactive Power ◽  
Maximum Power ◽  
Speed Ratio ◽  
Energy Capture ◽  
Maximum Wind ◽  
Fuzzy Pid Controller ◽  
Doubly Fed ◽  
Random Fluctuations

Abstract:This paper studies the control strategy of doubly-fed wind turbine to capture the maximum wind energy.The maximum wind energy capture is a more important part of the wind generation. Due to random fluctuations of the wind speed, to track the maximum power of wind turbine,we need to constantly adjust the speed of the generator, so that the generation run in the optimal tip speed ratio in different wind conditions,in order to achieve maximum power tracking. In this paper, the stator output indirect control the generator speed to achieve maximum wind energy capture,and decoupling control of active power and reactive power can be achieved.the MATLAB / SIMULINK simulation results verify the correctness and feasibility of this method.

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