Optimization and control strategy for wind turbine aerodynamic performance under uncertainties

What is it about?

Aerodynamic performance of wind turbine governs the overall energy efficiency, which has been an ever-lasting research focus in the field of wind power technology. However, the practical aerodynamic performance may not be reliably predicted. During the process of manufacturing, installation and operation of wind turbines, many uncertain factors exhibit, which source from manufacturing assembly errors, slow response of control system, random fluctuations of inflow wind due to variable environmental torrential topographies and climates. The structure and operating conditions uncertainties will inevitably lead to discrepancy between the practical results and the target design values, which severely negates the stability and reliability of wind turbines. To aggravate, this performance declines with time in service. It is of great significance to efficiently and reliably assess the impact of uncertain factors, and reduce these influences on wind turbine aerodynamic performance. In this paper, an uncertainty analysis and optimization model with uncertainty factors for wind turbine aerodynamic performance is established. Taking NREL 5MW wind turbine as an example, the influence of uncertainty factors in wind speed and pitch angle on aerodynamic performances including power and loads of wind turbine is analyzed. An uncertainty optimization method of wind turbine aerodynamic performance is also proposed. The results show that the coupling uncertainty factors have significant impact on wind turbine aerodynamic performance. But by optimizing and adjusting wind turbine rotor speed and blade pitch angle, the wind turbine rotor power and thrust load variation can be reduced to 9.14% and 9.36% respectively, which indeed reduces the uncertainty effects. The methodology is also applicable to attend the influences of uncertainties on aerodynamic performance for any type of turbine.

Featured Image

Photo by Thomas Reaubourg on Unsplash

Photo by Thomas Reaubourg on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Aerodynamic performance of wind turbine governs the overall energy efficiency, which has been an ever-lasting research focus in the field of wind power technology. Aerodynamic performance, a direct indicator of the energy efficiency and load characteristics. Due to coupling effect among the highly complex environmental and structural uncertainties, the practical aerodynamic performance may not be reliably predicted. To aggravate, this performance declines with time in service, which severely negates the stability and reliability of wind turbines. It is of great significance to efficiently and reliably assess the impact of uncertain factors, and reduce these influences on wind turbine aerodynamic performance. An uncertainty optimization method of wind turbine aerodynamic performance is also proposed by this paper, and the uncertainty effects are also reduced. It provides an effective method to improve the energy efficiency and reduce load characteristics of wind turbine, which is helpful for wind turbine design and application.

Perspectives