Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for controlling a sub-system of a wind turbine. The apparatus comprises a cooling system comprising first and second heat exchangers, and a fluid circuit arranged to enable a coolant to flow between the first and second heat exchangers; and a processor. The processor is configured to: monitor one or more operational parameters of the cooling system; determine an icing risk based on the one or more operational parameters; and generate a control signal for output to the wind turbine sub-system in dependence on the determined icing risk.

Abstract: Embodiments are generally directed to techniques for operating a wind turbine of a wind power plant. An associated method comprises determining, using one or more sensors of the wind turbine, a first power production level of the wind turbine; determining, during an unconstrained operation of the wind turbine, one or more available power correction factors using the first power production level; determining, using one or more wind power parameters applied to a predefined model for estimating an available power of the wind turbine, an estimated available power value; adjusting the estimated available power value using the one or more available power correction factors to produce the available power value; and controlling, using the available power value, the wind turbine to produce a second power production level.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for controlling a wind turbine. The method predicts behaviour of the wind turbine components for the time stages over a prediction horizon using a wind turbine model describing dynamics of the wind turbine, where the time stages include a first set of time stages from an initial time stage and a second set of time stages subsequent to the first set. The method determines control outputs, e.g. individual blade pitch, for time stages based on the predicted behaviour. The method then transmits a control signal to implement only the control outputs for each of the second set of time stages so as to control the wind turbine. Advantageously, the invention reduces both average and peak computational loads relative to standard predictive control algorithms.

Abstract: A main computing system maintains and optimizes a predictive control model for an energy system, wherein the main computing system receives state information for the energy system, optimizes the predictive control model, and generates control rules for control of the energy system. The one or more local computing systems, each have a local memory for storing control rules for controlling the associated local state. The main computing system receives local state information and updates control rules, wherein the updated control rules comprise a subset of the control rules generated by the main computing system selected to be appropriate to the local state information received at the main computing system.

Abstract: Embodiments herein describe a system used to estimate the presence of water on a sensor. A parameter maintains a wind sensor temperature. The parameter can be tracked and evaluated to indicate a likelihood of water on the sensor. Alternatively, or in combination with the above, the sensor is adjusted intentionally or deactivated and reactivated to track a parameter response which is then used to indicate a likelihood of water on the sensor.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of controlling a wind turbine comprising a tower supporting a rotor comprising a plurality of pitch-adjustable rotor blades. The method includes obtaining a movement signal indicative of a lateral movement of the tower; determining a pitch modulation signal, based on the movement signal, for actuating a rotor blade to produce a desired horizontal force component to counteract the lateral movement of the tower; determining a radial force component acting on a rotor blade; determining a phase offset parameter for the rotor blade based on the radial force component; and, transforming the pitch modulation signal into a pitch reference offset signal for the rotor blade based on the phase offset parameter.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for monitoring an ambient environment of a wind turbine. The apparatus comprises a cooling system comprising first and second heat exchangers, and a fluid circuit arranged to enable coolant to flow between the first and second heat exchangers. The apparatus further comprises a processor configured to: monitor one or more operational parameters of the cooling system; measure an efficiency of the cooling system based on the monitored one or more operational parameters; and calculate a liquid water content of the ambient environment based on the measured efficiency of the cooling system.

Abstract: A method of controlling a wind turbine is described. The method comprises calculating a current wear rate for each of the main bearing of a turbine rotor and the blade bearings of rotor blades mounted on the turbine rotor, and calculating a blade pitch adjustment of the rotor blades to achieved a desired ratio between main bearing wear and blade bearing wear in dependence on the calculated current wear rates of the main bearing and the blade bearings.

Abstract: The invention relates to a wind turbine system (1) with several wind turbine modules (2) mounted to a support structure (3). A control system is configured to determine a lift command (21) for a particular wind turbine module (2?) of the 5 plurality of wind turbines modules (2). The control system is applying the lift command (21) to a corresponding rotor blade pitch adjustment system of the particular wind turbine module (2?) so as to create a lift force (F_up) in the opposite direction of gravity on the particular wind turbine module mounted on the support structure. Providing an upwards lift force on one, or more, particular 10 wind turbine module(s) may reduce, or eliminate, static and/or dynamical loads from the wind turbine module on the support structure.

Abstract: A method for damping an oscillation of a tower of a wind turbine is disclosed, wherein a pitch angle of each of the one or more rotor blades is individually adjustable, the method comprising damping the oscillation of the tower by pitching each rotor blade individually according to tower damping pitch control signals, wherein each tower damping pitch control signal comprises a first periodic component, where a first frequency of the first periodic component corresponds to a frequency difference between a tower frequency of the oscillation of the tower and a rotor frequency of a rotation of the rotor, and where a second periodic component has been reduced or removed. A second frequency of the second periodic component corresponds to a frequency sum of the tower frequency and the rotor frequency.

Abstract: A wind turbine control system comprising a controller of a control mechanism of a wind turbine, wherein the controller implements a computerized real-time blade model to calculate operational parameters of the controller, and wherein the computerized real-time blade model receives as inputs a determined wind turbine operating point and a rotor-plane wind speed value that is estimated in real-time. In another aspect, the embodiments of the invention provide a method of controlling a control mechanism of a wind turbine. Advantageously, the invention provides a more flexible and responsive control system that is able to adapt to changing wind conditions even if those wind conditions are beyond what is usually predicted.

Abstract: A method for controlling a wind energy farm is disclosed. A wake state of the wind energy farm is determined, including determining wake chains defining wake relationships among the wind turbines of the wind farm under the current wind conditions. For at least one of the wind turbines of the wind energy farm, a lifetime usage is estimated, based on an accumulated load measure for the wind turbine. In the case that the estimated lifetime usage is below a predefined lifetime usage limit, the wind turbine is operated in an overrated state, while monitoring wake effects at each of the wind turbines. In the case that a downstream wind turbine detects wake effects above a predefined wake threshold level, at least one wind turbine having an upstream wake relationship with the downstream wind turbine is requested to decrease the generated wake, e.g. by decreasing power production.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a control system for a wind turbine that is configured to: obtain a 3-dimensional image of at least a portion of a wind turbine blade; recognise a target feature of the wind turbine blade in the obtained image and identify the position of the target feature; and monitor the state of the wind turbine blade and/or control operation of at least one blade in dependence on the identified position of the feature.

Abstract: A wind turbine control system comprising at least one control module configured to output a control signal for a control mechanism of a wind turbine, and a gain calculator for calculating a gain parameter associated with the control module, wherein the gain parameter is calculated based on a computerized real-time blade model using a determined wind turbine operating point as an input. The blade model may be a blade element momentum model. In another aspect, the invention may be expressed as a method of controlling a control mechanism of a wind turbine.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for controlling a wind turbine. The method predicts behaviour of the wind turbine components for the time stages over a prediction horizon using a wind turbine model describing dynamics of the wind turbine, where the time stages include a first set of time stages from an initial time stage and a second set of time stages subsequent to the first set. The method determines control outputs, e.g. individual blade pitch, for time stages based on the predicted behaviour. The method then transmits a control signal to implement only the control outputs for each of the second set of time stages so as to control the wind turbine. Advantageously, the invention reduces both average and peak computational loads relative to standard predictive control algorithms.

Abstract: Embodiments herein describe a method and associated controller for a wind turbine. The method comprises determining one or more characteristics of a sensor signal received from a mechanical sensor of the wind turbine; determining, based on the one or more characteristics of the sensor signal, an icing condition of the wind turbine; and controlling operation of one or more wind turbine systems based on the determined icing condition.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for controlling rotor speed of a wind turbine. The method includes defining a system model describing resonance dynamics of a wind turbine component, such as a wind turbine tower, where the system model has a nonlinear input term, e.g. a periodic forcing term. The method includes applying a transform to the system model to obtain a transformed model for response oscillation amplitude of the wind turbine component, where the transformed model has a linear input term. The method includes defining a wind turbine model describing dynamics of the wind turbine, and including the transformed model. A model-based control algorithm, e.g. model predictive control, is applied using the wind turbine model to determine at least one control output, e.g. generator torque, and the control output is used to control rotor speed of the wind turbine.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system for determining at least one blade state parameter of a wind turbine blade, wherein the system is configured to: obtain blade data relating to the wind turbine blade from a sensor system associated with the wind turbine blade; compare at least one reference model of at least a portion of the wind turbine blade with the blade data; identify a reference model in dependence on the comparison; and determine at least one blade state parameter in dependence on the identified reference model. The blade data may take the form of an image, for example a 3-dimensional measurement such as a point cloud representing at least a portion of the blade.

Abstract: There is presented a wind turbine system, wherein the wind turbine system is comprising a support structure, a plurality of wind turbine modules mounted to the support structure wherein each of the plurality of wind turbine modules comprises a rotor, and wherein the wind turbine system further comprises a control system, wherein the control is arranged to execute a wind turbine system transition from a first system operational state of the wind turbine system to a second system operational state of the wind turbine system, and wherein the wind turbine system transition is performed by executing a plurality of wind turbine module transitions from a first module operational state of a wind turbine module to a second module operational state of the wind turbine module wherein the plurality of wind turbine module transitions are distributed in time with respect to each other.

Abstract: A main computing system maintains and optimizes a predictive control model for an energy system, wherein the main computing system receives state information for the energy system, optimizes the predictive control model, and generates control rules for control of the energy system. The one or more local computing systems, each have a local memory for storing control rules for controlling the associated local state. The main computing system receives local state information and updates control rules, wherein the updated control rules comprise a subset of the control rules generated by the main computing system selected to be appropriate to the local state information received at the main computing system.