A method for operating and maintaining a wind farm comprising a plurality of wind turbines includes determining an odometer for one or more components of at least one of the pluralities of wind turbines in the wind farm, the odometer representing operational usage of the component(s). The method also includes tracking the operational usage for the component(s) using the odometer and a usage threshold. Further, the method includes predicting an expected time frame for one or more preventative maintenance actions based on a comparison of the tracked operational usage and the usage threshold. Moreover, the method includes triggering scheduling of the one or more preventative maintenance actions when the prediction indicates that the tracked operational usage will exceed the usage threshold. In addition, the method includes shutting down the wind turbine or idling the wind turbine once the one or more preventative maintenance actions are scheduled.

A method for controlling a wind farm, which is operated by means of a wind farm control unit and comprises a multiplicity of wind power installations having wind power installation controllers and being connected to one another via a common wind farm grid, which is connected to an electrical power supply grid of a grid operator by means of a wind farm transformer, comprising the following steps: reception of at least one fault bit at the wind farm control unit, in particular at least one fault bit of the grid operator, deactivation of all external setpoint value specifications at the wind farm control unit apart from those of the grid operator after reception of the fault bit, activation of a closed-loop fault case control implemented in the wind farm control unit after successful deactivation of all external setpoint value specifications apart from those of the grid operator.

Methods and apparatus for reducing peak power consumption of a grid connected power plant having a plurality of wind turbines. In response to determining that a power production value of the power plant is below a power threshold, one method includes: after a first time delay of a first group of one or more wind turbines, control the first group to operate in a power saving mode for a predefined first power saving period; and after a first time delay of a second group of one or more other wind turbines, control the second group to operate in the power saving mode for a predefined second power saving period. The first time delay of the first group is less than the first time delay of the second group and the power saving mode inhibits a power consuming activity for the wind turbines operating in the power saving mode.

Techniques for determining a layout of a wind energy plant comprising a plurality of wind turbines at a site, where the wind turbines are configured for connection to a power grid having a power demand. Techniques include: providing an initial layout of wind turbines at initial positions within the site; obtaining site condition data for the initial layout; estimating an expected power output of the wind energy plant for a predetermined time period; forecasting the power demand within the power grid for the predetermined time period; performing an optimising process on the initial layout based on the estimated expected power output and on the forecasted power demand in order to match the expected power output to the forecasted power demand to obtain an optimised layout of the wind energy plant; and erecting the wind turbines in accordance with the optimised layout.

Provided is a method of controlling a wind turbine group having a plurality of wind turbines. Each wind turbine generates electrical power as wind turbine output power for feeding into an electrical supply network. The group feeds a group power output into the network at a grid connection point, and the group power output is substantially formed as the sum of all the turbine power outputs of the group. A maximum group power output is specified for limiting the group power output, a control value for compliance with the maximum group power output is transferred to each wind turbine in the group in order to limit the output power of the respective wind turbine to a maximum value defined by the control value, and a control relationship is determined between potential control values and potential group power outputs using the control relationships and depending on the maximum group power output.

A method for providing grid-forming control of an inverter-based resource includes receiving, via a controller, one or more reference commands from an external controller. The method also includes determining, via the controller, one or more control commands for the inverter-based resource based on the one or more reference commands. Further, the method includes determining, via the controller, at least one feedforward signal as a function of the one or more control commands, one or more control signals, and one or more estimated electrical conditions of the inverter-based resource. The method also includes using the feedforward signal(s) to position at least one control angle of the inverter-based resource to an anticipated value needed to achieve the one or more reference commands, thereby enabling rapid response to the one or more reference commands received from the external controller.

An offshore power distribution system includes first cables each having a first dry mate connection at a first end and each connecting to an offshore power generator unit at a second end, a subsea junction box at a sea floor, a second cable extending from the junction box to a subsea transformer station at the sea floor and connecting with the transformer station, and a third cable extending from the transformer station to an onshore receiver. Each first dry mate connection terminates in the junction box. The second cable has a second dry mate connection at an end thereof. The second dry mate connection terminates inside the junction box and is operatively connected to each first dry mate connection. The power distribution system is configured to transmit electric power from the power generator unit, via the first cables, the second cable, and the third cable, to the receiver.

The present disclosure relates to a wind turbine comprising a wind turbine rotor with a plurality of blades supported on a support structure, a generator operatively coupled to the wind turbine rotor for generating electrical power, a power electronic converter for converting electrical power generated by the generator to a converted AC power of predetermined frequency and voltage, and a main wind turbine transformer having a low voltage side and a high voltage side for transforming the converted AC power to a higher voltage. One or more electric filters are connected to the high voltage side of the main transformer, wherein the electric filters are arranged in the support structure. The present disclosure also relates to wind farms, and particularly offshore wind farms, and to methods for operating wind farms.

The invention concerns a wind power plant comprising a plurality of wind turbines connected to a distribution line; a connection station comprising a plurality of switchgear devices connected to a substation via the distribution line; and, a plurality of power cables connecting the plurality of switchgear devices and the plurality of wind turbines. The plurality of power cables are respectively arranged to connect a single switchgear device of the plurality of switchgear devices and a single wind turbine of the plurality of wind turbines.

A grid-forming wind turbine control method for a diode rectifier unit-based offshore wind power transmission system. A control system for controlling a grid-side converter has a three-layered structure, where a first layer is a combination of an active power controller and a reactive power controller; a second layer is a voltage controller; and a third layer is a current controller. The actual reactive power is represented by a per-unit value of a capacity of a corresponding wind turbine unit. The wind turbine units have the same reactive-power reference value, which is constant and does not change with time. The reactive power controllers of all wind turbine units have the same structure and parameters.