The present invention relates to non-thermal renewable energy turbines (20,24,34, 38,40), in particular to the monitoring of turbine performance to identify a loss of performance indicative of faults or component degradation. The method involves comparison of measured power from a target turbine (20) with a predicted value for same turbine. The predicted value is calculated using the output from a plurality of other turbines (24,34,38,40) from an array and a predictive model including weightings for the other turbines (24, 34,38,40) based on the strength of correlation of their historical with historical data from the target turbine (20).

A system and method are provided for controlling a wind turbine of a wind farm. Accordingly, a controller implements a first model to determine a modeled performance parameter for the first wind turbine. The modeled performance parameter is based, at least in part, on an operation of a designated grouping of wind turbines of the plurality of wind turbines, which is exclusive of the first wind turbine. The controller then determines a performance parameter differential for the first wind turbine at multiple sampling intervals. The performance parameter differential is indicative of a difference between the modeled performance parameter and a monitored performance parameter for the first wind turbine. A second model is implemented to determine a predicted performance parameter of the first wind turbine at each of a plurality of setpoint combinations based, at least in part, on the performance parameter differential the first wind turbine. A setpoint combination is then selected based on the predicted performance parameter and an operating state of the first wind turbine is changed based on the setpoint combination.

A method of controlling pitch of individual blades in a wind turbine is described, together with a suitable controller. Wind speed is determined as a function of azimuthal angle. Wind speed is then predicted for individual blades over a prediction horizon using this determination of wind speed as a function of azimuthal angle. The predicted wind speed for each individual blade is used in a performance function, which is optimized to control individual blade pitches.

A power control method and apparatus for a wind power generator. The power control method comprises: predicting, according to historical wind resource data, wind resource data within a predetermined future time period (S10); estimating, according to the remaining design lifetime of a wind power generator, the maximum design lifetime allowed to be consumed within the predetermined future time period (S20); determining, according to the predicted wind resource data and the estimated maximum design lifetime, optimal output powers of the wind power generator in respective wind velocity ranges within the predetermined future time period (S30); and controlling operation of the wind power generator according to the determined optimal output powers of the wind power generator in the respective wind velocity ranges within the predetermined future time period (S40).

A system and method are provided for operating a wind farm. Accordingly, a wind direction affecting the wind farm is determined. Based on the wind direction, a controller identifies a turbine cluster, which is a subset of a plurality of wind turbines of the wind farm. The subset includes at least an upwind turbine and a downwind turbine that is affected by a wake emanating from the upwind turbine. With the turbine cluster identified for the given wind direction, the controller then determines a difference between a freestream maximal cluster power output and a wake-affected cluster power output for the turbine cluster. The controller then determines a mitigation setpoint combination for the subset of wind turbines. The mitigation setpoint combination is configured to establish a mitigated cluster power output. Mitigated cluster power output has a difference from the freestream maximal cluster power output that is less than the difference between the freestream maximal cluster power output in the wake-affected cluster power output for the turbine cluster. Based on the mitigation setpoint combination, an operating state of at least one wind turbine of the turbine cluster is changed.

A method predicting and avoiding faults that result in a shutdown of a wind turbine includes receiving operational data of the wind turbine. The method also includes predicting, via a predictive model, current or future behavior of the wind turbine using the operational data. Further, the method includes determining, via a fault detection model, whether the current or future behavior indicates an upcoming short- or long-term fault occurring in the wind turbine. Moreover, the method includes determining, via a prescriptive action model, a corrective action for the wind turbine based on whether the future behavior of the wind turbine indicates the upcoming short- or long-term fault occurring in the wind turbine. Thus, the method also includes implementing the corrective action during operation to prevent the upcoming short- or long-term fault from occurring.

Method for operating a wind turbine, the wind turbine including a wind characteristics sensor for measuring a wind characteristic and at least one wind turbine state sensor for measuring a state of the wind turbine, the method comprising: determining or adjusting (102) one or more wind characteristics relationships; and, performing (104) an operation phase, the operation phase including: measuring the wind characteristics with the wind characteristics sensor, thereby obtaining measured wind characteristics; measuring the state of the wind turbine with the at least one wind turbine state sensor and determining an estimated wind characteristics from the measured state of the wind turbine and parameters of the wind turbine; comparing the estimated wind characteristics to an expected wind characteristics determined from the measured wind characteristics, wherein the expected wind characteristics is determined based on the one or more wind characteristics relationships; and, operating or shutting down the wind turbine based at least in part on the comparison result.

Methods, systems, and devices for wind turbine control based on reinforcement learning are disclosed. The method comprises receiving data indicative of a current environmental state of the wind turbine, determining one or more controlling actions of the wind turbine based on the current environmental state of the wind turbine and a reinforcement learning algorithm, and applying the determined one or more controlling actions to the wind turbine.

A system for computing wind turbine estimated operational parameters and/or control commands, includes sensors monitoring the wind turbine, a control processor implementing a model performing a linearization evaluation to obtain a structural component dynamic behavior, a fluid component dynamic behavior, and/or a combined structural and fluid component dynamic behavior of wind turbine operation, and a module performing a calculation utilizing the linearization evaluation of the structural component dynamic behavior, the fluid component dynamic behavior, and/or the combined structural and fluid component dynamic behavior. The module being at least one of an estimation module and a multivariable control module. The estimation module generating signal estimates of turbine or fluid states. The multivariable control module determining actuator commands that include wind turbine commands that maintain operation of the wind turbine at a predetermined setting in real time. A method and a non-transitory medium are also disclosed.

A wind turbine control unit includes an upsampling module that receives a first control signal that includes a current control sample value and a predicted control trajectory. The upsampling module also calculates a second control signal in dependence on the current control sample value and the predicted control trajectory. The second control signal has a higher frequency than the first control signal. The upsampling module further outputs the second control signal for controlling an actuator.