CONTROL SYSTEM FOR POSITIONING AT LEAST TWO FLOATING WIND TURBINES IN A WIND FARM

Abstract

A control system for positioning at least two floating wind turbines in a wind farm is provided. The control system includes a measuring device configured for measuring an incoming wind field at the two wind turbines, a determining device, wherein the determining device is configured for determining a wake property at the two wind turbines, wherein the determining device is configured for determining a propagation path of the wake property through the wind farm based on the determined wake property at the at least two floating wind turbines, wherein the determining device is configured for determining a location for each of the at least two floating wind turbines including a minimized wake influence based on the determined propagation path of the wake property through the wind farm, and a repositioning device configured for repositioning each of the at least two floating wind turbines to the determined location.

Claims

1. A control system for positioning at least two floating wind turbines in a wind farm, wherein the control system comprises a measuring device configured for measuring an incoming wind field at the two floating wind turbines, a determining device, wherein the determining device is configured for determining a wake property at the two floating wind turbines, wherein the determining device is configured for determining a propagation path of the wake property through the wind farm based on the determined wake property at the at least two floating wind turbines, wherein the determining device is configured for determining a location for each of the at least two floating wind turbines comprising a minimized wake influence based on the determined propagation path of the wake property through the wind farm, a repositioning device configured for repositioning each of the at least two floating wind turbines to the determined location.

2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the determining device is further configured for determining the propagation path of the wake property through the wind farm based on a current position and/or a current rotation of the two floating wind turbines.

3. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the determining device is configured for determining the location for each of the two floating wind turbines by taking into account a maximized power production of each of the two floating wind turbines and/or a minimized load at each of the two floating wind turbines.

4. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the determining device is configured for determining the location for each of the two floating wind turbines by taking into account at least one external boundary condition.

5. The control system according to claim 4, wherein the external boundary condition comprising at least one of the group consisting of a local water depth, a length of a mooring line, a length of a power cable, an inter-turbine distance, an incoming boat and a sea lane.

6. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the determining device is configured for determining the location for each of the two floating wind turbines by taking into account an individual operating mode of each of the two floating wind turbines.

7. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the measuring device comprises a sensor for measuring at least one of a group consisting of a direction, a magnitude and a turbulence of the incoming wind field.

8. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the determining device comprises at least one of the group consisting of a wind farm drone, a light detection and ranging device, and a radio detection and ranging device.

9. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the repositioning device comprises a central repositioning device configured for repositioning all of the two floating wind turbines.

10. The control system according to claim 9, wherein the repositioning device comprises an automatous underwater vehicle.

11. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the repositioning device comprises a local repositioning device configured for repositioning one of the two floating wind turbine.

12. The control system according to claim 11, wherein the repositioning device comprises at least one of the group consisting of a blade actuator, a yaw motor actuator, a generator torque actuator, an underwater propeller and a mooring line actuator.

13. The control system according to claim 1, wherein the repositioning device is configured for repositioning each of the floating wind turbines perpendicularly to the incoming wind field.

14. A wind farm comprising at least two floating wind turbines, and the control system according to claim 1.

15. A method for positioning at least two floating wind turbines in a wind farm, wherein the method comprises measuring an incoming wind field at the two floating wind turbines, determining a wake property at the two floating wind turbines, determining a propagation path of the wake property through the wind farm based on the determined wake property at the at least two floating wind turbines, determining a location for each of the at least two floating wind turbines comprising a minimized wake influence based on the determined propagation path of the wake property through the wind farm, repositioning each of the at least two floating wind turbines to the determined location.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0092] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0093] FIG. 1 shows a wind farm comprising a second floating wind turbine operating inside a wake of a first floating wind turbine according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention;

[0094] FIG. 2 shows a wind farm comprising a second floating wind turbine operating outside a wake of a first floating wind turbine according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention;

[0095] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a translational repositioning of a floating wind turbine according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; and

[0096] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a rotational repositioning of a floating wind turbine according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0097] The illustration in the drawings is schematic. It is noted that in different figures, similar or identical elements or features are provided with the same reference signs or with reference signs, which are different from the corresponding reference signs only within the first digit. In order to avoid unnecessary repetitions elements or features which have already been elucidated with respect to a previously described embodiment are not elucidated again at a later position of the description.

[0098] FIG. 1 shows a wind farm 100 comprising a second floating wind turbine 120 operating inside a wake property 151 of a first floating wind turbine 110 according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0099] The first floating wind turbine 110 comprises a first floating foundation 133, a first tower 132 mounted to the first floating foundation 133, and three first blades 131 each mounted via a hub and nacelle to the first tower 132. The first floating wind turbine 110 is held in place by two first mooring lines 134 anchored to a sea ground 152.

[0100] The second floating wind turbine 120 comprises a second floating foundation 143, a second tower 142 mounted to the second floating foundation 143, and three second blades 141 each mounted via a hub to the second tower 142. The second floating wind turbine 120 is held in place by two second mooring lines 144 (shown schematically in FIG. 1) anchored to the sea ground 152.

[0101] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the second wind turbine 120, particularly the three second blades 141 are operating in the wake property 151 of the three first blades 131 of the first floating wind turbine 110.

[0102] The first floating wind turbine 110 comprises a first control system 111 comprising three first measuring devices 112. Each of the three first measuring devices 112 is mounted to one of the three first blades 131. The first control system 111 further comprises a first determining device 114 mounted to the first floating foundation 133 and two first repositioning devices 113. Each of the two first repositioning devices 113 is mounted to one of the two mooring lines 134. Only the two first mooring lines 134 are entirely shown for FIG. 1 for clarity reasons.

[0103] The second floating wind turbine 120 comprises a second control system 121 comprising three second measuring devices 122. Each of the three second measuring devices 122 is mounted to one of the three second blades 141. The second control system 121 further comprises a second determining device 124 mounted to the second floating foundation 143 and two second repositioning devices (not shown in FIG. 1). Each of the two second repositioning devices is mounted to one of the two mooring lines 144, which are solely schematically shown in FIG. 1.

[0104] FIG. 2 shows a wind farm 100 comprising a second floating wind turbine 120 operating outside a wake property 151 of a first floating wind turbine 110 according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0105] The wind farm 100 is shown in FIG. 2 in a further arrangement compared to the wind farm 100 as shown in FIG. 1. The second floating wind turbine 120 has measured the incoming wind field by the three second measuring devices 122. Additionally, the first floating wind turbine 110 has measured the incoming wind field with the three first measuring devices 112. The first determining device 114 and the second determining device 124 have determined that the second floating wind turbine 120 is positioned in the wake property 151 of the first floating wind turbine 110 (as shown in FIG. 1). Furthermore, the first determining device 114 has determined a first location for the first floating wind turbine 110 and the second determining device 124 has determined a second location for the second floating wind turbine 120. Both the first location and the second location comprising a minimized influence of the wake property 151, 252.

[0106] The first floating wind turbine 110 comprises two first repositioning devices 113 one attached to each of the two first mooring lines 134. In FIG. 2 there are solely shown in detail two first mooring lines 134 respectively two first repositioning devices 113 for clarity reasons.

[0107] The second floating wind turbine 120 is repositioned to the second location by the two second repositioning devices 123, each attached to one of the two second mooring lines 144.

[0108] As may be seen in FIG. 2, the wake property 151 of the first floating wind turbine 110 and the wake property 251 of the second floating wind turbine 120 are directed such that the wake property 151 and the wake property 251 do not influence the respective other floating wind turbine.

[0109] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a translation 361 of a floating wind turbine according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0110] The floating wind turbine in the first location 371 comprises a wake property 351 and the floating wind turbine in the second location 372 is repositioned along the translation 61 and comprises a wake property 352. As may be seen in FIG. 3, the wake property 351 and the wake property 352 interact solely in a small area such that the wake property 351 and the wake property 352 do not influence each other.

[0111] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a rotation 462 of a floating wind turbine according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0112] The floating wind turbine in the first location 471 comprises a wake property 351 and is tilted to the side in the floater roll direction by the rotation 462. The floating wind turbine in the second location 472 comprises a wake property 352 and is tilted to the other side in the floater roll direction by the rotation 462. Therefore, as may be seen in FIG. 4, the wake property 351 and the wake property 352 interact solely in a small area such that the wake property 351 and the wake property 352 do not influence each other.

[0113] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0114] For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements.