Condition monitoring of windturbines

• US 8,249,852 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Thulke, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): Thangavelu, Kandasamy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, Cedric D
• Application Number:
  US13/111,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20120029892A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: 703/18, 290/44
• US Class Current: 703/18
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 17/00 Monitoring or testing of wind motors, e.g. diagnostics testing during commissioning of wind motors F03D13/30
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0292 to reduce fatigue
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/045 with model-based controls
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/84 Modelling or simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 17/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0254 based on a quantitative model, e.g. mathematical relationships between inputs and outputs; functions: observer, Kalman filter, residual calculation, Neural Networks
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0286 Modifications to the monitored process, e.g. stopping operation or adapting control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A method for monitoring a wind turbine is provided. The method includes defining at least one subsystem of the wind turbine and providing a simulation model for the at least one subsystem. During normal operation of the wind turbine at least an input parameter of the at least one subsystem is determined a behavior of the at least one subsystem is simulated using the at least one input parameter as an input of the simulation model. Based on the simulated behavior, it is determined, if the at least one subsystem operates within a given specification.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring a wind turbine, comprising:

defining a subsystem of the wind turbine;

providing a simulation model for the subsystem, wherein the simulation model comprises a transfer function of the subsystem;

determining, during normal operation of the wind turbine, an input parameter of the subsystem;

simulating a behavior of the subsystem using the input parameter as an input of the simulation model, and mapping the input parameter with the transfer function;

determining, based on the simulated behavior, if the subsystem operates within a given specification by comparing an actual output signal of the subsystem with an expected output signal from the simulation model; and

modifying the transfer function when the subsystem is not operating within the given specification so that the actual output signal and the expected output signal substantially match, wherein the modified transfer function represents a drift in a behavior of the subsystem.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein simulating the behavior comprises determining an expected load of the subsystem, and wherein determining if the subsystem operates within a given specification comprises determining if the expected load exceeds a design load of the subsystem.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating a remaining life time of the subsystem.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the input parameter comprises measuring an external condition of the wind turbine.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the subsystem comprises an active component, wherein the wind turbine further comprises a turbine controller configured to control the active component, and wherein determining the input parameter comprises determining a setpoint of the active component by the turbine controller.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring an actual output signal of the subsystem, wherein simulating the behavior comprises determining an expected output signal of the subsystem, and wherein determining if the subsystem operates within the given specification comprises determining a difference between the actual output signal and the expected output signal.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the wind turbine further comprises a turbine controller, the method further comprising at least one of sending a message, raising a warning, changing a control parameter of the turbine controller, and scheduling maintenance of the subsystem when the subsystem is determined not to operate within the given specification.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the actual output signal with the expected output signal comprises determining a distance between the two signals.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the distance is a root mean square distance.

10. A method for monitoring a wind turbine, comprising:

defining a first subsystem of the wind turbine;

providing a simulation model for the first subsystem;

receiving, during normal operation of the wind turbine, an input signal and an actual output signal of the first subsystem;

determining an expected output signal of the first subsystem using the input signal as an input of the simulation model, and mapping the input signal with a first transfer function to the expected output signal;

comparing the actual output signal and the expected output signal;

determining, based on the comparison between the actual output signal and the expected output signal, if the first subsystem operates within a given specification; and

determining a second transfer function so that the input signal and the expected output signal substantially match,

wherein comparing the actual output signal and the expected output signal comprises determining a distance between the first transfer function and the second transfer function in a function space.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first transfer function and the second transfer function are described by a linear differential equation or a system of linear differential equations involving parameters comprising an eigenfrequency, a damping constant, a gain factor, a phase shift, a delay, or a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising updating a remaining life time of the first subsystem.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein comparing the actual output signal and the expected output signal comprises determining a difference between the actual output signal and the expected output signal.

14. A system for monitoring a wind turbine, comprising a simulation module which is configured:

to simulate, during normal operation of the wind turbine, a behavior of a subsystem of the wind turbine by mapping an input signal with a first transfer function to an expected output signal;

to determine, based on the simulated behavior, if the subsystem operates within a given specification by comparing an actual output signal of the subsystem with the expected output signal from the simulation module, determining if the actual output signal and the expected output signal substantially match, and wherein determining if the actual output signal and the expected output signal substantially match comprises determining a second transfer function so that the input signal and the expected output signal substantially match, and comparing the actual output signal and the expected output signal comprises determining a distance between the first transfer function and the second transfer function in a function space changing the first transfer function when the actual output signal and the expected output signal do not substantially match to achieve a substantial match; and

to send a message to a turbine controller of the wind turbine when the subsystem is determined not to operate within the given specification based on the changed first transfer function.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the simulation module comprises a submodule configured to simulate an input-output behavior of the subsystem by the first transfer function, wherein the subsystem comprises a pitch system, a yaw system, a generator system, a power conversion system, a transformer system, or a part thereof.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the simulation module is configured:

to receive a setpoint from the turbine controller configured to control an active component of the submodule by issuing the setpoint to the subsystem; and

to simulate a response of the subsystem to receiving the setpoint.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the simulation module is configured:

to receive, during normal operation oldie wind turbine, at least one input parameter determined by a sensor of the subsystem; and

to use the at least one input parameter as an input of a simulation module for simulating the behavior of the subsystem.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the simulation module is configured:

to determine a difference between the actual output signal and the expected output signal; and

to determine, based on the difference, if the subsystem operates within the given specification.