Abstract
A new model-based predictive controller (MPC), specially oriented to facilitate its practical implementation, is presented. This controller is devoted to reduce the structural load in the drive train or/and the rotor of a wind turbine. It keeps its complexity and computational load low, by using a single linear internal model throughout the full range of use. To validate the new approach, the performance of two versions of such a controller is compared to the baseline case. Specifically, the implemented controllers are focused on mitigating the torsional vibrations that appear in the drive-train during turbine operation for wind speeds above rated. First, numerical simulations are used to study the potential performance. Then, the proposed methodology is put into practice by using rapid prototypes of the real-time controllers applied to a specifically designed Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) simulator of wind turbines. This HiL simulator realistically reproduces the performance of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) 5 MW wind turbine. In order to confirm the practical applicability of such MPC algorithms, the electronic platform mounted on the rapid-prototyping system has a similar -or inferior- computational power than the industrial control platforms used in the actual wind turbines. Anyway, the computational burden is analyzed in detail.
Highlights
Wind energy extraction is a technique that has gained importance in recent years and still expects to grow significantly in the near future
POTENTIAL SMPC PERFORMANCE (NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS RESULTS) As stated in the introductory section, one guideline of the present work focuses on the practical implementation of these SMPC controllers on the automation platforms commonly used in wind turbines (WT) nowadays
In this paper, a new Model-based predictive control (MPC) approach dedicated to reduce the structural load of wind turbines has been proposed
Summary
Wind energy extraction is a technique that has gained importance in recent years and still expects to grow significantly in the near future. That compel us again to face the equilibrium between computational load and performance: If we limit the first, limiting the maximum number of iterations -accepting, a quasi-optimal solution- and/or waiving a certain number of degrees of freedom in the simplified non-linear internal model, we limit the second In this way, there are numerous reference works –see, e. Approaches use the pitch as the main MPC manipulated variable, forcing the manufacturers to do a very strong bet, considering the implementation aspects mentioned above At this point, we ask ourselves: Would it be possible to propose an MPC which, by using a Single linear internal Model (SMPC) in the whole operational WT range, will exploit the potentials of such controllers in order to improve substantially some important aspect of the WT operation, in practice?.
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