US 11,680,556 B2
Methods and systems of advanced yaw control of a wind turbine
Nathan L. Post, Malden, MA (US); Brendan F. Taylor, South Burlington, VT (US); Peter Bachant, Cambridge, MA (US); Jonathan A. Kossuth, Burlington, MA (US); and Mohit Dua, Burlington, MA (US)
Assigned to WindESCo, Inc., Boston, MA (US)
Filed by WindESCo, Inc., Burlington, MA (US)
Filed on Apr. 20, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/724,520.
Application 17/724,520 is a continuation of application No. 17/361,365, filed on Jun. 29, 2021, granted, now 11,313,351.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/108,532, filed on Nov. 2, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/051,243, filed on Jul. 13, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0243699 A1, Aug. 4, 2022
Int. Cl. F03D 7/02 (2006.01); G01S 19/53 (2010.01)
CPC F03D 7/0204 (2013.01) [G01S 19/53 (2013.01); F05B 2270/20 (2013.01); F05B 2270/32 (2013.01); F05B 2270/321 (2013.01); F05B 2270/329 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of providing enhanced yaw control for a wind turbine including a nacelle, a turbine control unit, and one or more wind direction sensors attached to the wind turbine, the method comprising:
receiving a first signal representing an initial nacelle yaw position of the wind turbine;
receiving a second signal representing a desired nacelle yaw position of the wind turbine;
disconnecting a relative wind direction signal traveling between the one or more wind direction sensors and the turbine control unit;
determining a series of virtual relative wind direction signals to cause the turbine control unit to drive the nacelle to the desired nacelle yaw position;
sending the series of virtual relative wind direction signals to the turbine control unit instead of the relative wind direction signal such that the turbine control unit drives the nacelle to the desired nacelle yaw position;
improving a control loop by making observations of responses of the turbine control unit to relative wind direction signals as a function of time; and
modeling behavior of the turbine control unit based on the observations;
wherein the series of virtual relative wind direction signals is based on the modeling.