The Proportional Integral Notch and Coleman Blade Effective Wind Speed Estimators and Their Similarities

TL;DR

This paper introduces two novel estimators for blade effective wind speed in wind turbines, analyzing their similarities and differences to improve load control and mitigation strategies.

Contribution

It presents the Proportional Integral Notch and Coleman estimators for BEWS, highlighting their mathematical relationship and comparative transient response characteristics.

Findings

PIN estimator is equivalent to the diagonal form of Coleman estimator

Coleman estimator accounts for blade coupling effects

Coleman estimator has a more stable transient response

Abstract

The estimation of the rotor effective wind speed is used in modern wind turbines to provide advanced power and load control capabilities. However, with the ever increasing rotor sizes, the wind field over the rotor surface shows a higher degree of spatial variation. A single effective wind speed estimation therefore limits the attainable levels of load mitigation, and the estimation of the Blade Effective Wind Speed (BEWS) might present opportunities for improved load control. This letter introduces two novel BEWS estimator approaches: A Proportional Integral Notch (PIN) estimator based on individual blade load measurements, and a Coleman estimator targeting the estimation in the non-rotating frame. Given the seeming disparities between these two estimators, the objective of this letter is to analyze the similarities between the approaches. It is shown that the PIN estimator, which is equivalent to the diagonal form of the Coleman estimator, is a simple but effective method to estimate the BEWS. The Coleman estimator, which takes the coupling effects between individual blades into account, shows a more well behaved transient response than the PIN estimator.