Wind Energy Science 

The paper compares two different strategies for wind turbine control when following a power command. Using model-based control design for a 5 MW wind turbine, a comparison in terms of the mechanical loading and the attainable power dynamics is drawn based on simulation studies. Reduced-order models suitable for the integration into an upper-level control design are discussed. The dependence of the turbine behavior on the chosen strategy is illustrated and analyzed.

The gearbox is one of the main contributors to the overall cost of wind energy and it is acknowledged that we still do not fully understand its loading. The study presented in this paper develops a new alternative method to measure input rotor torque in wind turbine gearboxes, overcoming the drawbacks related to measuring on a rotating shaft. The method presented in this paper could make measuring gearbox torque more cost-effective, which would facilitate its adoption in serial wind turbines.

Wind farms are becoming larger and larger and they are shaping up as one of the main drivers towards full green energy transition. Because of their massive proliferation, more and more attention is nowadays focused on optimally design these power plants. We propose an optimization framework in order to contribute for further cost reductions, by simultaneoysly desining the wind turbines and cable layout. We show the capability of the framework to improve designs compared to the classic approach.