Distributed Control System

Abstract

A system and method for pressure based load measurement are provided. The system and method measure at least one pressure differential on an airfoil and determine at least one aerodynamic load associated with the at least one pressure differential. The determined at least one load is used to modify characteristics of the airfoil to increase efficiency and/or avoid damage. The determined at least one aerodynamic load may be further utilized to balance and/or optimize loads at the airfoil, estimate a load distribution along the airfoil used to derive other metrics about the airfoil, and/or used in a distributed control system to increase efficiency and/or reduce damage to, e.g., one or more wind turbines.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for controlling wind turbines, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a controller at a first wind turbine by a controller at a second wind turbine, data including aerodynamic load information associated with a blade of the first wind turbine; and   in response to receiving the aerodynamic load information associated with the blade of the first wind turbine, modifying, by the controller at the second wind turbine, a characteristic of the second wind turbine.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the controller at the second wind turbine determines an aerodynamic load associated with the blade of the first wind turbine based on at least one of: a received rotation speed of the blade at the first wind turbine, a received ambient air pressure, a received ambient air temperature, and a received pitch angle of the blade at the first wind turbine. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the controller at the first wind turbine modifies a characteristic of the first wind turbine in response to determining an aerodynamic load associated with the blade of the first wind turbine. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the characteristic of the first wind turbine is a yaw angle of the first wind turbine, and wherein the characteristic of the second wind turbine is a yaw angle of the second wind turbine. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the characteristic of the first wind turbine is a pitch angle of the blade of the first wind turbine, and wherein the characteristic of the second wind turbine is a pitch angle of a blade of the second wind turbine. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the modifying the characteristic of the first wind turbine comprises deploying an air deflector on the blade of the first wind turbine, and wherein the modifying the characteristic of the second wind turbine comprises deploying an air deflector on a blade of the second wind turbine. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the modifying the characteristic of the first wind turbine comprises extending a tip portion of the blade of the first wind turbine, and wherein the modifying the characteristic of the second wind turbine comprises extending a variable length portion of a blade of the second wind turbine. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aerodynamic load information includes an estimated aerodynamic load. 
     
     
         9 . A system for controlling wind turbines, the system comprising:
 a plurality of wind turbines; and   a controller at each of the plurality of wind turbines, wherein each controller is configured to modify at least one characteristic of a corresponding wind turbine, wherein the system is configured to:
 determine an aerodynamic load associated with a blade of a first wind turbine of the plurality of wind turbines; and 
 in response to the determining of the aerodynamic load associated with the blade of the first wind turbine, modify, by the controller at a second wind turbine, a characteristic of the second wind turbine. 
   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein determining the aerodynamic load includes estimating the aerodynamic load associated with the blade of the first wind turbine based on one or more of: a determined rotation speed of the blade of the first wind turbine, a determined ambient air pressure, a determined ambient air temperature, and a determined pitch angle of the blade of the first wind turbine. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the characteristic modified at the second wind turbine in is a yaw angle. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the characteristic modified at the second wind turbine is a pitch angle of at least one blade of the second wind turbine. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein modifying the characteristic of the second wind turbine includes at least one of: deploying an air deflector on at least one blade of the second wind turbine; and retracting the air deflector on the at least one blade of the second wind turbine. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein modifying the characteristic of the second wind turbine includes at least one of: extending a tip portion of at least one blade of the second wind turbine; and retracting the tip portion of the at least one blade of the second wind turbine.