As wind turbine design advances and existing fleets age, there is a case to be made for implementing system upgrades, but how does one know if it is worth the initial investment? Clir Renewables has released a new software feature to support the validation of turbine upgrades.
Clir says its new software can identify changes in a wind turbine’s performance and benchmark it against numerous models. (Image: Clir Renewables)
As the design of wind-turbines advances, reviewing the performance of the existing fleet can highlight areas where improvements can be made by upgrading the current hardware or software. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and third-party companies are regularly offering owners ways to improve the performance of current turbines.
These upgrades can be physical changes to the turbine like aerodynamic enhancements such as vortex generators, gurney flap or leading edge tape.
Software-based changes could include new blade pitching algorithms, improved yaw control or increased cut-out and re cut-in wind speeds. Loads on turbine components may be increased, depending on the nature of the upgrade. The benefit of increased Annual Energy Production (AEP) should be carefully weighed against the implications of increased loading.
As owners know, no two sites are the same, so how can they be sure investing in these upgrades will increase AEP? The answer is by validating the impact of the upgrade against the claimed gain by the manufacturer. However, independent validation studies on specific upgrade options are scarce, or not applicable to every site. Without independent validation, owners may never know the true benefit of making the upgrade.
Independent validation is possible by implementing the upgrade on a small percentage of turbines on site, assessing the impact on AEP and evaluating it against the investment required to install the upgrade across the whole farm. Clir software has a data model, which makes this validation easier to complete than via traditional methods. By integrating SCADA, CMS, meteorological, geospatial data and much more to build predictive models of turbine behavior, Clir software can identify changes in a turbine’s performance and benchmark it against numerous models. An assessment of the cost-benefit of the potential upgrade is then performed before full implementation.
Additionally, Clir Renewables has extensive knowledge of upgrades offered by OEMs. The data science team has conducted in-depth reviews of documentation provided by OEMs as well as contributed to conversations about upgrade implementation at many wind farm sites. Clir Renewables provides independent and impartial information based on site-specific data and OEM documents.
“There are few simple answers to turbine upgrades as comparing two wind farm sites to each other is like comparing an apple to an orange,” said Andrew Brunskill, data scientist at Clir Renewables. “The impact of each upgrade on energy production and turbine loads depends on the local wind climate and the specific turbine model in use at the site, among other factors, that’s why independent validation is important.”
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