(Pao, Lucy Y - 2024) -- IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology Outstanding Paper Award
Overview
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In order for wind turbines to function effectively across wide ranges of wind conditions, you’ll need what’s known as blade pitch control.
Lucy Pao, the Palmer Endowed Chair Professor in the Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering at CU Boulder, was honored by the IEEE Control Systems Society for advancing research in wind turbine control systems.
Her IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology Outstanding Paper Award recognized the work with her former PhD student Michael N. Sinner, now a researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and collaborators from ForWind – Center for Wind Energy Research in Germany.
Advancing Wind Energy Through Control Systems
In the award-winning paper, Pao’s team explored how advanced control methods, specifically a model predictive control (MPC) framework, can optimize blade pitch control on wind turbines.
Blade pitch control—the adjustment of a wind turbine’s blade angle—is crucial for regulating rotor speed and mitigating structural loads, particularly during gusty or turbulent wind conditions.
The study demonstrated how incorporating wind information, measured in this case with anemometers in a wind tunnel, can significantly improve the performance of wind turbines. By anticipating wind conditions before they reach the turbine, the system optimizes blade pitch adjustments in real-time, reducing wear and tear on turbine components and enhancing energy efficiency.
