What are the different ways to control a wind turbine

[boreilly]

I understand that in theory one can adjust the blade pitch or the speed or the yaw to control a wind turbine. Every time I do a search on turbine control this is all I come across. However I want to ask the question at a more "actual" level. What actually happens.
Do they use PI control? Measure the wind and calculate a setpoint and just use PI or PID control to follow it?

In my project I am doing sensorless control. And I had learned a little about how they might program a turbine to check what the power is now, increase slightly, check the power again, decrease below its original startpoint, check again, then compare all three, Pick the best, remain there for a length of time, repeat.
This was for yaw i believe. But I don't see why it wouldn't work for the speed.

But basically the reason I'm asking here is what other methods exist? What different ideas are popular in the field? for small scale and large scale? with or without sensors. I would like to find out about any of the techniques.

Everytime I google wind turbine control or maximum power point tracking I come across introductory theoretical explanations. Even if someone could just give me some buzzwords to google I'll do it myself.

 

[crobb]

For small scale turbines you can use a Furling tail. It's designed so that at a critical wind speed the wind force on the tail exceeds its weight and lifts it upwards. This results in the turbine turning perpendicular to wind direction. This is sensor-less but it when it turns out of the wind, power won't be generated.

Does that help?

 

[crobb]

For small scale turbines you can use a Furling tail. It's designed so that at a critical wind speed the wind force on the tail exceeds its weight and lifts it upwards. This results in the turbine turning perpendicular to wind direction. This is sensor-less but it when it turns out of the wind, power won't be generated.

Does that help?

 

[boreilly]

Yes that's perfect. More of that. i want to look at methods outside of my project too. So sensors or sensorless, and small or large. thanks for that