1.5
Tidal energy and wind power
Keywords
Systems control, renewable energy, power system
operation, power electronics, smart grids, sense
and control, forecasting, structural dynamics,
computational structural mechanics, fluid dynamics,
aeroelasticity, aerodynamics
Expertise
Despite the rapid increase in wind turbine generation,
significant research is still required to ensure that
turbines are optimally sited for maximum output.
The University has expertise in three important areas:
short-term prediction of wind and wind turbine
performance; quality assessment and condition
monitoring of wind power generation; and coordinated
control of wind power generation.
The first research focus aims to develop a novel,
short-term wind power prediction method, based on a
novel local predictor developed recently at Liverpool.
The prediction technique can be used to estimate the
expected production of one or more wind turbines in the
near future.
We are also developing a multi-agent based Wind farm
Information Management, Condition Monitoring and
Control System (WIMCMCS). It has a generic and open
architecture allowing operators to monitor and control
the condition and performance of their assets. The
system uses an advanced maximum power point
tracking technique, intelligent parameter optimisation
and improved control algorithms.
As wind farms continue to be constructed across the
country and off-shore, it is vital that their output and
performance is controlled in a co‑ordinated manner.
Our research into nonlinear adaptive control, time
delay systems, and co‑ordinated control of large-
scale systems is now being applied to develop
novel co‑ordinated control strategies for wind power
integration.
The system, based on e-automation technology
developed at Liverpool, collects and manages a large
volume of operational data taken from a wide-area
large-scale power system using multi-agent
technologies. The platform then carries out analyses
(
eg oscillation mode detection, abnormal operation
mode prediction) to identify problems or more
measures to optimise power output.
Liverpool has strong links with the Spanish Centre for
Renewable Energy (CENER) based on the University’s
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools developed
for the analysis of wind turbines. As a result, Liverpool
is the only UK university to be involved in the Annex
XX agreement of the International Energy Association.
This research looks at the predictive capability available
for the performance of wind turbines and involves
partners from around the globe. In addition it provides
valuable experimental data from wind tunnels that
Liverpool exploits to improve current state-of-the-art
wind turbine aerodynamics and aeroelasticity.
Applications include:
•
Wind generation system control: to develop
controllers for both large-scale and small-scale
wind generation systems, using advanced
maximum power point tracking technique,
intelligent parameter optimisation technique and
improved control algorithms.
•
Wind power short-term prediction: our prediction
technique will soon be ready to be used to estimate
the expected production of one or more wind
turbines (referred to as a wind farm).
•
Wide-area control in power systems: an operational
data integration and analysis platform based on the
e-automation technology developed at Liverpool.
The main function is to collect and manage
effectively the large volume of operational data for
a wide-area large-scale power system using
multi-agent technologies. The control system can
then carry out analyses such as oscillation mode
detection or abnormal operation mode predictions.
Capabilities and facilities
•
National Instruments e-Automation Laboratory –
a flagship research laboratory developed in
partnership with National Instruments Corporation
and supported by National Grid plc. It contains:
--
Real-time wind turbine simulator and real-time
automation platforms for developing sense and
control systems, as well as a range of hardware,
microprocessors, embedded systems and data
acquisition devices, comprehensive software
development systems and three IP networks
--
Two small-scale wind turbines and control systems,
as well as a wind turbine simulator and controller
•
Cutting edge industrial vibrational and structure
testing facilities
•
Dynamics laboratory, equipped with:
--
Three full LMS systems and one pimento system
for vibration testing
--
Sense and control systems (accelerometers,
displacement transducers, actuators, etc) for
structural control.
Relevant centres and groups
•
National Instruments e-Automation Laboratory.
Energy & Sustainability
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