Yaw System Control Strategy for Wind Turbines Based on Turbulence Intensity and Operating Modes

Mountainous wind farms are located at high altitudes with strong winds, rapid changes in wind direction, and high turbulence intensity. Wind turbines in such high-altitude wind farms frequently experience issues such as frequent start-stop cycles, yaw drift, and internal damage to yaw gearboxes and yaw motors, resulting in power generation loss and increased operation and maintenance costs. This paper proposes a comprehensive control strategy for yaw system that considers turbulence intensity and operational mode, effectively addressing the limitations of conventional yaw control approaches. The proposed approach enhances the system’s adaptability to regions with high turbulence intensity and rapid wind direction changes, such as mountainous wind farms. It ensures the normal operation of the yaw system while reducing unnecessary yawing and false triggers, thereby decreasing the frequency of yaw operations and mechanical impacts, ultimately protecting the safe operation of yaw equipment.