Experimental verification of predicted capability of a wind turbine drivetrain test bench to replicate dynamic loads onto multi-megawatt nacelles

A total of 27 test profiles from the IEC 61400-1 design load cases were tested using a 7.5-MW wind turbine drivetrain test bench and two multi-megawatt wind turbine drivetrains. Each test profile consisted of simultaneous vertical, lateral, and longitudinal forces, yawing and nodding bending moment, and rotational speed. These test-bench inputs were compared with the forces, bending moments, and speed that were applied to the wind turbine drivetrains to quantify the test-bench tracking error. This tracking error was quantified for a range of ramp-rate limits of the yawing and nodding bending moments. The experimental results were compared with predictions from an evaluation method for the capability of wind turbine drivetrain test benches to replicate dynamic loads. The method’s predictive capability was found to be sufficient for the goal of early screening and its formulation is applicable to any wind turbine drivetrain test bench and drivetrain design.

Advanced Control to Improve the Ramp-Rate of a Gas Turbine: Optimization of Control Schedule

As the proportion of power generation using renewable energy increases, it is important to improve the operational flexibility of gas turbines (GTs) for the stability of power grids. Increasing the ramp-rate of GTs is a general solution. However, a higher ramp-rate increases the turbine inlet temperature (TIT), its rate of change, and the fluctuation of the frequency of produced electricity, which are negative side effects. This study proposes a method to optimize the set-point schedule for a PID controller to improve the ramp-rate while decreasing the negative impacts. The set-point schedule was optimized for a 170-MW class GT using a genetic algorithm to minimize the difference between the value of the process variable and the set-point value of the conventional control. The advanced control reduced the fluctuation of the rotation speed by 20% at the reference ramp-rates (12 MW/min and 15 MW/min). The maximum TIT decreased by 6.3 °C, and its maximum rate of change decreased from 0.7 °C/s to 0.4 °C/s. The advantage of the advanced control becomes more marked as the ramp-rate increases. Even at a much higher ramp-rate (50 MW/min), the advanced control decreased the rotation speed fluctuation by 40% in comparison to the conventional control at the reference ramp-rate.

Contributors to Fluxgate Magnetic Noise in Permalloy Foils Including a Potential New Copper Alloy Regime

Fluxgate magnetometers provide sensitive and stable measurements of the static and low frequency vector magnetic field. Fluxgates form a magnetic field measurement by periodically saturating a ferromagnetic core and the intrinsic magnetic noise of this material can determine the noise floor of the instrument. We present the results of an empirical experiment to understand the physical parameters that influence the intrinsic magnetic noise of fluxgate cores. We compare two permalloy alloys – the historical standard 6 % molybdenum alloy and a new 28 % copper alloy. We examine the influence of geometry using the historical standard 1” diameter spiral wound ring-core and a new stacked washer racetrack design. We evaluate the influence of material thickness by comparing 100 µm and 50 µm foils. Finally, we investigate heat treatments in terms of temperature and ramp rate and their role in both grain size and magnetic noise. The results of these experiments suggest that thinner foils, potentially comprising the copper alloy, manufactured into continuous racetrack geometry washers may provide excellent performance in fluxgate sensors.

Electrophoretic Codeposition of MoOx/MoS2 Thin Film for Platinum-Free Counter Electrode in Quantum Dot Solar Cells

The MoOx/MoS2 thin films were manufactured on conducting glass (FTO) from the ethanolic mixture of colloidal molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and molybdenum oxides (MoOx) by electrophoretic deposition method and were used for counter electrode of quantum dot solar cells. Different ramp-rate conditions for electrophoretic deposition as well as bias potential were investigated in an attempt to get the highest possible electrocatalytic activity of polysulfide (S2-/Sn2-) redox couple. In this research, interestingly, by simply using CdS/CdSe/ZnS photoanode and polysulfide electrolyte under 1000 W.m−2 AM 1.5 G illumination, the power conversion efficiency of MoOx/MoS2-counter-electrode-based QDSC was achieved up to 2.01%, which was double compared to platinum-based counter electrode of QDSCs.

Impact of process conditions on chemical solution deposited BNKT thin film electromechanical properties

Phase pure perovskite (1-x)Bi1/2Na1/2TiO3 – xBi1/2K1/2TiO3 (BNKT) thin films were successfully prepared via an inverse mixing order chemical solution deposition method and the impact of process conditions on film properties were observed. Process conditions evaluated included crystallization temperature and time, ramp rate, pyrolysis temperature, and cation excess. Properties measured included crystal structure, dielectric constant, dielectric loss, piezoelectric response, and ferroelectric response. A few notable trends were observed. A subtle impact on piezoelectric response was observed in films prepared using different ramp rates: 100 C per second films (d33,f = 60 ± 5 pm/V at 1 kHz), 75 °C per second films (d33,f = 55 ± 5 pm/V) and 150 C per second films (d33,f = 50 ± 5 pm/V). Films prepared using a 75 °C per second ramp rate displayed slightly higher dielectric loss (tan δ = 0.09 at 1 kHz) than films prepared using a 100 °C per second ramp rate (tan δ = 0.07 at 1 kHz) or 150 °C per second ramp rate (tan δ = 0.05 at 1 kHz). Pyrolysis temperatures greater than 350 °C are necessary to burn off organics and maximize film dielectric constant. Dielectric constant increased from 450 ± 50 at 1 kHz to 600 ± 50 at 1 kHz by increasing pyrolysis temperature from 300 to 400 °C. Excess cation amounts (for compositional control) were also evaluated and it was found films with higher amounts of Na and K excess compared to bismuth excess displayed an increase in d33,f of about 10 pm/V compared to films prepared with equivalent Bi and Na and K excess amounts. Article highlights Impact of processing conditions on inverse mixing order chemical solution deposited bismuth based thin films. Dielectric, piezoelectric, and ferroelectric properties of thin film bismuth sodium titanate-bismuth potassium titanate thin films. Developing lead-free piezoelectric actuator materials.