Fault detection of large scale wind turbine systems: A mixed H∞/H− index observer approach

This paper addresses the fault detection issue of large scale wind turbine systems. The underlying problem is very critical to enhance the reliability and reduce the cost of maintenance of wind turbines. In this work, mixed H_infin/H_- index observer is utilized to generate the residual for fault detection purpose. The employed observer is optimal in the sense that it is the least sensitive to the unknown inputs, disturbances and the most sensitive to the system faults and it can be solved under a multi-objective optimization framework. The methods are successfully applied into the sensor and actuator fault detection issue of large scale wind turbine systems. The threshold design and fault isolation issues are also investigated. The effectiveness of this approach is illustrated by some simulation results.