A Review of Individual Pitch Control for Partial Pitch Blades in Next Generation Large Wind Turbines

This paper provides a review of the literature on individual pitch control (IPC) design methodologies for large wind turbines with a focus on the partial pitch (PP) blade concept, where only the outboard section is actuated by a spanwise pitch bearing. Upscaling to ultra-large rotors increases gravity-driven fatigue and extreme loads, while full-span IPC becomes constrained by pitch inertia and actuator duty. PP could reduce actuation inertia and preserve cyclic load mitigation capability, but PP-specific IPC design methodology remains limited. The paper will look at the development of (i) classical PI IPC, (ii) robust and model predictive control (MPC) that addresses multivariable coupling and constraints, and (iii) learning-based control for direct control or automated tuning. The current challenges and future opportunities for all control methods are also discussed. Based on the perspective of deployability, transparency, and maintainability, the study identifies analytically tuned multivariable PI designs as the most practical solution for PP rotors.