Electrical power systems and subsystems

• US 10,587,121 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2017
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Ganireddy, Govardhan, Shukla, Saurabh, Burra, Rajni, Sutherland, Steven Wade
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dhillon, Jagdeep S
• Application Number:
  US15/602,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20180342875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 307 82, 307 80, 307 43, 307 66, 307 64, 307 22, 307 45, 307 18, 307145, 700287, 700288, 700297, 700298, 290 44, 290 42
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/255 connected to electrical distribution networks; Arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/257 the wind motor being part of a wind farm
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/1216 for AC-AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy wind motors F03D
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/18 The network being internal to a power source or plant
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/42 by static converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 Power conversion electric or electronic aspects

Abstract

An electrical power system includes a cluster of electrical power subsystems, each of the electrical power subsystems including a power converter electrically coupled to a generator having a generator rotor and a generator stator. Each of the electrical power subsystems defines a stator power path and a converter power path for providing power to the power grid, the converter power path including a partial power transformer. Each of the electrical power subsystems further includes a low voltage distribution panel electrically coupled to the converter power path, a first switch on the stator power path, and a second switch on the converter power path.

Claims

1. An electrical power system connectable to a power grid, comprising:

a cluster of electrical power subsystems, the cluster including a plurality of electrical power subsystems,

each of the electrical power subsystems comprising a power converter electrically coupled to a generator having a generator rotor and a generator stator,

each of the electrical power subsystems defining a stator power path and a converter power path for providing power to the power grid, the converter power path comprising a partial power transformer,

each of the electrical power subsystems further comprising a low voltage distribution panel electrically coupled to the converter power path,

a first switch on the stator power path, and

a second switch on the converter power path;

a cluster transformer including a primary winding and a secondary winding, the secondary winding electrically coupled to the cluster of electrical power subsystems;

a cluster power path extending between each electrical power subsystem and the secondary winding of the cluster transformer to electrically couple the secondary winding of the cluster transformer to the cluster of electrical power subsystems;

a substation transformer for connecting the primary winding of the cluster transformer to the power grid; and

a collection system power path extending between the primary winding of the cluster transformer and the substation transformer.

2. The electrical power system of claim 1, wherein the primary winding has a voltage between 30 and 35 Kilovolts and the secondary winding has a voltage between 11 and 15 Kilovolts.

3. The electrical power system of claim 1, wherein the substation transformer comprises a two-winding transformer.

4. The electrical power system of claim 1, wherein the substation transformer comprises a primary winding having a voltage between 110 and 250 Kilovolts and a secondary winding having a voltage between 30 and 35 Kilovolts.

5. The electrical power system of claim 1, wherein the low voltage distribution panel is electrically coupled to an auxiliary winding of the partial power transformer.

6. The electrical power system of claim 5, further comprising a third switch on the converter power path between the power converter and the partial power transformer.

7. The electrical power system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first switch or the second switch is a contactor.

8. The electrical power system of claim 7, wherein the at least one of the first switch or the second switch further comprises a fuse.

9. The electrical power system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first switch or the second switch is a circuit breaker.

10. The electrical power system of claim 1, wherein the low voltage distribution panel is electrically coupled to the converter power path between the partial power transformer and the cluster power path by an auxiliary power transformer and a fourth switch.