METHOD OF OPERATING A WIND POWER INSTALLATION AND A WIND POWER INSTALLATION

• US 20080277936A1
• Filed: 02/16/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aloys Wobben
• Original Assignee: Aloys Wobben
• Inventors: WOBBEN, Aloys
• Granted Patent: US 7,595,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/44
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0284 in relation to the state of the electric grid
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/042 by means of an electrical or electronic controller
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/043 characterised by the type of control logic
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/255 connected to electrical distribution networks; Arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/1033 Power (if explicitly mentioned)
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/20 to optimise the performance of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/337 Electrical grid status parameters, e.g. voltage, frequency or power demand
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2101/15 for wind-driven turbines
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/107 for limiting effects of overloads
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/305 controlling voltage H02P9/302 takes precedence
• 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

The present invention concerns a method of operating a wind power installation comprising an electric generator drivable by a rotor for outputting electrical power to an electrical consumer, in particular an electrical network.

The invention further concerns a wind power installation comprising a rotor and an electric generator coupled to the rotor for outputting electric power to an electrical consumer, in particular an electrical network.

• • The object of the present invention is to provide a method of operating a wind power installation, and a wind power installation, which avoid the disadvantages of the state of the art and in particular avoid voltage over-fluctuations at the consumer, in particular an electrical network, and unwanted shut-down of the wind power installation.
  • In a method of the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification, that object is attained by the invention in that the power delivered to the network by the wind power generator is regulated in dependence on the applied network voltage of the power supply network.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wind power installation comprising an electric generator drivable by a rotor for supplying electrical power to an electrical network, in particular its connected consumers, characterised in that the power supplied to the network by the generator is regulated in dependence on an electrical voltage applied to the network, that the wind power installation remains connected with the grid even if the electrical voltage applied to the network is below U_min and/or above U_max, whereby U_min is a voltage level below the reference value of the electrical voltage applied to the network, whereby U_max is a voltage level which is above the reference value of the electrical voltage applied to the network, that the wind power installation is feeding its maximum power to the grid if the voltage is between a further value U₃ and U₁, whereby the voltage level of U₃ is bigger than the voltage level of U_min but smaller than of U₁ and whereby the voltage level of U₁ is smaller than the voltage level of U_max but greater than of U₃ (see FIG. 3) and that the wind power installation is reducing its power output fed to the network if the voltage applied to the grid is in the region between U₁ and U_max on the one side and/or between U_min and U₃ on the other side.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the power which is supplied by the generator and fed into the network is regulated in dependence on an electrical voltage applied at the network feed-in point.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the supplied power is regulated by the electrical voltage produced being regulated to a desired reference value (U_ref).

4. A method as set forth in claim 3 characterised in that the electrical voltage is produced in the form of ac voltage at a predeterminable frequency.

5. A method as set forth in claim 4 characterised in that the predeterminable frequency substantially corresponds to the network frequency.

6. A wind power installation, in particular for carrying out a method as set forth in claim 1, comprising a rotor and an electric generator coupled to the rotor for supplying electrical power to an electrical network, characterised by a regulating device having a voltage sensor for sensing an electrical voltage applied to the network so that the power supplied to the network by the generator can be regulated in dependence on the voltage sensed by the voltage sensor.

7. A wind power installation as set forth in claim 6 characterised in that the regulating device has a microprocessor.

8. A method of operating an energy-generating apparatus comprising an electric generator for supplying electrical power to an electrical network, in particular that of the connected consumers, wherein the power generated fluctuates, characterised in that the power supplied to the network by the generator is regulated in dependence on an electrical voltage applied to the network.