WIND TURBINE AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A WIND TURBINE

• US 20110144814A1
• Filed: 06/29/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: MENKE, Detlef
• Application Number:
  US12/825,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20110144814A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/287
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/026 for starting-up
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for operating a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising a wind rotor and a generator connected to the wind rotor, wherein the generator is adapted to be connected to a grid, wherein the method comprises: generating a signal for at least one of a run-up event or starting event of the wind turbine based on a predicted efficiency of at least one component of the wind turbine. Further, the present disclosure relates to a method for operating a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising a wind rotor and a generator connected to the wind rotor, wherein the generator is adapted to be connected to a grid, wherein the method comprises: generating a signal for at least one of a run-up event or starting event of the wind turbine based on a predicted power output of the wind turbine that is based on at least one of a predicted electrical or mechanical power consumption of at least one component of the wind turbine. Finally, the present disclosure relates to a wind turbine comprising a wind rotor, wherein the wind rotor is mechanically connected to a generator for transmitting the rotational power of the wind rotor to the rotor of the generator, wherein the output current of the generator is adapted to be selectively connected to a grid by a circuit breaker, the wind turbine further comprising a control device adapted to close the circuit breaker, wherein the control device is adapted to generate a signal for at least one of a run-up event or starting event of the wind turbine based on a predicted efficiency of at least one component of the wind turbine.

Claims

1. A method for operating a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising a wind rotor and a generator connected to the wind rotor, wherein the generator is adapted to be connected to a grid, wherein the method comprises:

generating a signal for at least one of a run-up event or starting event of the wind turbine based on a predicted efficiency of at least one component of the wind turbine.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predicted efficiency is the estimated efficiency of the at least one component for when the wind turbine were to be connected to the grid.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one component of the wind turbine is selected from the group comprising:

a gear box, an inverter, the generator, a transformer, a drive train, a pitch drive and a controller.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predicted efficiency of the at least one component is based on a predicted power consumption of the at least one component.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the predicted power consumption of the at least one component is based on an actual power consumption of the at least one component.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predicted efficiency of the at least one component is based on an actual efficiency of the at least one component.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the generating of at least one of the signal for a run-up event or starting event of the wind turbine is further based on a predicted power output of the wind turbine.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the signal for at least one of the run-up event or starting event of the wind turbine comprises generating based on the relation of the predicted power output to a predetermined power threshold.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the signal for run-up event or starting event of the wind turbine is generated when the predicted power output exceeds the predetermined threshold for a predetermined time.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

after the run-up event signal, the wind turbine adapting the wind rotor speed to a switch-on speed of the generator, wherein the switch-on speed is a predetermined speed of the rotor of the generator at which the generator is ideally connected to the grid, and connecting the generator of the wind turbine to the grid.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predicted efficiency of the at least one component is further based on at least one value selected from a group comprising actual wind rotor speed, actual rotor blade angle, actual wind direction, actual wind speed, actual configuration of the wind turbine, and actual environmental conditions.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predicted efficiency of the at least one component is further based on recorded data.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recorded data comprises data adapted for determining the efficiency of the wind turbine or of at least one component of the wind turbine when the wind turbine was connected to the grid.

14. A method for operating a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising a wind rotor and a generator connected to the wind rotor, wherein the generator is adapted to be connected to a grid, wherein the method comprises:

generating a signal for at least one of a run-up event or starting event of the wind turbine based on a predicted power output of the wind turbine that is based on at least one of a predicted electrical or mechanical power consumption of at least one component of the wind turbine.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the predicted power output is the estimated power output for when the wind turbine were to be connected to the grid.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the signal for at least one of the run-up event or starting event of the wind turbine is generated, when the predicted power output exceeds the predetermined threshold for a predetermined time.

17. The method according to claim 14, further comprising after the run-up event signal, the wind turbine adapting the wind rotor speed to a switch-on speed of the generator, wherein the switch-on speed is a predetermined speed at which the generator is ideally connected to the grid, and connecting the generator of the wind turbine to the grid.

18. A wind turbine comprising a wind rotor, wherein the wind rotor is mechanically connected to a generator for transmitting the rotational power of the wind rotor to the rotor of the generator, wherein the output current of the generator is adapted to be selectively connected to a grid by a circuit breaker, the wind turbine further comprising a control device adapted to close the circuit breaker, wherein the control device is adapted to generate a signal for at least one of a run-up event or starting event of the wind turbine based on a predicted efficiency of at least one component of the wind turbine.

19. The wind turbine according to claim 18, wherein the predicted efficiency is the estimated efficiency of the at least one component for when the wind turbine would be connected to the grid.

20. The wind turbine according to claim 18, wherein the at least one component of the wind turbine is selected from the group comprising:

a gear box, an inverter, the generator, a transformer, a drive train, a pitch drive and a controller.