SYSTEM AND METHOD OF WIND TURBINE CONTROL

• US 20130277970A1
• Filed: 04/24/2012
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Fric, Thomas Frank, Dange, Devendra Shashikant, Hardwicke, Edward Wayne Jr., Kekkaroth, Renjith Viripullan, Pennington, Noah
• Granted Patent: US 9,018,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/44
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/026 for starting-up
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0272 by measures acting on the electrical generator
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0276 controlling rotor speed, e.g. variable speed
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0284 in relation to the state of the electric grid
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/1033 Power (if explicitly mentioned)
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/335 Output power or torque
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

In one aspect, embodiments of a method of controlling a power rating of a wind turbine are described. One embodiment of the method comprises retrieving, by a computing device, one or more preset values from a memory, wherein the one or more preset values include at least an initial torque setpoint for a wind turbine; determining, by the computing device, an adjusted torque setpoint for the wind turbine based at least in part on one or more operating conditions received from one or more measurement devices associated with the wind turbine; and adjusting a real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint. In one aspect, the computing device can be a controller for the wind turbine.

Claims

1. A control system for a wind turbine comprising:

one or more measurement devices, wherein the one or more measurement devices are configured to measure one or more operating conditions of a wind turbine;

a controller; and

a memory associated with the controller, wherein the controller is configured to;

receive the one or more measured operating conditions from the one or more measurement devices;

retrieve one or more preset values from the memory wherein said one or more preset values includes an initial torque setpoint for the wind turbine;

determine an adjusted torque setpoint for the wind turbine based at least in part on one or more operating conditions received from one or more measurement devices associated with the wind turbine; and

adjust a real power output rating in the controller for the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller configured to determine an adjusted torque setpoint for the wind turbine based at least in part on one or more operating conditions received from one or more measurement devices associated with the wind turbine comprises receiving one or more of a system grid voltage, one or more grid currents, one or more grid phase angles and ambient temperature, wherein the controller calculates a system power factor from the received measured operating conditions.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller configured to retrieve one or more preset values from the memory further comprises retrieving one or more of an altitude of the wind turbine and a turbulence density from the memory.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller configured to adjust the real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint comprises uprating the real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller configured to adjust the real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint comprises uprating an initial real power output rating of the wind turbine by about three percent or greater based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint at the system grid voltage of 1.0 per unit or greater, the ambient temperature of about 40 Celsius, and the system power factor is between −

0.90 up to and including about +0.90.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller configured to adjust the real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint comprises derating the real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller configured to adjust the real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint comprises derating an initial real power output rating of the wind turbine by about 0.10 percent or greater based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint when the system power factor is between −

0.90 to and including about −

0.95.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller configured to adjust the real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint comprises uprating an initial real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller configured to adjust the real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint comprises derating an initial real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint.

10. A control system for a wind turbine comprising:

one or more measurement devices, wherein the one or more measurement devices are configured to measure at least a system grid voltage, one or more grid currents, one or more grid phase angles, and an ambient temperature;

a controller; and

a memory associated with the controller, wherein the controller is configured to;

receive the system grid voltage, one or more grid currents, one or more grid phase angles, and ambient temperature from the one or more measurement devices;

calculate a system power factor from the received system grid voltage, one or more grid currents, one or more grid phase angles;

retrieve an initial torque setpoint, altitude of the wind turbine and a turbulence intensity from the memory;

determine an adjusted torque setpoint for the wind turbine based on the system grid voltage, the system power factor, ambient temperature, altitude of the wind turbine, and the turbulence intensity;

replace the initial torque setpoint in the controller for the wind turbine with the determined adjusted torque setpoint; and

uprate or derate a power rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller configured to uprate or derate the real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint comprises uprating an initial real power output rating of the wind turbine by about three percent or greater based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint at the system grid voltage of 1.0 per unit or greater, the ambient temperature of about 40 Celsius, and the system power factor is between −

0.90 up to and including about +0.90.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller configured to uprate or derate the real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint comprises derating an initial real power output rating of the wind turbine by about 0.10 percent or greater based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint when the system power factor is between −

0.90 to and including about −

0.95.

13. A method for controlling a power rating of a wind turbine comprising:

retrieving, by a computing device, one or more preset values from a memory, wherein said one or more preset values includes an initial torque setpoint for a wind turbine;

determining, by the computing device, an adjusted torque setpoint for the wind turbine based at least in part on one or more operating conditions received from one or more measurement devices associated with the wind turbine; and

adjusting a real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining, by the computing device, an adjusted torque setpoint for the wind turbine based at least in part on one or more operating conditions received from one or more measurement devices associated with the wind turbine comprises receiving one or more of a system grid voltage, one or more grid currents, one or more grid phase angles and ambient temperature, wherein the computing device calculates a system power factor from the received measured operating conditions.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein retrieving, by the computing device, one or more preset values from a memory further comprises retrieving one or more of an altitude of the wind turbine and a turbulence density from the memory.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein adjusting the real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint comprises uprating the real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein adjusting the real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint comprises uprating an initial real power output rating of the wind turbine by about three percent or greater based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint at the system grid voltage of 1.0 per unit or greater, the ambient temperature of about 40 Celsius, and the system power factor is between −

0.90 up to and including about +0.90.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein adjusting the real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint comprises derating the real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein adjusting the real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint comprises derating an initial real power output rating of the wind turbine by about 0.10 percent or greater based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint when the system power factor is between −

0.90 to and including about −

0.95.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein adjusting the real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint comprises uprating an initial real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein adjusting the real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint comprises derating an initial real power output rating of the wind turbine based on the determined adjusted torque setpoint.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the computing device comprises a controller for the wind turbine.