START-UP METHOD FOR A WIND TURBINE AND A CONTROL ASSEMBLY

• US 20140248118A1
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Wenclik, Mateusz Pawel, Korim, David Charles
• Granted Patent: US 9,523,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 415/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01D 7/00 Rotors with blades adjustable in operation; Control thereof for reversing F01D1/30
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0224 Adjusting blade pitch
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/026 for starting-up
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/70 Bearing or lubricating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/4031 as in toothed gearing
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/98 Lubrication
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/00 Control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A method for starting-up a wind turbine having a rotor with at least one rotor blade is provided. The method includes rotating the at least one rotor blade towards a main operating position using a pitch drive system including a pitch bearing supporting the at least one rotor blade, and a pitch-driving pinion meshing with the pitch bearing; and activating a pump to feed a lubricant to a lubrication pinion meshing with one of the pitch bearing and the pitch-driving pinion before the at least one rotor blade reaches the main operating position so that the lubricant is mainly transferred to a load portion of the pitch bearing and/or a load portion of the pitch-driving pinion. Further, a control assembly for use with the wind turbine is provided.

Claims

1. A method for starting-up a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising a rotor comprising at least one rotor blade, said method comprising:

rotating the at least one rotor blade towards a main operating position using a pitch drive system comprising a pitch bearing supporting the at least one rotor blade, and a pitch-driving pinion meshing with the pitch bearing; and

,

activating a pump to feed a lubricant to a lubrication pinion meshing with one of the pitch bearing and the pitch-driving pinion before the at least one rotor blade reaches the main operating position so that the lubricant is selectively transferred to at least one of a load portion of the pitch bearing and a load portion of the pitch-driving pinion.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the main operating position is a fully powered position of the at least one rotor blade.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pump is activated when a pitch-angle of the at least one rotor blade reaches a first pre-defined value.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the pitch bearing comprises a first tooth, wherein the pitch-driving pinion comprises a second tooth which is engaged with the first tooth when the at least one rotor blade is in the main operating position, and wherein the first pre-defined value has a larger angular distance to the main operating position than a second pre-defined value which corresponds to a pitch-angle value of the at least one rotor blade at which the lubrication pinion is adapted to transfer the lubricant to one of the first tooth and the second tooth.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein a difference between the first pre-defined value and the second pre-defined value substantially corresponds to a full rotation of the pitch-driving pinion.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the pitch-angle of the at least one rotor blade is maintained at the first pre-defined value for a pre-defined time period.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein an absolute value of a pitching speed of the at least one rotor blade is reduced after the pitch-angle has reached the first pre-defined value.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

monitoring a speed of the rotor of the wind turbine; and

,

stopping the pump when the speed of the rotor is outside a desired range.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wind turbine further comprises a generator which is configured to feed electrical power to a grid, and wherein the pump is activated prior to feeding electric power to the grid.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

rotating the at least one rotor blade into the main operating position;

feeding electric power to a grid after activating the pump; and

stopping the pump before the at least one rotor blade is in the main operating position.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is activated after a pre-defined normal operating time of the wind turbine.

12. A method for starting-up a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising a rotor comprising at least one rotor blade, and a pitch drive system coupled to the at least one rotor blade and configured to rotate the at least one rotor blade about a longitudinal axis of the at least one rotor blade, said method comprising:

rotating the at least one rotor blade from an idling position at least close to a main lubricating position in which a lubricating assembly is configured to transfer a lubricant to a portion of the pitch drive system which is exposed to mechanical loads when the at least one rotor blade is in a main operating position;

transferring the lubricant to the portion of the pitch drive system while the at least one rotor blade is at least close to the main lubricating position; and

,

rotating the at least one rotor blade into the main operating position.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the pitch-system comprises a pitch bearing connected to the at least one rotor blade and comprising a first tooth, a pitch-driving pinion meshing with the pitch bearing and comprising a second tooth which is engaged with the first tooth when the at least one rotor blade is in the main operating position, wherein the lubricating assembly comprises a lubrication pinion meshing with one of the pitch bearing and the pitch-driving pinion, and wherein one of the first tooth and the second tooth forms the portion of the pitch drive system to which the lubricant is transferred.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the lubricating assembly further comprises a pump connected to the lubrication pinion, and wherein the pump is activated before the at least one rotor blade reaches the main lubricating position.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the pump is activated when the at least one rotor blade reaches a pumping position having an angular distance to the main lubricating position, the angular distance substantially corresponding to a full rotation of the pitch-driving pinion.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the wind turbine further comprises a generator connected to the rotor, further comprising at least one of:

rotating, prior to rotating the at least one rotor blade at least close to the main lubricating position, the rotor blade from a feather position into the idling position;

connecting the generator and a grid;

feeding electric power from the generator into the grid; and

,

stopping the pump after connecting the generator.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one rotor blade is not rotated back into the feather position prior to rotating the at least one rotor blade into the main operating position.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the method is repeated after operating the wind turbine with at least one rotor blade substantially at the main operating position for a pre-defined operating time.

19. A control assembly for use with a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising a rotor including at least one rotor blade, said control assembly comprising:

a pitch drive system coupled to the at least one rotor blade, the pitch drive system being adapted to rotate the at least one rotor blade about a longitudinal axis of the at least one rotor blade;

a lubricating assembly coupled to the pitch drive system; and

,

a control system being communicatively coupled to said pitch drive system and the lubrication assembly, said control system being configured to control;

rotating the at least one rotor blade from an idling position at least close to a main lubricating position in which the lubricating assembly is configured to transfer a lubricant to a portion of the pitch drive system which is exposed to mechanical loads when the at least one rotor blade is in a main operating position;

transferring the lubricant to the portion of the pitch drive system while the at least one rotor blade is at least close to the main lubricating position; and

,

rotating the at least one rotor blade into the main operating position.

20. The control assembly according to claim 19, wherein the pitch-system comprises a pitch bearing connected to the at least one rotor blade and comprising a first tooth, a pitch-driving pinion meshing with the pitch bearing and comprising a second tooth which is engaged with the first tooth when the at least one rotor blade is in the main operating position, wherein the lubricating assembly comprises a lubrication pinion meshing with one of the pitch bearing and the pitch-driving pinion, and a pump connected to the lubrication pinion, and wherein one of the first tooth and the second tooth forms the portion of the pitch drive system to which the lubricant is to be transferred.