SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A WIND TURBINE SYSTEM

• US 20150159625A1
• Filed: 12/11/2013
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Hardwicke, Edward Wayne Jr., Klodowski, Anthony Michael, Gandhi, Jignesh Govindlal, Barker, Sidney Allen, Dinjus, Thomas Ernst, Bruegger, Reinhard
• Granted Patent: US 9,863,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 15/10 using gearing not limited to rotary motion, e.g. with oscillating or reciprocating members
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0272 by measures acting on the electrical generator
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/028 controlling wind motor output power
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/70 Bearing or lubricating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/255 connected to electrical distribution networks; Arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A method for controlling a wind turbine system may generally include controlling a wind turbine to operate at a speed and torque setting within a permissible operating region defined between maximum and minimum operating curves, receiving a speed de-rate request and/or a torque de-rate request to de-rate the wind turbine based on a limiting constraint of the wind turbine system, determining an adjusted speed setting and/or an adjusted torque setting for the wind turbine based on the speed de-rate request and/or the torque de-rate request, determining whether an adjustment of the wind turbine operation to the adjusted speed setting and/or the adjusted torque setting would place the turbine outside the permissible operating region and, if the adjustment would place the operation outside the permissible operating region, adjusting the speed setting and/or the torque setting to a new speed and/or torque setting defined along the maximum or minimum operating curve.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a wind turbine system, the method comprising:

controlling a wind turbine of the wind turbine system to operate at a speed setting and a torque setting within a permissible operating region defined between a maximum operating curve and a minimum operating curve for the wind turbine;

receiving at least one of a speed de-rate request or a torque de-rate request to de-rate the wind turbine based on a limiting constraint of the wind turbine system;

determining at least one of an adjusted speed setting or an adjusted torque setting for the wind turbine based on the at least one of the speed de-rate request or the torque de-rate request;

determining whether an adjustment of the wind turbine operation to the at least one of the adjusted speed setting or the adjusted torque setting would place the wind turbine operation outside the permissible operating region; and

if the adjustment would place the wind turbine operation outside the permissible operating region, adjusting the at least one of the speed setting or the torque setting to at least one of a new speed setting or a new torque setting defined along the maximum operating curve or the minimum operating curve.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the limiting constraint corresponds to current within an electrical component of at least one of a stator circuit or a rotor-side circuit of the wind turbine system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving at least one of a speed de-rate request or a torque de-rate request comprises receiving a torque de-rate request from a convertor controller of the wind turbine system to reduce the torque setting of the wind turbine.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the limiting constraint corresponds to current within an electrical component of a line-side circuit of the wind turbine system or voltage within an electrical component of a rotor-side circuit of the wind turbine.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving at least one of a speed de-rate request or a torque de-rate request comprises receiving a speed de-rate request from a convertor controller of the wind turbine system to reduce the speed setting of the wind turbine.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the limiting constraint corresponds to a temperature of an electrical component of the wind turbine system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving at least one of a speed de-rate request or a torque de-rate request comprises receiving a torque de-rate request from a convertor controller of the wind turbine system to reduce the torque setting of the wind turbine.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the limiting constraint corresponds to an operating condition of a component of the wind turbine.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving at least one of a speed de-rate request or a torque de-rate request comprises receiving a speed de-rate request to reduce the speed setting of the wind turbine.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the at least one of the speed setting or the torque setting to the at least one of the adjusted speed setting or the adjusted torque setting if the adjustment would not place the wind turbine operation outside the permissible operating region.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the new speed setting or the new torque setting is defined along the maximum operating curve if the adjustment to the at least one of the adjusted speed setting or the adjusted torque setting would place the wind turbine operation above the maximum operating curve.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the new speed setting or the new torque setting is defined along the minimum operating curve if the adjustment to the at least one of the adjusted speed setting or the adjusted torque setting would place the wind turbine operation below the minimum operating curve.

13. A wind turbine system, the system comprising:

a wind turbine, the wind turbine having a permissible operating region defined between a maximum operating curve and a minimum operating curve;

a plurality of electrical components contained within a stator circuit, a rotor side circuit and a line side circuit of the wind turbine system, the plurality of electrical components being configured to convert rotational energy of the wind turbine to electrical energy to be supplied to a grid; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the wind turbine so as to control the operation of the wind turbine, the controller being configured to;

operate the wind turbine at a speed setting and a torque setting within the permissible operating region;

receive at least one of a speed de-rate request or a torque de-rate request to de-rate the wind turbine based on a limiting constraint of the wind turbine system;

determine at least one of an adjusted speed setting or an adjusted torque setting for the wind turbine based on the at least one of the speed de-rate request or the torque de-rate request;

determine whether an adjustment of the wind turbine operation to the at least one of the adjusted speed setting or the adjusted torque setting would place the wind turbine operation outside the permissible operating region; and

if the adjustment would place the wind turbine operation outside the permissible operating region, adjust the at least one of the speed setting or the torque setting to at least one of a new speed setting or a new torque setting defined along the maximum operating curve or the minimum operating curve.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein, when the limiting constraint corresponds to current within an electrical component of at least one of the stator circuit or the rotor side circuit, the controller is configured to receive a torque de-rate request from a convertor controller of the wind turbine system to reduce the torque setting of the wind turbine.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein, when the limiting constraint corresponds to current within an electrical component of the line-side circuit system or voltage within an electrical component of the rotor-side circuit, the controller is configured to receive a speed de-rate request from a convertor controller of the wind turbine system to reduce the speed setting of the wind turbine.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein, when the limiting constraint corresponds to a temperature of one of the plurality of electrical components, the controller is configured to receive a torque de-rate request from a convertor controller of the wind turbine system to reduce the torque setting of the wind turbine.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein, when the limiting constraint corresponds to an operating condition of a component of the wind turbine, the controller is configured to receive a speed de-rate request to reduce the speed setting of the wind turbine.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the at least one of the speed setting or the torque setting to the at least one of the adjusted speed setting or the adjusted torque setting if the adjustment would not place the wind turbine operation outside the permissible operating region.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one of the new speed setting or the new torque setting is defined along the maximum operating curve if the adjustment to the at least one of the adjusted speed setting or the adjusted torque setting would place the wind turbine operation above the maximum operating curve.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one of the new speed setting or the new torque setting is defined along the minimum operating curve if the adjustment to the at least one of the adjusted speed setting or the adjusted torque setting would place the wind turbine operation below the minimum operating curve.