System and Method for Application of a Brake for a Wind Turbine

• US 20200132045A1
• Filed: 10/25/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Curtis, Justin Richard, Trzemzalski, Joseph Andrew, Ahmad, Hammad, Blaettler, Zachary Kurt, Hoffmann, Till
• Granted Patent: US 11,274,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/00 Wind motors with rotation axis substantially parallel to the air flow entering the rotor controlling thereof F03D7/02
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 15/00 Transmission of mechanical power
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 17/00 Monitoring or testing of wind motors, e.g. diagnostics testing during commissioning of wind motors F03D13/30
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0248 by mechanical means acting on the power train
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0264 for stopping; controlling in emergency situations orientating out of wind F03D7/0208
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/047 characterised by the controller architecture, e.g. multiple processors or data communications
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/30 in turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/221 with horizontal axis
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/4031 as in toothed gearing
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/90 Braking
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/1011 to prevent overspeed
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/1075 by temporary overriding set control limits
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/327 Rotor or generator speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/402 passive or reactive, e.g. using large wind vanes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A wind turbine and associated control method includes a controller configured with a high speed shaft brake in the generator gear train. The controller receives an input signal corresponding to rotational speed of the high speed shaft, wherein upon the high speed shaft reaching a predefined rotational speed and under a braking condition that calls for the rotor to come to a complete standstill, the controller generates an activate signal to activate the brake. An interlock system is in communication with the low speed shaft sensor and the controller and is configured to override the activate signal when the rotational speed of the low speed shaft is above a threshold value.

Claims

1. A wind turbine, comprising:

a rotor with a plurality of rotor blades configured thereon, the rotor connected to a generator via a drive train;

the drive train comprising a low speed shaft coupled to an input of a gear box, and a high speed shaft coupled to an output of the gearbox;

a brake configured with the high speed shaft;

a low speed shaft sensor disposed in the drivetrain to detect rotational speed of the low speed shaft;

a controller configured with the brake and to receive an input signal corresponding to rotational speed of the high speed shaft, wherein upon the high speed shaft reaching a predefined rotational speed, the controller generates an activate signal to activate the brake under a braking condition that calls for the rotor to come to a complete standstill; and

an interlock system in communication with the low speed shaft sensor and the controller, the interlock system configured to override the activate signal when the rotational speed of the low speed shaft is above a threshold value.

2. The wind turbine as in claim 1, wherein the high speed shaft rotational speed input signal is derived from the low speed shaft sensor.

3. The wind turbine as in claim 1, further comprising an emergency stop system in communication with the interlock system, wherein the interlock system overrides an emergency stop signal from the emergency stop system when the rotational speed of the low speed shaft is above the threshold value.

4. The wind turbine as in claim 3, wherein the emergency stop system bypasses the controller.

5. The wind turbine as in claim 1, wherein the low speed shaft sensor is also in communication with the controller, the controller configured to monitor operation of the interlock system based on input from the low speed shaft sensor.

6. The wind turbine as in claim 1, wherein the interlock system comprises a plurality of relays configured in a logic circuit that ensures that the brake does not activate under a plurality of operational scenarios when the rotational speed of the low speed shaft is above the threshold value.

7. A method for controlling actuation of a high speed shaft brake in a wind turbine, wherein the wind turbine includes a rotor with a plurality of rotor blades configured thereon, the rotor connected to a generator via a drive train that includes a low speed shaft coupled to an input of a gear box, and a high speed shaft coupled to an output of the gearbox, the method comprising:

with a low speed shaft sensor disposed in the drivetrain, determining rotational speed of the low speed shaft;

inputting a high speed shaft rotational speed signal to a controller configured with the brake and, under a braking condition that calls for the rotor to come to a complete standstill, generating an activate signal to the brake upon the high speed shaft reaching a predefined rotational speed; and

overriding the activate signal when rotational speed of the low speed shaft determined by the low speed shaft sensor is above a threshold value.

8. The method as in claim 7, further comprising deriving the high speed shaft rotational speed input signal from the low speed shaft sensor.

9. The method as in claim 7, further comprising generating an emergency stop signal that bypasses the controller, and overriding the emergency stop when the rotational speed of the low speed shaft is above the threshold value.

10. The method as in claim 7, wherein the overriding step is performed by an interlock system in communication with the low speed shaft sensor.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein the low speed shaft sensor is in communication with the controller, and further comprising monitoring operation of the interlock system with the controller based on input from the low speed shaft sensor.