Wind power plant

• US 7,061,133 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1998
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ABB AB (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: ABB AB (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Leijon, Mats, Kylander, Gunnar
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLINS, BURTON S
• Application Number:
  US09/554,888
• Time in Patent Office: 2,752 Days
• Field of Search: 290/44, 310/196, 310/195, 310179-180, 310/208, 310/184, 174/DIG.15, 174/DIG.28, 174/DIG.14, 174/DIG.20
• US Class Current: 290/44
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 15/00 Transmission of mechanical power
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2203/15 Machines characterised by cable windings, e.g. high-voltage cables, ribbon cables
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/40 for high voltage, e.g. affording protection against corona discharges
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1838 Generators mounted in a nacelle or similar structure of a horizontal axis wind turbine
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 174/15 in a power generation system, e.g. prime-mover dynamo, generator system
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 174/28 Plural semiconductive layers

Abstract

The magnetic circuit of a generator in a wind power plant is arranged to directly supply a high supply voltage of 2-50 kV, preferably higher than 10 kV. The generator is provided with solid insulation and its winding includes a cable (6) comprising one or more current-carrying conductors (31) with a number of strands (36) surrounded by at least one outer and one inner semiconducting layer (34, 32) and intermediate insulating layers (33). The outer semiconducting layer (34) is at earth potential. The stator winding may be produced with full or fractional slot winding, the phases of the winding being Y-connected. The Y-point may be insulated and protected from over-voltage by means of surge arrestors, or else the Y-point may be earthed via a suppression filter. The invention also relates to a wind power plant, a generator included in the plant and a variable speed system for such a plant.

Claims

1. A wind power plant comprising at least one high voltage rotary generator coupled to a turbine via shaft means and having a stator with at least one winding and a rotor, wherein the at least one stator winding comprises:

a cable including a current carrying conductor, an inner layer having semiconducting properties surrounding the current carrying conductor, a solid insulation layer surrounding the inner layer and an outer layer having semiconducting properties surrounding the solid insulation layer, wherein the current-carrying conductor comprises a plurality of electrically insulated strands and at least one uninsulated strand in contact with the inner layer.

2. The plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner and outer layers each provide essentially an equipotential surface, and the insulating layer has substantially the same coefficient of thermal expansion as the semiconducting layers.

3. The plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the layer is at substantially the same potential as the said conductor.

4. The plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer semiconducting layer is arranged to form essentially an equipotential surface surrounding the conductor.

5. The plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein said outer semiconducting layer is connected to a predefined potential.

6. The plant as claimed in claim 5, the predefined potential is earth potential.

7. The plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotor is equipped with a short-circuited winding, resulting in a generator of the induction type.

8. The plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotor is equipped with a field winding in which DC-current flows, resulting in a generator of the synchronous type.

9. The plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conductor has a conductor area of between 10 and 200 mm² and the cable has an outer cable diameter of between 10 and 40 mm.

10. The plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said generator is designed for high voltage and is arranged to supply the out-going electric network directly without any intermediate connection of a transformer.

11. The plant as claimed in claim 10, wherein said generator is earthed via an impedance.

12. The plant as claimed in claim 10, wherein said generator is directly earthed.

13. The plant as claimed claim 10, wherein the generator is arranged to generate power to various voltage levels.

14. The plant as claimed claim 13, wherein one of said voltage levels is arranged to generate auxiliary power and that the auxiliary power is arranged to be generated from a separate winding in the generator.

15. The plant as claimed in claim 1 wherein it comprises several generators, each of which lacks an individual step-up transformer, but which, via a system transformer common to the generators, is connected to the transmission or distribution network.

16. The plant as claimed in claim 1 wherein the winding of the or each generator is arranged for self-regulating field control and lacks auxiliary means for control of the field.

17. The plant as claimed in claim 1 wherein the windings of the or each generator can be connected for multiple-speed operation using different numbers of poles.

18. The plant as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one wind turbine is equipped with two or more generators having different numbers of poles so that multiple-speed operation is possible.

19. The plant as claimed in claim 1 wherein the or each generator is connected to a frequency convertor comprising a rectifier, a DC-link and an inverter.

20. The plant as claimed in claim 19, wherein series connected valves are used in the inverter and the rectifier.

21. The plant as claimed in claim 20, wherein the inverter is net commutated with current-stiff DC-link.

22. The plant as claimed in claim 20, wherein the inverter is self commutated and comprises series-connected IGBTs.

23. The wind power plant according to claim 1, including coupling means for connecting the plant to a transmission or distribution network having a voltage of between 2 and 50 kV.

24. An electric generator for high voltage included in a wind power plant in which the generator is coupled to a turbine via shaft means, said generator comprising a stator with at least one stator wherein the at least one stator winding comprises a cable including a current carrying conductor, an inner semiconducting layer surrounding the conductor, a solid insulation layer surrounding the inner layer and an outer semiconducting layer surrounding the solid insulation, wherein the current-carrying conductor comprises a plurality of electrically insulated strands and at least one uninsulated strand in contact with the inner layer.

25. The electric generator of claim 24 including coupling means for coupling the generator directly to a transmission or distribution network having a voltage of between 2 to 50 kV.