Method, apparatus and computer program product for wind turbine start-up and operation without grid power

• US 7,394,166 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2006
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Wang, Changyong, Li, Lei, Teichmann, Ralph, Yang, Wenqiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Ponomarenko; Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US11/538,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20080084070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 290/30.R, 290/38.R, 290/44, 290/55, 322/22, 322/37
• US Class Current: 290/44
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/026 for starting-up
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0284 in relation to the state of the electric grid
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy wind motors F03D
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/38 Arrangements for parallely feeding a single network by two or more generators, converters or transformers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/40 Synchronising a generator for connection to a network or to another generator
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2101/15 for wind-driven turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 Power conversion electric or electronic aspects

Abstract

A wind turbine having features for black-starting includes an electric generation system for producing electricity by operation of the wind and comprising an interface for providing the electricity to an electric grid; a control system for controlling components of the wind turbine during start-up of the electric generation system, wherein start-up occurs during a deficient electric signal of the grid; and at least one energy providing element and at least one energy dissipative element for providing a balance between an output of the wind turbine and the electric signal of the grid. Methods and computer program products for operation of the wind turbine call for, among other things, synchronization of electric signals and control of components within the wind turbine.

Claims

1. A wind turbine comprising:

an electric generation system for producing electricity by operation of the wind and comprising an interface for providing the electricity to an electric grid;

a control system for controlling components of the wind turbine during start-up of the electric generation system, wherein start-up occurs during a deficient electric signal of the grid; and

at least one energy providing element and at least one energy dissipative element for providing a balance between an output of the wind turbine and the electric signal of the grid during the start-up.

2. The wind turbine of claim 1, wherein the at least one energy providing element is coupled to a common bus of the electric generation system.

3. The wind turbine of claim 1, wherein the at least one energy providing element provides a start-up power supply to at least one of a CAN interface, a digital signal processor control (DSP control), a power converter, a sensor, a tachometer, a relay signal unit and a high current relay.

4. The wind turbine of claim 1, wherein the at least one energy providing element provides a start-up power supply for controlling at least one of yaw, pitch, braking and rotor heating of the wind turbine.

5. The wind turbine of claim 1, wherein the at least one energy providing element provides a start-up power supply for controlling at least one of a controller, a heater and an actuator of the wind turbine.

6. The wind turbine of claim 1, wherein the energy providing unit comprises one of a battery, a capacitor and a generator.

7. A method for start-up of an electrical generation system of a wind turbine, the method comprising:

monitoring a signal of an electrical grid, the grid for distribution of an electric output signal from the generation system, and

starting the electrical generation system by at least one of supplying power to components of the wind turbine and dissipating power from the grid by controlling at least one of a start-up power supply of the turbine and an energy dissipative element of the turbine.

8. The method as in claim 7, wherein further comprising providing power from the generation system in one of a stand alone mode and a grid connected mode.

9. The method as in claim 7, wherein controlling comprises synchronizing the output signal from the generation system with the signal of the grid.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein synchronizing comprises at least one of synchronizing a phase and a voltage.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein starting comprises gradual charging of a connection of the wind turbine to the grid.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising gradually increasing the output signal provided to the grid.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein dissipating power comprises at least one of charging the start-up power supply and providing the power to a dissipative element of the wind turbine.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein controlling comprises controlling at least one of yaw, pitch, braking and rotor heating of the wind turbine.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising charging the start-up power supply during a period of operation of the wind turbine.

16. A computer program product stored on machine readable media comprising instructions for start-up of an electrical generation system of a wind turbine, the instructions for:

monitoring a signal of an electrical grid, the grid for distribution of an electric output signal from the generation system, and

starting the electrical generation system by at least one of supplying power to components of the wind turbine and dissipating power from the grid by controlling at least one of a start-up power supply of the turbine and an energy dissipative element of the turbine.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising instructions for switching between stand-alone operation and a grid connected operation of the wind turbine.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising instructions for gradually increasing the output signal at a predetermined rate.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising instructions for providing a user interface.