Power generation system and method for storing electrical energy

• US 7,608,937 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Grid Solutions LLC (GE Vernova, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Altenschulte, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): GONZALEZ, JULIO CESAR
• Application Number:
  US12/241,951
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 290/44, 290/55, 322/24, 322/28, 416/132.B, 603/98, 363/15, 363/95, 363/68, 363/108, 363/109
• US Class Current: 290/44
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• 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 power generation system and a method for storing electrical energy are provided. The method includes generating a first AC voltage from a wind turbine generator and converting the first AC voltage to a first DC voltage, utilizing a rectifier. The method further includes routing the first DC voltage through a DC voltage bus to an inverter of the power converter, and converting the first DC voltage to a second AC voltage utilizing the inverter and outputting the second AC voltage to an electrical grid in response to a first control signal from a power converter controller. The method further includes receiving the first DC voltage from the DC voltage bus at a DC-DC converter operably coupled to the DC voltage bus, and storing electrical energy from the first DC voltage in a battery storage unit utilizing the DC-DC converter in response to a second control signal.

Claims

1. A power generation system, comprising:

a power converter having a housing, a rectifier, a DC voltage bus, an inverter, and a power converter controller, the rectifier, the DC voltage bus, the inverter and the power converter controller being disposed in the housing, the DC voltage bus being electrically coupled to both the rectifier and the inverter, the controller operably communicating with the inverter, the rectifier configured to receive a first AC voltage and to convert the first AC voltage to a first DC voltage, the DC voltage bus configured to route the first DC voltage to the inverter, the inverter configured to convert the first DC voltage to a second AC voltage and to output the second AC voltage to an electrical grid in response to a first control signal from the power converter controller;

a DC-DC converter operably coupled to the DC voltage bus, the DC-DC converter configured to receive the first DC voltage from the DC voltage bus and to store electrical energy from the first DC voltage in a battery storage unit in response to a second control signal, the DC-DC converter further configured to output a second DC voltage that is routed through the DC voltage bus to the inverter in response to a third control signal; and

the inverter of the power converter further configured to convert the second DC voltage to a third AC voltage and to output the third AC voltage on the electrical grid in response to a fourth control signal from the power converter controller.

2. The power generation system of claim 1, further comprising a discharge-charge controller operably coupled to the DC-DC converter.

3. The power generation system of claim 2, wherein the DC-DC voltage converter is configured to adjust a voltage level of the first DC voltage to obtain a third DC voltage in response to the second control signal from the discharge-charge controller.

4. The power generation system of claim 3, wherein the battery storage unit is configured to store electrical energy in response to receiving the third DC voltage from the DC-DC converter.

5. The power generation system of claim 2, wherein the DC-DC voltage converter is further configured to output the second DC voltage to the DC voltage bus utilizing the stored electrical energy from the battery storage unit in response to the third control signal from the discharge-charge controller.

6. The power generation system of claim 1, wherein the DC-DC converter is disposed in the housing of the power converter.

7. The power generation system of claim 1, wherein the DC-DC converter is disposed outside of the housing of the power converter.

8. The power generation system of claim 1, further comprising a wind turbine generator configured to generate the first AC voltage, the wind turbine generator being electrically coupled to the rectifier of the power converter.

9. A method for storing electrical energy, comprising:

generating a first AC voltage from a wind turbine generator;

converting the first AC voltage to a first DC voltage, utilizing a rectifier of a power converter that is electrically coupled to the wind turbine generator;

routing the first DC voltage through a DC voltage bus to an inverter of the power converter;

converting the first DC voltage to a second AC voltage utilizing the inverter and outputting the second AC voltage to an electrical grid in response to a first control signal from a power converter controller;

receiving the first DC voltage from the DC voltage bus at a DC-DC converter operably coupled to the DC voltage bus;

storing electrical energy from the first DC voltage in a battery storage unit utilizing the DC-DC converter in response to a second control signal;

outputting a second DC voltage from the DC-DC converter that is routed through the DC voltage bus to the inverter in response to a third control signal; and

converting the second DC voltage to a third AC voltage utilizing the inverter and outputting the third AC voltage on the electrical grid in response to a fourth control signal from the power converter controller.