HVDC connection of wind turbine

• US 8,018,083 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Delmerico, Robert William, Larsen, Einar Vaughn
• Primary Examiner(s): Ponomarenko; Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US12/850,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20110141773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 290/43, 290/44, 290/54, 290/55, 322/37, 307/84
• US Class Current: 290/44
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy wind motors F03D
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/36 Arrangements for transfer of electric power between ac networks via a high-tension dc link
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/60 Arrangements for transfer of electric power between AC networks or generators via a high voltage DC link [HVCD]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for connection of a wind driven turbine generator to an HVDC transmission line is provided that does not require transformation of the wind generated AC voltage to a nominal AC distribution grid frequency. An AC output from the turbine generator is increased in level and converted to HVDC for direct application to a HVDC transmission line. The wind turbine generated AC may be first increased in frequency via a matrix converter and then rectified or may be first rectified and increased in level by a high-voltage DC-DC converter circuit and then applied directly to the HVDC transmission line.

Claims

1. A method for high voltage direct current (HVDC) connection of wind turbines for power transmission independently of an AC grid, comprising:

providing a wind driven generator configured to produce a variable frequency AC voltage output;

increasing the voltage level sufficiently to provide power to a HVDC transmission line;

converting the voltage to DC; and

,

applying the voltage to a HVDC transmission line.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein increasing the voltage level comprises:

converting the variable frequency AC voltage from the wind generator to a higher frequency AC voltage; and

,

increasing the voltage level of the higher frequency AC voltage.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein increasing the voltage level comprises:

converting the variable frequency AC voltage to a higher level DC voltage; and

,

boosting the higher level DC voltage sufficiently to provide power to a HVDC transmission line.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the voltage to DC comprises:

providing a matrix converter having an input and an output;

coupling the input of the matrix converter to the variable frequency output of the wind driven generator; and

,

coupling the output of the matrix converter to a rectifier.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, coupling the output of the matrix converter to the rectifier by way of a step up transformer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the output of the matrix converter is an AC voltage at about 400 Hz.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the voltage to DC comprises, coupling the output of the wind driven generator to an AC-DC converter.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein increasing the voltage level comprises, coupling the DC output of the AC-DC converter to a high-voltage DC-DC converter.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising, providing an active power control signal to the high-voltage DC-DC converter responsive to the DC output of the AC-DC converter.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising, providing an active power control signal to the generator side converter responsive to the DC output of the AC-DC converter.

11. Apparatus for connection of a variable frequency AC producing wind turbine generator for power transmission to a HVDC transmission line independently of an AC grid, comprising:

a voltage level increaser;

an AC-DC converter; and

,

coupling means configured to couple a variable AC output from the wind turbine generator to the voltage level increaser and the AC-DC converter directly to an HVDC transmission line.

12. Apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the voltage level increaser is a matrix converter and step up transformer configured to convert a first AC voltage to a higher-level AC voltage.

13. Apparatus as in claim 12, wherein the higher level AC voltage is at a higher frequency than the first AC voltage.

14. Apparatus as in claim 11, wherein the AC input voltage to the AC-DC converter is the variable frequency AC produced from the wind turbine generator.

15. Apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the voltage level increaser is a high-voltage DC-DC converter configured to receive a DC voltage from the AC-DC converter and to produce a HVDC for connection to the HVDC transmission line.