Wind turbine and method for operating a wind turbine

• US 8,115,330 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2010
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Menke, Detlef
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuevas, Pedro J
• Application Number:
  US12/826,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20110140423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 290/44, 290/55
• US Class Current: 290/44
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 15/10 using gearing not limited to rotary motion, e.g. with oscillating or reciprocating members
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0224 Adjusting blade pitch
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/026 for starting-up
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0276 controlling rotor speed, e.g. variable speed
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0284 in relation to the state of the electric grid
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/042 by means of an electrical or electronic controller
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/255 connected to electrical distribution networks; Arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/331 Mechanical loads
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 2101/15 for wind-driven turbines
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 9/008 wherein the generator is controlled by the requirements of the prime mover
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for operating a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising a wind rotor having at least one rotor blade and a generator connected to the wind rotor, wherein the generator is adapted to be connected to a grid, wherein the method comprises: adjusting at least one wind turbine parameter to increase the rotational speed of the wind rotor; increasing the rotational speed of the wind rotor; during increasing of the rotational speed of the wind rotor determining if the wind turbine would exceed a predetermined amount of energy to be fed into the grid at the actual wind rotor rotational speed; and during increasing of the rotational speed of the wind rotor connecting the wind turbine to the grid if determining that the wind turbine would exceed the predetermined amount of energy to be fed into the grid. Further, the present disclosure relates to a wind turbine comprising a wind rotor, wherein the wind rotor is mechanically connected to a generator for transmitting the rotational power of the wind rotor having at least one rotor blade to the rotor of the generator, wherein the output current of the generator is adapted to be selectively connected to a grid by a circuit breaker, the wind turbine further comprising a control device adapted to close or to trip the circuit breaker, wherein the control device is adapted to perform the method disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for operating a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising a wind rotor having at least one rotor blade and a generator connected to the wind rotor, wherein the generator is configured to be connected to a grid, the method comprising:

increasing a rotational speed of the wind rotor by adjusting at least one wind turbine parameter; and

after enemy provided by the wind turbine exceeds a predetermined amount of energy to be fed into the grid, connecting the wind turbine to the grid while the rotational speed of the wind rotor is still increasing.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein while the rotational speed of the wind rotor is still increasing, the rotational speed is not substantially constant for 5 seconds or more.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

after the connecting step, adjusting wind turbine parameters to drive the wind turbine in an optimal operating point, depending on environmental conditions and the wind turbine parameters.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

operating the wind turbine in a spinning mode in which the at least one rotor blade of the wind rotor is operated with a substantial constant pitch angle and the generator of the wind turbine is not electrically connected to the grid.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the rotational speed of the wind rotor is increased from a rotational speed for the spinning mode if at least one of the following is fulfilled:

the wind turbine has been a predetermined time in an idling mode, and

the rotational speed is within a predetermined wind rotor rotational speed range.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

adjusting at least one wind turbine parameter for changing to the spinning mode, when the wind turbine is not connected to the grid within a predetermined time during increasing the rotational speed from an idling mode.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the energy to be fed into the grid is determined based on an efficiency of the wind turbine.

8. A method for operating a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising a wind rotor comprising at least one rotor blade and a generator connected to the wind rotor, wherein the generator is configured to be connected to a grid, the method comprising:

operating the wind turbine in a run-up mode, wherein wind turbine parameters are adjusted to increase a rotational speed of the wind rotor, wherein during increasing of the rotational speed of the wind rotor, the rotational speed is not substantially constant for 5 seconds or more, and

operating the wind turbine in a load operation mode.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein in the run-up mode after the energy provided by the wind turbine exceeds a predetermined amount of energy to be fed into the grid at the actual rotational speed of the wind rotor, the mode of the wind turbine is changed from the run-up mode into the load operation mode, and the generator of the wind turbine is connected to the grid.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

operating the wind turbine in a spinning mode in which the at least one blade of the wind rotor is operated with a substantial constant pitch angle and the generator of the wind turbine is not electrically connected to the grid.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein in the run-up mode the pitch angle of the at least one rotor blade is substantially monotonic decreasing from a substantial constant pitch angle of the spinning mode to a pitch angle of less than 5 degrees with respect to the rotor plane.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein in the run-up mode the pitch angle of the at least one rotor blade is controlled depending on loads acting on the wind turbine.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the energy to be fed into the grid is determined based on an efficiency of the wind turbine.

14. A wind turbine comprising a wind rotor comprising at least one rotor blade, wherein the wind rotor is mechanically connected to a generator for transmitting a rotational power of the wind rotor to a rotor of the generator, wherein an output current of the generator is to be selectively connected to a grid by a circuit breaker, the wind turbine further comprising a control device configured to close or to trip the circuit breaker, wherein the control device is configured to:

operate the wind turbine in a run-up mode, wherein the wind turbine parameters are adjusted to increase a rotational speed of the wind rotor, and wherein it is determined whether enemy provided by the wind turbine would exceed a predetermined amount of energy to be fed into the grid at an actual rotational speed of the wind rotor;

wherein during increasing of the rotational speed of the wind rotor, the rotational speed is not substantially constant for 5 seconds or more, and

change from the run-up mode into a load operation mode and connect the generator of the wind turbine to the grid after the energy provided by the wind turbine exceeds the predetermined amount of energy to be fed into the grid at the actual rotational speed of the wind rotor in the run-up mode.

15. The wind turbine according to claim 14, wherein the control device is further configured to adjust the wind turbine parameters to drive the wind turbine in an optimal operating point after the generator is connected to the grid, depending on environmental conditions and the wind turbine parameters.

16. The wind turbine according to claim 14, wherein the control device is further configured to operate the wind turbine in a spinning mode in which the at least one rotor blade of the wind rotor is operated with a substantial constant pitch angle and the generator of the wind turbine is not electrically connected to the grid.

17. The wind turbine according to claim 16, wherein the control device is further configured to control the pitch angle of the at least one rotor blade in the run-up mode depending on loads acting on the wind turbine.

18. The wind turbine according to claim 16, wherein the control device is configured to decrease substantially monotonic the pitch angle of the at least one rotor blade from a substantial constant pitch angle of the spinning mode to a pitch angle of less than 5 degrees with respect to the rotor plane in the run-up mode.

19. The wind turbine according to claim 14, wherein the control device is configured to determine the energy to be fed into the grid depending on an efficiency of the wind turbine.

20. The wind turbine according to claim 14, wherein, the control device is further configured to change the mode of the wind turbine from the load operation mode to the run-up mode if at least one of the following is fulfilled:

the rotational speed of the wind rotor is below a predetermined minimal load rotational speed, and

the power fed into the grid is within a predetermined time below a predetermined minimal power.