Control of the rotational speed of a wind turbine which is impeded to export electrical power to an electricity network

• US 8,334,607 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2009
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Egedal, Per, Kjaer, Ole
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuevas, Pedro J
• Application Number:
  US12/632,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20100140941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 290/44
• US Class Current: 290/44
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0224 Adjusting blade pitch
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0276 controlling rotor speed, e.g. variable speed
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/044 with PID control
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/046 with learning or adaptive control, e.g. self-tuning, fuzzy logic or neural network
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/101 to control rotational speed (n)
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/1071 in particular sudden load loss
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/304 Spool rotational speed
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/309 Rate of change of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/327 Rotor or generator speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/337 Electrical grid status parameters, e.g. voltage, frequency or power demand
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/705 proportional-integral
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A rotational speed controlling device for a wind turbine is provided. The controlling device includes a first input node for receiving a first signal, indicative of an actual rotational speed of the rotor, a second input node for receiving a second signal, indicative of a reference rotational speed for the rotor, a detection unit for detecting a defective operational state in which the wind turbine is impeded to export electrical power to an electricity network, a control unit for providing a reference signal for a characteristic operational parameter of the wind turbine based on the first signal and the second signal, and a pulse generator adapted to send a kick pulse to an integral control element of the control unit in response to the detection of the defective operational state. The characteristic operational parameter is indicative of the rotational speed of the rotor.

Claims

1. A device for controlling the rotational speed of a rotor of a wind turbine that feeds electrical power into an electricity network, the device, comprising:

a first input node for receiving a first signal, the first signal is indicative of an actual rotational speed of the rotor;

a second input node for receiving a second signal, the second signal is indicative of a reference rotational speed for the rotor;

a detection unit for detecting a defective operational state in which the wind turbine is impeded to export electrical power to the electricity network;

a control unit for providing a reference signal for a characteristic operational parameter of the wind turbine based on the first signal and based on the second signal, the characteristic operational parameter is indicative of the rotational speed of the rotor wherein the control unit includes a proportional control element and an integral control element; and

a pulse generator connected to the output of the detection unit and to the integral control element and is adapted to send a kick pulse to the integral control element in response to the detection of the defective operational state.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third input node for connecting the device to the electricity network,

wherein the detection unit is connected to the third input node, and

wherein the detection unit is adapted for detecting an electrical failure on the electricity network.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the detection unit includes a voltage detector.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the characteristic operational parameter of the wind turbine is a blade pitch angle of a blade of the rotor.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pulse generator is adapted to send an inverse kick pulse to the integral control element.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a timer unit, which is connected to the detection unit and which is adapted to provide a stop command signal to a function generator and an AND gate of the device.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reference rotational speed of the rotor is selected from the group consisting of a time-independent rotational speed having a predefined nominal value, a time-independent rotational speed having a zero value, and a time-dependent rotational speed having a predefined time dependency which is started in response to the stop command signal.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the control unit includes a subtracting unit for obtaining a rotational speed error by subtracting the first signal from the second signal, and

wherein the rotational speed error is provided to the proportional control element and to the integral control element.

9. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is realized using a computer program, an electronic circuit, or a combination of software and hardware modules.

10. A wind turbine for generating electric power, the wind turbine comprising

a rotor including a blade, the rotor is rotatable around a rotational axis and the blade extends radially with respect to the rotational axis;

a generator mechanically coupled to the rotor, the generator generates electrical power from a rotational movement of the rotor; and

a device for controlling the rotational speed of the rotor, the device comprising;

a first input node for receiving a first signal, the first signal is indicative of an actual rotational speed of the rotor;

a second input node for receiving a second signal, the second signal is indicative of a reference rotational speed for the rotor;

a detection unit for detecting a defective operational state in which the wind turbine is impeded to export electrical power to the electricity network;

a control unit for providing a reference signal for a characteristic operational parameter of the wind turbine based on the first signal and based on the second signal, the characteristic operational parameter is indicative of the rotational speed of the rotor wherein the control unit includes a proportional control element and an integral control element; and

a pulse generator connected to the output of the detection unit and to the integral control element and is adapted to send a kick pulse to the integral control element in response to the detection of the defective operational state.

11. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 10, further comprising an uninterruptible power supply which is connected to the device for controlling the rotational speed of the rotor.

12. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 10,

wherein the device comprises a third input node for connecting the device to the electricity network,

wherein the detection unit is connected to the third input node, and

wherein the detection unit is adapted for detecting an electrical failure on the electricity network.

13. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the detection unit includes a voltage detector.

14. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the characteristic operational parameter of the wind turbine is a blade pitch angle of a blade of the rotor.

15. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the pulse generator is adapted to send an inverse kick pulse to the integral control element.

16. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a timer unit, which is connected to the detection unit and which is adapted to provide a stop command signal to a function generator and an AND gate of the device.

17. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the reference rotational speed of the rotor is selected from the group consisting of a time-independent rotational speed having a predefined nominal value, a time-independent rotational speed having a zero value, and a time-dependent rotational speed having a predefined time dependency which is started in response to the stop command signal.

18. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 10,

wherein the control unit includes a subtracting unit for obtaining a rotational speed error by subtracting the first signal from the second signal, and

wherein the rotational speed error is provided to the proportional control element and to the integral control element.

19. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the device is realized using a computer program, an electronic circuit or a combination of software and hardware modules.

20. A method for controlling the rotational speed of a rotor of a wind turbine that feeds electrical power into an electricity network, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal, the first signal indicative of an actual rotational speed of the rotor;

receiving a second signal, the second signal indicative of a reference rotational speed for the rotor;

detecting a defective operational state in which the wind turbine is impeded to export electrical power to the electricity network;

providing a reference signal for a characteristic operational parameter of the wind turbine based on the first signal and based on the second signal, the characteristic operational parameter is indicative of the rotational speed of the rotor;

sending a kick pulse from a pulse generator to an integral control element of a control unit; and

integrating the kick pulse such that the reference signal for the characteristic operational parameter of the wind turbine is changed in response to the detection of the defective operational state, the change of the reference signal causes the rotor to change its rotational speed.