System and method of controlling a wind turbine in a wind power plant

• US 8,694,169 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
• Original Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
• Inventors: Lovmand, Bo, Rasmussen, Keld, Bengtson, John
• Primary Examiner(s): KASENGE, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US12/395,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20090204266A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,866 Days
• Field of Search: 700/286, 700/287, 290/44, 290/55
• US Class Current: 700/287
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/047 characterised by the controller architecture, e.g. multiple processors or data communications
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/048 controlling wind farms
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2619 Wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2223/06 Remote monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

The invention relates to a central controller adapted for controlling a number of wind turbines. The wind turbines being controlled and monitored by the central controller via a first monitoring and control network and a second monitoring and control network. The term monitoring and control network is in accordance with an embodiment of the invention understood as a data communication network which communicates at least control data for control of wind turbines, but may also communicate monitoring data, i.e. measure data. A typical example of a control of wind turbines is that the central controller sets the power set-point (the power to be produced) of each wind turbine in the wind power plant. The important control signals may be separated from high-bandwidth requiring monitoring data, such as analysis data in the communication network.

Claims

1. A central controller adapted for controlling wind turbines, wherein said central controller is connected to and is configured to transmit data to and receive data from each of said wind turbines via a first network and a second network, and wherein control data for control of each of the wind turbines is distributed between at least the first network and the second network, the control data comprising critical power control data, wherein the critical power control data is communicated to and from said wind turbines exclusively via a selected one of the first and second networks.

2. The central controller according to claim 1, wherein said central controller controls and monitors said wind turbines via said first network and said second network by communication to and from respective wind turbine controllers of said wind turbines.

3. The central controller according to claim 1, wherein said first and second networks comprise at least one switch.

4. The central controller according to claim 1, wherein said wind turbines are comprised in a wind power plant.

5. The central controller according claim 1, wherein said central controller forms part of a control loop.

6. The central controller according to claim 1, wherein said central controller is part of a SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) server.

7. The central controller according to claim 1, wherein each of said wind turbines comprise at least two internal monitoring and control networks.

8. The central controller according to claim 1, wherein said first and second networks are configured in a ring topology, a star-shaped topology or any combination thereof.

9. The central controller according to claim 1, wherein said first and second networks transmit data simultaneously.

10. The central controller of claim 1, wherein the critical power control data comprises of one or more instructions that change an operating parameter of the wind turbines, the operating parameter affecting power produced by the wind turbines.

11. A wind power plant comprising:

at least two wind turbines; and

a central controller, wherein said at least two wind turbines transmit wind power plant monitoring data to, and receive control data from, said central controller via at least a first network, and wherein a second, independent network transmits only control data, the control data flows from said central controller to said at least two wind turbines.

12. The wind power plant according to claim 11, wherein a response time of a control loop of said second network is designed to be less than about one second.

13. The wind power plant according to claim 11, wherein said first and second networks comprises a copper, fiber or wireless network or a combination thereof.

14. The wind power plant according to claim 11, wherein said second network is configured for transmitting time sensitive data.

15. The wind power plant according to claim 11, wherein a power cable topology of power cables between said at least two wind turbines is substantially the same as a data communication network cable topology comprising the first and second networks between said at least two wind turbines.

16. A method of controlling a wind turbine in a wind power plant, whereby a central controller performs a monitoring and control procedure, the method comprising:

identifying high priority data by prioritizing at least one of;

control related data and monitoring related data based on a time sensitivity attribute associated with the control and monitoring related data;

transmitting the high priority data between said central controller and the wind turbine using only a first network, the first network connecting said wind turbine and said central controller; and

transmitting at least a portion of the control and monitoring related data between said central controller and the wind turbine via a second network connecting said wind turbine and said central controller.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein transmitting monitoring related data is performed exclusively via the second network and wherein the second network does not transmit the high priority data.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the high priority data transmitted by the first network does not include any monitoring related data, and wherein the first network transmits the high priority data from the central controller to the wind turbine.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the control related data comprises instructions for setting operating parameters of the wind turbine and the monitoring related data comprises measured values associated with a component in the wind turbine.

20. A wind turbine comprising

at least one wind turbine controller,

a first network connecting said at least one wind turbine controller and wind turbine elements for transmitting monitoring data and control data between said wind turbine controller and said wind turbine elements, and

a second, independent network connecting said at least one wind turbine controller and said wind turbine elements for transmitting only control data, the control data flows between said wind turbine controller and said wind turbine elements.

21. The wind turbine according to claim 20, wherein said second network is adapted for transmitting time sensitive control data.

22. The wind turbine according to claim 20, wherein at least one of said wind turbine elements is a hub controller.

23. The wind turbine according to claim 20, wherein at least one of said wind turbine elements is a top controller.

24. The wind turbine according to claim 20, wherein at least one of said wind turbine elements is a sensor.

25. The wind turbine according to claim 20, wherein less time sensitive power control data is communicated via said first network, and wherein more time sensitive power control data is communicated via said second network.