System and method for improving speed control of a pitch drive system of a wind turbine

• US 10,371,122 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2017
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Melius, Jeffrey Alan, Cardinal, Mark Edward, Chacon, Joseph Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): McCalister, William M
• Application Number:
  US15/667,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20170328343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 416 26, 416 27, 416 28, 416 29, 416 30, 322 59
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0224 Adjusting blade pitch
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/042 by means of an electrical or electronic controller
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/76 the adjusting mechanism using auxiliary power sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 7/06 for regulating or controlling an individual dc dynamo-electric motor by varying field or armature current
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 7/298 controlling armature and field supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

The present subject matter is directed to a system and method for improving speed control of a pitch drive system of a wind turbine. In one embodiment, the pitch drive system includes a direct current (DC) motor having an armature and a series-field winding, a battery assembly having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, and a current-controlling device configured in series between the positive terminal of the battery assembly and the series-field winding. The battery assembly is configured to supply power to the pitch drive system and the current-controlling device is configured to supply current to the series-field winding so as to ensure a field flux does not equal zero. Thus, the current-controlling device has the effect of limiting the maximum speed of the DC motor.

Claims

1. A pitch drive system for a wind turbine, the pitch drive system comprising:

a direct current (DC) motor comprising an armature and a series-field winding;

a battery assembly comprising, at least, a first battery and a second battery, each of the first and second batteries comprising a positive terminal and a negative terminal, wherein the battery assembly is configured to supply power to the pitch drive system;

a plurality of diodes connected in series between the battery assembly and the series-field winding, the plurality of diodes connected to the battery assembly between the negative terminal of the first battery and the positive terminal of the second battery; and

an additional diode separate from the plurality of diodes connected between the positive terminal of the first battery of the battery assembly and the DC motor so as to prevent power regeneration back into the battery assembly,

wherein the plurality of diodes control current supplied to the series-field winding so as to ensure a field flux does not equal zero, thereby improving speed control of the pitch drive system.

2. The pitch drive system of claim 1, further comprising at least one battery operation contactor connected between the battery assembly and the series-field winding.

3. The pitch drive system of claim 1, wherein the pitch drive system is electrically coupled to a pitch converter of the wind turbine.

4. The pitch drive system of claim 3, further comprising at least one pitch converter operation contactor connected between the plurality of diodes and the pitch converter.

5. A method for improving speed control of a pitch drive system of a wind turbine, the method comprising:

coupling a battery assembly having, at least, a first battery and a second battery to the pitch drive system, each of the first and second batteries a positive terminal and a second terminal, the pitch drive system having a direct current (DC) motor including an armature and a series-field winding;

connecting a plurality of diodes between the battery assembly and the series-field winding, the plurality of diodes connected to the battery assembly between the negative terminal of the first battery and the positive terminal of the second battery;

connecting an additional diode the positive terminal of the first battery of the battery assembly and the DC motor separate from the plurality of diodes connected so as to prevent power regeneration back into the battery assembly; and

,

controlling a current to the series-field winding via the plurality of diodes so as to ensure a field flux of the series-field winding does not equal zero, thereby improving speed control of the pitch drive system.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising coupling the DC motor to a pitch converter of the wind turbine.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising coupling the plurality of diodes in series between the battery assembly and the series-field winding, wherein the plurality of diodes are configured to reduce a maximum speed of the DC motor.