Wind power generation system

• US 6,946,751 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2003
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Egami, Takatoshi, Jimbo, Hiroshi, Ando, Toshiyuki, Hirano, Yoshihito, Nakayama, Hitoshi, Yoshida, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOHANDESI, IRAJ A
• Application Number:
  US10/713,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20040183307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 290/44, 290/55, 290/43, 290/54, 290/33, 417/343, 416/31
• US Class Current: 290/44
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0204 for orientation in relation to wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0224 Adjusting blade pitch
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/028 controlling wind motor output power
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/042 by means of an electrical or electronic controller
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/821 Parameter estimation or prediction
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/20 to optimise the performance of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/32 Wind speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/321 Wind directions
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/805 Radars
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier

Abstract

A wind power generation system capable of outputting generated power at high efficiency with a smoothed output power includes a wind power generator and a laser aerovane mounted on the wind power generator or located near the wind power generator. Direction and velocity of wind blowing toward the wind power generator are observed using the laser aerovane, and a yaw angle and/or a pitch angle of the wind power generator is predicted and controlled based on the observation results. Thus, high-efficiency control of the wind power generation system, including the wind power generator, is achieved. An output-smoothing device connected to the wind power generator predicts and controls electric power input/output of the output-smoothing device based on a predicted power output of the wind power generator and smoothes the power output of the wind power generation system.

Claims

1. A wind power generation system comprising:

a wind power generator; and

a laser aerovane mounted on said wind power generator or located near said wind power generator, said laser aerovane observing direction and velocity of wind blowing toward said wind power generator and controlling at least one yaw angle and pitch angle of said wind power generator based on the direction and the velocity of the wind observed by said laser aerovane, said laser aerovane observing the direction and the velocity of the wind blowing towards said wind power generator by

emitting a laser beam ahead of said wind power generator,

detecting scattered waves of the laser beam, scattered by an aerosol located at any position distant from said wind power generator, at an arbitrary distance, and that floats in the air and moves on the wind at the same speed as the wind, and

detecting a phase difference between the laser beam and the scattered waves in terms of the Doppler effect.

2. The wind power generation system according to claim 1, wherein said wind power generator includes a variable-speed generator, and number of rotations of said wind power generator is controlled based on the direction and the velocity of the wind observed by said laser aerovane.

3. The wind power generation system according to claim 1, wherein, in a wind farm where plural wind power generators are arranged, output of the wind farm is stabilized based on observation by at least one laser aerovane in the wind farm.

4. The wind power generation system according to claim 1, further comprising additional electric power generating means connected to an electric power system in the same manner as said wind power generator connected to the electric power system, wherein output of the wind power generation system including said wind power generator and said additional electric power generating means is controlled based on the direction and the velocity of the wind observed by said laser aerovane, and output of the wind power generation system including said additional electric power generating means is stabilized.

5. A wind power generation system comprising:

a wind power generator;

a laser aerovane mounted on said wind power generator or located near said wind power generator; and

an output-smoothing device connected to said wind power generator, wherein

said laser aerovane observes direction and velocity of wind blowing toward said wind power generator,

adjustment of power produced by said wind power generator is calculated in advance of arrival of the wind observed by said laser aerovane, based on results obtained by observation by said laser aerovane,

power output of the wind power generation system including said wind power generator and said output-smoothing device is controlled based on conditions obtained by calculation,

power output of the wind power generation system is stabilized, and

said output-smoothing device controls output so that power output fluctuation of said wind power generation system is cancelled when the wind observed by said laser aerovane arrives at said wind power generator.

6. The wind power generation system according to claim 5, wherein said wind power generator includes a variable-speed generator and said output-smoothing device controls output frequency fluctuation and output voltage fluctuation of said wind power generation system within a predetermined range.

7. The wind power generation system according to claim 5, wherein said output-smoothing device is selected from the group consisting of a storage battery, a reactive power compensator, and an output limiting resistor.

9. The wind power generation system according to claim 5, wherein, in a wind farm where plural wind power generators are arranged, output of the wind farm is stabilized based on observation by at least one laser aerovane in the wind farm.

10. The wind power generation system according to claim 5, further comprising additional electric power generating means connected to an electric power system in the same manner as said wind power generator connected to the electric power system, wherein output of the wind power generation system including said wind power generator and said additional electric power generating means is controlled based on the direction and the velocity of the wind observed by said laser aerovane, and output of the wind power generation system including said additional electric power generating means is stabilized.

8. A wind power generation system comprising:

a wind power generator;

a laser aerovane mounted on said wind power generator or located near said wind power generator; and

an output-smoothing device connected to said wind power generator, wherein

said laser aerovane observes direction and velocity of wind blowing toward said wind power generator,

adjustment of power produced by said wind power generator is calculated in advance of arrival of the wind observed by said laser aerovane based on results obtained by observation by said laser aerovane

power output of the wind power generation system including said wind power generator and said output-smoothing device is controlled based on conditions obtained by calculation,

power output of the wind power generation system is stabilized, and

said laser aerovane observes the direction and the velocity of the wind blowing towards said wind power generator by

emitting a laser beam ahead of said wind power generator,

detecting scattered waves of the laser beam scattered by an aerosol located at any position distant from said wind power generator, at an arbitrary distance, and that floats in the air and moves on the wind at the same speed as the wind, and

detecting a phase difference between the laser beam and the scattered wave in terms of the Doppler effect.

11. The wind power generation system according to claim 8, wherein said output-smoothing device is selected from the group consisting of a storage battery, a reactive power compensator, and an output limiting resistor.

12. The wind power generation system according to claim 8, wherein, in a wind farm where plural wind power generators are arranged, output of the wind farm is stabilized based on observation by at least one laser aerovane in the wind farm.

13. The wind power generation system according to claim 8, further comprising additional electric power generating means connected to an electric power system in the same manner as said wind power generator connected to the electric power system, wherein output of the wind power generating system including said wind power generator and said additional electric power generating means is controlled based on the direction and the velocity of the wind observed by said laser aerovane, and output of the wind power generation system including said additional electric power generating means is stabilized.