Method for controlling a wind turbine connected to the utility grid, wind turbine and wind park

• US 7,851,934 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2009
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
• Original Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
• Inventors: Nyborg, Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; T C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cuevas; Pedro J
• Application Number:
  US12/404,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20090174186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 290/44, 290/55
• US Class Current: 290/44
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0224 Adjusting blade pitch
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/255 connected to electrical distribution networks; Arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/80 Diagnostics
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/1011 to prevent overspeed
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling a wind turbine connected to the utility grid comprising steps of detecting a fault of the utility grid, and controlling one or more rotor blades in a fault mode wherein said one or more rotor blades are pitched in order to stabilize the rotor speed within an over speed range. The invention also relates to a wind turbine and a wind park comprising at least two wind turbines.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a wind turbine connected to a utility grid, the method comprising:

detecting a fault of the utility grid; and

in response to detection of the fault, controlling a pitch of one or more rotor blades of a rotor of the wind turbine in a fault mode to stabilize a speed of the rotor between a first value rated for the rotor of the wind turbine and a second value at which a generator of the wind turbine is tripped offline from the utility grid.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

establishing a value of generated power by the wind turbine and entering said fault mode when the generated power is above a pre-established limit.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the value of said generated power is established as a direct measurement of generated power or indirectly by measurement of generator rpm, wind speed or combinations thereof.

4. The method according to claim 2 wherein the pre-established limit is 25% of nominal power.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said one or more rotor blades are pitched to a substantially no acceleration value of the speed between the first and second values.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein said no acceleration value is established with less than normal safety restrictions for the wind turbine.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein said no acceleration valve is established with a maximum pitch rate valve of 18 degree/sec.

8. The method according to claim 5 wherein said no acceleration value is established by use of a lookup table, by calculation, or by both use of a lookup table and by calculation.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the calculation employs a mathematical algorithm involving at least one of the following parameters:

Cp-values, wind speed and direction, or rotor speed.

10. The method according to claim 5 wherein said no acceleration value is established continuously or when said utility grid fault is detected.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein said one or more rotor blades are pitched to a target pitch angle value in stabilizing the rotor speed within a defined range controllable by a wind turbine controller.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein said target pitch angle value is established with less than normal safety restrictions for the wind turbine.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein said target pitch angle value is established with a maximum pitch rate value of 18 degree/sec.

14. The method according to claim 11 wherein said target pitch angle value is established by use of a lookup table, by calculation, or by both use of a lookup table and by calculation.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the calculation employs a mathematical algorithm involving at least one of the following parameters:

Cp-values, wind speed and direction, rotor speed, or generated power.

16. The method according to claim 11 wherein said target pitch angle value is established continuously or when said utility grid fault is detected.

17. The method according to claim 11 wherein said defined range is substantially smaller than a difference between the first and second values of the rotor speed.

18. The method according to claim 11 wherein said controlling is done on the basis of measured loads on the wind turbine components.

19. A wind turbine connected to a utility grid comprising:

at least one blade pitch system to control the pitch of one or more rotor blades; and

at least one wind turbine control system including a system performing a method according claim 1.

20. The wind turbine according to claim 19 wherein said performing a method comprises performing a safety mode method during a detected utility grid fault.

21. The wind turbine according to claim 19 wherein said wind turbine supplies the utility grid with power during a grid fault.

22. A wind park comprising at least two wind turbines according to claim 19 and at least one detector for detecting failures in the utility grid.

23. The method according to claim 1 wherein the pitch of one or more rotor blades of the rotor of the wind turbine is controlled in the fault mode when said utility grid fault is detected.