Wind turbine having a main power converter and an auxiliary power converter and a method for the control thereof

• US 8,188,610 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2008
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Scholte-Wassink, Hartmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Tulsidas C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mohandesi, Iraj A
• Application Number:
  US12/206,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20100060000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,359 Days
• Field of Search: 290/44, 290/43, 290/55
• US Class Current: 290/44
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0272 by measures acting on the electrical generator
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0284 in relation to the state of the electric grid
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/047 characterised by the controller architecture, e.g. multiple processors or data communications
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/255 connected to electrical distribution networks; Arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/40 Use of a multiplicity of similar components
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/337 Electrical grid status parameters, e.g. voltage, frequency or power demand
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A wind turbine comprising a main generator, a main power converter connected to the main generator and adapted to convert the electrical output power of the main generator to an electrical power to be fed into the utility grid up to a first rated converter output power and an auxiliary power converter connected to the main generator and adapted to convert the electrical output power of the main generator to an electrical power up to a second rated converter output power which is lower than the first rated converter output power is provided. Further, a control architecture for controlling the power balance of a wind turbine and a method for operating a wind turbine are provided.

Claims

1. A wind turbine comprising:

a main generator configured to produce electrical output power to be fed into a utility grid up to a rated generator output power;

a main power converter connected to the main generator and configured to convert the electrical output power of the main generator to an electrical power to be fed into the utility grid up to a first rated converter output power;

an auxiliary power converter electrically connected to the main generator and configured to convert the electrical output power of the main generator to an electrical power up to a second rated converter output power which is lower than the first rated converter output power; and

an internal supply grid,

wherein the auxiliary power converter comprises an auxiliary frequency converter which comprises a controller configured to operate the auxiliary frequency converter in a grid-tie mode and in a stand-alone mode;

wherein, in the grid-tie mode, the auxiliary frequency converter matches at least one phase with a sine wave supplied by the utility grid or the main power converter and maximizes power output; and

wherein, in the stand-alone mode, the auxiliary frequency converter provides a power supply of the internal supply grid.

2. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the main power converter is a frequency converter which is configured to provide ac electrical power at a frequency of the utility grid.

3. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary frequency converter is further configured to feed ac electrical power at a frequency of the utility grid into the internal supply grid.

4. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary power converter is further configured to feed dc electrical power into the internal supply grid.

5. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the second rated converter output power is at least one order of magnitude lower than the first rated converter output power.

6. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the first rated converter output power matches the rated generator output power.

7. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the sum of the first rated converter output power and the second rated converter output power matches the rated generator output power.

8. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the main power converter is configured to deliver electrical power up to a first rated converter current;

wherein the auxiliary power converter is configured to deliver electrical power up to a second rated converter current; and

wherein the second rated converter current is at least one order of magnitude lower than the first rated converter current.

9. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the wind turbine further comprises a rotor with at least one rotor blade, a tachometer for measuring a rotor speed and a main controller;

wherein the main power converter comprises a first controller configured to control the electrical output power from the main generator in accordance to power set points; and

wherein the main controller is configured to control the rotor speed by measuring the rotor speed and issuing power set points to the first controller.

10. The wind turbine according to claim 9, further comprising a pitch drive for each of a plurality of rotor blades, wherein the main controller is further configured to control the pitch drives of the rotor blades such that the power production of the auxiliary power converter matches the power consumption of the wind turbine during an outage of the utility grid.

11. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to autonomously switch between the grid-tie mode and the stand-alone mode upon detecting an output voltage of the main generator which is above a voltage threshold and detecting a state of the wind turbine in which no power is fed into the utility grid.

12. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary power converter is switchably connected to the main generator.

13. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the main generator is a permanently-excited generator.

14. A method for operating a wind turbine comprising a main generator configured to produce electrical output power to be fed into a utility grid up to a rated generator output power, and an internal supply grid, the method comprising:

using a main power converter connected to the main generator to convert the electrical output power of the main generator to an electrical power to be fed into the utility grid up to a first rated converter output power, wherein the main power converter is a frequency converter configured to provide ac electrical power at a frequency of the utility grid;

using an auxiliary power converter electrically connected to the main generator to convert the electrical output power of the main generator to an electrical power up to a second rated converter output power, the second rated converter output power being lower than the first rated converter output power, wherein the auxiliary power converter is an auxiliary frequency converter configured to provide ac electrical power at the frequency of the utility grid for providing a power supply to the internal grid; and

activating the auxiliary power converter,

wherein activating the auxiliary power converter comprises at least one of;

detecting an output voltage of the main generator which is higher than a threshold voltage; and

detecting a state of the utility grid.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising switching the auxiliary frequency converter into a grid-tie mode, wherein switching the auxiliary frequency converter into the grid-tie mode comprises at least one of:

synchronizing the auxiliary frequency converter to the external grid; and

synchronizing the auxiliary frequency converter and the main frequency converter.

16. A method for operating a wind turbine comprising a main generator configured to produce electrical output power to be fed into a utility grid up to a rated generator output power, the method comprising:

using a main power converter connected to the main generator to convert the electrical output power of the main generator to an electrical power to be fed into the utility grid up to a first rated converter output power;

using an auxiliary power converter electrically connected to the main generator to convert the electrical output power of the main generator to an electrical power up to a second rated converter output power, the second rated converter output power being lower than the first rated converter output power; and

activating the auxiliary power converter,

wherein the main generator further comprises a generator rotor, the method further comprising at least one of;

deactivating the auxiliary power converter;

activating the main power converter;

deactivating the main power converter;

measuring a generator rotor speed; and

matching a power consumption and a power production of the wind turbine.