Wind pitch adjustment system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10408191-B2
Application number	US-201715463031-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2017
Priority date	Mar 21, 2016
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling a wind pitch adjustment system associated with a wind turbine system are disclosed. In one embodiment, the wind pitch adjustment system can include a power supply configured to convert an alternating current input signal into a direct current voltage, a controller configured to receive a signal from the power supply, and to provide one or more control commands to a pitch adjustment motor, and a surge stopping device comprising a switching element coupled between the power supply and the controller. The surge stopping device is configured to monitor an input voltage from a grid and to drive the switching element based at least in part on the monitored input voltage, such that the switching element is configured to block current flow through the switching element to the controller when the monitored input voltage is above a voltage threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wind pitch adjustment system associated with a wind turbine system, the wind pitch adjustment system comprising:
a power supply configured to convert an alternating current input signal into a direct current voltage;
a controller configured to receive a signal from the power supply, and to provide one or more control commands to a pitch adjustment motor; and
a surge stopping device comprising a switching element coupled between the power supply and the controller, the surge stopping device configured to monitor an input voltage from a grid and to drive the switching element based at least in part on the monitored input voltage, such that the switching element is configured to block current flow through the switching element to the controller when the monitored input voltage is above a voltage threshold;
a bypass contactor coupled to the power supply; and
a dynamic brake resistor configured to suppress a voltage from the grid based at least in part on operation of the bypass contactor and the surge stopping device.

2. The wind pitch adjustment system of claim 1 , wherein the voltage threshold corresponds to a high voltage ride-through grid event.

3. The wind pitch adjustment system of claim 1 , wherein the surge stopping device further comprises a comparison circuit configured to compare the monitored input voltage to a reference voltage and to provide a comparison output signal based at least in part on the comparison.

4. The wind pitch adjustment system of claim 3 , wherein the surge stopping device further comprises a current source, and wherein operation of the current source is controlled based at least in part on the comparison output signal.

5. The wind pitch adjustment system of claim 4 , wherein the current source is configured to turn on when the comparison output signal is a logic high signal, and wherein the current source is configured to turn off when the comparison output signal is a logic low signal.

6. The wind pitch adjustment system of claim 5 , wherein the current source is configured to control operation of the switching element, such that when the current source is turned off, current is permitted to flow through the switching element.

7. The wind pitch adjustment system of claim 1 , wherein the surge stopping device further comprises a second switching element coupled between the power supply and the switching element.

8. The wind pitch adjustment system of claim 1 , wherein the power supply comprises a rectifier configured to receive the alternating current input signal and to generate an isolated direct current voltage.

9. The wind pitch adjustment system of claim 1 , wherein the operation of the bypass contactor is controlled based at least in part on a system initialization process associated with the wind pitch adjustment system.

10. The wind pitch adjustment system of claim 9 , wherein the bypass contactor is controlled such that current is permitted to flow through the bypass contactor subsequent to the system initialization process.

11. The wind pitch adjustment system of claim 10 , wherein the dynamic brake resistor is configured to suppress the voltage from the grid during a high voltage ride-through grid event based at least in part on operation of the bypass contactor.

12. The wind pitch adjustment system of claim 1 , further comprising a capacitor bank comprising one or more capacitors configured to store energy.

13. The wind pitch adjustment system of claim 12 , further comprising a flyback diode coupled between the power supply and the controller, such that power is delivered from the capacitor bank to the controller via the flyback diode when the surge stopping device is turned off.

14. A method of controlling a pitch adjustment system associated with a wind turbine system, the method comprising:
receiving one or more signals indicative of a voltage provided by an electrical grid;
comparing the voltage provided by the electrical grid to one or more threshold voltages, the one or more threshold voltages being associated with a grid event associated with the electrical grid;
generating one or more control signals based at least in part on the comparison;
controlling operation of a surge stopping device based at least in part on the one or more control signals, the surge stopping device being coupled between a power supply associated with the voltage provided by the electrical grid, and a controller associated with the pitch adjustment system, the surge stopping device configured to regulate current flow through the surge stopping device to the controller based at least in part on the one or more control signals; and
controlling a dynamic brake resistor configured to suppress a voltage from the grid based at least in part on operation of a bypass contactor and the surge stopping device.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein controlling operation of a surge stopping device comprises controlling operation of a switching element associated with the surge stopping device, and wherein the method further comprises:
determining whether the switching element is turned off; and
when the switching element is turned off, providing power to the controller via a flyback diode coupled to the controller.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining whether the bypass contactor associated with the pitch adjustment system is closed; and
when the bypass contactor is closed, controlling operation of the dynamic braking device based at least in part on the voltage provided by the electrical grid.

17. A wind turbine system comprising:
one or more rotor blades; and
one or more wind pitch adjustment systems, each wind pitch adjustment system configured to adjust a pitch angle of at least one of the one or more rotor blades, each wind pitch adjustment system comprising:
a power supply configured to convert an alternating current input signal into a direct current voltage;
a controller configured to receive a signal from the power supply, and to provide one or more control commands to a pitch adjustment motor; and
a surge stopping device comprising a switching element coupled between the power supply and the controller, the surge stopping device configured to monitor an input voltage from a grid and to drive the switching element based at least in part on the monitored input voltage, such that the switching element is configured to block current flow through the switching element to the controller when the monitored input voltage is above a voltage threshold;

a bypass contactor coupled to the power supply; and
a dynamic brake resistor configured to suppress a voltage from the grid based at least in part on operation of the bypass contactor and the surge stopping device.

18. The wind turbine system of claim 17 , wherein the surge stopping device further comprises a comparison circuit configured to compare the monitored input voltage to a reference voltage and to provide a comparison output signal based at least in part on the comparison.

19. The wind turbine system of claim 18 , wherein the surge stopping device further comprises a current source, and wherein operation of the current source is controlled based at least in part on the comparison output signal.

20. The wind turbine system of claim 19 , wherein the current source is configured to turn on when the comparison output signal is a logic high signal, and wherein the current source is configured to turn off when the comparison output signal is a logic low signal.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Shen Longhui
• Melius Jeffrey Alan
• Wang Chengjun

Classifications

• H02H7/0838

  with H-bridge circuit · CPC title

• H02H3/20

  responsive to excess voltage · CPC title

• F05B2270/602

  electrical actuators · CPC title

• F05B2270/107

  to cope with emergencies · CPC title

• F05B2260/76

  the adjusting mechanism using auxiliary power sources · CPC title