Power plant controller for generating a power reference to wind turbine generators

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10539117-B2
Application number	US-201415039390-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2014
Priority date	Nov 28, 2013
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a power plant controller for controlling wind turbine generators. More particularly, the invention relates to a method for compensating data obtained from measurements at a connection point to the grid in case of a communication failure where communication of such data is lost or becomes unreliable. The measured data are used in the power plant controller for determining setpoints for controlling the wind turbine generators' production of active and reactive power. In response to detection of a communication fault a new setpoint is determined independently of new measured grid data by reconfiguring parts of the power plant controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power plant controller for generating a setpoint to one or more wind turbine generators connected to an electrical grid, wherein the setpoint relates to a desired amount of power to be produced at least in part by the one or more wind turbine generators, wherein the power plant controller comprises:
a reference control system configured to receive a stream of electrical grid values from a grid meter and to receive an electrical reference value, wherein the power plant controller is configured to determine the electrical grid values based on values measured at a grid connection point, and is configured to determine at least one of:
a first setpoint (Qset 1 , Qset 2 ) relating to a desired amount of reactive power on basis of a voltage and reactive power reference value (Vref, Qref) and a stream of measured voltage and reactive power values (Vm, Qm); and
a second setpoint (Pset 1 , Pset 2 ) relating to a desired amount of active power on basis of a power and frequency reference value (Pref, fref) and a stream of measured frequency and power values (fm, Pm);

a fault detector configured to detect a communication fault in the communication of the electrical grid values, wherein when the fault detector does not detect the communication fault, the reference control system is configured to determine the setpoint on the basis of the electrical reference value and the stream of electrical grid values, and
wherein the power plant controller is further configured to, when the fault detector detects the communication fault, reconfigure the reference control system to determine the setpoint independently of the stream of electrical grid values whose transmission is affected by the communication fault based on an alternative stream of values.

2. The power plant controller according to claim 1 , further comprising a wind power plant connectable to an electrical grid, wherein the wind power plant comprises the one or more wind turbine generators.

3. The power plant controller according to claim 1 , wherein the alternative stream of values include backup electrical grid values received from a backup grid meter.

4. The power plant controller according to claim 1 , wherein the alternative stream of values includes historical electrical grid values obtained before the detection of the communication fault.

5. The power plant controller according to claim 1 , wherein the alternative stream of values includes one or more electrical output values measured from one or more power outputs of the one or more wind turbine generator.

6. The power plant controller according to claim 1 , wherein the alternative stream of values includes measured frequency values measured from a power output of one of the one or more wind turbine generators.

7. The power plant controller according to claim 1 , wherein the alternative stream of values include a measured active power produced by the one or more wind turbine generators.

8. The power plant controller according to claim 1 , wherein the power plant controller is configured to reconfigure the reference control system, when the fault detector detects the communication fault, by determining the setpoint solely on the basis of the electrical reference value.

9. The power plant controller according to claim 8 , wherein the power plant controller is configured to determine the setpoint solely on the basis of the electrical reference value by setting the setpoint equal to the electrical reference value.

10. The power plant controller according to claim 1 , wherein the power plant controller is configured to reconfigure the reference control system after a first time delay after detection of the communication fault.

11. The power plant controller according to claim 1 , wherein, after reconfiguring the reference control system responsive to detecting the communication fault, in response to the fault detector no longer detecting the communication fault, the power plant controller is configured to reconfigure the reference control system to determine the setpoint dependent on the electrical grid values communicated from the grid meter.

12. The power plant controller according to claim 11 , wherein the power plant controller is configured to reconfigure the reference control system after a second time delay following the fault detector no longer detecting the communication fault.

13. A method for generating a setpoint to one or more wind turbine generators connected to an electrical grid via a connection line, wherein the method comprises:
determining the setpoint on basis of an electrical reference value and a stream of determined electrical grid values, the stream of determined electrical grid values communicated to a reference control system from a grid meter, wherein the grid meter is connected to the connection line at a location which enables measurements of electrical quantities present at the grid, and wherein the electrical grid values are determined based on the electrical quantities present at the grid, wherein the set point comprises at least one of:
a first setpoint (Qset 1 , Qset 2 ) relating to a desired amount of reactive power on basis of a voltage and reactive power reference value (Vref, Qref) and a stream of measured voltage and reactive power values (Vm, Qm); and
a second setpoint (Pset 1 , Pset 2 ) relating to a desired amount of active power on basis of a power and frequency reference value (Pref, fref) and a stream of measured frequency and power values (fm, Pm);

detecting a communication fault in the communication of the electrical grid values, and
in response to detecting the communication fault, reconfiguring the reference control system so that the setpoint is determined independently of electrical grid values whose transmission is affected by the communication fault by selecting alternative values.

14. A computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code configured to perform an operation for generating a setpoint to one or more wind turbine generators when the computer-readable program code is executed using one or more computer processors, the one or more wind turbine generators connected to an electrical grid via a connection line, the operation comprising:
determining the setpoint on basis of an electrical reference value and a stream of determined electrical grid values, the stream of determined electrical grid values communicated to a reference control system from a grid meter, wherein the grid meter is connected to the connection line at a location which enables measurements of electrical quantities present at the grid, and wherein the electrical grid values are determined based on the electrical quantities present at the grid, wherein the set point comprises at least one of:
a first setpoint (Qset 1 , Qset 2 ) relating to a desired amount of reactive power on basis of a voltage and reactive power reference value (Vref, Qref) and a stream of measured voltage and reactive power values (Vm, Qm); and
a second setpoint (Pset 1 , Pset 2 ) relating to a desired amount of active power on basis of a power and frequency reference value (Pref, fref) and a stream of measured frequency and power values (fm, Pm);

detecting a communication fault in the communication of the electrical grid values, and
in response to detecting the communication fault, reconfiguring the reference control system so that the setpoint is determined independently of electrical grid values whose transmission is affected by the communication fault by selecting alternative values.

Assignees

• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Garcia Jorge Martinez
• Lærke Rasmus
• Møller Henrik
• Nayebi Kouroush
• Panni Rubin
• Heng Chun Meng

Classifications

• H02J2101/28

  Wind energy · CPC title

• H02J13/36

  specially adapted for protection systems · CPC title

• F03D7/0284 Primary

  in relation to the state of the electric grid · CPC title

• F05B2270/337

  Electrical grid status parameters, e.g. voltage, frequency or power demand · CPC title

• F03D7/042

  by means of an electrical or electronic controller · CPC title