System and method for preventing catastrophic damage in drivetrain of a wind turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11293403-B2
Application number	US-201916378808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2019
Priority date	Apr 9, 2019
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

A method for preventing catastrophic damage in a drivetrain of a wind turbine includes receiving, via a controller, a speed measurement of the generator of the drivetrain. The method also includes determining an electrical torque of a generator of the drivetrain of the wind turbine. The method further includes estimating, via the controller, a mechanical torque of the rotor as a function of at least one of the electrical torque and the speed measurement of the generator. Further, the method includes comparing, via the controller, the estimated mechanical torque to an implausible torque threshold, wherein torque values above the implausible torque threshold speed values greater that the implausible speed threshold. Moreover, the method includes implementing, via the controller, a control action for the wind turbine when the estimated mechanical torque exceeds the implausible torque threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for preventing catastrophic damage in a drivetrain of a wind turbine, the drivetrain having, at least, a rotor and a generator, the method comprising:
receiving, via a controller, a speed measurement of the generator;
determining, via the controller, an electrical torque of the generator;
estimating, via the controller, a mechanical torque of the rotor as a function of at least one of the electrical torque and the speed measurement;
comparing, via the controller, the estimated mechanical torque to an implausible torque threshold, wherein torque values above the implausible torque threshold are indicative of a failure of the drivetrain of the wind turbine; and,
implementing, via the controller, a control action for the wind turbine when the estimated mechanical torque exceeds the implausible torque threshold, wherein the control action comprises shutting down the wind turbine.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the speed measurement is measured via a high resolution speed sensor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the electrical torque of the generator of the drivetrain further comprises at least one of measuring the electrical torque of the generator via one or more sensors or estimating the electrical torque of the generator.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein estimating the electrical torque of the generator further comprises:
measuring a power output of the generator; and,
determining the electrical torque of the generator as a function of the power output and the speed of the generator.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein estimating the mechanical torque of the rotor as a function of at least one of the electrical torque and the speed measurement further comprises:
determining a speed error of the speed measurement of the generator; and,
estimating, via the controller, the mechanical torque as a function of the speed error.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the speed error of the speed measurement of the generator further comprises:
determining a difference between the speed measurement of the generator and an estimate of a speed of the generator.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the speed error comprises a change in speed required for the generator to accelerate or decelerate inertia of the drivetrain to maintain the speed measurement of the generator.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising comparing the speed error to an implausible speed threshold, wherein speeds greater than the implausible speed threshold are indicative of a failure of the drivetrain of the wind turbine.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining a torque error as a difference between the electrical torque and the estimated mechanical torque; and
estimating the speed of the generator as a function of the torque error.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising estimating the mechanical torque of the rotor as a function of the electrical torque, the speed measurement of the generator, and a friction coefficient of the generator.

11. A drivetrain assembly of a wind turbine, the drivetrain assembly comprising:
a main shaft for coupling to a rotor of the wind turbine;
a gearbox coupled to the main shaft;
a generator coupled to the gearbox; and,
a controller for controlling operation of the wind turbine, the controller comprises at least one processor, the at least one processor configured to perform a plurality of operations, the plurality of operations comprising:
receiving a speed measurement of the generator of the drivetrain;
determining an electrical torque of a generator of the drivetrain of the wind turbine;
estimating a mechanical torque of the rotor as a function of at least one of the electrical torque and the speed measurement of the generator;

comparing the estimated mechanical torque to an implausible torque threshold wherein torque values above the implausible torque threshold are indicative of a failure of the drivetrain of the wind turbine; and,
implementing a control action for the wind turbine when the estimated mechanical torque exceeds the implausible torque threshold, wherein the control action comprises shutting down the wind turbine.

12. The drivetrain assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a high resolution speed sensor for measuring the speed measurement.

13. The drivetrain assembly of claim 11 , wherein determining the electrical torque of the generator of the drivetrain further comprises at least one of measuring the electrical torque of the generator via one or more sensors or estimating the electrical torque of the generator.

14. The drivetrain assembly of claim 13 , wherein estimating the mechanical torque of the rotor as a function of at least one of the electrical torque and the speed measurement further comprises:
determining a speed error of the speed measurement of the generator; and,
estimating, via the controller, the mechanical torque as a function of the speed error.

15. The drivetrain assembly of claim 14 , wherein determining the speed error of the sped measurement of the generator further comprises:
determining a difference between the speed measurement of the generator and an estimate of a speed of the generator.

16. The drivetrain assembly of claim 15 , wherein the speed error comprises a change in speed required for the generator to accelerate or decelerate inertia of the drivetrain to maintain the speed measurement of the generator.

17. The drivetrain assembly of claim 16 , further comprising comparing the speed error to an implausible speed threshold, wherein speeds greater than the implausible speed threshold are indicative of a failure of the drivetrain of the wind turbine.

18. The drivetrain assembly of claim 15 , further comprising:
determining a torque error as a difference between the electrical torque and the estimated mechanical torque; and
estimating the speed of the generator as a function of the torque error.

19. A method for preventing catastrophic damage in a drivetrain of a wind turbine, the drivetrain having, at least, a rotor and a generator, the method comprising:
determining an electrical torque of the generator of the drivetrain;
receiving, from one or more sensors, a speed measurement of the generator;
determining, via a controller, a mechanical torque of a rotor of the wind turbine, or an acceleration of the generator required to accelerate or decelerate inertia of the drivetrain, to maintain the speed measurement based, at least in part, on the determined electrical torque of the generator of the drivetrain or the speed measurement of the generator of the drivetrain; and,
when the mechanical torque and/or the acceleration exceed an implausible threshold, implementing a control action for the wind turbine, wherein the control action comprises shutting down the wind turbine.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Cardinal Mark Edward
• Viscome Drake Joseph
• Angel Mathew Doyle

Classifications

• H02P2101/15

  for wind-driven turbines · CPC title

• F05B2270/331

  Mechanical loads · CPC title

• F05B2270/1021

  by keeping it below damagingly high values · CPC title

• H02P9/00

  Arrangements for controlling electric generators for the purpose of obtaining a desired output · CPC title

• F05B2260/78

  the adjusting mechanism driven or triggered by aerodynamic forces · CPC title