Medium voltage safety procedure and housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12199520-B2
Application number	US-202017769282-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2020
Priority date	Oct 16, 2019
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A wind turbine system with a medium voltage (MV) converter system for converting electric power by the wind turbine generator. A housing, e.g. a placed on the ground near the wind turbine tower, encloses the MV converter to block access. An access door with a controllable locking mechanism is controlled by an access control system which unlocks the access door after execution of a safety access algorithm. This allows a person to provide service to the potentially dangerous MV equipment in a safe an automated way after request. The housing preferably has a control compartment where a person can request access and await opening of the access door for safe access to the MV converter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wind turbine system arranged to generate electric power, the wind turbine system comprising:
a wind turbine comprising a rotor blade system, an electric generator connected to be driven by the rotor blade system, a tower with a nacelle for housing the electric generator; and
a medium voltage converter system (CNV) configured to convert electric power generated by the electric generator;
a housing with an enclosure for enclosing at least the medium voltage converter system, wherein an access door blocks access when locked or allows a person to access the enclosure when unlocked, wherein the access door has a controllable locking mechanism to switch between locked and unlocked;
an access control system comprising a memory and a processor arranged to receive a request for access to the enclosure from outside the enclosure, and wherein the access control system is arranged to execute a safety access algorithm stored on the memory in response to said request, wherein execution of said safety access algorithm by the processor causes the access control system to:
open at least one circuit breaker or contactor to disconnect electrical connection between the circuit breaker or contactor and at least one of incoming or outgoing electric terminals connected to the medium voltage converter system;
activate at least one motorized actuator to draw out said at least one circuit breaker or contactor to provide a physical separation between the at least one circuit breaker or contactor and the at least one of incoming or outgoing electric terminals connected to the medium voltage converter system;
receive a feedback signal indicating that the at least one circuit breaker or contactor has been physically separated from the at least one incoming or outgoing electric terminals connected to the medium voltage converter system;
cause, in response to receipt of said feedback signal, transmission of a feedback signal to a user interface located outside the enclosure, indicating that the at least one circuit breaker or contactor has been physically separated from the at least one incoming or outgoing electric terminals connected to the medium voltage converter system;
activate a first discharge procedure to allow electrical self-discharge of at least one AC-filter capacitor connected to filter harmonic components from the medium voltage converter system;
activate a second discharge procedure to electrically discharge one or more DC capacitors inside the medium voltage converter system, and to determine if a discharge criterion for discharge of said one or more DC capacitors has been met, wherein the access control system is arranged to determine if said discharge criterion for discharge of at least one DC capacitor of the one or more DC capacitors is met by performing at least one of: 1) determining that a sensed voltage indicative of a charge voltage of the at least one DC capacitor has reached a predetermined threshold voltage; or 2) determining that a predetermined time has lapsed after activation of said second discharge procedure;
activate at least one grounding switch to electrically ground the medium voltage converter system inside the enclosure, in case said discharge criterion for discharge said one or more capacitors has been met and after receipt that the at least one circuit breaker or contactor has been physically separated from the at least one incoming or outgoing electric terminals connected to the medium voltage converter system; and
activate the controllable locking mechanism to unlock the access door to gain access to the enclosure, after the at least one grounding switch has been activated.

2. The wind turbine system according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a control compartment, and wherein said access door serves to gain access from the control compartment to said enclosure for enclosing at least the medium voltage converter system.

3. The wind turbine system according to claim 1 , wherein the housing is arranged for position at a distance from the tower.

4. The wind turbine system according to claim 1 , wherein the housing is arranged for position on the ground.

5. The wind turbine system according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a switchgear compartment for enclosing electric switchgear for controlling electric power connection between the wind turbine and an electric power network, wherein the switchgear compartment is located adjacent to the enclosure for enclosing at least the medium voltage power converter system.

6. The wind turbine system according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one circuit breaker or contactor is positioned inside the switchgear compartment.

7. The wind turbine system according to claim 1 , wherein the user interface is arranged to transmit the request for access to the access control system in response to a user input.

8. The wind turbine system according to claim 1 , wherein the access control system is further arranged to:
open at least two circuit breakers or contactors to disconnect electrical connection between the at least two circuit breakers or contactors and at least one of incoming or outgoing electric terminals connected to the medium voltage converter system;
activate at least two motorized actuators to draw out said at least two circuit breakers or contactors to provide a physical separation between the at least two circuit breakers or contactors and the at least one of incoming or outgoing electric terminals connected to the medium voltage converter system; and
transmit a feedback signal indicating that the at least two circuit breakers or contactors have been physically separated from the at least one incoming or outgoing electric terminals connected to the medium voltage converter system.

9. The wind turbine system according to claim 8 , wherein one of said at least two circuit breakers or contactors serves to electrically connect or disconnect the medium voltage converter system to a pre-charge circuit branch.

10. The wind turbine system according to claim 8 , wherein the access control system is arranged to:
activate at least two grounding switches to electrically ground the medium voltage converter system at respective circuit branches, in case said discharge criterion for discharge said one or more capacitors has been met and after receipt that the at least two circuit breakers or contactors have been physically separated from the at least one incoming or outgoing electric terminals connected to the medium voltage converter system; and
activate the controllable locking mechanism to unlock the access door to gain access to the enclosure, after the at least two grounding switches have been activated.

11. The wind turbine system according to claim 1 , wherein the medium voltage converter system comprises a modular type medium voltage converter.

12. A method for gaining access to a medium voltage converter system configured to convert electric power from a wind turbine generator of a wind turbine, wherein the medium voltage converter system is arranged in an enclosure with an access door, wherein the access door has a controllable locking mechanism, the method comprising:
receiving, by a processor of an access control system, a request for access from outside the enclosure, and in response to said request for access, the processor is arranged to execute a safety access algorithm stored on a memory of the access control system, wherein in executing the safety access algorithm the processor causes the access control system to perform:
opening at least one circuit breaker or contactor to disconnect electrical connection between the circuit breaker or contactor and at least one

Assignees

• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Helle Lars
• Gerçek Cem Özgür

Classifications

• H02B13/075

  Earthing arrangements · CPC title

• H02K7/183

  wherein the turbine is a wind turbine (adaptation of a wind turbine to an electric generator F03D9/25) · CPC title

• H02B1/06

  having associated enclosures, e.g. for preventing access to live parts · CPC title

• F05B2220/706

  an electrical generator · CPC title

• F03D80/50 Primary

  Maintenance or repair · CPC title