Method of operating a wind turbine as well as a system suitable therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9353732-B2
Application number	US-201113996422-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2011
Priority date	Dec 23, 2010
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

According to a method of the present invention, a method of operating a wind turbine comprising a power generator, a generator side converter connected to the power generator, a line side converter connected to a power grid through power components, and a DC-link connected between the generator side converter and the line side converter is provided, the method comprising: monitoring the grid voltages on the power grid for overvoltage events; if an overvoltage event is detected, operating the line side converter in an overmodulation range for at least a part of the duration of the overvoltage event.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a wind turbine comprising a power generator, a generator side converter connected to the power generator, a line side converter connected to a power grid through power components, and a dc-link connected between the generator side converter and the line side converter, the method comprising:
upon detecting an overvoltage event of the power grid based on a measured grid voltage, operating the line side converter in an overmodulation range for at least part of the duration of the overvoltage event.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, while operating in the overmodulation range, the line side converter is operated in a nonlinear region extending between an upper end of a linear modulation range and six step operation.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein, while operating in the overmodulation range, more than 90% and less than 100% of an available dc-link voltage is utilized by the line side converter control.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
calculating current reference signals for current control of the line side converter; and
modifying, while operating in the overmodulation range, the current reference signals to generate a line current reference signal based on at least one of the following: the grid voltage, a converter reference voltage vector, grid current injection requirements, an active power requirement, and a reactive power requirement, wherein the line side converter is controlled based on the line current reference signal.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, while operating in the overmodulation range, the line side converter is operated using vector based control.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the line side converter is operated using proportional-integral (PI) current control while operating in the overmodulation range.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
obtaining a line side current signal indicative of a line current occurring at the output terminals of a line side converter connected to a grid transformer through the power components;
generating a harmonic current component signal indicative of an estimated harmonic current component present in the line current;
subtracting the harmonic current component signal from the obtained line side current signal to produce a second line current signal that is substantially free from the harmonic current component;
determining a line current error between the second line current signal and a line current reference signal that is generated based on the detected overvoltage event;
controlling, based on the determined line current error, the line side converter such that the line current error is partly or fully compensated.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein an overvoltage event is characterized by the line side converter being unable to output, while operating in a linear operating range and based on a voltage of the dc-link, sufficient converter current and voltage to balance the measured grid voltage.

9. A system of operating a wind turbine comprising a power generator, a generator side converter connected to the power generator, a line side converter connected to a power grid through power components, and a dc-link connected between the generator side converter and the line side converter, the system comprising:
a monitoring unit configured to detect an overvoltage event of the power grid based on a measured grid voltage; and
a controlling unit connected to the monitoring unit and configured to, upon detection of an overvoltage event, operate the line side converter in an overmodulation range for at least part of the duration of the overvoltage event.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the controlling unit is configured to, while operating the line side converter in the overmodulation range, operate the line side converter in a non-linear operation range extending between an upper end of a linear operation range and six step operation.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the controlling unit is configured to, while operating the line side converter; in the overmodulation range, operating the line side converter such that more than 90% and less than 100% of an available dc-link voltage is utilized by the line side converter control.

12. The system according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a modification unit configured to modify current reference signals to generate a line current reference signal based on at least one of the following: the grid voltage, a grid current, an active power requirement, and a reactive power requirement.

13. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the controlling unit is configured to, while operating the line side converter in the overmodulation range, operate the line side converter using vector based control.

14. The system according to claim 9 wherein the controlling unit is configured to, while operating the line side converter in the overmodulation range, operate the line side converter using proportional-integral (PI) current control.

15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the controlling unit comprises:
a line current signal obtaining unit configured to obtain a line current signal indicative of a line current occurring at output terminals of the line side converter, the line side converter connected to a grid transformer through the power components;
a harmonic current component signal estimating unit configured to generate a harmonic current component signal indicative of an estimated harmonic current component present in the line current;
a subtracting unit configured to subtract the harmonic current component signal from the obtained line current signal to produce a second line current signal that is substantially free from the harmonic current component;
a line current error determining unit configured to determine a line current error between the second line current signal and a line current reference signal that is generated based on the detected overvoltage event;
wherein the controlling unit is configured to control, based on the determined line current error, the line side converter such that the line current error is partly or fully compensated.

16. A wind turbine operatively connected with a power grid, the wind turbine comprising:
a power generator;
a generator side converter connected with the power generator;
a line side converter connected through power components to the power grid;
a dc-link connected between the generator side converter and the line side converter; and
a control arrangement coupled with the line side converter and configured to:
upon detecting an overvoltage event of the power grid based on a measured grid voltage, operate the line side converter in an overmodulation range for at least part of the duration of the overvoltage event.

17. The wind turbine of claim 16 , wherein the control arrangement is further configured to, while operating the line side converter in the overmodulation range, operate the line side converter in a nonlinear region extending between an upper end of a linear modulation range and six step operation.

18. The wind turbine of claim 17 , wherein the control arrangement is further configured to, while operating the line side converter in the overmodulation range, utilize more than 90% and less than 100% of an available dc-link voltage.

19. The wind turbine of claim 16 , wherein the control arrangement is further configured to:
calculate current reference signals for current control of the line side

Assignees

• Gupta Amit Kumar
• Tripathi Anshuman
• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Gupta Amit Kumar
• Tripathi Anshuman

Classifications

• F03D9/255 Primary

  connected to electrical distribution networks; Arrangements therefor · CPC title

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title

• H02J2101/28

  Wind energy · CPC title

• H02J3/386

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y02E10/763

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic