Auxiliary electric power system and method of regulating voltages of the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9513614-B2
Application number	US-201314024044-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2013
Priority date	Sep 11, 2013
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

An electric power system for a wind turbine includes at least one auxiliary load bus configured to transmit electric power to auxiliary equipment. The auxiliary load bus is further configured to receive electric power having a voltage within a first predetermined tolerance range. The system also includes at least one motor-generator set coupled to the auxiliary load bus. The motor-generator set is configured to receive electric power having a voltage within a second predetermined tolerance range and transmit electric power to the auxiliary load bus in the first predetermined tolerance range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric power system for a wind turbine, said electric power system comprising:
at least one auxiliary load bus configured to transmit electric power to auxiliary equipment, said auxiliary load bus further configured to receive electric power having a voltage within one of a first predetermined tolerance range and a second predetermined tolerance range;
at least one motor-generator set coupled to said auxiliary load bus, said motor-generator set configured to receive electric power having a voltage within a third predetermined tolerance range and transmit electric power to said auxiliary load bus in the first predetermined tolerance range; and,
at least one main power transformer directly coupled to an electric utility grid and directly coupled to said motor-generator set.

2. The electric power system in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising at least one auxiliary power transformer coupled to said motor-generator set and said auxiliary load bus.

3. The electric power system in accordance with claim 2 , wherein:
said motor-generator set is configured to transmit electric power to said auxiliary power transformer in the first predetermined voltage tolerance range; and,
said auxiliary power transformer is configured to transmit electric power to said auxiliary load bus in the second predetermined voltage tolerance range.

4. The electric power system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said motor-generator set is configured to receive electric power from each of a wind turbine generator and the electric utility grid in the third predetermined voltage tolerance range.

5. The electric power system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said motor-generator set comprises:
one of an induction motor and a permanent-magnet motor; and,
a permanent-magnet generator coupled to said one of said induction motor and said permanent-magnet motor.

6. The electric power system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein said motor-generator set further comprises an induction motor starter coupled to said induction motor.

7. The electric power system in accordance with claim 5 , wherein said permanent-magnet generator comprises a voltage regulation controller configured to modulate voltage generation through regulation of said permanent-magnet generator.

8. The electric power system in accordance with claim 7 , wherein said voltage regulation controller comprises:
at least one processor; and,
at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage media coupled to said processor, said non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by said processor, the computer-executable instructions cause said processor to operate said motor-generator set to regulate the voltage and current transmitted to said auxiliary load bus.

9. A renewable energy generation facility comprising:
at least one electric power doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG); and,
an auxiliary electric power system coupled to said DFIG, said auxiliary electric power system comprising:
at least one auxiliary load bus configured to receive electric power having a voltage within one of a first predetermined tolerance range and a second predetermined tolerance range;
at least one electric power generator auxiliary load coupled to said auxiliary load bus, said auxiliary load bus configured to transmit electric power to said auxiliary load;
at least one motor-generator set coupled to said auxiliary load bus, said motor-generator set configured to receive electric power having a voltage within a third predetermined tolerance range and transmit electric power to said auxiliary load bus in the first predetermined tolerance range; and,
at least one main power transformer directly coupled to an electric utility grid and directly coupled to said motor-generator set.

10. The renewable energy generation system in accordance with claim 9 , further comprising at least one auxiliary power transformer coupled to said motor-generator set and said auxiliary load bus.

11. The renewable energy generation system in accordance with claim 10 , wherein:
said motor-generator set is configured to transmit electric power to said auxiliary power transformer in the first predetermined voltage tolerance range; and,
said auxiliary power transformer is configured to transmit electric power to said auxiliary load bus in the second predetermined voltage tolerance range.

12. The renewable energy generation system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein said motor-generator set is configured to receive electric power from each of a wind turbine generator and the electric utility grid in the third predetermined voltage tolerance range.

13. The renewable energy generation system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein said motor-generator set comprises:
an induction motor; and,
a permanent-magnet generator coupled to said induction motor.

14. The renewable energy generation system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said at least one motor-generator set further comprises an induction motor starter coupled to said induction motor.

15. The renewable energy generation system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said permanent-magnet generator comprises a voltage regulation controller configured to modulate voltage generation through regulation of said permanent-magnet generator.

16. The renewable energy generation system in accordance with claim 15 , wherein said voltage regulation controller comprises:
at least one processor; and,
at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage media coupled to said processor, said non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by said processor, the computer-executable instructions cause said processor to operate said motor-generator to regulate the voltage and current transmitted to said auxiliary load bus.

17. A method for controlling operation of a renewable energy generation system, the renewable energy generation system including a doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG), at least one auxiliary load bus configured to receive electric power having a voltage within one of a first predetermined tolerance range and a second predetermined tolerance range, at least one motor-generator set coupled to the at least one auxiliary load bus, and at least one main power transformer directly coupled to an electric utility grid and directly coupled to the at least one motor-generator set, said method comprising:
transmitting electric power from one of the DFIG and an electric utility grid to the at least one motor-generator set, the electric power having a voltage within a third predetermined tolerance range, wherein the electric power transmitted from the electric utility grid to the at least one motor generator set is transmitted through the at least one main power transformer; and,
regulating the motor-generator set to transmit electric power having a voltage within the first predetermined tolerance range to the auxiliary load bus.

18. The method in accordance with claim 17 , further comprising facilitating operation of at least one of a low voltage ride through (LVRT) feature, a zero voltage ride through (ZVRT) feature, and a high voltage ride through (HVRT) feature through converting at least a portion of an inertia of the motor-generator set to electric power transmitted from the motor-generator to the auxiliary load bus.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Schnetzka Harold Robert
• Jayko Timothy Wilcox
• Wilmot Theodore Steven
• Vujanovic Branislav

Classifications

• F03D7/0272

  by measures acting on the electrical generator · CPC title

• H02J11/00

  Circuit arrangements for providing service supply to auxiliaries of stations in which electric power is generated, distributed or converted · CPC title

• H02J2101/28

  Wind energy · CPC title

• H02J2101/22

  Solar energy · CPC title

• H02J3/386

  Electricity · mapped topic