Wind turbine power conversion system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9611836-B2
Application number	US-201414555336-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2014
Priority date	Nov 26, 2014
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

The invention refers to a multilevel topology power converter (I) for electrical adaption of a low voltage alternating current (LVAC) of an electrical wind power generator ( 1 ) and a medium voltage (MV) transmission level for a transmission link to each other, the power converter (I) comprising for each phase:
a switching unit ( 9 ) for adapting the low voltage (LV) and the medium voltage (MV) to each other, the switching unit ( 9 ) being controlled by a controller ( 15 ), whereby the controlled switching unit ( 9 ) separately switches n+1 terminal potentials along terminals of an electrical series of n>1 capacitors C 1 . . . Cn ( 7 ); a current converter ( 5 ) for providing or using a direct current (DC) through the plurality of n>1 capacitors C 1 . . . Cn ( 7 ) connected in series.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Multilevel topology power converter for electrical adaption of a low voltage alternating current of an electrical wind power generator and a medium voltage transmission level for a transmission link to each other, the power converter comprising for each phase:
a switching unit for adapting the low voltage and the medium voltage to each other;
a current converter for providing a direct current towards or from a plurality of n>1 capacitors C 1 . . . Cn electrically connected in series; and
a control system configured to:
control the switching unit to switch the n+1 terminal potentials along terminals of the series of the n>1 capacitors C 1 . . . Cn, to thereby provide a DC to AC inverter; and
provide a dual mode operation of the converter based on a status of the electrical wind power generator, by dynamically switching between:
a grid-connected control mode during a grid-connected mode of the electrical wind power generator, wherein the control system controls a grid-side current; and
a stand-alone control mode in a stand-alone status of the converter electrical wind power generator, wherein the control system:
increases capacitances of the capacitors C 1 . . . Cn to increase a stiffness of the series of the capacitors C 1 . . . Cn; and
actively controls a load angle.

2. Multilevel topology power converter according to claim 1 , comprising for each phase: the current converter for providing at two main terminals a low voltage direct current from or to the low voltage alternating current of the electrical power generator; the plurality of n>1 capacitors C 1 . . . Cn electrically connected in series between the two main terminals of the low voltage direct current; the controlled switching unit for separately switching n+1 terminal potentials along terminals of the series of the n>1 capacitors C 1 . . . Cn to provide a medium voltage alternating current for or from the transmission link.

3. Multilevel topology power converter according to claim 2 , characterized in that an AC/AC converter adapts the medium voltage alternating current with a high voltage alternating current.

4. Multilevel topology power converter according to claim 1 , comprising for each phase: the electrical power generator generating or adjusting to the low voltage alternating current; the controlled switching unit for separately switching n+1 terminal potentials from or to the electrical generator along terminals of the series of n>1 capacitors C 1 . . . Cn electrically connected in series between two main terminals to provide a first medium voltage direct current at the two main terminals; the current converter for adapting the first medium voltage direct current and a second medium voltage direct current for the transmission link to each other.

5. Multilevel topology power converter according to claim 4 , wherein a plurality of electrical power generator assembly levels is electrically connected in parallel to each other and their current converters adapt their second medium voltage direct currents to each other.

6. Multilevel topology power converter according to claim 5 , wherein the plurality of electrical power generator assembly levels is electrically connected in parallel to a common current converter which adapts the voltage of the second medium voltage direct current with a higher voltage of the second medium voltage direct current for the transmission link.

7. Multilevel topology power converter according to claim 6 , wherein a DC/AC converter adapts the higher voltage of the second medium voltage direct current with a high voltage alternating current.

8. Multilevel topology power converter claim 1 , wherein the controlled switching unit comprises insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) devices configured to operate at AC line voltages of 10 kV or higher.

9. Multilevel topology power converter according to claim 1 , wherein the control system of the converter switches from the standard current control of the grid-connected mode to the load angle control of the stand-alone mode of the electrical wind power generator and vice versa.

10. Multilevel topology power converter according to claim 1 , wherein the control system of the converter generates an own reference signal while operating in the stand-alone mode.

11. Multilevel topology power converter according to claim 1 , wherein in the stand-alone mode the control system of the converter controls the active power output of the converter by the load angle control, if the converter regulates to a constant output voltage of the converter.

12. Multilevel topology power converter according to claim 11 , wherein in the stand-alone mode the control system of the converter regulates to the constant output voltage thus the active power output of the converter is proportional to the load angle.

13. Multilevel topology power converter according to claim 1 , wherein for the stand-alone mode the converter comprises a voltage regulation of the voltages at the capacitors C 1 . . . Cn.

14. Method for controlling a multilevel topology power converter for electrical adaption of a low voltage alternating current of an electrical wind power generator and a medium voltage transmission level for a transmission link to each other, the power converter comprising for each phase: a switching unit for adapting the low voltage and the medium voltage to each other, the switching unit being controlled by a control system, and a current converter for providing a direct current towards or from a plurality of n>1 capacitors C 1 . . . Cn electrically connected in series, the method comprising:
controlling, by the control system, the switching unit to switch the n+1 terminal potentials along terminals of the series of the n>1 capacitors C 1 . . . Cn, to thereby provide a DC to AC inverter, and
provide a dual mode operation of the convertor based on a status of the electrical wind power generator, by dynamically switching between:
a grid-connected control mode during a grid-connected mode of the electrical wind power generator, wherein the control system controls a grid-side current; and
a stand-alone control mode in a stand-alone status of the converter electrical wind power generator, wherein the control system:
increases capacitances of the capacitors C 1 . . . Cn to increase a stiffness of the series of the capacitors C 1 . . . Cn; and
provides load angle control.

15. Method for controlling a multilevel topology power converter according to claim 14 , wherein the control system of the converter generates an own reference signal while operating in the stand-alone control mode.

16. Method for controlling a multilevel topology power converter according to claim 14 , wherein in the stand-alone control mode the control system of the converter controls an active power output of the converter by the load angle control, if the converter regulates to a constant output voltage of the converter.

17. Method for controlling a multilevel topology power converter according to claim 16 , wherein in the stand-alone control mode the control system of the converter regulates to a constant output voltage such that the active power output of the converter is proportional to the load angle.

18. Method for controlling a multilevel topology power converter according to claim 14 , wherein for the stand-alone control mode the converter regulates the voltages at the capacitors C 1 . . . Cn.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Kurthakoti Chandrashekhara Divya
• Hergt Martin
• Schacherer Christian

Classifications

• H02M7/487

  Neutral point clamped inverters · CPC title

• H02M5/44

  using discharge tubes or semiconductor devices to convert the intermediate DC into AC · CPC title

• H02M2001/007

  Electricity · mapped topic

• F03D9/003 Primary

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• H02M5/4585

  having a rectifier with controlled elements · CPC title