Fail-safe system for controlling wind turbines
View Patent ↗A wind turbine control system is provided. The control system includes a first and a second control unit which are coupled to each other over a first network. The first control unit is configured as a critical control unit, comprising a first set of functions comprising critical control functions for the operation of a wind turbine, and the second control unit is configured as a secondary control unit, comprising a second set of functions comprising non-critical control functions and data management functions.
1. A wind turbine control system, comprising:
a first control unit and a second control unit coupled to each other over a first network,
wherein the first control unit is configured as a critical control unit, comprising a first set of functions comprising critical control functions for the operation of a wind turbine, and
wherein the second control unit is configured as a secondary control unit, comprising a second set of functions comprising non-critical control functions and data management functions,
wherein a mean time between failures of the first control unit is larger than a mean time between failures of the second control unit.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first control unit is configured to satisfy real-time conditions.
3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first control unit comprises a real-time operating system.
4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first control unit comprises a solid-state data store and is configured to use the solid-state data store as a mass data storage.
5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the solid-state data store comprises a solid state disc or a compact flash card.
6. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the solid-state data store comprises a solid state disc or a compact flash card.
7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the data management functions comprises logging and retrieving data collected from the first control unit.
8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the data management functions comprises logging or retrieving data collected from the first control unit.
9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second set of functions comprises user interface functions.
10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the user interface functions comprise servicing hypertext transfer protocol requests.
11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second control unit is coupled to a second network.
12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the second network is an optical communication network.
13. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the second network comprises a local area network and/or a wide area network and/or at least one virtual local area network.
14. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the first control unit is coupled to the second network and the critical control functions comprise providing an interface for operating the turbine.
15. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the critical control functions comprise at least one function selected from the group consisting of
executing critical application software for controlling the wind turbine,
communicating with sensors and/or actuators of the wind turbine,
providing measurement data over an interface, or
acting as a controller device in the first network.
16. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first or second network comprise a process data network.
17. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second network comprise a process data network.