IP Library Granted Patent US 8,686,581
Granted Patent B2
US 8,686,581 · App. 13/589,480 · Granted Apr 1, 2014

Method for operating a wind turbine in the event of the occurrence of a grid fault with a voltage drop and such a wind turbine

Inventors: Ulrich Harms (Hamburg, DE); Malte Laubrock (Hamburg, DE)
Assignee: Nordex Energy GmbH
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,686,581
App. No.
13/589,480
Granted
Apr 1, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for operating a wind turbine when a grid fault with a voltage drop occurs. The turbine has a rotor with a rotor blade having an adjustable blade pitch angle, a generator connected to the rotor for generating power for a power grid and a converter connected to the generator and the power grid. The grid fault is identified and a present value of a turbine variable representing a power is detected and a hold setpoint for the variable representing a power of the turbine is preset. A maximum and/or minimum permissible setpoint for the variable of the turbine is determined. The setpoint is increased or reduced once the hold time has elapsed. The turbine is driven with a setpoint preset which corresponds to the rotational speed. A presetting of the maximum permissible setpoint is ended when the rotational speed-dependent setpoint is lower than the maximum permissible setpoint.

Claims (63)

1. A method for operating a wind turbine when a grid fault with a voltage drop occurs, wherein the wind turbine has a rotor having at least one rotor blade with an adjustable blade pitch angle, a generator connected to the rotor for generating electric power for an electric power supply grid, and a converter connected to the generator and the electric power supply grid, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying the grid fault;

detecting a present value of a variable of the wind turbine representing a power;

presetting a hold setpoint for the variable representing a power of the wind turbine during a hold time, wherein the hold setpoint corresponds to the present value of the variable representing a power when the grid fault arises;

determining a maximum permissible setpoint for the variable of the wind turbine representing a power, wherein the maximum permissible setpoint is increased with time once the hold time has elapsed;

driving the wind turbine with a setpoint preset which corresponds to the present rotational speed, wherein the setpoint preset is limited to the maximum permissible setpoint; and,

ending a preset of the maximum permissible setpoint as soon as the rotational speed-dependent setpoint is less than the maximum permissible setpoint.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining a minimum permissible setpoint for the variable representing a power of the wind turbine, wherein the minimum permissible setpoint is reduced with time once the hold time has elapsed;

driving the wind turbine with a setpoint preset which corresponds to the present rotational speed, wherein the setpoint preset is limited to the minimum permissible setpoint; and,

ending the preset of the minimum permissible setpoint as soon as the rotational speed-dependent setpoint is greater than the minimum permissible setpoint.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying of the grid fault is achieved in dependence upon at least one of a plurality of variables including: change in a grid voltage (ΔU), change in a grid frequency (Δf), a fault message from the converter and a fault message from the generator.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the variable representing the power of the wind turbine corresponds to at least one of a plurality of variables including: an actual value of an electrical power to be generated, a setpoint of an electrical power to be generated, an actual value of a generator torque and a setpoint of a generator torque.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of controlling a blade pitch angle during the hold time in order to set a rotational speed corresponding to the hold setpoint.

6. The method of claim 2 , comprising the further steps of:

increasing the maximum permissible setpoint at a predetermined first rate of change when a maximum permissible setpoint is present; and,

reducing the minimum permissible setpoint at a predetermined second rate of change when a minimum permissible setpoint is present.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising the further step of increasing the maximum permissible setpoint at a predetermined first rate of change when a maximum permissible setpoint is present.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hold time is ended when the rotational speed falls below a predetermined minimum value for the rotational speed.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the value of the maximum permissible setpoint corresponds to the value of a minimum permissible setpoint after elapse of the hold time.

10. A method for operating a wind turbine when a grid fault with a voltage drop occurs, wherein the wind turbine has a rotor having at least one rotor blade with an adjustable blade pitch angle, a generator connected to the rotor for generating electric power for an electric power supply grid, and a converter connected to the generator and the electric power supply grid, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying the grid fault;

detecting a present value of a variable of the wind turbine representing a power;

presetting a hold setpoint for the variable representing a power of the wind turbine during a hold time, wherein the hold setpoint corresponds to the present value of the variable representing a power when the grid fault arises;

determining a minimum permissible setpoint for the variable of a wind turbine representing a power, wherein the minimum permissible setpoint is reduced over time after elapse of the hold time;

driving the wind turbine with a setpoint preset which corresponds to the present rotational speed, wherein the setpoint preset is limited to the minimum permissible setpoint; and,

ending the preset of the minimum permissible setpoint as soon as the rotational speed-dependent setpoint is greater than the minimum permissible setpoint.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the identifying of the grid fault is achieved in dependence upon at least one of a plurality of variables including: change in a grid voltage (ΔU), change in a grid frequency (Δf), a fault message from the converter and a fault message from the generator.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the variable of the wind turbine representing a power corresponds to at least one of a plurality of variables including: an actual value of an electrical power to be generated, a setpoint of an electrical power to be generated, an actual value of a generator torque and a setpoint of a generator torque.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of controlling a blade pitch angle during the hold time in order to set a rotational speed corresponding to the hold setpoint.

14. The method of claim 10 , comprising the further step of reducing the minimum permissible setpoint at a predetermined second rate of change when a minimum permissible setpoint is present.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the hold time is ended when the rotational speed falls below a predetermined minimum value for the rotational speed.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the value of the maximum permissible setpoint corresponds to the value of a minimum permissible setpoint after elapse of the hold time.

17. A wind turbine comprising:

a rotor blade having an adjustable blade pitch angle;

a generator connected to said rotor and configured to generate electric power for an electric power supply grid;

a converter connected to said generator and the electric supply grid;

a grid fault identification unit configured to identify a grid fault in the electric power supply grid;

a control configured to preset a present value of a variable representing a power as a hold setpoint to at least one of said converter and said generator during a hold time in response to an identified grid fault;

said control also being configured to preset a rotational speed-dependent setpoint after elapse of the hold time; and,

a setpoint limiting unit configured, after elapse of the hold time, to limit the preset setpoint to a maximum permissible setpoint and increase the maximum permissible setpoint over time.

18. The wind turbine of claim 17 , wherein said setpoint limiting unit is further configured, after elapse of the hold time, to limit the preset setpoint to a minimum permissible setpoint and reduce the minimum permissible setpoint over time.

19. The wind turbine of claim 17 further comprising a blade pitch control configured to control said blade pitch angle of said rotor blade in response to a grid fault in order to achieve a rotational speed corresponding to said hold setpoint.

20. The wind turbine of claim 17 , wherein:

said wind turbine has a nominal power; and,

said setpoint limiting unit is further configured to increase the maximum permissible setpoint over time to one of the nominal power and a predetermined value which is greater than said nominal power of said wind turbine.

21. The wind turbine of claim 17 , wherein said grid fault identification unit includes a measuring device connected to the electric power supply grid to detect a change in at least one of a grid voltage and a grid frequency.

22. The wind turbine of claim 17 , wherein said grid fault identification unit responds to a fault announcement of at least one of said converter and said generator.

23. A wind turbine comprising:

a rotor blade having an adjustable blade pitch angle;

a generator connected to said rotor and configured to generate electric power for an electric power supply grid;

a converter connected to said generator and the electric supply grid;

a grid fault identification unit configured to identify a grid fault in the electric power supply grid;

a control configured to preset a present value of a variable representing a power as a hold setpoint to at least one of said converter and said generator during a hold time in response to an identified grid fault;

said control also being configured to preset a rotational speed-dependent setpoint after elapse of the hold time; and,

a setpoint limiting unit configured, after elapse of the hold time, to limit the preset setpoint to a minimum permissible setpoint and decrease the minimum permissible setpoint over time.

24. The wind turbine of claim 23 further comprising a blade pitch control configured to control said blade pitch angle of said rotor blade in response to a grid fault in order to achieve a rotational speed corresponding to said hold setpoint.

25. The wind turbine of claim 23 , wherein said setpoint limiting unit is configured to reduce the minimum permissible setpoint to zero over time.

26. The wind turbine of claim 23 , wherein:

said wind turbine has a nominal power; and,

said setpoint limiting unit is further configured to increase the maximum permissible setpoint over time to one of the nominal power and a predetermined value which is greater than said nominal power of said wind turbine.

27. The wind turbine of claim 23 , wherein said grid fault identification unit includes a measuring device connected to the electric power supply grid to detect a change in at least one of a grid voltage and a grid frequency.

28. The wind turbine of claim 23 , wherein said grid fault identification unit responds to a fault announcement of at least one of said converter and said generator.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CHANGE OF NAME TO REMOVE PATENT NUMBER 10771765 AND ADD PATENT NUMBER 10711765 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 055259 FRAME: 0008. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Nov 12, 2021
From: NORDEX ENERGY GMBH
To: NORDEX ENERGY SE & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 058222/0542 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 8, 2021
From: NORDEX ENERGY GMBH
To: NORDEX ENERGY SE & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 055259/0008 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 19, 2012
From: HARMS, ULRICH; LAUBROCK, MALTE
To: NORDEX ENERGY GMBH
Reel/Frame 029161/0690 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2011 111 210 · Aug 20, 2011 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130043845A1 · Feb 21, 2013