IP Library Granted Patent US 9,523,349
Granted Patent B2
US 9,523,349 · App. 13/938,343 · Granted Dec 20, 2016

Wind turbine control method

Inventors: Alberto Garcia Barace (Sarriguren, ES); Oscar Luquin Hermoso De Mendoza (Sarriguren, ES); Igor Egana Santamarina (Sarriguren, ES); Teresa Arlaban Gabeiras (Sarriguren, ES); Stephen Tonks (Sarriguren, ES); Jose Miguel Garcia Sayes (Sarriguren, ES); Miguel Nunez Polo (Sarriguren, ES)
Assignee: Acciona Windpower, S.A.
F03D7/00F03D1/0641F03D17/00F03D80/40Y02E10/721Y02E10/722Y02E10/723
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,523,349
App. No.
13/938,343
Granted
Dec 20, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wind turbine control method is described comprising the detection of the presence of an anomaly in the aerodynamic profile of the blades and operation of the wind turbine in accordance not only with the determination of said anomaly, but also taking into account the characteristics thereof.

Claims (17)

1. A method for controlling a wind turbine that comprises a rotor which in turn comprises a series of blades, said method comprising the following steps:

determining, by a series of sensors, at least one parameter representative of the wind turbine operating status;

calculating a first signal sensitive to unbalanced variations in the aerodynamic profile between the blades based on the at least one parameter representative of the wind turbine operating status;

comparing said first signal to a first threshold value;

determining the existence of an unbalanced variation in the aerodynamic profile between the blades when the first signal exceeds the first threshold value; and

modifying at least one torque control loop that sets the torque of the rotor when the existence of an unbalanced variation in the aerodynamic profile of the blades is determined in the former step increasing the availability of the wind turbine, wherein modifying at least one torque control loop comprises activating a first frequency filter that suppresses a rotation frequency of the rotor in the torque control loop.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first signal is a result of the calculation of a harmonic at the rotation frequency of the rotor obtained from said one parameter representative of the wind turbine operating status which is selected from: rotor speed, rotor torque, loads in the blades and electrical variables previously determined by the series of sensors.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying a blade pitch control loop by including a second frequency filter that suppress a rotation frequency of the rotor in the aforementioned blade pitch control loop.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing the first signal to a second threshold value, where said second threshold value is a value as of which the wind turbine is disconnected, said second threshold value being greater than the first threshold value.

5. The method of either claim 1 or 4 , further comprising comparing the first signal to a third threshold value, where said third threshold value is a value smaller than the first threshold value, and deactivating the first frequency filter that suppress a rotation frequency of the rotor in the torque control loop if the first signal is less than the third threshold value and the first frequency filter is activated.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of comparing a second signal with a fourth threshold value, where said second signal is a current blade pitch signal and said fourth threshold value is a blade pitch value greater than that of a blade entering a stall condition.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising modifying a blade control pitch loop when the value of the second signal is lower than the value of the fourth threshold value, by temporarily modifying the minimum blade pitch angle threshold and equating it to a value greater than or equal to that of the fourth threshold value.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the fourth threshold value is constant and predetermined.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the fourth threshold value is dependent on wind speed.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein further comprising the step of comparing the second signal to a fifth threshold value, where:

the fifth threshold value is a value at which the wind generator is disconnected, and

the fifth threshold value is greater than the fourth threshold value.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 9, 2020
From: ACCIONA WINDPOWER, S.A.
To: NORDEX ENERGY SPAIN, S.A.
Reel/Frame 054073/0853 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 7, 2013
From: BARACE, ALBERTO GARCIA; DE MENDOZA, OSCAR LUQUIN HERMOSO; SANTAMARINA, IGOR EGANA; GABEIRAS, TERESA ARLABAN; TONKS, STEPHEN; SAYES, JOSE MIGUEL GARCIA; POLO, MIGUEL NUNEZ
To: ACCIONA WINDPOWER, S.A.
Reel/Frame 031357/0814 →
Priority Claims (1)
ES 201231088 · Jul 11, 2012 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140028024A1 · Jan 30, 2014