IP Library Granted Patent US 9,777,710
Granted Patent B2
US 9,777,710 · App. 14/777,815 · Granted Oct 3, 2017

Method for stopping and locking a wind turbine rotor by short-circuiting generator stator windings

Inventor: Tobias Muik (Bensheim, DE)
Assignee: Wind-Direct GmbH
F03D7/0264F03D7/0244F03D7/0272F03D9/25F03D80/00F03D80/50H02P3/22F05B2260/30F05B2260/903Y02E10/723Y02E10/725
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,777,710
App. No.
14/777,815
Granted
Oct 3, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for locking the rotor of a wind turbine includes providing the rotor with at least one rotor blade which can be displaced about its longitudinal axis by an adjusting device from an operating position into a vane position, in which substantially no torque acts upon the rotor. The rotor drives a generator and can be prevented from rotation in a locking position by inserting a locking bolt into a rotor-side receiving opening. A wind turbine for performing the method includes a rotor which is induced into a creeping rotational movement at such a low rotational speed by short-circuiting at least one stator winding of the generator that a locking bolt can be inserted into a rotor-side receiving opening while the rotor is rotating.

Claims (13)

1. A method for locking a rotor of a wind turbine, the rotor configured for driving a generator having at least one stator winding which can be short-circuited in order to brake the rotor into a creeping rotation, the rotor having at least one rotor blade which is adjustable by an adjusting device about a longitudinal axis from an operating position to a vane position in which substantially no torque is exerted on the rotor by wind, the rotor being blocked against a rotation in a locking position by inserting a locking bolt into a rotor-side receiving opening, the method comprising the following steps:

moving the wind turbine to an idling mode defined by a state in which the rotor blade is in the vane position by adjusting the at least one rotor blade from the operating position to the vane position;

checking a wind direction after moving the wind turbine to the idling mode and tracking a nacelle of the wind turbine to cause a rotor axis of the rotor to point substantially in the wind direction;

checking a rotor rotation speed to verify the idling mode;

after verifying that the wind turbine is in the idling mode, short-circuiting the at least one stator winding for braking the rotor to initiate the creeping rotation of the rotor,

moving the rotor to the locking position with a rotor rotation speed of less than 1 degree/second by adjusting the at least one rotor blade in relation to the vane position depending on the wind speed; and

inserting the locking bolt into the receiving opening after reaching the locking position while the rotor is rotating at the rotor rotation speed of less than 1 degree/second.

2. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises adjusting the at least one rotor blade in an angular range of between approximately 95° and 85° relative to a rotation plane of the rotor in order to move the rotor to the locking position.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the creeping rotation is defined by a rotor rotation speed between 0.00 and 0.15 degree/second.

4. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises performing the step of: adjusting the at least one rotor blade from the operating position to the vane position manually depending on at least one of a currently prevailing wind speed or wind direction.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of tracking the nacelle is performed depending on at least one of a currently prevailing wind speed or wind direction.

6. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises:

automatically performing the step of inserting the locking bolt into the receiving opening after reaching the locking position.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 22, 2015
From: MUIK, TOBIAS
To: WIND-DIRECT GMBH
Reel/Frame 036624/0719 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2013 004 580 · Mar 18, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160290318A1 · Oct 6, 2016