IP Library Granted Patent US 8,089,171
Granted Patent B2
US 8,089,171 · App. 12/817,653 · Granted Jan 3, 2012

Method for determining a rotor position of an electrical generator in a wind turbine

Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,089,171
App. No.
12/817,653
Granted
Jan 3, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for determining a rotor position of an electrical generator in a wind turbine is described comprising determining a voltage of the electrical generator, determining a rotor position angle estimate based on the voltage of the electrical generator, determining a subsequent rotor position angle estimate through a feedback loop, based on a combination of the voltage of the electrical generator and the rotor position angle estimate. Further, a method to real time track encoder health is described comprising determining the phase angle of a reference voltage, determining the angle difference between the rotor position and the reference voltage, and determining the differentiation of the angle difference.

Claims (22)

1. A method for determining a rotor position of an electrical generator in a wind turbine, the method comprising:

determining a voltage of the electrical generator;

determining a rotor position angle estimate based on the voltage of the electrical generator;

determining a subsequent rotor position angle estimate through a feedback loop, based on a combination of the voltage of the electrical generator and the rotor position angle estimate;

obtaining an encoder output from an encoder configured to measure an angular position or an angular speed of a rotor of the electrical generator; and

comparing the encoder output with the subsequent rotor position angle estimate,

wherein the subsequent rotor position angle estimate is determined based on an adjustable gain function which adjusts the rotor position estimation speed.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the voltage is a stator voltage of the electrical generator.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the voltage is determined from a line-to-line voltage of the electrical generator.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the phase voltages of the electrical generator are determined from the line-to-line voltage and the voltage is determined from the phase voltages.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encoder output is a measurement of the angular position of the rotor.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

determining an offset of the encoder based on a comparison between the angular position and the subsequent rotor position angle estimate.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

calibrating the encoder based on the offset.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

detecting whether a malfunction of the encoder has occurred based on a comparison between the angular position of the rotor and the subsequent rotor position angle estimate.

9. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

determining a rotor flux amplitude of the electrical generator based on the voltage and the encoder output.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the encoder output is a measurement of the angular speed of the rotor.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subsequent rotor position estimate is used in the control of the electrical generator.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the subsequent rotor position estimate and the rotor flux amplitude are used in the control of the electrical generator.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 13, 2010
From: LI, BING; CAO, SHU YU; ANDERSEN, GERT KARMISHOLT; TRIPATHI, ANSHUMAN; SNG, ENG KIAN KENNETH; GUPTA, AMIT KUMAR
To: VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
Reel/Frame 024835/0612 →
Priority Claims (1)
DK 2009 00754 · Jun 19, 2009 · national
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61218442 · Jun 19, 2009
Related Publication 20100320763A1 · Dec 23, 2010