Vestas Wind Systems A/s

Other

Vestas Wind Systems A/s, R&d

Lars Helle

Duy Duc Doan

Anshuman Tripathi

John Godsk Nielsen

Søren Andersen

Gert Karmisholt Andersen

Morten Lindholm

Shu Yu Cao

Tusitha Abeyasekera

Kim Brondum Larsen

Allan Holm Jørgensen

Ciprian Biris

Flemming Buus Bendixen

Torben Petersen

Tune Pedersen

Saurabh Gupta

Cao Shu Yu

Allan Holm Jörgensen

Cem Özgür Gerçek

Leonard Schaier

Amit Kumar Gupta

Anders Varming Rebsdorf

Bing Xuan Li

Philip Carne Kjær

Poul Møhl Dyrlund

Morteza Rabi

Philip Richard Jacobsen Carne Kjaer

Søren Viisholm Trankjær

Torsten Lund

Thomas S Bjertrup Nielsen

John Nieuwenhuizen

Kent Tange

Niels Erik Danielsen

Ove Styhm

Paw Rosenvard

Thomas Hjort

Gil Lampong Opina, Jr

Yugarajan Karuppanan

Victor Donescu

Eng Kian Kenneth Sng

Torben Møller Hansen

Dumitru-Mihai Valcan

Philip Carne Kjaer

Thomas Lundgren Andersen

John Johannes Mathias Hubertus Nieuwenhuizen

Masoud Parkhou

Yin Bo

Heng Deng

Ion Boldea

Ghada Ali Diaa Hillawi

Laurids Givskov Jørgensen

Mogens Lau

Mark James Jensen

Jari Ottesen

Jens Peter Biltoft

Cem Özgür GERÇEK

Allan Holm JØRGENSEN

Bing Li

Philip Carne KJÆR

John Nieuwerhuizen

Philip Richard Jacobsen Carne KJÆR

Philip Richard Jacobsen Kjaer

A wind turbine system with a medium voltage (MV) converter system for converting electric power by the wind turbine generator. A housing, e.g. a placed on the ground near the wind turbine tower, encloses the MV converter to block access. An access door with a controllable locking mechanism is controlled by an access control system which unlocks the access door after execution of a safety access algorithm. This allows a person to provide service to the potentially dangerous MV equipment in a safe an automated way after request. The housing preferably has a control compartment where a person can request access and await opening of the access door for safe access to the MV converter.

Medium voltage safety procedure and housing

This disclosure proposes procedures and systems for discharging system capacitors and de-energizing power transmission systems having Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) topologies by intelligent control of MMC cell components including configuration of bypass and insert switches using integrated DC choppers to effectively de-energize MMC cell capacitors and/or DC-link capacitors under operating conditions such as after a normal stop, for protection against over-voltages, dumping turbine energy, and under certain hardware fault conditions.

Intelligent discharge control for modular multilevel converter

According to embodiments described herein a Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) is pre-charged by: driving a bypass current from an auxiliary power source through a plurality of bypass switches included in a corresponding plurality of cells; in response to a summed voltage across a plurality of cell capacitors included in the plurality of cells satisfying a drive threshold, driving an insert current through a plurality of insert switches included in the plurality of cells; and in response to a voltage across a Direct Current (DC) link capacitor satisfying a pre-charge threshold when driving the insert current, opening a circuit breaker connecting the auxiliary power source with the plurality of cells and connecting a generator with external power line rails between which the DC link capacitor is connected.

Modular multilevel converter pre-charging

This disclosure proposes a topology that integrates a DC chopper into the Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) cells of a power converter. The integrated DC chopper may include chopper resistors that may also be advantageously integrated into a heat sink for a power module including at least the power transistors of the MMC cell. Embodiments herein also describe a method for using an MMC cell's IGBTs and chopper resistors for providing a safe discharge of both cell capacitors and DC-link capacitors in different operating conditions.

DC chopper for MMC cell with integrated chopper resistor

The present invention relates to wind energy park connected to an electrical grid, having airborne wind energy systems (AWES), e.g. with kites. The wind energy park has an electrical DC network connecting the plurality of AWES and a grid converter unit for converting DC to AC, and transmit AC to the electrical grid. The wind energy park control unit controls the AWES to produce electrical power to the electrical grid by alternating between a power production phase, and a recovery phase so to balance the supply of power to the electrical grid according a demanded setpoint. An advantage is that the grid converter may be smaller, as compared to an AC network, because the power is evened out with the negative power from the AWES being in recovery phase. In this way, the invention stabilizes the grid and has a grid forming capability.

Wind energy park with airborne wind energy systems and a direct current (DC) internal grid

A method for use in controlling a wind turbine generator of a wind power plant based on a condition of a power converter or a component forming part of a power converter in the wind power plant. The method comprises determining the initial condition of the power converter or a component forming part of a power converter and determining the evolution of the condition from the initial condition based on notional power reference values of the wind turbine generator. The method further comprises comparing the evolution of the condition to a predetermined threshold and determining, from the comparison, a time period by which the condition of the power converter or a component forming part of a power converter will substantially equal the predetermined threshold.

Method of controlling a wind turbine generator

The present invention relates to a method for simultaneous operation of a plurality of chopper circuits of a wind turbine power converter, the method comprising the steps of operating a controllable switching member of a first chopper circuit in accordance with a first switching pattern, and operating a controllable switching member of a second chopper circuit in accordance with a second switching pattern, wherein the first switching pattern is different from the second switching pattern during a first time period. In order to reduce switching losses the first switching pattern may involve that the controllable switching member of the first chopper circuit is clamped during the first time period. Additional chopper circuits may be provided in parallel to the first and second chopper circuits. The present invention further relates to a power dissipation chopper being operated in accordance with the before mentioned method.

Method for operating a plurality of chopper circuits

A Direct Current (DC) chopper may be integrated into the Modular Multilevel Converter (MMC) cells of a power converter. The integrated DC chopper may include chopper resistors that may also be advantageously integrated into a heat sink for a power module including at least the power transistors of the MMC cell. The safe discharge of both cell capacitors and DC-link capacitors in different operating conditions is performed using Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) and chopper resistors of an MMC cell.

The present invention relates to operation of a wind turbine using a power storage unit, such as a rechargeable battery, to power a group of power consuming units during grid loss. The wind turbine comprises a number of power consuming units being grouped into at least a first group and a second group, a first electrical converter for connecting the generator to the electrical grid, and a second electrical converter for connecting the electrical generator to the power storage unit. Upon detecting an occurrence of the grid loss, the generator is operated to ensure sufficient power of the power storage unit to operate the first group of power consuming units.

Operation of a wind turbine during grid loss using a power storage unit

A method for use in controlling a wind turbine generator based on a condition of a power converter or a component forming part of a power converter in the wind turbine generator. The method comprises determining a condition of the power converter or the component forming part of a power converter, then comparing the condition to a predetermined threshold and modifying an operational parameter of the wind turbine generator if the condition substantially equals or exceeds the predetermined threshold. In particular, the invention proposes the wind turbine generator is derated if the condition of the power converter or the component forming part of a power converter substantially equals or exceeds the predetermined threshold.

Aspects of the present disclosure are generally directed to configurations of power conversion systems for wind turbine generators. For example, certain aspects are directed to a multi-rotor wind turbine. The multi-rotor wind turbine generally includes a plurality of rotors, each coupled to a plurality of electrical generators, one or more machine-side converters, MSCs, coupled to the electrical generators of each of the plurality of rotors and configured to generate at least one direct-current, DC, signal, and one or more line-side converters, LSCs, coupled to the MSCs and configured to generate at least one AC signal based on the at least one DC signal.

Electrical recombination

Aspects of the present disclosure are generally directed to using a rotary transformer to transfer power for a wind turbine generator. Certain aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a multi-rotor wind turbine. The multi-rotor wind turbine generally includes a plurality of rotors, a plurality of electrical generators, each coupled to one of the plurality of rotors, and one or more rotary transformers configured to transfer power between the electrical generators and a power grid. In some aspects, each rotary transformer comprises a first winding coupled to one or more electrical generators of the plurality of electrical generators, and a second winding magnetically coupled to the first winding and coupled to the power grid, wherein the first winding is rotatable with respect to the second winding.

Rotating transformer and inductive coupling

A method of controlling a wind turbine generator () comprising an electrical generator () and a power converter (), the power converter () comprising an electrical switch () that is configured to process electrical power produced by the electrical generator (), the method comprising: controlling an output from the electrical switch () using a variable pulse-width modulated control signal, thereby to control characteristics of output power from the power converter (); acquiring sample data () relating to an electronic signal within the wind turbine generator (), wherein the sample data () is used for controlling the wind turbine generator (); and dynamically adjusting a frequency () at which the sample data is acquired to synchronise data acquisition with a carrier frequency () of the control signal.

Control of a wind turbine generator for reduced tonal audibility

A method, converter arrangement, and controller are disclosed for connecting an output of a converter with an electrical grid to control inrush currents into a grid filter assembly connected with the output of the converter, the electrical grid carrying an alternating current (AC) signal having one or more phases. The method includes determining a voltage of the AC signal and operating, after pre-charging a direct current (DC) link of the converter to a predetermined voltage, the converter using open-loop voltage control to produce an AC output signal that substantially matches the AC signal of the electrical grid. The open-loop voltage control is based on the determined voltage of the AC signal. The method further includes closing, after a predetermined amount of time of operating the converter using the open-loop voltage control, a switching device to thereby connect the output of the converter with the electrical grid.

Controlled inrush current for converter-connected grid filter

A wind turbine generatorsupplies three-phase a.c. current of variable voltage and variable frequency to two pairs of rectifiersandwhich generate respective d.c. outputs connected to positive, negative and neutral d.c. conductors. The outputs from each pair of rectifiers are connected together, and the outputs from the two pairs are connected in series to create a high-voltage d.c. output. Invertersthen convert the d.c. power to a.c. at a fixed frequency and voltage suitable for connection to the mains grid. To reduce the effect of common-mode noise, a capacitor is connected between the 1 neutral conductorand earth, and a respective filter circuitis connected between each of the a.c. outputs of the invertersand earth. To reduce the effect of voltage surges during lightning, a surge protection device is also connected between the neutral d.c. conductorand earth. Any imbalance in the current in the positive and negative conductorsis compensated by detecting the presence of current flowing in the neutral conductor. Power supplied to auxiliary circuits from the output of one of the inverters, e.g., of the wind turbine is measured, and any resulting imbalance between the current in the positive and negative conductors is compensated. In the event of an earth-leakage fault in the conductors connecting the a.c. outputs of the inverters to the grid, when isolated, isolation detection relaysare provided.

Converters for wind turbine generators

Growing community of inventors

Suldrup, Denmark

Lars Helle