US 11,894,672 B2
Wind turbine generator fault protection system
Luis Miguel Calhau Gonçalves, Aarhus C (DK); Kenneth G. Hansen, Kjellerup (DK); Hans Christian Bisgaard-Clausen, Holstebro (DK); Duy Duc Doan, Tilst (DK); Hamid Soltani, Silkeborg (DK); Poul Møhl Dyrlund, Lystrup (DK); and Kent Tange, Ry (DK)
Assigned to VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S, Aarhus N (DK)
Appl. No. 18/004,879
Filed by VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S, Aarhus N (DK)
PCT Filed Jul. 6, 2021, PCT No. PCT/DK2021/050225
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 9, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/008017, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 13, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. PA 2020 70473 (DK), filed on Jul. 10, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0231375 A1, Jul. 20, 2023
Int. Cl. H02H 7/06 (2006.01); H02H 3/00 (2006.01); H02J 3/38 (2006.01); H02P 9/00 (2006.01); H02P 101/15 (2016.01)
CPC H02H 7/06 (2013.01) [H02H 3/006 (2013.01); H02J 3/381 (2013.01); H02P 9/006 (2013.01); H02P 2101/15 (2015.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for a wind turbine, comprising:
a generator connected to a power converter by an electrical connection, a circuit breaker system controlling the connection between the generator and the power converter through the electrical connection, and a sensor system configured to sense operational parameters, wherein the generator is a permanent magnet generator; and
a protection system interfaced to the circuit breaker system and the sensing system, wherein the protection system is configured to:
store a first data structure for a first operational mode and a second data structure for a second operational mode different from the first operational mode,
wherein the first data structure comprises a first expected value for a generator voltage and a first expected value for a generator speed, and wherein the second data structure comprises a second expected values for the generator voltage and a second expected value for the generator speed;
determine that the wind turbine is operating according to the first operational mode rather than the second operational mode by monitoring at least two parameters of: the generator speed, an operational status of the power converter, and an operational status of the circuit breaker system;
select the first data structure rather than the second data structure in response to determining that the wind turbine is operating according to the first operational mode rather than the second operational mode;
determine actual values for the generator voltage and the generator speed;
identify a fault condition in the event that at least one of the actual values for the generator voltage or the generator speed do not correspond to at least one of the first expected value for the generator voltage or the first expected value for the generator speed in the selected first data structure; and
implement a protection action based on the identified fault condition.