US 12,270,378 B2
Switched reluctance motor drive system for controlling pitch angle of wind turbine blades
Jianbin Liang, Hamilton (CA); Lea Pommier, Hamilton (CA); Brock Howey, Paris (CA); and Berker Bilgin, Welland (CA)
Assigned to ENEDYM INC., Hamilton (CA)
Filed by ENEDYM INC., Hamilton (CA)
Filed on Dec. 18, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/543,189.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/435,839, filed on Dec. 29, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0218855 A1, Jul. 4, 2024
Int. Cl. F03D 7/02 (2006.01); F03D 9/25 (2016.01); F03D 80/60 (2016.01)
CPC F03D 7/0224 (2013.01) [F03D 7/0248 (2013.01); F03D 9/25 (2016.05); F03D 80/60 (2016.05); F05B 2260/903 (2013.01); F05B 2270/326 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for controlling a pitch angle of a blade of a wind turbine, the system comprising:
a switched reluctance motor configured to be positioned at a hub of the wind turbine and coupled to the blade, wherein the motor has:
a stator having (i) multiple stator poles and (ii) coil windings around each of the multiple stator poles; and
a rotor rotatably mounted with respect to the stator, the rotor having multiple rotor poles and a rotor shaft configured to be coupled to the blade to control the pitch angle of the blade; and
an inverter configured to supply electrical power to the coil windings to control motion of the rotor shaft in response to receiving a pitch angle control signal from the wind turbine, wherein the inverter has:
a heatsink assembly having multiple fans configured to increase cooling air flow for the inverter; and
multiple switching devices that are directly mounted on the heatsink assembly for improved heat dissipation.