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EP-4735759-A1 - METHOD FOR OPERATING A WIND TURBINE AND WIND TURBINE

EP4735759A1EP 4735759 A1EP4735759 A1EP 4735759A1EP-4735759-A1

Abstract

The method for operating a wind turbine (100) having a rotatable component (1 to 4) and at least two drives (di) for rotating the rotatable component by exerting torques comprises a step of providing first information (I1) which is representative of a position setpoint (Pn) of the rotatable component. In a further step, operating setpoints (OS_i) are determined depending on the first information such that, when the drives are operated according to the operating setpoints, the drives bring or keep the rotatable component at the position setpoint by exerting torques. The operating setpoints are determined such that, at least when the position of the rotatable component is to be kept constant, less than half of the drives exert a torque in a critical torque range around the value of 0.

Inventors

  • GELLERMANN, JAN
  • MANITZ, Jan Erik
  • Gil, Pablo
  • RESANO, Javier PASCUAL
  • WILHELM, HERRY
  • KRUTH, Stefan
  • GIL SOTO, Jose Javier
  • HELLMICH, BERND

Assignees

  • Nordex Energy Spain, S.A.U.
  • Nordex Energy SE & Co. KG

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240610

Claims (15)

  1. 1. Method for operating a wind turbine (100) with a rotatable component (1 to 4) and with at least two drives (di) for rotating the rotatable component (1 to 4) by exerting torques, wherein the method comprises the steps of - providing first information (II) which is representative of a position setpoint (Pn) of the rotatable component (1 to 4) , - determining operating setpoints (OS_i) for the drives (di) depending on the first information (II) - such that, when the drives (di) are operated according to the operating setpoints (OS_i) , the drives (di) bring or keep the rotatable component (1 to 4) at the position setpoint (Pn) by exerting torques, and - such that, at least when the position of the rotatable component (1 to 4) is to be kept constant, less than half of the drives (di) exert a torque in a critical torque range (RM) around the value of 0.
  2. 2. Method according to claim 1, wherein - the wind turbine (100) comprises at least three drives (di) for rotating the rotatable component (1 to 4) , - the operating setpoints (OS_i) are determined such that, at least when the position of the rotatable component (1 to 4) is to be kept constant, each two drives (di) exert different torques .
  3. 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein - the critical torque range (RM) is any range between -0.2- |Mmax| and +0.2- |Mmax| and including the value of 0, wherein Mmax is the value of the maximum torque which can be provided by a single drive (di) , - the operating setpoints (OS_i) are determined such that, at least when the position of the rotatable component (1 to 4) is to be kept constant, at most one drive (di) exerts a torque in the critical torque range (RM) .
  4. 4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising - providing second information (12) which is representative of a torque difference setpoint (AMn) between the torques exerted by the drives (di) , - the operating setpoints (OS_i) are determined also depending on the second information (12) in order to make the torques exerted by the drives (di) to fulfill the torque difference setpoint (AMn) .
  5. 5. Method according to claim 4, wherein - the second information (12) is determined during operation of the wind turbine (100) , - determining the second information (12) comprises adapting the torque difference setpoint (AMn) in order to avoid drives (di) to exert torques in the critical torque range (RM) , at least when the position of the rotatable component (1 to 4) is to be kept constant.
  6. 6. Method according to claim 5, wherein - if, with a previously provided torque difference setpoint (AMn) , the operating setpoints (OS_i) can only be determined such that at least one drive (di) would have to be operated with a torque in the critical torque range (RM) in order to keep the rotatable component (1 to 4) in the constant position, the torque difference setpoint (AMn) is changed such that, with the operating setpoints (OS_i) determined with this changed torque difference setpoint (AMn) , all drives (di) will exert torques outside the critical torque range (RM) while keeping the rotatable component (1 to 4) in the constant position.
  7. 7. Method according to any one of claims 4 to 6, further comprising - providing third information (13) which is representative of the actual torque difference (AMa) between the actual torques (Ma_i) exerted by the drives (di) , - the operating setpoints (OS_i) are determined also depending on the third information (13) , namely by using a feedback loop with the second (12) and the third (13) information as input information so that the difference between the torque difference setpoint (AMn) and the actual torque difference (AMa) is minimized.
  8. 8. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising - providing fourth information (14) which is representative of the rotational speed setpoints (Rn_i) of the drives (di) for bringing or keeping the rotatable component (1 to 4) at the position setpoint (Pn) , - providing fifth information (15) which is representative of the actual rotational speeds (Ra_i) of the drives (di) , wherein - the operating setpoints (OS_i) are determined also depending on the fourth (14) and the fifth (15) information, namely by using further feedback loops with the fourth (14) and the fifth information (15) as input information so that the differences between the actual rotational speeds (Ra_i) and corresponding rotational speed setpoints (Rn_i) are minimized.
  9. 9. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein - the rotatable component (1 to 4) is a component (4) of a yaw system of the wind turbine (100) .
  10. 10. Computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a control system, cause the control system to carry out the method of any one of claims 1 to 9.
  11. 11. Computer-readable data carrier having the computer program of claim 10 stored thereon.
  12. 12. Control system (30) comprising means for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
  13. 13. Control system (30) according to claim 12, wherein - the control system (30) comprises means with the help of which the actual torque difference (AMa) between the actual torques (Ma_i) exerted by the drives (di) is determinable.
  14. 14. Control system (30) according to claim 12 or 13, further comprising means (23, 24) with the help of which - the actual rotational speeds (Ra_i) of the drives (di) are determinable, and/or - the actual position (Pa) of the rotatable component (4) is determinable .
  15. 15. Wind turbine (100) comprising - a rotatable component (1 to 4) , - at least two drives (di) for rotating the rotatable component (1 to 4) by exerting torques, - the control system (40) according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein - the control system (30) is signally connected to the drives (di) in order to enable an operation of the drives (di) according to the operating setpoints (OS_i) .

Description

Description Method for operating a wind turbine and wind turbine The present disclosure relates to a method for operating a wind turbine . Furthermore , the disclosure relates to a computer program, a computer-readable data carrier, a control system and a wind turbine . Wind turbines are widely known and are used to convert wind energy into electrical energy . Some components of the wind turbine , like the nacelle or the rotor blades , need to be rotated during operation . The components used for the rotation are subj ect to high loads . One obj ect to be achieved is to provide a method which contributes to a gentle operation of the wind turbine , particularly a method which contributes to a reduction of backlash movements and banging noises . Further obj ects to be achieved are to provide a computer program, a computer- readable data carrier, a control system and a wind turbine for executing such a method . First , the method for operating a wind turbine is speci fied . Three aspects of the method are described in the following . In an embodiment of the first aspect , the method is for operating a wind turbine having a rotatable component and at least two drives for rotating the rotatable component by exerting torques . The method comprises a step of providing first information which is representative of a position setpoint of the rotatable component . In a further step, operating setpoints for the drives are determined depending on the first information such that , when the drives are operated according to the operating setpoints , the drives bring or keep the rotatable component at the position setpoint by exerting torques . The operating setpoints are determined such that , at least when the position of the rotatable component is to be kept constant , less than hal f of the drives exert a torque in a critical torque range around the value of 0 . The present invention is , inter alia, based on the idea of reducing damage to components of a wind turbine , particularly of the drives for rotating a rotatable component , by preventing the drives from operating at or near a torque of 0 Nm . When a drive does not exert torque or exerts a very low torque , small changes in the operation conditions may cause the operation of the drive to switch from positive torque to negative torque or vice versa . This undefined state mainly appears when the position of the rotatable component is kept constant and creates a lot of vibrations (backlash movements ) as well as associated banging noises . By choosing the operation of the drives such that the number of drives acting in this critical torque range is kept low, wear and banging noises can be reduced . The method speci fied herein is , in particular, a computer implemented method, i . e . is performed with the help of a computer or a processor . A setpoint herein defines a certain target to be achieved when operating the wind turbine . For example , the position setpoint is the target value of the position of the rotatable component . The operating setpoint defines the target operation of a drive . An operating setpoint for a drive is , in particular, equivalent to control/operation information for the drive . Herein, when information is representative of a certain quantity or certain quantities , this means that the quantity or quantities can be extracted from the information, either directly, or the quantity/quantities can at least be derived from the information . In other words , the quantity/quantities is/are stored in the information, or at least data are stored in the information, from which the quantity/quantities can be derived or determined or calculated, respectively . Furthermore , here and in the following, information is , in particular, electronic information, like electronic data . The drives may each comprise an electric motor . Moreover, each drive may comprise a gearbox and a pinion . The electric motors apply an input rotational speed and an input torque to the gearbox, which is thereby trans formed to an output rotational speed and an output torque and is applied to the pinion . By way of example , the transmission ratio between the input rotational speed and the output rotational speed of the gearbox of each drive is at least 100 or at least 1000 . That is , the electric motor, on one side of the gearbox, rotates at least 100 or at least 1000 times faster than the pinion on the other side of the gearbox . The drives may be attached to the rotatable component so that they rotate together with the rotatable component . For example , the drives then mesh with and exert torques to a non-rotatable element , which in turn may cause the rotation of the rotatable component . Alternatively, the drives are rotationally fixed and do not rotate together with the rotational component . The drives may then mesh with the rotatable component and may exert torques to it , which can cause its rotation . The first information is representative of a position se