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EP-4735761-A1 - METHOD FOR OPERATING A WIND TURBINE AND WIND TURBINE

EP4735761A1EP 4735761 A1EP4735761 A1EP 4735761A1EP-4735761-A1

Abstract

The method is 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. The method comprises a step of providing first information (I1) which is representative of a position setpoint (Pn) of the rotatable component and a step of providing second information (I2) which is representative of an operational variable of the wind turbine. In a further step, third information (I3) is determined depending on the second information, wherein the third information is representative of which drive is to be operated as a master drive (dm). Thereby, the drive to be operated as the master drive depends on the operational variable. Furthermore, a step is executed in which operating setpoints (OS_i) for the drives are generated depending on the first information and the third 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 torques exerted by the drives are at least temporarily different. The operating setpoints are determined such that the value of the torque exerted by the master drive is always greater than or at least equal to the value of the torque exerted by the at least one other drive.

Inventors

  • GELLERMANN, JAN
  • MANITZ, Jan Erik
  • Gil, Pablo

Assignees

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

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240620

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) , - providing second information (12) which is representative of an operational variable of the wind turbine (100) , - determining third information (13) depending on the second information (12) , wherein - the third information (13) is representative of which drive (di) is to be operated as a master drive (dm) , - the drive (di) to be operated as the master drive (dm) depends on the operational variable, - determining operating setpoints (OS_i) for the drives (di) depending on the first information (II) and the third information (13) - 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, - wherein the torques exerted by the drives (di) are at least temporarily different, - such that the value of the torque exerted by the master drive (dm) is always greater than or at least equal to the value of the torque exerted by the at least one other drive (di) .
  2. 2. Method according to claim 1, wherein - the operational variable is at least one of - an operation time, - an accumulated load, - a remaining lifetime, - the time over which a torque has exceeded a threshold.
  3. 3. Method according to claim 2, wherein - the operational variable is the operation time for which the current master drive (di) has already been operated as the master drive (dm) , - when the operation time reaches a certain value, the third information (13) is determined such that the master drive (dm) is changed.
  4. 4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein - the wind turbine (100) comprises at least three drives (di) for rotating the rotatable component (1 to 4) , - the third information (13) is determined such that the three drives (di) alternatingly become the master drive (dm) .
  5. 5. Method according to anyone of the preceding claims, further comprising - providing fourth information (14) 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 fourth information (14) in order to make the torques exerted by the drives (di) to fulfill the torque difference setpoint (AMn) .
  6. 6. Method according to claim 5, further comprising - providing fifth information (15) 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 fifth information (15) , namely by using a feedback loop with the fourth (14) and the fifth (15) information as input information so that the difference between the torque difference setpoint (AMn) and the actual torque difference (AMa) is minimized.
  7. 7. Method according to claim 6, further comprising - providing sixth information (16) 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 seventh information (17) 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 sixth (16) and the seventh (17) information, namely by using further feedback loops with the sixth (16) and the seventh (17) information as input information so that the differences between the actual rotational speeds (Ra_i) and corresponding rotational speeds setpoints (Rn_i) are minimized.
  8. 8. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising - providing ninth information (19) which is representative of the actual position (Pa) of the rotatable component (1 to 4) , - the operating setpoints (OS_i) are determined also depending on the ninth information (19) , namely by using a further feedback loop with the first (II) and the ninth (19) information as input information so that the difference between the actual position (Pa) and the position setpoint (Pn) is 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. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein - the rotatable component (1 to 4) is a component (1 to 3) of a pitch system of the wind turbine (100) .
  11. 11. 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 10.
  12. 12. Computer-readable data carrier having the computer program of claim 11 stored thereon.
  13. 13. Control system (30) comprising means for executing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 10.
  14. 14. Control system (30) according to claim 13, 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, and/ or - 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 13 or 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, even at extreme conditions , like at high wind speeds . One obj ect to be achieved is to provide a method which contributes to an increased li fetime of the wind turbine , particularly of the drives for rotating components . 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 . According to an embodiment , 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 and a step of providing second information which is representative of an operational variable of the wind turbine . In a further step, third information is determined depending on the second information, wherein the third information is representative of which drive is to be operated as a master drive . Thereby, the drive to be operated as the master drive depends on the operational variable . Furthermore , a step is executed in which operating setpoints for the drives are determined depending on the first information and the third 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 torques exerted by the drives are at least temporarily di f ferent . The operating setpoints are determined such that the value of the torque exerted by the master drive is always greater than or at least equal to the value of the torque exerted by the at least one other drive . The present invention is , inter alia, based on the recognition that , when a control system for a wind turbine always uses the same drive as the master drive , one or more drives , exert a larger absolute value of the torque when averaged over time than one or more other drives . This is because the wind direction at the location of the wind turbine is not equally distributed over time . Rather, in most of the cases , there is a preferred wind direction . The drive or drives being operated with the larger mean absolute value of the torque are , on average , also operated with larger operating currents and, accordingly, are subj ect to greater temperatures and larger wear . In the present invention, the master drive is selected depending on at least one operational variable . Thus , the drive to be operated as the master drive can be changed so that wear is more equally distributed over the drives . Accordingly, the drives can be used longer and the li fetime of the whole wind turbine can be increased . 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 trans formed thereby 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 , on one side of the gearbox the electric motor rotates at least 100 or at least 1000 times faster than the