Pitch drive controller for a wind turbine, pitch drive control device and method for controlling a pitch drive controller

Abstract

The present invention describes a pitch drive controller for a wind turbine, a pitch drive control device, and a method for controlling a pitch drive controller. The wind turbine has a plurality of rotor blades fixed to a rotor hub and is adapted to rotationally adjust the rotor blades on the rotor hub by means of an electric motor, wherein the pitch drive controller (1) has at least one pitch drive control device (10, 20, 30), and each pitch drive control device (10, 20, 30) drives at least one pitch drive motor for each rotor blade. The pitch drive control device (10, 20, 30) includes: a drive electronic unit for the pitch drive motor, a control output connecting the pitch drive motor, and a computing unit having at least one processor configured to operate the pitch drive control device. Each pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) has a local communication connection and is connected or connectable via said local communication connection in cross-communication (2) to other pitch drive control devices (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20) of the wind turbine.

Description

[0001] The present application describes a pitch drive controller for a wind turbine, which has a plurality of rotor blades fixed to a rotor hub and is used to rotationally adjust the rotor blades on the rotor hub by means of an electric motor. The pitch drive controller has at least one pitch drive control device for each rotor blade, which is used to drive at least one pitch drive motor. Therefore, one pitch drive control device or more than one pitch drive control device is used to rotationally adjust each rotor blade by means of an electric motor, wherein each pitch drive control device drives one pitch drive motor respectively or they each also drive more than one pitch drive motor. Each individual pitch drive motor may also be driven by more than one pitch drive control device. In this case, the pitch drive motor can be driven by more than one pitch drive control device in such a way that the pitch drive motor is driven simultaneously by more than one pitch drive control device, or is driven only by one pitch drive control device at any given time, however, the drive can be switched from one pitch drive control device to another pitch drive control device.

[0002] Each pitch drive control device is equipped with drive electronics for the pitch drive motor and a control output for the pitch drive motor, wherein the pitch drive motor obtains the electrical energy required for driving from the drive electronics through the control output. In addition, the ability to exchange sensor signals between the pitch drive control device and the pitch drive motor can be provided through the control output or a dedicated signal interface.

[0003] Each pitch drive control device further includes a computing unit, which has at least one processor configured to operate the pitch drive control device.

[0004] Optionally, the pitch drive device according to the present invention can also be equipped with an external communication connection to the central controller of the wind turbine. In a preferred embodiment, at least one pitch drive device of the pitch drive controller according to the present invention has such an external communication connection to the central controller of the wind turbine. In this way, the combined pitch drive device can communicate with the central controller at least through at least one pitch drive device having an external interface. In a preferred embodiment according to the present invention, at least one or all of the pitch drive devices of the pitch drive controller can also be equipped with such an external communication connection. This increases redundancy.

[0005] In addition, each pitch drive control device can each include one or more application modules, which have one or more processors for operating the drive control device, and / or one or more additional interfaces for optical or electrical signals.

[0006] The present application also describes a pitch drive control device and a method for controlling a pitch drive controller.

[0007] The drive electronics of each pitch drive device typically includes an inverter through which the pitch drive motor is driven. In view of this, the "pitch drive device" is also referred to as the "pitch inverter". In the following text, these two terms will be used synonymously. Thus, for the purposes of this document, the "pitch inverter" is generally also understood to more generally describe the "pitch drive device", regardless of whether the electronics of the "pitch drive device" actually includes an inverter for converting between alternating current and direct current. For the purposes of the present invention, the specific electrical device for driving the pitch drive motor by the pitch drive control device is not important.

[0008] This pitch inverter (or more generally, the pitch drive device) is typically connected to a central controller via a fieldbus, to which the central controller sends setpoints and receives measured values. There is no direct communication connection between the pitch inverters. Thus, all communication between the pitch inverters must be carried out via the central controller. This is both expensive and time-consuming. In addition, due to the relatively long communication path or interruptions in the central controller, certain information may no longer be present in the pitch inverter.

[0009] Therefore, the problem solved by the present invention is to improve the communication between the pitch drive control devices of the individual rotor blades of the rotor hub.

[0010] This problem is solved by a pitch drive controller for a wind turbine having the features of claim 1, a pitch drive control device having the features of claim 5, and a method for controlling a pitch drive controller having the features of claim 14. Improved embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

[0011] To this end, in a pitch drive controller of the type described in the introduction, each pitch drive control device is provided with a local communication connection and is connected to other pitch drive control devices of the wind turbine in a cross-communication manner via said local communication connection. In particular, all pitch drive control devices interconnected in cross-communication are arranged in the same rotor hub of the wind turbine. In this configuration, short communication paths are achieved in the cross-communication of all pitch drive control devices of the pitch drive controller. Thus, each pitch drive control device is able to communicate with other pitch drive control devices and the resulting communication channels and exchange data without the need to communicate with the central controller of the wind turbine.

[0012] In one embodiment according to the invention, this cross-communication can have the form of fieldbus communication. A fieldbus is a means of ensuring reliable and dependable communication in an industrial environment and is capable of connecting multiple pitch drive control devices in a closed data bus wiring arrangement. In the data bus wiring layout, extensions or redundancies in the wiring layout can be easily created.

[0013] In another embodiment according to the invention, the cross-communication has the form of point-to-point communication. This is advantageously achieved by a direct wiring arrangement between two communication partners. This enables the use of simple and robust communication protocols.

[0014] In another embodiment according to the invention, the cross-communication can take place via one or more network nodes, supporting simple and powerful communication protocols.

[0015] According to the invention, the pitch drive control device of the pitch drive controller can be configured to exchange one or more of the following defined data types:

[0016] · Setpoint, especially the setpoint of the rotor blade positioning controller

[0017] · Actual value, especially the actual value of the rotor blade positioning controller

[0018] · Measurement values received and / or captured by sensors connected to the pitch drive control device

[0019] · Calculated values, especially values calculated based on the received and / or captured measurement values

[0020] · Operating parameters of the pitch drive control device, including the software status of the application software and / or firmware, or the software status of a data processing program that can be installed together with the application software and / or firmware or software update

[0021] · Absolute or relative time information

[0022] · Data packets from the safety module of the pitch drive control device itself, the pitch drive controller, and / or the central controller of the wind turbine

[0023] Specifically, data values can be exchanged during the process of the method or method steps that will be described in more detail below. For this purpose, the calculation unit of the pitch drive device is configured to perform the corresponding method steps, optionally in cooperation with the calculation units of at least one further pitch drive device, wherein the cooperating pitch drive devices are connected to each other by cross-communication according to the invention.

[0024] According to a preferred embodiment of the proposed pitch drive controller, at least one pitch drive control device is provided in the pitch drive controller, which has an external communication connection to the central controller of the wind turbine. In this way, the communication with the central controller (central communication) and the proposed cross-communication (local communication) can be operated in parallel. Then, the pitch drive controller proposed according to the invention and / or the pitch drive control device according to the invention can also be operated in a conventional wind turbine with a central controller by means of (additional) cross-communication, and the control, which is usually provided centrally and supplemented by cross-communication, for example, the additional control and safety functions described in this document. This greatly improves the operation of the wind turbine and makes it safer. In a preferred embodiment of this parallel operation of central communication and cross-communication (local communication), it can be provided that at least one pitch drive control device for each pitch drive (especially in the sense of a pitch drive motor) also has an external communication connection as well as a local communication connection. According to the invention, local and central communication can be carried out by means of a common (i.e., the same) communication, such as fieldbus communication with the corresponding local or central communication address. However, according to the invention, technically different communication types can also be used, and thus also independent and preferably independently operating communication systems. This increases redundancy, for example, by enabling the cross-communication proposed according to the invention to independently assume safety control in the event of a failure of central communication.

[0025] If not every pitch drive control device - or at least not one of the plurality of pitch drive control devices for regulating the pitch drive motors of the rotor blades - has an external communication connection to the central communication of the central controller, the computing unit of the pitch drive control device designed with an external communication connection can be configured to assume a gateway function and relay the communication between the central controller and the pitch drive control devices equipped only with local cross-communication. This function can also be used if the external communication connection of the pitch drive control device fails, by ensuring communication with the central controller via another pitch drive control device used as a gateway.

[0026] The invention also relates to a pitch drive control device for driving a pitch drive motor, wherein the pitch drive control device has a drive electronic unit, a control output connected to the pitch drive motor, a computing unit having a processor configured to operate the pitch drive control device, and an external communication connection optionally connected to a central controller of a wind turbine. According to the invention, the provided pitch drive control device has a local communication connection and can be connected in a cross-communication manner via the local communication connection to other pitch drive control devices of the wind turbine. A plurality of these pitch drive control devices connected by cross-communication then form the pitch drive controller of the wind turbine. In a wind turbine with three rotor blades as is common, typically at least three pitch drive control devices are also provided.

[0027] According to the invention, the cross-communication is in particular designed to occur only with other pitch drive control devices of the wind turbine, in particular only with pitch drive control devices accommodated in the same rotor hub of the wind turbine. This can be ensured by restricting the length of the cables used and / or available for cross-communication (for example as part of a fieldbus communication or a point-to-point connection). Accordingly, the invention relates to the use of such a pitch drive control device in the cross-communication of pitch drive control devices in the same rotor hub of a wind turbine.

[0028] According to the invention, the local communication connection can include a wired electrical and / or optical interface. In principle, it is also conceivable to use a standard wireless communication interface for wireless cross-communication. However, in the environment of a wind turbine, cable-based communication has generally proven to be more robust and reliable. The communication connection can preferably be designed to create a fieldbus data link or a proprietary data link. Optical cross-communication is in particular not affected by electromagnetic interference fields; however, an electrical data link with a cable connection can generally also ensure reliable communication, and appropriate shielding of the data lines may be required.

[0029] In an embodiment according to the invention, the pitch drive control device can include integrated and / or connectable sensors (at least one sensor) for capturing measurement values. The computing unit of the pitch drive device is then configured to process the captured measurement values. The processing of the measurement values can include evaluating the measurement values and / or transmitting the measurement values to a central server. This enables the pitch drive control device to determine the state of the hardware components and / or the state of the wind turbine by monitoring measurement variables and / or operands (calculated values), for example by threshold detection, checking the valid value range, long-term evaluation of the average value, fast Fourier transform (FFT) to decompose a digital signal into its frequency components and analyze them, calculate the frequency distribution (histogram), adjust the characteristic curve or characteristic map, and use it as training data for an artificial neural network, etc.

[0030] In another embodiment according to the invention, an inspection of at least one sensor in a pitch drive control device can be carried out by comparing the measured value of at least one sensor in the pitch drive control device with the measured value of at least one corresponding sensor in at least one other pitch drive control device, preferably in the same wind turbine or in adjacent wind turbines. In this case, it is assumed that in the measurements of the pitch drive control device under consideration, the measured values under consideration are the same or at least the same within a given tolerance.

[0031] The measured values considered for this purpose can be, for example, the voltage frequency of the power supply network, or the voltage of the power supply network is also suitable for this purpose. Inside the wind turbine, temperature measurement can also be used for this purpose by installing temperature sensors outside the pitch drive control device, for example, especially temperature sensors provided on the emergency power supply. Specifically, the computing unit of the pitch drive control device (or of a plurality or all of the pitch drive control devices in one wind turbine or in a plurality of wind turbines) can be configured to carry out the inspection of the sensors, where the sensors can be integrated in the pitch drive device or connected to the sensor connection ports of the pitch drive device.

[0032] In another embodiment according to the invention, the signal conversion of a plurality of sensors in a pitch drive control device can be carried out within one pitch drive control device by one (identical) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) of the pitch drive control device. According to the invention, an inspection of this ADC can be carried out by comparing the converted analog-to-digital measured values with the measured values of at least one corresponding sensor in at least one other pitch drive control device (for example in the same wind turbine or in adjacent wind turbines, i.e. with similar environmental and / or operating conditions). In this case, it is assumed that in the measurements of the pitch drive control device under consideration, the measured values under consideration are the same or at least the same within a given tolerance. The measured values considered for this purpose can be, for example, the voltage frequency of the power supply network, or its voltage may also be suitable for this purpose. Inside the wind turbine, temperature measurement can also be used for this purpose by installing temperature sensors outside the pitch drive control device, for example, especially temperature sensors provided on the emergency power supply. Specifically, the computing unit of the pitch drive control device (or of a plurality or all of the pitch drive control devices in one wind turbine, for example, or of a plurality or all of the pitch drive control devices in a plurality of wind turbines) can be appropriately configured to carry out the inspection.

[0033] In another embodiment according to the present invention, the pitch drive control device may include a safety module, where the safety function is implemented in the safety module and may be executed based on the data captured and processed in the safety module. According to the present invention, the captured data preferably further includes data received from at least the pitch drive control device in the form of cross-communication, where the computing unit of the pitch drive control device is configured to also evaluate this data in the safety module. In this way, by connecting the pitch drive control devices through cross-communication, redundancy can be achieved without having to implement this redundancy separately in one pitch drive control device. This brings a cost advantage while improving safety, especially if there are at least three rotor blades each equipped with its own pitch drive control device, which is common in wind turbines. This inevitably results in double redundancy without the need to provide more components in the pitch drive control device.

[0034] An important advantage can be achieved if the computing unit of the pitch drive control device according to a possible embodiment of the present invention is configured to transmit measurement values and / or setpoints for the rotational adjustment of the rotor blade to other pitch drive control devices connected in the form of cross-communication and / or receive measurement values and / or setpoints from other pitch drive control devices. Based on the received measurement values and / or setpoints, the computing unit can locally intervene in the pitch drive control. In this case, the local cross-communication in the wind turbine rotor hub enables particularly fast communication with a shorter delay than the communication with the wind turbine central controller. This greatly improves the dynamics of the pitch drive control.

[0035] Furthermore, the computing unit of the pitch drive control device can be configured to receive measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values from other pitch drive control devices, and compare the measurement values captured in the pitch drive control device with the expected values of the measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values received from other pitch drive control devices. This helps to improve monitoring and diagnosis because these functions can use the current data and be executed locally in the pitch drive control device.

[0036] In another preferred embodiment according to the present invention, the pitch drive control device may have an input interface with a user input device and at least one display device. The user input device may have keys that facilitate user input. The display device may be a display or just consist of one or more light signals (such as LEDs). In this way, during commissioning at the installation site, the pitch drive control device can be easily parameterized and adjusted, for example. Usually in the rotor hub of the wind turbine. The available space there is usually very limited. This makes it more difficult to use commissioning and service equipment such as laptops. In many cases, the input interface (human-machine interface HMI) makes additional equipment for maintenance or commissioning unnecessary.

[0037] According to the present invention, the communication process can be further simplified through cross-communication. Among them, according to an embodiment, the computing unit of the pitch drive control device is configured to transmit the set parameters of the pitch drive control device and / or the installable image of the software to another pitch drive control device through cross-communication, and store it in the other pitch drive control device. The set parameters can be input and / or defined especially in the software for controlling the pitch drive control device. By inputting these set parameters, the pitch drive control device can be configured for a specific wind turbine during commissioning. The installable image of the software can be, for example, an installation file (including its updates) for configuring the application software on the computing unit of the pitch drive control device and / or the software image of the pitch drive control device. Thus, in this embodiment of the present invention, a complete backup of the pitch drive control device is also locally created in other pitch drive control devices of the wind turbine, and these devices can be addressed through cross-communication and also accessed in cross-communication.

[0038] For this purpose, in an improvement of the embodiment of the present invention, when one of the pitch drive control devices of the wind turbine is replaced, the computing unit of the pitch drive control device can be configured to obtain the set parameters of the pitch drive control device and / or the installable image of the software (previously saved) in the form of cross-communication from one of the other pitch drive devices, and set it in the computing unit of the replacement pitch drive control device. This can be achieved based on the interaction with the user through the input interface and / or the automatic query of the pitch drive control device that can be reached through cross-communication. By installing the software image and / or all set parameters (for example, set parameters that can be input or defined through software), the replacement device can be parameterized in exactly the same way as the replaced device. This simplifies the maintenance operation of the wind turbine.

[0039] For the purposes of this document, the replacement of one of the above-mentioned pitch drive control devices is understood to mean not only the replacement of the entire device, but also the replacement of the software and / or the application module of the pitch drive control device to which the parameter settings apply and which uses them. For example, open-loop and closed-loop control software can be implemented on the application module. Even if the application module of the pitch drive control device is replaced, the newly introduced application module can be parameterized, or receive software from another pitch drive control device through cross-communication, where these parameters or software are installed on the newly installed application module. This is also the meaning of the phrase "replace a pitch drive control device".

[0040] The present invention also relates to a method for controlling a pitch drive controller of the aforementioned wind turbine, the method having at least two, preferably three, pitch drive control devices, which are specifically arranged in the rotor hub of the wind turbine and may have the aforementioned configuration. According to the present invention, the computing units of the pitch drive control devices are configured to communicate with each other and exchange data through cross-communication (preferably within the rotor hub), and specifically not through the central controller of the wind turbine (usually arranged outside the rotor hub) and / or store the data. In this context, the method can in particular perform the method steps explained above individually, together or in any combination.

[0041] Correspondingly, the computing units of the pitch drive control devices can in particular be configured to perform one or more of the following method steps:

[0042] · Transmit and store the setting parameters of one of the pitch drive control devices and / or the installable image of the software of this pitch drive control device to another pitch drive control device through cross-communication;

[0043] · Read the setting parameters and / or the installable image of the software stored in one of the pitch drive control devices through cross-communication and install it in another pitch drive control device;

[0044] · Receive measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values from other pitch drive control devices through cross-communication, and check the measurement values and / or calculated values captured by the pitch drive control device itself with the expected values derived from the measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values received from other pitch drive control devices;

[0045] · Send the measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values of the rotor blade rotation adjustment to other pitch drive control devices connected in cross-communication;

[0046] · Receive measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values from other pitch drive control devices through cross-communication for the rotation adjustment of the rotor blade, and perform a local intervention on the pitch drive control based on the received measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values;

[0047] · Also receive data from at least one pitch drive control device through cross-communication and evaluate the data in the safety module to implement a safety function.

[0048] According to the present invention, these and other methods and method steps or parts thereof based on the cross-communication proposed according to the present invention as described in this document can be implemented to increase the dynamics of control and maintenance and improve the safety of the wind turbine.

[0049] Other advantages, features and use options of the present invention can be seen from the following description of the exemplary embodiments and the drawings. In this context, all features described textually and / or shown in the drawings together or in any technically reasonable combination constitute the subject matter of the present invention, regardless of their combination in the exemplary embodiments or claims described or illustrated.

[0050] Only Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the pitch drive controller 1. The pitch drive control devices 10, 20, 30 are arranged as inverters in the rotor hub of the wind turbine (not shown). In addition to the communication connection with the central controller of the wind turbine (not shown), the inverters 10, 20, 30 (also synonymous with the pitch drive control devices hereinafter) are interconnected in the cross-communication 2, which is implemented locally and directly connects each inverter 10, 20, 30, as shown by the arrows.

[0051] Each of the inverters 10, 20, 30 is equipped with a computing unit (not shown), which is configured to control the inverters 10, 20, 30 in a technically conventional manner. The computing unit is also arranged to perform the cross-communication 2, according to which the inverters can directly exchange data with each other in the said manner.

[0052] To allow the inverters 10, 20, 30 to be addressed locally, even without dedicated installation equipment and input terminals, each inverter 10, 20, 30 has a local input interface 11, 21, 31 for user input and user information (human-machine interface HMI).

[0053] Without limiting the methods and method steps described below, in particular, the following functions can be implemented to be executed in the computing unit and can be very beneficially used, especially in the context of a wind turbine.

[0054] As described below, during a service operation involving the replacement of one of the inverters, the cross-communication can be well utilized, and as part of the implemented method steps, a selection of all or any of the following methods or functions can be achieved simultaneously.

[0055] Through the cross-communication 2 of the inverters 10, 20, 30, the mirror image set in one of the inverters 10 or 20 or 30 (parameters) and preferably also the software including one of the inverters 10 or 20 or 30 are transmitted to the other two inverters 20, 30 or 10, 30 or 10, 20 and stored there. Then, if one of the inverters 10 or 20 or 30 has to be replaced due to a hardware failure, the remaining two inverters 20, 30 or 10, 30 or 10, 20 can be detected based on different serial numbers. By a simple interaction with the user (e.g., pressing a button) (especially through the corresponding input interfaces 11 or 21 or 31), a process (method) is started to load the settings and software (preferably) in the mirror image stored in at least one of the remaining two inverters 20, 30 or 10, 30 or 10, 20 onto the newly installed inverter 10 or 20 or 30 through the cross-communication 2. The successful loading is clearly indicated by the LED on the input interfaces 11 or 21 or 31. For example, after detecting the new inverter 10 or 20 or 30 by identifying the new serial number in the cross-communication with the other two inverters 20, 30 or 10, 30 or 10, 20, the process for detecting and reloading the mirror image may also be automatically started without the user pressing a button.

[0056] After successful loading, the software and parameter data received by the new inverter 10 or 20 or 30 are exactly the same as the software and parameter data for operating the replacement device. It works in exactly the same way.

[0057] In the related art, a conventional step for replacing an inverter is to manually preset the inverter using a laptop before moving the inverter to the rotor hub of the wind turbine, or to perform on-site settings on the rotor hub using a laptop as a debugging device. These practices all involve increasing logistics investment, and it must be accurately known which inverter in the hub is defective before performing the service operation. In addition, if the old inverter fails, it may no longer be possible to output parameters from this inverter. If the set parameters have been separately saved and updated somewhere, a complete reconfiguration is required.

[0058] Using the proposed method, a defective inverter 10 or 20 or 30 can be replaced and settings can be made in the rotor hub without complex or additional equipment (e.g., a laptop as a debugging device). This is particularly advantageous given the limited space conditions inside the rotor hub.

[0059] After the proposed method is completed, the new inverters 20, 30 or 10, 30 or 10, 20 also receive an exact mirror of the settings, preferably the software of the faulty inverter 10 or 20 or 30, so that after replacement, their behavior is exactly the same as that of the previous one. Compared with the replacement methods used in the prior art, this method is less error-prone and also saves time in replacing the inverter. Since pre-configuration is no longer carried out, the logistics of spare parts is also simplified.

[0060] Since the inverters 10, 20, 30 can exchange measurement values, control variables or variables calculated in their own units synchronously with each other, the cross-communication 2 proposed according to the present invention has further beneficial functions. Even today, it is routine for individual inverters 10, 20, 30 to determine the state of hardware components by monitoring measurement values (e.g., threshold detection, tests for effective value ranges, long-term evaluation of average values, fast Fourier transform, etc.), for example, from the captured sensor data or other control variables. This can significantly improve the state monitoring of individual inverters 10, 20, 30.

[0061] By comparing with the corresponding data of multiple inverters 10, 20, 30 operating in the same wind turbine, the diagnosis (e.g., fault location or optimization of set parameters) can be improved. So far, such diagnoses have usually been carried out by offline evaluation of the measurement data of many field devices at a central site. Through the cross-communication 2, such an evaluation can be performed using the data from, for example, three of the inverters 10, 20, 30, which are interconnected through cross-communication in the same rotor hub. This diagnostic procedure is actually online because the required data is transmitted through the cross-communication 2 so fast that it can be obtained instantaneously in the inverters 10, 20, 30.

[0062] Each inverter 10, 20, 30 can compare the measurement data with the values in the current value or long-term memory with the values in two parallel inverters 20, 30 or 10, 30 or 20, 30. In this case, for example, between the inverters 10, 20, 30, it can be considered whether the comparison of measurement values (e.g., temperature) conforms to the tolerance band.

[0063] Therefore, the measurement values of the inverter 10, 20, 30 to be evaluated can be checked against the expected values formed by the measurement data of two other inverters 20, 30 or 10, 30 or 20, 30. This increases the diagnostic depth.

[0064] In another embodiment, diagnostic data can also be exchanged with the inverters in the wind turbines in the same wind farm or the manufacturer's fleet through an external communication channel, which further improves the diagnostic ability.

[0065] The proposed cross-communication 2 can also enable rapid local intervention, in the pitch control performed by the pitch drive control devices 10, 20, 30, only the rotor blades adjusted by the pitch drive control devices 10, 20, 30 are pitch-controlled. This is explained below.

[0066] In the related art, each inverter 10, 20, 30 receives a position setpoint, for example, the rotor blades are rotationally positioned by a central controller of a wind turbine. If the pitch drive control is intended to respond to an individual rotor blade when the rotor is in a specific position (e.g., when the rotor blade passes in front of the wind turbine tower), this must be achieved by modifying the setpoint command via the central controller. Due to the fieldbus transmission delay (usually used for this purpose), such dynamics in the pitch drive control are only possible up to a certain limit, because the central controller must first request the measured values of the inverters 10, 20, 30 and must calculate the new rotational position values therefrom.

[0067] The cross-communication according to the invention enables such an intervention in the pitch control of the rotor blades locally within the inverters 10, 20, 30. The control delay caused by the time taken to transmit data between the inverters 10, 20, 30 and the central controller is reduced, and the dynamics of the pitch drive control 1 are improved.

[0068] It can be understood that, for example, the measured values of the inverters 10, 20, 30 of the front rotor blades in the rotational direction can be used to control the pitch of the trailing blades by 120° (predictive load torque pre-control). The value of 120° is determined for a preferred embodiment of a wind turbine having three rotor blades arranged with equal angular offsets. However, the concept of the present invention is not limited to such a number or arrangement of rotor blades and can be transferred to any other number or arrangement.

[0069] It is also conceivable that the rotor state data can be calculated from the time-synchronized measurement data of the three inverters 10, 20, 30. In this case, a possible method is to determine the position or angular velocity of the rotor based on the measurement data of the acceleration or current sensors. With the help of the measurement data from other inverters 20, 30 or 10, 30 or 10, 20, it can be evaluated redundantly to ensure the function. In addition, the torque path or current path of the parallel inverters can also be incorporated into the calculation.

[0070] Another advantage of cross-communication 2 is also achieved by the safety modules in the inverters 10, 20, 30. In the inverters 10, 20, 30, the safety functions are implemented within "safety modules", and these modules are configured to safely shut down the system especially in case of a fault. For this purpose, the data captured and processed in the safety modules is captured and sanity-checked according to the required safety integrity level, usually redundantly (e.g., in two channels, there is the presence of dual sensors). By using the cross-communication 2 proposed according to the invention, the necessary redundancy between the inverters 10, 20, 30 in the cross-communication packet can be ensured. For this purpose, safety-critical measurement data and the variables calculated therefrom are transmitted via cross-communication to the safety modules of the adjacent inverters 20, 30 or 10, 30 or 20, 30, and their sanity is checked in the redundant calculation. Checksum calculation methods can be used for this purpose.

[0071] Cost advantages can be obtained by eliminating redundancy in individual inverters 10, 20, 30 (i.e., for example, providing multiple identical sensors).

[0072] The methods, method steps or functions described above show the great value of the proposed cross-communication 2 between the pitch drive control devices 10, 20, 30 provided in the common rotor hub of a wind turbine according to the invention. In addition to these applications, the proposed cross-communication 2 can also be used to achieve good effects in methods, method steps or functions.

[0073] Reference to reference numerals:

[0074] 1: Pitch drive controller

[0075] 2: Cross-communication

[0076] 10: Pitch drive control device (embodied as an inverter)

[0077] 11: Input interface

[0078] 20: Pitch drive control device (embodied as an inverter)

[0079] 21: Input interface

[0080] 30: Pitch drive control device (embodied as an inverter)

[0081] 31: Input interface

Claims

1. A pitch drive controller for a wind turbine having a plurality of rotor blades fixed to a rotor hub, for rotationally adjusting the rotor blades on the rotor hub by means of an electric motor, wherein, The pitch drive controller (1) has at least one pitch drive control device (10, 20, 30) for each of the rotor blades for driving at least one pitch drive motor, wherein the pitch drive control device (10, 20, 30) has a drive electronic unit for the pitch drive motor, a control output connecting the pitch drive motor, and a computing unit having at least one processor configured to operate the pitch drive control device, characterized in that, each of the pitch drive control devices (10; 20; 30) has a wired local communication interface located inside the same rotor hub; the wired local communication interface forms a fieldbus or point-to-point data link extending only inside the rotor hub and establishes a direct communication connection between the pitch drive control devices; the pitch drive control devices directly exchange data with each other in a cross-communication (2) manner through the local communication interface without passing through the central controller of the wind turbine.

2. The pitch drive controller according to claim 1, wherein The cross-communication (2) is fieldbus communication.

3. The pitch drive controller according to claim 1, characterized in that The cross-communication (2) is point-to-point communication.

4. The pitch drive controller according to any one of the above claims, characterized in that, The pitch drive control devices (10, 20, 30) of the pitch drive controller (1) are configured to exchange one or more of the following defined data types: Setpoint Actual value Measured value Calculated value Operating parameters of the pitch drive control device, including: software status of the application software, or installable data processing programs with application software and / or software updates Time information Data packets from the safety module.

5. The pitch drive controller according to claim 1, characterized in that, The local communication interface includes a wired electrical interface and / or an optical interface.

6. The pitch drive controller according to claim 1 or 5, characterized in that, The pitch drive control devices (10, 20, 30) include integrated sensors and / or connectable sensors for capturing measured values, and the computing unit is configured to process the captured measured values.

7. The pitch drive controller according to claim 1 or 5, characterized in that, The pitch drive control devices (10, 20, 30) include a safety module in which a safety function is implemented, and the safety function can be executed based on the data captured and processed in the pitch drive control devices (10; 20, 30), wherein the captured data at least further includes data received from at least one pitch drive control device (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20) in the cross-communication (2), and the computing unit of the pitch drive control device (10, 20, 30) is also configured to evaluate the data in the safety module.

8. The pitch drive controller according to claim 6, wherein The pitch drive control devices (10, 20, 30) include a safety module in which a safety function is implemented, and the safety function can be executed based on the data captured and processed in the pitch drive control devices (10; 20, 30), wherein the captured data at least further includes data received from at least one pitch drive control device (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20) in the cross-communication (2), and the computing unit of the pitch drive control device (10, 20, 30) is also configured to evaluate the data in the safety module.

9. The pitch drive controller according to claim 1 or 5, characterized in that, The computing unit of the pitch drive control device (10; 20, 30) is configured to transmit measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values of the rotational adjustment of the rotor blade to other pitch drive control devices (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20) connected in the form of cross-communication (2) and / or receive them from other pitch drive control devices (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20), and perform local intervention in the pitch drive controller (1) based on the received measurement values and / or setpoints.

10. The pitch drive controller according to claim 6, characterized in that, The computing unit of the pitch drive control device (10; 20, 30) is configured to transmit measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values of the rotational adjustment of the rotor blade to other pitch drive control devices (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20) connected in the form of cross-communication (2) and / or receive them from other pitch drive control devices (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20), and perform local intervention in the pitch drive controller (1) based on the received measurement values and / or setpoints.

11. The pitch drive controller according to claim 7, characterized in that, The computing unit of the pitch drive control device (10; 20, 30) is configured to transmit measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values of the rotational adjustment of the rotor blade to other pitch drive control devices (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20) connected in the form of cross-communication (2) and / or receive them from other pitch drive control devices (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20), and perform local intervention in the pitch drive controller (1) based on the received measurement values and / or setpoints.

12. The pitch drive controller according to claim 1 or 5, characterized in that, The computing unit of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) is configured to: receive measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values from other pitch drive control devices (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20), and check the measurement values and / or calculated values captured by the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) itself with the expected values derived from the measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values received from other pitch drive control devices (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20).

13. The pitch drive controller according to claim 6, wherein, The computing unit of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) is configured to: receive measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values from other pitch drive control devices (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20), and check the measurement values and / or calculated values captured by the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) itself with the expected values derived from the measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values received from other pitch drive control devices (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20).

14. The pitch drive controller according to claim 7, characterized in that, The computing unit of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) is configured to: receive measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values from other pitch drive control devices (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20), and check the measurement values and / or calculated values captured by the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) itself with the expected values derived from the measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values received from other pitch drive control devices (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20).

15. The pitch drive controller according to claim 9, characterized in that, The computing unit of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) is configured to: receive measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values from other pitch drive control devices (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20), and check the measurement values and / or calculated values captured by the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) itself with the expected values derived from the measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values received from other pitch drive control devices (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20).

16. The pitch drive controller according to claim 1 or 5, characterized in that, The pitch drive control devices (10, 20, 30) have an input interface (11, 21, 31), and the input interface (11, 21, 31) has a user input device and at least one display device.

17. The pitch drive controller according to claim 6, characterized in that, The pitch drive control devices (10, 20, 30) have an input interface (11, 21, 31), and the input interface (11, 21, 31) has a user input device and at least one display device.

18. The pitch drive controller according to claim 7, characterized in that, The pitch drive control devices (10, 20, 30) have an input interface (11, 21, 31), and the input interface (11, 21, 31) has a user input device and at least one display device.

19. The pitch drive controller according to claim 9, characterized in that, The pitch drive control devices (10, 20, 30) have an input interface (11, 21, 31), and the input interface (11, 21, 31) has a user input device and at least one display device.

20. The pitch drive controller according to claim 12, characterized in that, The pitch drive control devices (10, 20, 30) have an input interface (11, 21, 31), and the input interface (11, 21, 31) has a user input device and at least one display device.

21. The pitch drive controller according to claim 1 or 5, characterized in that, The computing unit of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) is configured to transmit the setting parameters and / or the installable image of the software of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) to another pitch drive control device (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20) via cross-communication (2), and store it in another pitch drive control device (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20).

22. The pitch drive controller according to claim 6, characterized in that, The computing unit of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) is configured to transmit the setting parameters and / or the installable image of the software of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) to another pitch drive control device (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20) via cross-communication (2), and store it in another pitch drive control device (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20).

23. The pitch drive controller according to claim 7, characterized in that, The computing unit of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) is configured to transmit the setting parameters and / or the installable image of the software of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) to another pitch drive control device (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20) via cross-communication (2) and store them in the other pitch drive control device (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20).

24. The pitch drive controller according to claim 9, characterized in that, The computing unit of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) is configured to transmit the setting parameters and / or the installable image of the software of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) to another pitch drive control device (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20) via cross-communication (2) and store them in the other pitch drive control device (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20).

25. The pitch drive controller according to claim 12, characterized in that, The computing unit of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) is configured to transmit the setting parameters and / or the installable image of the software of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) to another pitch drive control device (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20) via cross-communication (2) and store them in the other pitch drive control device (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20).

26. The pitch drive controller according to claim 16, wherein, The computing unit of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) is configured to transmit the setting parameters and / or the installable image of the software of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) to another pitch drive control device (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20) via cross-communication (2) and store them in the other pitch drive control device (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20).

27. The pitch drive controller according to claim 21, wherein, The computing unit of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) is configured to obtain the setting parameters and / or the installable image of the software of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) from one of the other pitch drive control devices (20; 30; 10; 30) via cross-communication (2), and when one of the pitch drive control devices (10; 20; 30) of the wind turbine is replaced, set the said setting parameters and / or the installable image of the software in the computing unit of the replaced pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30).

28. A method for controlling a pitch drive controller (1) of a wind turbine with at least two pitch drive control devices (10, 20, 30), wherein the pitch drive controller is the pitch drive controller according to claim 1, characterized in that, The computing units of the pitch drive control devices (10, 20, 30) are configured to communicate with each other and exchange and / or store data with each other via cross-communication (2).

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein The computing units of the pitch drive control devices (10, 20, 30) are configured to perform at least one of the following method steps: Via cross-communication (2), transmit and store the setting parameters of one of the pitch drive control devices (10; 20; 30) and / or the installable image of the software of the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) to another pitch drive control device (20; 30; 10; 30; 10, 20); Read the set parameters and / or the installable image of the stored software stored in one of the pitch drive control devices (10; 20; 30) through cross-communication (2), and install it in another pitch drive control device (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20); Receive measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values from other pitch drive control devices (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20) through cross-communication (2), and check the measurement values and / or calculated values captured by the pitch drive control device (10; 20; 30) itself with the expected values derived from the measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values received from other pitch drive control devices (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20); Send the measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values of the rotor blade rotational adjustment to other pitch drive control devices (10, 20, 30) connected to the cross-communication (2); Receive measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values for the rotational adjustment of the rotor blade from other pitch drive control devices (20, 30; 10, 30; 10, 20) through cross-communication (2), and perform local intervention on the pitch drive controller (1) based on the received measurement values and / or setpoints and / or calculated values; Also receive data from at least one pitch drive control device (10, 20, 30) through cross-communication (2), and evaluate the data in the safety module to implement safety functions.

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