Method for safe operation of a wind turbine

Abstract

A method, safety system, and wind turbine for operating a wind turbine are described, the wind turbine including a rotor, at least two variable-pitch rotor blades, a pitch system, an operation controller, and a safety controller. The method includes the steps of: determining a value of at least one safety parameter using the safety controller; comparing the value of the at least one safety parameter with at least one safety threshold; and if the value differs from the at least one safety threshold, the safety controller transmits a warning signal to the operation controller and prevents the wind turbine (100) from starting. Furthermore, a safety system including a memory and a processor, as well as means for performing the method, is also disclosed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technical field of this invention relates to methods and systems for operating wind turbines, and more particularly to methods and systems for preventing the start-up of such wind turbines. Background Technology

[0002] As modern wind turbines become larger and more complex structures to control, the need for protection for these structures is also increasing. To achieve a high level of safety, various safety systems have been designed and implemented to protect wind turbines from various conditions that may occur during their operational lifespan. These safety systems are hardware-related or software-related systems that are applied to and affect the operation of wind turbines.

[0003] The system described in WO2019 / 201597A1 protects wind turbines from operation under detected fault conditions. This system uses a redundant monitoring system to ensure that a fault actually exists during wind turbine operation, and once this condition is verified, it instructs the wind turbine controller to shut down the wind turbine to prevent damage.

[0004] For wind turbines, the most common and simultaneously most dangerous situation is when the turbine is overspeeding due to strong winds. Overspeeding occurs when the turbine's control controller loses control of the turbine, meaning it cannot control the pitch system, and combined with strong winds, this causes the turbine to rotate uncontrollably.

[0005] US2011142634A1 discloses a system for protecting a wind turbine from overspeed. The disclosed system employs an auxiliary pitch control system that, upon detecting an overspeed event, can shut down the wind turbine (by adjusting the blades to a feathering position).

[0006] US2009224543A1 discloses a method for operating a wind power plant. The disclosed method proposes a solution whereby, when a wind turbine is in a first operating mode (meaning the rotor is already rotating at a set rotational speed and pitch angle) and moves to a second operating mode, the rotor acceleration is checked, and if the acceleration value exceeds a threshold, a safety controller initiates a braking procedure to stop the wind turbine. In this way, by using the safety controller as a monitor during either the first or second operating mode, safe operation of the wind turbine is ensured.

[0007] The most common safety system solution, such as the one disclosed above, is to shut down the wind turbine in some way. As a generator, the wind turbine must operate, and therefore its startup or restart must be ensured as quickly as possible.

[0008] Therefore, there is a need to control the operation of wind turbines in a safe manner, or to have a safety system that ensures the safe start-up or safe restart of wind turbines, which will minimize the risk of wind turbines encountering events such as overspeeding incidents that could damage the wind turbines and jeopardize their operation. Summary of the Invention

[0009] This need can be met by the subject matter of the independent claims of the disclosed invention and by other advantageous embodiments described by the dependent claims of the invention.

[0010] According to a first aspect of the invention, a method for controlling the operation of a wind turbine is provided. The same method proposed in the first aspect can be equivalently provided for onshore or offshore wind turbines, wherein the offshore wind turbine may be bottom-mounted or fixed to a floating structure. The wind turbine includes a rotor comprising at least two variable-pitch rotor blades. The rotor blades can be pitched by means of a pitch system. The pitch system is to be understood as a system comprising at least a pitch pressure accumulator and a pitch piston capable of moving the wind turbine blades, thereby changing the pitch angle of the wind turbine blades.

[0011] The wind turbine should also include an operation controller and a safety controller. The term "operation controller" includes any controller (physical system) that can regulate the operation of the wind turbine. While the term "safety controller" includes any controller (also a physical system) that monitors the operation controller and the operation of the wind turbine, since the operation of the wind turbine is determined by the operation controller. This controller can be any programmable logic controller (PLC) capable of controlling and monitoring the operation of the wind turbine.

[0012] The safety controller should be able to intervene in and / or override the operating controller when necessary. To do this, the two controllers may reside in similar control boxes within the wind turbine and are preferably stably associated with each other via connecting cables or wireless connections. Alternatively, the two controllers can exist separately in different configurations and even in different locations within the wind turbine, as long as a connection exists between them. The connection should be understood as a means for exchanging data between them.

[0013] In a primary embodiment of the method, the safety controller is capable of performing method steps to determine the value of the at least one safety parameter, issuing a warning signal to the operation controller when the value of the at least one safety parameter is outside a safety threshold, and preventing the wind turbine from initiating its operation. The safety threshold can be any numerical or numeric value or range that helps to clarify the value of the safety parameter. For example, the range can be a value from 0 to 100 and / or a value such as 0 or 1 that allows for the establishment of a numerical range. Any other possible threshold type can be equivalently encompassed by the term threshold.

[0014] This aspect of the invention is based on the concept that the safety controller, while monitoring at least safety-related operating parameters, can intervene in the operation controller's startup procedure and, if necessary, prevent the wind turbine from starting its operation. Furthermore, the safety controller transmits warning signals to the operation controller in a manner that ensures the operation controller understands why starting the startup sequence is not "permitted." By allowing the safety controller to overtake the operation controller and prevent the wind turbine from starting operation when at least one safety parameter is outside acceptable limits, it is ensured that the wind turbine will not face situations that could lead to damage, such as overspeed events due to large errors in the pitch system.

[0015] According to another embodiment, the steps to prevent a wind turbine from starting its operation include shutting off power to the wind turbine's pitch system. This can be done by any controller (i.e., an operation controller or a safety controller). Preferably, shutting off power should be done by a safety controller to quickly and safely interrupt the startup procedure.

[0016] By quickly and reliably preventing the operation of the wind turbine's pitch system, the pitch system will be unable to follow the commands of the operation controller, thus aborting the pitch sequence required to start the wind turbine. In this way, operations that could potentially damage the wind turbine can be avoided.

[0017] In yet another embodiment, the method further includes the step of setting the value of the at least one safety parameter to a default value. This can be done directly by a safety controller that has the default value of the at least one safety parameter built into its own memory, or it can be provided using external memory. In another embodiment, the default value can have a value equal to a safety threshold. Furthermore, the default value can also have a value higher than the safety threshold. By setting the safety parameter to a default value, wind turbine operation ensures that the safety parameter will not deviate from its safety threshold when a command to start or restart the wind turbine is received. The default value can be the minimum value that ensures the safe operation of the corresponding system of the wind turbine.

[0018] In another embodiment of the invention, when the operation controller receives a warning signal from the safety controller, it also controls the wind turbine system to make the value of the at least one safety parameter equal to the default value set by the safety controller. For example, the operation controller may adjust one of the rotor system or the pitch system of the wind turbine and assign the value required for operation to either of them. It has been found advantageous to set the safety parameter to its default value, which will ensure the safe start-up or restart of the wind turbine. In this way, when the wind turbine attempts to start again, it will be equipped with the correct value of the at least one safety parameter.

[0019] According to another embodiment of the method, the at least one safety parameter is determined to be a safety parameter related to the rotor of the wind turbine and / or a safety parameter related to the pitch system of the wind turbine.

[0020] In another aspect of this embodiment, the specified safety parameter is a safety parameter determined in relation to the position of the rotor lock of the wind turbine rotor. Before initiating the wind turbine startup procedure, it must be ensured that the rotor is locked and cannot move freely. This is achieved by ensuring that the rotor lock position is recognized as engaged. Typically, wind turbines have more than one rotor lock, therefore, for this method to be performed, the positions of all available rotor locks must be identical.

[0021] In yet another embodiment, the safety parameters are those related to the pitch system. The pitch system is one of the primary drivers that will operate the wind turbine and initiate its startup. Before doing so, it must be ensured that at least one pressure value of the accumulator within the pitch system and / or the pitch position and / or pitch orientation of the pitch piston of the pitch system are within safety margins that will allow for safe operation of the pitch system.

[0022] This ensures that pitch systems with erroneous values ​​will never be allowed to begin the startup process, and prevents wind turbines from operating under system failure conditions. A faulty pitch system will be unable to keep the wind turbine within safe limits during startup or normal operation; that is, an incorrectly set pitch angle will lead to a larger pitch angle error during wind turbine operation, making wind turbine operation less safe.

[0023] In another embodiment, the method step of determining the value of at least one safety parameter may include determining the values ​​of at least two, three, or preferably four safety systems. This additional step makes the method more robust and significantly safer for wind turbine operation. These additional parameters can be any of the parameters mentioned above, as long as they are related to the wind turbine's rotor lock system or pitch system.

[0024] In another embodiment, the state of the wind turbine before executing the method is specified. The method steps prevent the wind turbine from starting from a stopped state, i.e., the rotor is not rotating and the wind turbine is not generating energy. This means that the operating controller has stopped the wind turbine due to a fault in the turbine or because the turbine requires maintenance. In an alternative embodiment, the wind turbine operating controller has never controlled the operation of the wind turbine and therefore has never started the turbine. This may be the case for wind turbines that were recently installed and commissioned but never put into operation. Operation needs to be understood as the wind turbine being in a state where the rotor is rotating and the generator is generating energy from this rotation. In these cases, whether or not it is connected to the power grid does not affect the described method.

[0025] According to a second aspect of the invention, a security system is provided capable of performing the method steps of the foregoing embodiments. This security system may be an intermediate system managing the operation of two controllers, or it may be a monitoring system for both. The security system must include a memory and a processor configured to coordinate an operating program, and has means for performing the methods as explained using the foregoing embodiments, such as connection means to the operating controller and the security controller. Such means may be additional storage devices, memories, and other hardware-related devices that facilitate the method and communication between the operating controller and the security controller. The security system may include two necessary controllers within the same physical entity, or the two controllers may be separate but still contained within the same security system by means of a connection.

[0026] According to a final aspect of the invention, a wind turbine is claimed, comprising a rotor, at least two variable-pitch rotor blades, a pitch system, an operation controller, and a safety controller. The wind turbine safety controller determines the value of at least one safety parameter, transmits a warning signal when the value of the at least one safety parameter falls below a safety threshold, and prevents the wind turbine from starting.

[0027] It should be noted that embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to different subjects. In particular, some embodiments have been described with reference to method-type claims, while others have been described with reference to apparatus-type claims. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate from the above and below description that, unless otherwise indicated, any combination of features related to different subjects, in particular combinations of features of method-type claims and features of apparatus-type claims, is also part of the disclosure of this document, in addition to any combination of features belonging to one type of subject matter. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1A wind turbine is shown, and more specifically, the top portion of a wind turbine is shown as a system required for various embodiments of the method.

[0029] Figure 2 A flowchart of a method for controlling the operation of a wind turbine according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0030] Figure 3 An exemplary block diagram of a security system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The illustrations in the accompanying drawings are schematic. It should be noted that similar and / or identical elements may be labeled with the same reference numerals or different reference numerals in different drawings.

[0032] Embodiments of the invention will be explained in further detail below. It should be understood that the disclosure herein is not intended to limit the scope to the disclosed forms, but rather additionally covers all modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives falling within the scope of the invention as described in the claims.

[0033] exist Figure 1 The image shows a wind turbine 100. Although not fully shown, the wind turbine 100 can be an onshore wind turbine, an offshore wind turbine (meaning a wind turbine with a fixed connection to land), or alternatively, a floating wind turbine, meaning a wind turbine not attached to land by a rigid mechanical connection but floating in a support structure on top of the seabed. The wind turbine includes a nacelle 102 and a tower 104. Additionally, the wind turbine 100 includes a rotor 106 mechanically connected to the nacelle. Various components exist within the nacelle, tower, and rotor, but for simplicity... Figure 1 The contents are not described. These components can be the wind turbine's generator, electrical components such as converters and transformers, controllers, cables, and all necessary electrical and mechanical parts involved in the operation of the wind turbine. Furthermore, in Figure 1 In the wind turbine, the wind turbine includes at least two wind turbine blades 108a and 108b connected to the wind turbine rotor 106. When the wind turbine blades 108a and 108b have the correct pitch angle, they drive the wind turbine rotor 106 to rotate, and the wind turbine 100 operates and generates energy.

[0034] Figure 1The wind turbine rotor 106 includes a pitch system. This pitch system itself includes at least a pitch pressure accumulator 112 and a pitch piston 114 to drive the wind turbine rotor blades 108a and 108b at the correct pitch angle for wind turbine operation. Typically, the pitch pressure accumulator 112, which includes nitrogen, is controlled by filling and releasing it, thus changing the pressure within the accumulator. This causes a pressure change that drives the pitch pistons 114, which themselves change the pitch angle of the wind turbine blades 108a and 108b. In normal operating scenarios, such as during a startup procedure intended to bring the wind turbine 100 into an operational state, the wind turbine 100's operation controller will control the wind turbine blades 108a and 108b to have a pitch angle that will allow them to utilize the aerodynamic effects of the wind. To achieve this specific angle, the pressure within the pitch pressure accumulator 112 changes accordingly, thereby driving the pitch piston 114 to change position, more specifically, reducing the blade pitch angle to the operating pitch angle provided by the operation controller. Alternatively, when the wind turbine is controlled to stop, a pitch angle commonly referred to as the feathering pitch angle must be reached, and the operation controller will control the pitch pressure accumulator 112 to change pressure according to the desired position, thereby driving the pitch piston 114 to change (now increase) the angle to achieve the so-called feathering position.

[0035] Figure 1 The wind turbine rotor 106 also includes rotor locking systems 122a and 122b. This system is typical in wind turbines and is designed to prevent rotor rotation when not necessary. A typical situation where a wind turbine rotor is locked is during wind turbine maintenance or repair. Another situation where the rotor may be locked is when the wind turbine is initially erected and awaiting commencement of operation or installation. Alternatively, the wind turbine may be stopped, for example, due to an operational malfunction requiring technician intervention for repair.

[0036] Figure 1 The wind turbine 100 is also equipped with an operation controller. Additionally, a safety controller is provided. Figure 1 These two controllers are not depicted. It must be understood that, for connectivity reasons, these two controllers are typically housed in a control room or control enclosure within the wind turbine nacelle 102 or the wind turbine rotor 106. Alternatively, the controllers may also reside in the wind turbine tower 104. The two controllers do not need to be in the same room or enclosure; they may also be located separately in different environments within the same wind turbine 100.

[0037] The safety controller and the operating controller are directly connected and communicate in a one-way manner. One-way communication means that while the safety controller can send information to the operating controller, the reverse is not possible. This connection can be hardwired or wireless, provided a stable connection is established, such as via the PROFINET protocol or any other suitable protocol from an industry-standard connection protocol. The safety controller continuously operates as a supervisory or redundant controller for the operating controller. Its purpose is to ensure the safe operation of the wind turbine and to ensure that the operating controller keeps the wind turbine's operation within safe limits. In this way, the safety controller prevents damage to the wind turbine's operating actions.

[0038] A safety controller, equipped with dedicated inputs, outputs, a processor, and memory, can receive information from the wind turbine via wind turbine sensors that relate to operating parameters (more specifically, parameters affecting the safe operation of the wind turbine). These parameters can include the pitch angle of the wind turbine blades, the status of the pitch system, electrical parameters, and other wind turbine operating parameters. Furthermore, it can act whenever necessary and intervene in the operation of the wind turbine directly or indirectly by shutting down the system. The processor provides the safety controller with opportunities to perform simple logical functions. Additionally, information regarding safety parameters can be stored in its dedicated memory.

[0039] On the other hand, the operation controller is a key controller for the wind turbine. It controls the operation of the wind turbine based on input from sensors and on functions that have been uploaded to the operation controller. The main purpose of the operation controller is to ensure maximum power generation with minimal possibility of wind turbine fatigue. The operation controller is the main controller, and it initiates the wind turbine startup when input from sensors indicates favorable operating conditions. To start the wind turbine, the operation controller sends commands to the pitch system to move the wind turbine blades to the pitch angle range required for startup. When the wind turbine is stationary (when the rotor is not rotating), this pitch angle range is approximately 90°, and upon startup, the operation controller commands the pitch system to drive the pitch angle to a value of approximately 45° to obtain greater torque and thus initiate operation. Alternatively, the operation controller will initiate the wind turbine shutdown procedure when conditions require it or when a fault is identified. To shut down the wind turbine, the operating controller will again command the pitch system to change the pitch angle from the operating range of approximately 0° (+ / - 10°) during full-mode operation to a feathering position of approximately 90°, causing the wind turbine to stop. In the procedure explained above, to achieve the correct pitch angle, the pitch system changes the corresponding pressure within the pitch pressure accumulator 112. This pressure change causes the pitch piston 114 to move, thereby driving the blades to rotate and change their pitch angle.

[0040] Figure 2 A flowchart 200 illustrates a method for controlling the operation of a wind turbine 100, which includes a rotor 106, at least two variable-pitch rotor blades 108a, b, and pitch systems 112, 114, an operation controller, and a safety controller. At step 210, the value of at least one safety parameter is determined as an input to the safety controller. This safety parameter may be a measurement directly from a sensor. Alternatively, the latest value stored in the controller's memory or database, where the safety parameter value was determined before the method begins, may also be used.

[0041] Since the safety controller may have more than one input, the safety parameters determined may be more than one. In a more specific embodiment of method 200, the safety controller determines the values ​​of at least two safety parameters, preferably three, and more preferably four safety parameters. After determining more safety-related parameters, the safety controller uses method step 210 to ensure that more parameters are checked and considered when ensuring that the wind turbine 100 can be safely started to operate via the operation controller. It should be understood here that any number of determined parameters that contribute to the execution of method 200 and include the same steps should be considered.

[0042] In a more specific embodiment of method 200, the at least one safety parameter is a parameter related to the rotor 106 or pitch systems 112, 114 of the wind turbine 100. By determining the value of either of these two systems, the safety controller ensures that the critical subsystems of the wind turbine 100 will not commence operation until safety conditions are ensured to be met. In this way, a detailed safety check of the rotor 106 and / or pitch systems 112, 114 is performed in advance.

[0043] When the at least one safety parameter is a rotor-related safety parameter, the safety controller ensures that the rotor 106 is paused in a non-rotating position. This is advantageous because a freely rotating rotor could lead to a faulty startup procedure, which would damage the wind turbine 100. In one, or even more specific, embodiment, the determined at least one safety parameter is the rotor lock position. The rotor lock position is typically identified as "1" (meaning the rotor lock is engaged) and "0" (i.e., the lock is disengaged). When the lock signal is determined to be "1" (engaged) by a sensor, the rotor 106 is safely paused and cannot rotate freely. Furthermore, when the wind turbine 100 is erected, installed, but not yet operated for the first time, the rotor 106 of the wind turbine 100 may initially pause. In this case, the rotor lock position is also "1" (engaged), and the rotor pauses rotation before its initial startup after connection to the grid.

[0044] Because modern wind turbines contain more than one rotor lock, at least one safety parameter can be determined as the sum of all available signals from the rotor lock position. For example, in a wind turbine with two rotor locks, two signals will be generated. When both rotor locks are engaged, each signal will have a value of "1", and thus the sum signal will also have a value of "1", indicating that the rotor lock is engaged. Conversely, even if one of the signals shows a value of "0", the sum signal will never be "1", indicating that at least one rotor lock is disengaged.

[0045] To determine the lock's position, any sensor suitable for measuring position can be used. For example, this could be an inductive sensor that sends electromagnetic pulses to identify whether the rotor lock pin is in contact with the rotor brake disc. Alternatively, any other type of sensor, whether analog or digital, capable of identifying the lock's position (more precisely, the position of the rotor lock pin relative to the rotor brake disc) can be included.

[0046] In an alternative embodiment of main method step 210, the at least one safety parameter is a safety parameter of pitch systems 112, 114. In this case, the determined safety parameter can be any one of the pressure of the accumulator in the pitch system and / or the pitch position of the pitch piston in the pitch system and / or the pitch position direction of the pitch piston in the pitch system.

[0047] By determining the pressure within the pitch pressure accumulator, the safety system ensures that during the operation of the wind turbine 100, in the event of anticipated problems that may arise during operation, there is always sufficient pressure to properly stop the wind turbine 100. Sufficient pressure should be considered within a pressure range, such as 150 to 350 bar, more preferably within 180 to 350 bar. This range is determined to be sufficient to enable operation of the wind turbine pitch system under any conditions, but is not limited to this specific range, as it may vary depending on the type of wind turbine 100.

[0048] When at least one safety parameter is determined to be the pressure within the pitch pressure accumulator, this can be determined, for example, using an analog pressure sensor or any other suitable sensor capable of measuring the pressure within the pressure accumulator 112 of the pitch system.

[0049] In an alternative scenario, the safety parameter can be the pitch position of the pitch piston of the pitch system 114. In this case, the safety controller essentially determines, through this pitch position, that the pitch angle of the wind turbine blades must be within the safe minimum pitch angle range in order to initiate the startup procedure. The correct pitch position for initiating a safe startup position is determined to be 90° or less, preferably within the range of 85° to 89°. Any value outside this range may result in an incorrect startup position for the wind turbine, ultimately leading to malfunction of the wind turbine due to pitch angle errors.

[0050] The pitch position can be determined using, for example, an analog sensor. Preferably, a linear displacement sensor is suggested for this method, but it is not limited thereto.

[0051] In yet another embodiment, the safety parameter could be the pitch direction of the pitch piston of the pitch system 114. Similarly, for pitch position, the pitch direction needs to ensure that any pitch position change that occurs is in the correct direction and within a safe range. This can be achieved by monitoring the pitch speed. The pitch speed is a value that shows how quickly a change in the pitch position of the pitch piston occurs. A positive pitch direction indicates that the pitch position is moving to a larger pitch angle, while a negative pitch direction indicates that the pitch position is moving to a smaller pitch angle. Therefore, any definite value equal to or less than 0 indicates that the pitch position is moving in the direction indicative of the operating procedure. Any definite value greater than 0 indicates that the pitch position is moving to a pitch angle that is not considered an operating pitch position and is therefore unacceptable for method 200.

[0052] For example, measurements for determining the pitch position orientation can occur by using the same sensor as that used in pitch position monitoring, namely an analog linear displacement sensor or any other sensor capable of monitoring that pitch position.

[0053] In the next step 220 of method 200, the value of the at least one security parameter determined in step 210 is compared with a security threshold. In this crucial step, an "if...then..." condition is executed by the security controller. Figure 2 As shown, when the comparison concludes that the value of at least one safety parameter is not outside the safety threshold, the safety controller will not react, and the operation controller will initiate the startup of the wind turbine 100. If the latter is not true, the safety controller will generate a warning signal to the operation controller. This will occur because the safety controller recognizes that the condition of the wind turbine 100 is unsafe for immediate startup of the wind turbine due to the safety parameter being outside the safety threshold.

[0054] For example, the safety threshold may be in the form of a single numerical value or multiple values, or it may be in digital or analog form. In some cases, the threshold may be a range of values. The safety threshold is uploaded / stored in the memory of the safety controller, and its form depends on the safety parameter that needs to be compared with it. For example, when the safety parameter is the rotor lock position, as proposed in one of the specific embodiments of method 200, the safety threshold may be a static value represented by binary values ​​"0" or "1". Alternatively, when the safety parameter is the pressure within the pitch pressure accumulator, the safety threshold retrieved from the safety controller memory may be in the form of a range of safety thresholds compared with the determined pressure value.

[0055] In step 230, a warning signal is also transmitted from the safety controller to the operation controller. This signal may be in the form of an alarm message or an alarm value. It is used to ensure that the wind turbine operation controller is notified that the wind turbine system, such as rotor 106 or pitch systems 112, 114, is not in a safe condition due to incorrect safety parameter values.

[0056] In a particular embodiment of method 200, the safety controller also sends a default value to the operation controller along with a warning signal. This default value includes a value that the at least one safety parameter must have in order to initiate the wind turbine startup operation. The safety controller stores various default values ​​for the corresponding safety parameters in its memory, and upon determining a mismatch, at comparison step 220 of the method, the safety controller may also send the necessary value of the at least one safety parameter to the operation controller. In one or even more specific embodiments, the default value must be a value equal to or greater than a safety threshold value. In this way, the operation controller will be equipped with appropriate values ​​for controlling the operation of the wind turbine 100. Alternatively, and if the operation controller is unable to control the pitch system, once power is cut off from the pitch system, the values ​​(valves) within the pitch system are reset due to the power outage and automatically reach the default value.

[0057] In the final step 240 of method 200, the safety controller prevents the wind turbine 100 from starting. During the initial startup of the wind turbine, the operation controller commands the pitch system to begin rotating the blades to achieve a specific pitch angle, causing the rotor to rotate slowly. Using method 200, if at least one safety parameter is identified as not within a safety threshold, the wind turbine operation controller is prevented from doing so, and thus startup is prevented. The main advantage of this is that the safety of the wind turbine 100 is not compromised, and the wind turbine 100 will not operate under conditions where the system is prone to potential failure during operation.

[0058] In one embodiment of method 200, startup is prevented by directly preventing power from reaching the pitch systems 112, 114. In this way, even if the operating controller attempts to command the pitch systems to begin, they will not respond. As auxiliary systems to the wind turbine 100, the pitch systems 112, 114 are typically powered by electricity from the grid or an alternative power source such as energy storage. Power from any of these components reaches the pitch systems via converters or auxiliary transformers in the auxiliary equipment. Therefore, the safety controller can cut off the power supply to the pitch systems and prevent them from being controlled by, for example, disconnecting electrical contacts. Once startup is prevented, the electrical contacts close again, and power can flow back to the pitch systems.

[0059] In another embodiment of method 200, once the operation controller receives a warning signal and prevents the wind turbine from starting, it controls the at least one rotor-related safety parameter and / or the at least one pitch system-related safety parameters 112, 114, arranging them in a manner that makes their values ​​equal to default values. This embodiment is particularly advantageous because, when preventing the wind turbine from starting, it may be necessary to restart the wind turbine startup procedure. In this sense, the value of the at least one safety-related parameter now updated in the operation controller memory needs to be assigned to the corresponding wind turbine system. In doing so, another start of method 200 can begin with the corresponding steps being re-implemented. If the wind turbine startup is again prevented by the method, the method will be executed until the correct safety value is assigned to the at least one safety parameter.

[0060] In yet another embodiment, preconditions for the wind turbine are specified to enable the execution of method 200. In these embodiments, it is important to emphasize that the operating controller has already stopped the wind turbine due to a fault before the execution of this method. In this way, the wind turbine has stopped and the rotor 106 of the wind turbine 100 is not rotating. In an alternative embodiment, the operating controller has never previously controlled the operation of the wind turbine, and the wind turbine has never been operated to generate electricity. It is possible that method 200 will be executed at the very initial moment when the wind turbine 100 will need to begin its operation. To ensure the safe operation of the wind turbine 100, the safety controller will execute method 200 at least once, and if it is determined that the safety parameters are not within safety limits, the operating controller will stop the start-up of the wind turbine 100 and abort its first operation.

[0061] exist Figure 3An exemplary safety system 300 capable of performing method 200 is presented. Safety system 300 includes its own memory and processor (not shown). Such a safety system may include a safety controller 310 and an operation controller 320. It must be understood that "included" does not necessarily mean that the safety system is a physical box containing two physical controllers, but rather any system having its own memory and processor and capable of being connected to both the safety controller and the operation controller. The safety controller may be located in the nacelle of the wind turbine 100, and the operation controller may be located in the rotor 106 of the wind turbine 100. In this case, the safety system according to this exemplary embodiment should be considered as a system combining the operation of both controllers and having means for performing method 200. In this embodiment, the safety controller 310 has at least one input 311, 312, 313, 314 and at least one output 316, 316.

[0062] The safety system 300 is programmable and can execute all steps of the method 300 through the included safety controller 310 and operation controller 320.

[0063] In a final embodiment of the invention, the wind turbine 100 includes a rotor 106, at least two variable-pitch rotor blades 108a, 108b, a pitch system 112, 114, an operation controller 320, and a safety controller 310, wherein the safety controller is configured to determine the value of at least one safety parameter, compare the value of the at least one safety parameter with a safety threshold, and if the value is different from the safety threshold, transmit a warning signal to the operation controller and prevent the wind turbine 100 from starting.

[0064] The invention has been explained with reference to one or more embodiments, and features of one embodiment may be adapted or combined with one or more other embodiments. Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the main concept of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A method for controlling the operation of a wind turbine (100), the wind turbine comprising a rotor (106), at least two variable-pitch rotor blades (108a, 108b), a pitch system (112, 114), an operation controller, and a safety controller. in, The method includes the following steps: - The safety controller is used to determine the value of at least one safety parameter; - Compare the value of the at least one security parameter with at least one security threshold, and if the value is different from the at least one security threshold, o Transmit a warning signal to the operation controller; o and prevent the wind turbine (100) from starting.

2. The method for controlling the operation according to claim 1, wherein, The steps to prevent the wind turbine (100) from starting also include: Power to the pitch systems (112, 114) is turned off.

3. The method for controlling the operation according to claim 2, further comprising: Set the value of at least one security parameter to the default value.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The default value is a value that is equal to or higher than the security threshold.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, Upon receiving the warning signal, the operation controller further controls the wind turbine (100) such that the safety parameters associated with at least one rotor (106) and / or the safety parameters associated with at least one pitch system (122, 114) are equal to the default values.

6. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, The step of determining the at least one security parameter further includes: Determine the safety parameters associated with at least one rotor (106) and / or at least one pitch system (112, 114).

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The steps of determining the safety parameters associated with at least one rotor (106) include determining the value of the rotor lock position.

8. The method according to claim 6 or claim 7, wherein, The steps for determining the safety parameters associated with at least one pitch system (112, 114) include: Determine the pressure value of the pitch accumulator (112) of the pitch system and / or the pitch position of the pitch piston (114) of the pitch system and / or the pitch position direction of the pitch piston (114) of the pitch system.

9. The method according to any of the preceding claims, in, Determining at least one safety parameter includes determining the values ​​of at least two, preferably three, and more preferably four safety parameters.

10. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in, Prior to the execution of the method, the operation controller had already stopped the wind turbine (100) due to a malfunction.

11. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, The operating controller of the wind turbine (100) has never previously controlled the operation of the wind turbine (100), and the wind turbine (100) has never been operated to generate electricity.

12. A security system (300) comprising a memory and a processor, and means for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A wind turbine (100) comprising a rotor (106), at least two variable-pitch rotor blades (108a, 108b), a pitch system (112, 114), an operation controller, and a safety controller, wherein, The security controller is configured to: - Determine the value of at least one security parameter; - Compare the value of the at least one security parameter with at least one security threshold, and if the value is different from the at least one security threshold, o Transmit a warning signal to the operation controller; o and prevent the wind turbine (100) from starting.

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