Intelligent variable pitch drive for wind turbine

Abstract

This utility model discloses an intelligent pitch driver for wind turbine generator sets, which includes: a housing and CANopen node address DIP switches, pitch motor selection DIP switches, a digital tube display screen, and LED status indicators disposed on the surface of the housing. The CANopen node address DIP switches are used to set the CAN communication node address of the pitch driver, the pitch motor selection DIP switches are used to set the motor model corresponding to the pitch driver, and there are at least three LED status indicators used to indicate the operating status of the pitch driver. The digital tube display screen is used to display the CANopen node address of the pitch driver, the fault code of the pitch driver, or the speed of the pitch motor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of wind turbine pitch system control, and more specifically, to an intelligent pitch driver for wind turbines. Background Technology

[0002] The pitch control system is one of the core components of a wind turbine generator control system, and it is crucial for the safe and stable operation of the entire wind turbine generator. Variable pitch wind turbine generators have advantages such as maximizing wind energy capture, stable power output, low stress, no grid connection impact, and long service life. Therefore, most mainstream wind turbine generator models currently use variable pitch systems for blade angle control.

[0003] Currently, the mainstream pitch control systems for wind turbines include electric pitch control systems and hydraulic pitch control systems. Electric pitch control systems typically consist of components such as a pitch drive, pitch motor, pitch reducer, and backup power supply, with the pitch drive being the core control unit.

[0004] The key considerations for the research, development, product selection, and optimization of electric pitch drive systems include whether the pitch drive design is reasonable, user-friendly, adaptable to the special working conditions of wind turbines, convenient for on-site maintenance, safe and stable operation, and easy replacement after damage.

[0005] In wind turbine design, the same model of pitch drive often needs to be matched with different models of main control PLC systems or different models of pitch motors. Regarding the matching of pitch drive software programs, previously, different versions of pitch drive application programs (hereinafter referred to as pitch programs) were developed and designed according to different hardware configurations of wind turbines, and then front-line technicians would download and update them according to the actual turbine configuration. This approach not only increases the workload of front-line personnel but also results in too many pitch program versions, easily leading to pitch program download and matching errors, and making subsequent optimization and management of the pitch program difficult. Furthermore, when the pitch drive reports a fault, previously, it was usually necessary for the main control PLC and the pitch drive to communicate normally, or for a PC to connect to the pitch drive using background software, in order to view the pitch operation status, fault codes, and other data. If the main control PLC also had a problem, and the PC was forgotten, then technicians could not quickly analyze the cause and solve the problem. Utility Model Content

[0006] This invention provides an intelligent pitch drive for wind turbine generator sets to solve the technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides an intelligent pitch driver for wind turbine generator sets, characterized by comprising: a housing and CANopen node address DIP switches, pitch motor selection DIP switches, a digital display screen, and LED status indicator lights disposed on the surface of the housing, wherein:

[0008] The CANopen node address DIP switch is used to set the CAN communication node address of the pitch driver.

[0009] The pitch motor selection DIP switch is used to set the motor model corresponding to the pitch driver.

[0010] There are at least three LED status indicators used to indicate the operating status of the pitch drive.

[0011] The digital tube display is used to display the CANopen node address of the pitch driver, the pitch driver fault code, or the speed of the pitch motor.

[0012] In one embodiment of this utility model, the CANopen node address dialing uses a rotary encoder switch and provides 16 configurable addresses from 0 to 15.

[0013] In one embodiment of this utility model, when the CANopen node address DIP switch is 0, the node address set by the pitch driver host computer software is executed; when the CANopen node address DIP switch is other values, the corresponding node address predefined in the pitch program is executed.

[0014] In one embodiment of this utility model, the pitch motor selection dial uses a rotary coded switch and can provide 10 settable options from 0 to 9.

[0015] In one embodiment of this utility model, when the pitch motor selection DIP switch is 0, the motor control parameters set by the pitch driver host computer software are executed; when the pitch motor selection DIP switch is other values, the corresponding motor control parameters predefined in the pitch program are executed.

[0016] In one embodiment of this utility model, the motor control parameters include the motor initial angle, the number of motor pole pairs, the motor rated current, the stall current, the rated speed, the back electromotive force, the temperature sensor type, and the inductance and resistance values ​​of the motor windings.

[0017] In one embodiment of this utility model, there are three LED status indicator lights, namely H1, H2 and H3, and the LED indicator lights display the pitch driver status as follows:

[0018] The pitch drive is not powered on; H1 is off, H2 is off, and H3 is off.

[0019] When the pitch driver is powered on, H1 is off, H2 is off, and H3 is on.

[0020] The pitch driver is powered on but not ready; H1 is on, H2 is off, and H3 is on.

[0021] The pitch driver is ready; H1 is off, H2 is on, and H3 is on.

[0022] The pitch drive is operating normally; H1 is off, H2 is flashing, and H3 is on.

[0023] A fault alarm occurs during the operation of the pitch drive: H1 is lit, H2 flashes, and H3 is lit.

[0024] The pitch drive malfunctions and stops during operation; H1 flashes, H2 goes out, and H3 lights up.

[0025] In one embodiment of this utility model, the digital tube display screen is a 5-digit LED digital tube.

[0026] In one embodiment of this utility model, when the pitch driver is powered on, the digital tube display shows the CANopen node address for the first 5 seconds, in the format of "ID + node address"; at other times, the digital tube display shows the pitch driver fault code or the pitch motor speed.

[0027] When the pitch drive malfunctions, the digital display shows the actual fault code. The first digit of the digital display shows the letter "E", indicating a pitch drive malfunction; the second to fifth digits of the digital display show the fault code for the pitch drive.

[0028] When the pitch drive is functioning correctly, the digital display shows the speed of the pitch motor. The first digit of the display shows the symbol for the motor speed. When the motor rotates clockwise, the speed is positive, and this digit is off; when the motor rotates counterclockwise, the speed is negative, and this digit displays "-". The second to fifth digits of the display show the actual value of the motor speed.

[0029] In one embodiment of this utility model, the pitch drive has nine wiring ports X1 to X9, which are as follows:

[0030] The X1 connection port is an analog input / output port;

[0031] The X2 connector is a digital input / output port;

[0032] The X3 wiring port is a relay interface;

[0033] The X4 connector is a CAN communication interface.

[0034] The X5 connector is the program upgrade interface;

[0035] The X6 connector is the pitch motor position feedback interface;

[0036] The X7 wiring port is the power wiring port;

[0037] The X8 wiring port is the temperature control wiring port for the pitch motor.

[0038] The X9 connector is a backup interface for CAN communication.

[0039] The intelligent pitch driver for wind turbine generators provided by this utility model can facilitate on-site operation and maintenance, solve the problem of too many pitch program versions, avoid errors in the use of on-site software parameters, and automatically control the blade angle to return to the pitch after power-on or fault reset, which can greatly improve on-site work efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0040] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0041] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external appearance of a pitch driver according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the composition of a pitch driver according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 3 LED digital tube display for pitch driver timing and process;

[0044] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the wiring ports of the pitch drive;

[0045] Figure 5 This diagram shows the wiring ports and external connections of the pitch drive. Detailed Implementation

[0046] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0047] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external appearance of a pitch driver according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the composition of a pitch drive according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, this utility model provides an intelligent pitch driver for wind turbine generator sets, which includes: a housing and CANopen node address DIP switches, pitch motor selection DIP switches, a digital display screen, and LED status indicator lights disposed on the surface of the housing, wherein:

[0048] The CANopen node address DIP switch is used to set the CAN communication node address of the pitch driver. During pitch system commissioning, testing, or pitch driver spare parts replacement, the pitch driver can be matched to any pitch cabinet in the wind turbine by simply setting the CANopen node address DIP switch. This solves the problem that previously required downloading the corresponding pitch program in the pitch cabinet to communicate normally with the main control PLC.

[0049] The pitch motor selection DIP switch is used to set the motor model corresponding to the pitch driver. During pitch system commissioning, testing, pitch driver spare parts replacement, or pitch motor spare parts replacement, simply setting the pitch motor selection DIP switch will allow the pitch driver to match the corresponding pitch motor. This eliminates the cumbersome operations that previously required downloading pitch program with corresponding pitch motor parameters to a PC or modifying the corresponding motor control parameters in the pitch program online. It also avoids the problem of using incorrect pitch program or motor control parameters in the program on site.

[0050] There are at least three LED status indicators used to indicate the operating status of the pitch drive.

[0051] The digital tube display is used to display the CANopen node address of the pitch driver, the pitch driver fault code, or the speed of the pitch motor.

[0052] The pitch driver can transmit the current pitch motor selection settings to the main control PLC, which then transmits the information to the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system in the wind farm substation control building. SCADA can display the pitch motor selection of the corresponding wind turbine in real time or on demand, making it convenient for technicians to check whether the pitch driver control program matches the corresponding motor, thereby ensuring safer and more reliable operation of the pitch system and wind turbine.

[0053] The pitch drive itself is designed with a visualization function for displaying status codes, fault codes, and motor speed. This allows for an intuitive view of the drive's operating status and key data. Based on these statuses or data, users can quickly understand the drive's operating condition or the reasons for its malfunction. This solves the problem that previously required establishing communication between the main control PLC and the pitch drive, or using a PC to connect to the pitch drive, in order to view the pitch drive's operating status, fault codes, and other data.

[0054] In one embodiment of this utility model, the CANopen node address dialing uses a rotary encoder switch and provides 16 configurable addresses from 0 to 15.

[0055] In one embodiment of this utility model, when the CANopen node address DIP switch is 0, the node address set by the pitch driver host computer software is executed; when the CANopen node address DIP switch is other values, the corresponding node address predefined in the pitch program is executed.

[0056] In one embodiment of this utility model, the pitch motor selection dial uses a rotary coded switch and can provide 10 settable options from 0 to 9.

[0057] In one embodiment of this utility model, when the pitch motor selection DIP switch is set to 0, the motor control parameters set by the pitch driver host computer software are executed; when the pitch motor selection DIP switch is set to other values, the corresponding motor control parameters predefined in the pitch program are executed. The predefined motor control parameters in the pitch program may include, but are not limited to, parameters such as motor initial angle, number of motor pole pairs, motor rated current, stall current, rated speed, back EMF, temperature sensor type, and the inductance and resistance values ​​of the motor windings.

[0058] In one embodiment of this utility model, the motor control parameters include the motor initial angle, the number of motor pole pairs, the motor rated current, the stall current, the rated speed, the back electromotive force, the temperature sensor type, and the inductance and resistance values ​​of the motor windings.

[0059] In one embodiment of this utility model, there are three LED status indicator lights, namely H1, H2 and H3, and the LED indicator lights display the pitch driver status as follows:

[0060] The pitch drive is not powered on; H1 is off, H2 is off, and H3 is off.

[0061] When the pitch driver is powered on, H1 is off, H2 is off, and H3 is on.

[0062] The pitch driver is powered on but not ready; H1 is on, H2 is off, and H3 is on.

[0063] The pitch driver is ready; H1 is off, H2 is on, and H3 is on.

[0064] The pitch drive is operating normally; H1 is off, H2 is flashing, and H3 is on.

[0065] A fault alarm occurs during the operation of the pitch drive: H1 is lit, H2 flashes, and H3 is lit.

[0066] The pitch drive malfunctions and stops during operation; H1 flashes, H2 goes out, and H3 lights up.

[0067] In one embodiment of this utility model, the digital tube display screen is a 5-digit LED digital tube.

[0068] In one embodiment of this utility model, when the pitch driver is powered on, the digital tube display shows the CANopen node address for the first 5 seconds, in the format of "ID + node address"; at other times, the digital tube display shows the pitch driver fault code or the pitch motor speed.

[0069] When the pitch drive malfunctions, the digital display shows the actual fault code. The first digit of the digital display shows the letter "E", indicating a pitch drive malfunction; the second to fifth digits of the digital display show the fault code for the pitch drive.

[0070] When the pitch drive is functioning correctly, the digital display shows the speed of the pitch motor. The first digit of the display shows the symbol for the motor speed. When the motor rotates clockwise, the speed is positive, and this digit is off; when the motor rotates counterclockwise, the speed is negative, and this digit displays "-". The second to fifth digits of the display show the actual value of the motor speed.

[0071] In one embodiment of this utility model, the pitch drive has nine wiring ports X1 to X9, which are as follows:

[0072] The X1 connection port is an analog input / output port;

[0073] The X2 connector is a digital input / output port;

[0074] The X3 wiring port is a relay interface;

[0075] The X4 connector is a CAN communication interface.

[0076] The X5 connector is the program upgrade interface;

[0077] The X6 connector is the pitch motor position feedback interface;

[0078] The X7 wiring port is the power wiring port;

[0079] The X8 wiring port is the temperature control wiring port for the pitch motor.

[0080] The X9 connector is a backup interface for CAN communication.

[0081] In this invention, the pitch driver is compatible with both three-phase AC 400VAC and DC 550VDC power supply modes. The digital signal, analog signal, and relay output terminal blocks and the DB (D-subminiature) connector of the pitch driver are designed with anti-misconnection features. The CANOpen communication interface is designed with both DB9 interface and standard terminal block modes. The pitch driver bus bleed resistor is externally connected for easy inspection and maintenance. Under fault-free power-on conditions or after fault reset, the pitch driver automatically outputs a signal to the pitch motor, causing the blades to rotate in the feathering direction.

[0082] The main control PLC system sends a read SDO (Service Data Object) command to the pitch driver via polling mode to read the corresponding motor selection set by the pitch driver. This information is then transmitted to the SCADA system via Modbus TCP for display. Alternatively, a command button can be set in the SCADA system. When this information needs to be displayed, the SCADA system sends a command to the PLC, which then sends a read SDO command to retrieve the information and returns it to the SCADA system for display. This allows users to remotely view the pitch motor model data in real time. Furthermore, the model data of the corresponding pitch motors for different blades in different wind turbine units (unit component information statistics table) can be entered into the SCADA system database. The pitch motor model displayed by SCADA is then automatically or manually compared with the pitch motor model in the database. When a discrepancy is found, an alarm is generated, alerting maintenance personnel that there is a difference between the pitch motor model of a certain unit and the unit component information statistics table recorded in the database. Maintenance personnel can then immediately verify, investigate, and resolve the issue, ensuring the accuracy of the pitch motor control parameters and enabling safer and more reliable operation of the wind turbine unit.

[0083] The pitch drive unit features a digital display screen located to the right of the LED indicator lights. It uses a 5-digit LED display to show the driver's CANopen node address, driver fault codes, or the pitch motor speed. For example... Figure 3 The diagram shows the timing and flow of the LED digital display for the pitch driver.

[0084] The pitch drive software program (hereinafter referred to as the pitch program) is preset with a positive setpoint speed. When the driver is detected to be powered on and initialized, the driver itself is fault-free and the control enable is turned on, or after the driver is reset due to a fault, the pitch program will control the pitch drive to rotate the pitch motor in the feathering direction at the preset positive setpoint speed until the blades are detected to have fully returned to the pitch, and then stop the output, thereby ensuring the safe operation of the wind turbine.

[0085] like Figure 4The diagram shows the wiring ports of the pitch drive. A diagram of the pitch drive wiring ports and external connections is also shown below. Figure 5 As shown. All these connection ports have anti-misconnection features. The X1 interface is an analog input / output port using a 3.81 / 9P terminal block. The corresponding port numbers are printed on the connectors on the driver housing and the terminal block, from top to bottom: 1 to 9. The X2 interface is a digital input / output port using a 3.81 / 14P terminal block. The corresponding port numbers are printed on the connectors on the driver housing and the terminal block, from top to bottom: 10 to 23. The X3 interface is a relay interface using a 3.81 / 6P terminal block. The corresponding port numbers are printed on the connectors on the driver housing and the terminal block, from top to bottom: 24 to 29. The X4 interface is a CAN communication interface using a DB9 male connector. The X5 interface is a program upgrade interface. The X6 interface is the pitch motor position feedback interface, using a DB15 female connector; the X7 interface is the power wiring port, using a 7.62 / 9P terminal block. The corresponding port markings are printed on the connectors on the drive housing and the terminal block, from left to right: L1, L2, L3, +, -, PB, U, V, W; the X8 interface is the pitch motor temperature control wiring port, using a 5.08 / 2P terminal block. The corresponding port markings are printed on the connectors on the drive housing and the terminal block, from left to right: T1, T2; the X9 interface is the CAN communication spare interface, using a 3.81 / 3P terminal block. The corresponding port numbers are printed on the connectors on the drive housing and the terminal block, from top to bottom: terminals 30 to 32. This design ensures that all external connectors on the pitch drive can only be connected to the single interface on the drive, guaranteeing correct connection during pitch drive wiring, especially when replacing spare parts. In addition, among these connection ports, the X7 power connection port lead wire is designed to be perpendicular to the X1, X2, X3, X4, and X9 signal port lead wires at a 90-degree angle, which can minimize electromagnetic interference and ensure the stability of signal transmission.

[0086] The X7 power terminal block of the pitch drive includes L1, L2, and L3 terminals for AC three-phase 400V input, used for wiring in applications requiring AC power, such as laboratory testing, blade assembly, and impeller hoisting. It also provides DC power supply + and - terminals. During normal wind turbine operation, the external DC power supply first powers the DC filter, which then supplies power to the pitch drive's + and - terminals. A easily removable bleeder resistor is connected between the PB terminal of the pitch drive's X7 terminal block and the + terminal of the DC filter output to prevent overvoltage on the pitch drive's DC bus. The U, V, and W terminals of the pitch drive's X7 terminal block are directly connected to the pitch motor's operating power supply lines.

[0087] The intelligent pitch driver for wind turbine generators provided by this utility model can facilitate on-site operation and maintenance, solve the problem of too many pitch program versions, avoid errors in the use of on-site software parameters, and automatically control the blade angle to return to the pitch after power-on or fault reset, which can greatly improve on-site work efficiency.

[0088] Those skilled in the art will understand that the accompanying drawings are merely schematic diagrams of one embodiment, and the modules or processes shown in the drawings are not necessarily essential for implementing this utility model.

[0089] Those skilled in the art will understand that the modules in the apparatus of the embodiments can be distributed in the apparatus of the embodiments as described in the embodiments, or they can be located in one or more devices different from this embodiment with corresponding changes. The modules of the above embodiments can be combined into one module, or they can be further divided into multiple sub-modules.

[0090] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model, and not to limit it; although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model.

Claims

1. An intelligent pitch drive for a wind turbine generator system, comprising: include: The housing, along with the CANopen node address DIP switches, pitch motor selection DIP switches, digital display screen, and LED status indicator lights located on its surface, include: The CANopen node address DIP switch is used to set the CAN communication node address of the pitch driver. The pitch motor selection DIP switch is used to set the motor model corresponding to the pitch driver. There are at least three LED status indicators used to indicate the operating status of the pitch drive. The digital tube display is used to display the CANopen node address of the pitch driver, the pitch driver fault code, or the speed of the pitch motor.

2. The smart pitch drive for a wind turbine generator system according to claim 1, wherein, The CANopen node address DIP switch uses a rotary encoder and provides 16 configurable addresses from 0 to 15.

3. The smart pitch drive for a wind turbine generator system according to claim 2, wherein, When the CANopen node address DIP switch is 0, the node address set by the pitch driver host computer software is executed. When the CANopen node address DIP switch is other values, the corresponding node address predefined by the pitch program is executed.

4. The smart pitch drive for wind turbine generators of claim 1, wherein, The pitch motor selection dial uses a rotary encoder switch and offers 10 configurable options from 0 to 9.

5. The smart pitch drive for wind turbine generators as claimed in claim 4, wherein, When the pitch motor selection DIP switch is set to 0, the motor control parameters set by the pitch driver host computer software are executed. When the pitch motor selection DIP switch is set to other values, the corresponding motor control parameters predefined in the pitch program are executed.

6. The smart pitch drive for a wind turbine generator system according to claim 5, wherein, Motor control parameters include the initial angle of the motor, the number of pole pairs of the motor, the rated current of the motor, the locked current, the rated speed, the back electromotive force, the type of temperature sensor, and the inductance and resistance values ​​of the motor windings.

7. The smart pitch drive for wind turbine generators of claim 1, wherein, The digital tube display is a 5-digit LED digital tube.

8. The smart pitch drive for wind turbine generators of claim 1, wherein, The pitch drive has nine connection ports X1 to X9, which are as follows: The X1 connection port is an analog input / output port; The X2 connector is a digital input / output port; The X3 wiring port is a relay interface; The X4 connector is a CAN communication interface. The X5 connector is the program upgrade interface; The X6 connector is the pitch motor position feedback interface; The X7 wiring port is the power wiring port; The X8 wiring port is the temperature control wiring port for the pitch motor. The X9 connector is a backup interface for CAN communication.

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