Torque estimation device, torque estimation method, and torque estimation program

Abstract

To provide a torque estimation device and a method for estimating a torque which can estimate a torque of a shaft of a yoke actuator.SOLUTION: A torque estimation device includes: a current value acquisition unit for acquiring a current value when a current is applied to a driving unit of an actuator provided in a windmill; a strain amount acquisition unit for acquiring a strain amount of a bolt fixing the actuator to a fixation target part; a storage unit storing correspondence information indicating a correspondence among a torque generated in a driving shaft of the driving unit when a current is applied to the driving unit, the current value, and the strain amount; and an estimation unit for estimating a torque generated in the driving shaft on the basis of the current value acquired by the current value acquisition unit or the strain amount acquired by the strain amount acquisition unit, and the correspondence information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a torque estimation device. 、 Torque estimation method and torque estimation program Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] The nacelle of a wind turbine is driven by one or more yaw actuators, which rotate the nacelle in the yaw direction (YAW) relative to the wind turbine tower. Here, it is necessary to avoid overloading the yaw actuators. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-140777 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to avoid overloading of the yaw actuator, the torque estimation device needs to estimate the torque on the shaft of the yaw actuator. However, there have been cases where it has not been possible to estimate the torque on the shaft of the yaw actuator.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a torque estimation device capable of estimating the torque of a shaft of a yaw actuator. 、 Torque estimation method and torque estimation program The purpose is to provide. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a system for detecting a strain of a bolt that fixes an actuator provided in a wind turbine to a fixed part, and a storage unit that stores correspondence information indicating a correspondence between the torque generated in a drive shaft of a drive part of the actuator and the strain. a creating unit that updates the correspondence information during operation of the wind turbine based on the distortion amount, the torque, and specification information of the drive unit or characteristic information that is a result of advance measurement;an estimation unit that estimates the torque generated in the drive shaft based on the strain amount acquired by the strain amount acquisition unit and the correspondence information; The preliminary measurement results are measurement results of current value and torque, A torque estimation device.

[0007] The torque estimation device described above can improve the accuracy of torque estimation even when the drive unit is stopped, based on the correspondence information for estimating torque.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is the torque estimation device described above, wherein the estimation unit estimates the torque while the drive shaft is being driven based on the strain amount measured while the drive shaft is stopped and the corresponding information.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is the torque estimation device, wherein the correspondence information In front The strain amount and the torque characteristic information of the drive unit; A creating unit is provided for updating the information based on the above.

[0010] One aspect of the present invention is a method for determining a strain amount of a bolt that fixes an actuator provided in a wind turbine to a fixed part, the method comprising: accessing a storage unit that stores correspondence information indicating a correspondence between the torque generated in a drive shaft of a drive part of the actuator and the strain amount; updating the correspondence information during operation of the wind turbine based on the distortion amount, the torque, and specification information of the drive unit or characteristic information that is a result of advance measurement; and estimating the torque generated in the drive shaft based on the strain amount acquired in the strain amount acquisition step and the correspondence information. the preliminary measurement results are measurement results of a current value and a torque, Torque estimation method By law be. In one aspect of the present invention, a computer accesses a storage unit that stores a strain amount acquisition procedure for acquiring a strain amount of a bolt that fixes an actuator provided in a wind turbine to a fixed part, and correspondence information that shows a correspondence between the torque generated in a drive shaft of a drive part of the actuator and the strain amount; updating the correspondence information during operation of the wind turbine based on the distortion amount, the torque, and specification information of the drive unit or characteristic information that is a result of advance measurement; and executing a procedure for estimating the torque generated in the drive shaft based on the distortion amount acquired in the distortion amount acquisition procedure and the correspondence information. a torque estimation program, wherein the preliminary measurement results are measurement results of a current value and a torque; This is a torque estimation program. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The present invention makes it possible to estimate the torque on the shaft of the yaw actuator. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a wind turbine. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a torque estimation system during operation of a wind turbine. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a first example of measurement results of current values ​​and distortion amounts during operation of the wind turbine. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of characteristic information. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a conversion table before being updated while the wind turbine is in operation. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second example of the measurement results of the current value and the amount of distortion during operation of the wind turbine. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an updated conversion table during operation of the wind turbine. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the torque estimation system during operation of the wind turbine. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a torque estimation system before a wind turbine is put into operation. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of measurement results of torque and strain amount before operation of the wind turbine. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a conversion table before being updated while the wind turbine is in operation. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an updated conversion table during operation of the wind turbine. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the torque estimation system before the wind turbine is put into operation and the operation of the torque estimation system during the operation of the wind turbine. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to (First embodiment) 1 is a perspective view showing an example configuration of a wind turbine 101. The wind turbine 101 comprises a tower 102, a nacelle 103, a rotor 104 (main shaft), and a plurality of blades 105. The tower 102 is installed on land or sea, facing vertically upward.

[0014] The nacelle 103 is rotatably provided on the top of the tower 102. The nacelle 103 is driven by a yaw actuator provided inside the nacelle 103. Driven by the yaw actuator, the nacelle 103 rotates around the longitudinal direction of the tower 102 as its rotation axis. In other words, the nacelle 103 rotates in the yaw direction (YAW) relative to the tower 102.

[0015] The rotor 104 rotates in a roll direction (ROLL) in the nacelle 103. A plurality of (for example, three) blades 105 are provided on the rotor 104 at equal angles to each other so as to extend radially from a rotation axis in the roll direction.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a torque estimation system 1a when a wind turbine 101 is in operation. The torque estimation system 1a includes a control device 2, one or more yaw actuators 3, a ring gear 4, N bolts 5 (N is an integer equal to or greater than 2), N strain sensors 6, a current sensor 7, and a torque estimation device 8. Note that the torque estimation system 1a may include an actuator other than a yaw actuator. The torque estimation system 1a may estimate the torque of an actuator other than a yaw actuator. An actuator other than a yaw actuator is, for example, a pitch actuator.

[0017] The yaw actuator 3 is fixed to the wind turbine nacelle 103 with N bolts 5. The yaw actuator 3 includes a drive unit 30, a brake unit 31, a reducer 32, a shaft 33 (drive shaft), and a pinion 34. The reducer 32 includes a gear as a speed reduction mechanism. The pinion 34 is provided at the end of the shaft 33 so as to mesh with the ring gear 4. The ring gear 4 is provided at the top of the tower 102. The N bolts 5 are arranged circumferentially on the yaw actuator 3. Strain sensors 6-n (n is an integer between 1 and N) (strain amount acquisition units) are provided on the bolts 5-n.

[0018] The torque estimation device 8 includes a communication unit 80, a storage unit 81, a creation unit 82, an estimation unit 83, and a display unit 84. Some or all of the units of the torque estimation device 8 are provided in, for example, a management center (not shown). Some or all of the units of the torque estimation device 8 may be provided in the wind turbine 101. The units of the torque estimation device 8 can communicate with each other via a bus. Some or all of the communication unit 80, the creation unit 82, and the estimation unit 83 are realized by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program stored in the storage unit 81. The storage unit 81 is preferably a non-volatile recording medium (non-temporary recording medium) such as a flash memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The storage unit 81 may also include a volatile recording medium such as a RAM (Random Access Memory). Some or all of the communication unit 80, the creation unit 82, and the estimation unit 83 may be realized using a microcomputer such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0019] The torque estimation system 1a is a system that estimates the torque of the shaft 33 of the yaw actuator 3. The torque estimation system 1a may operate as a condition monitoring system for avoiding overload of the yaw actuator 3 based on the torque estimation result.

[0020] The control device 2 is a device that controls the operation of the yaw actuator 3. The control device 2 acquires the torque value of the shaft 33 of each yaw actuator 3 from the communication unit 80. The control device 2 may weaken the electromagnetic brake of the braking unit 31 that has a shaft 33 that exhibits a torque value equal to or greater than a predetermined value. This allows the control device 2 to reduce the load on the yaw actuator 3 that has a shaft 33 that exhibits a torque value equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The control device 2 can equalize the load on each yaw actuator 3 by adjusting the drive timing of each drive unit 30 and by operating the electromagnetic brake of the braking unit 31 on and off.

[0021] The yaw actuator 3 is a device that rotates or stops the nacelle 103 in the yaw direction relative to the tower 102. The ring gear 4 may be a member with multiple internal teeth on its inner circumference, or a member with multiple external teeth on its outer circumference. The bolts 5-1 to 5-N are members that secure the yaw actuator 3 to the nacelle 103. Distortion occurs in the bolts 5 in response to moments caused by external loads such as wind. The strain sensor 6 is a device that measures the amount of distortion in the longitudinal direction of the bolts 5. The current sensor 7 (current value acquisition unit) is a device that measures the current value of the current supplied to the drive unit 30.

[0022] The torque estimation device 8 (calibration device) is a device that estimates the torque of the shaft 33 of the yaw actuator 3. The torque estimation device 8 is, for example, a workstation, a personal computer, a tablet terminal, a smartphone terminal, or a programmable logic controller (PLC). Note that the functional units of the torque estimation device 8 may be distributed and arranged by performing cloud computing.

[0023] Next, the yaw actuator 3 will be described in detail. The driving unit 30 is a motor. The driving unit 30 rotates the shaft 33 around the longitudinal direction of the shaft 33 as the rotation axis in accordance with the current supplied to the driving unit 30. The braking unit 31 uses an electromagnetic brake to reduce the rotation speed of the shaft 33. The braking unit 31 may use the electromagnetic brake to keep the rotation of the shaft 33 stopped. The reducer 32 determines the rotation speed of the shaft 33 using a gear provided in the reducer 32.

[0024] The shaft 33 is driven by the drive unit 30 and rotates at a rotational speed reduced by the reducer 32. The shaft 33 is driven by the drive unit 30 and rotates at a predetermined torque (shaft torque). The pinion 34 rotates while meshing with the internal teeth of the ring gear 4 in accordance with the amount of rotation of the shaft 33. This allows the nacelle 103 to rotate in the yaw direction relative to the tower 102.

[0025] Next, the torque estimation device 8 will be described in detail. The communication unit 80 communicates with each functional unit, namely, the control device 2, the strain sensor 6, and the current sensor 7, using wired or wireless communication. The communication unit 80 acquires the current value of the drive unit 30 from the current sensor 7. The communication unit 80 acquires the amount of strain of each bolt 5 from each strain sensor 6. The communication unit 80 may acquire an instruction signal for the torque estimation device 8 from an external device (not shown). The communication unit 80 may acquire, for example, an instruction signal indicating whether or not to end the estimation process from the external device (not shown).

[0026] The storage unit 81 stores various data tables such as a conversion table and characteristic information. The conversion table is a conversion table (correspondence information) that shows the correspondence between the current value of the drive unit 30, the strain amount of the bolt 5, and the torque of the shaft 33. The characteristic information is, for example, specification information or preliminary measurement results of the drive unit 30. The storage unit 81 may also store programs and parameters.

[0027] The creation unit 82 creates a conversion table based on the current value of the drive unit 30, the strain amount of the bolt 5, and the characteristic information. The estimation unit 83 can access the storage unit 81. The estimation unit 83 estimates the torque of the shaft 33 based on the current value or strain amount measured during operation of the wind turbine 101 and the conversion table. When the shaft 33 is stopped (not driving), no drive current is supplied to the drive unit 30, and therefore the current sensor 7 cannot measure an effective current value of the drive unit 30. Therefore, when the shaft 33 is stopped, the estimation unit 83 estimates the torque of the shaft 33 based on the measured strain amount and the conversion table.

[0028] The correspondence between the current value of the driver 30, the amount of strain of the bolt 5, and the characteristic information may be represented using something other than a conversion table. For example, the creation unit 82 may create a function (correspondence information) based on the current value of the driver 30, the amount of strain of the bolt 5, and the characteristic information. The estimation unit 83 may estimate the torque of the shaft 33 based on the current value or amount of strain measured during operation of the wind turbine 101 and the function (correspondence information). The storage unit 81 may store data of such a function.

[0029] When the shaft 33 is being driven (the shaft 33 is being driven), a drive current is supplied to the drive unit 30, and the current sensor 7 can measure the effective current value of the drive unit 30. Therefore, when the shaft 33 is being driven, the estimation unit 83 estimates the torque of the shaft 33 based on the measured current value and the conversion table.

[0030] In addition ,distorted The sensor 6 can measure the amount of strain on the bolt 5. Therefore, when the shaft 33 is being driven, the estimation unit 83 may estimate the torque of the shaft 33 based on the amount of strain measured while the shaft 33 is stopped or being driven and on the conversion table.

[0031] The display unit 84 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display. The display unit 84 may include an operation device such as a touch panel. The display unit 84 displays an image of the result of estimation by the estimation unit 83.

[0032] The values ​​shown in the data tables of FIGS. 3 to 7 and the data tables of FIGS. 10 to 12 below are examples.

[0033] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a first example of measurement results of current values ​​and distortion amounts during operation of the wind turbine 101. In Fig. 3, the current values ​​measured by the current sensor 7 correspond to the distortion amounts measured by the distortion sensor 6. The storage unit 81 stores the measurement results of the current values ​​and distortion amounts.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of characteristic information. The characteristic information is specification information or a result of a preliminary measurement of the drive unit 30. In the characteristic information, a current value and a torque are associated with each other. The characteristic information is created in advance, for example, by the manufacturer of the drive unit 30. For example, the manufacturer of the drive unit 30 may create the characteristic information of the drive unit 30 when determining the specifications of the drive unit 30. For example, the manufacturer of the drive unit 30 may create the characteristic information of the drive unit 30 by measuring the current value and torque (shaft torque) of the drive unit 30 during an inspection process when the drive unit 30 is manufactured. The memory unit 81 stores the characteristic information.

[0035] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a conversion table before updating while the wind turbine 101 is in operation. The creation unit 82 creates the conversion table shown in Fig. 5 based on the current values ​​and distortion amounts shown in Fig. 3 and the characteristic information shown in Fig. 4. Here, the creation unit 82 creates the conversion table shown in Fig. 5 by using the current values ​​shown in Fig. 3 and the current values ​​shown in Fig. 4 as common items.

[0036] For example, the creation unit 82 associates the current value "100A" shown in FIG. 3 with the current value "100A" shown in FIG. 4 as a common item in the conversion table, and associates the current value "100A" with the strain amount "10μST" and the torque "12kN·m."

[0037] For example, the creation unit 82 associates the current value "200A" shown in FIG. 3 with the current value "200A" shown in FIG. 4 as a common item in the conversion table, and associates the current value "200A" with the strain amount "15μST" and the torque "22kN·m."

[0038] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a second example of the measurement results of the current value and the amount of distortion during operation of the wind turbine 101. The updated amounts of distortion shown in Fig. 6 have shifted to be larger than the amounts of distortion shown in Fig. 3. In other words, the values ​​of the amounts of distortion have drifted. The reason why the updated amounts of distortion become larger is, for example, because the output of the distortion sensor 6 changes with temperature and time.

[0039] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an updated conversion table during operation of the wind turbine 101. The creation unit 82 creates the updated conversion table shown in Fig. 7 based on the updated current value and distortion shown in Fig. 6 and the characteristic information shown in Fig. 4. For example, in Fig. 5, a distortion amount of "10 μST" is associated with a current value of "100 A", but in Fig. 7, a distortion amount of "15 μST" is associated with a current value of "100 A". For example, in Fig. 5, a distortion amount of "15 μST" is associated with a current value of "200 A", but in Fig. 7, a distortion amount of "20 μST" is associated with a current value of "200 A".

[0040] Next, an example of the operation of the torque estimation system 1a will be described. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the torque estimation system 1a while the wind turbine 101 is in operation. The storage unit 81 acquires characteristic information (for example, FIG. 4) from the communication unit 80. The storage unit 81 stores the characteristic information (step S101). The current sensor 7 measures the current value of the drive unit 30 (for example, the upper part in FIG. 3) (step S102). The strain sensor 6 measures the amount of strain of each bolt 5 (for example, the lower part in FIG. 3) (step S103). The creation unit 82 creates a conversion table (for example, FIG. 5) based on the current value, the amount of strain, and the characteristic information (step S104).

[0041] The estimation unit 83 estimates the torque of the shaft 33 based on the current value or strain amount measured during operation and the conversion table. For example, when the drive unit 30 is stopped, the estimation unit 83 estimates the torque of the shaft 33 based on the strain amount of each bolt 5 and the conversion table (step S105).

[0042] The estimation unit 83 determines whether to end the torque estimation process, for example, based on an instruction signal (step S106). If the estimation unit 83 determines to continue the estimation process (continue to correct the torque) (step S106: NO), the estimation unit 83 returns the process to step S102. If the estimation unit 83 determines to end the estimation process (step S106: YES), each unit of the torque estimation system 1a ends the process shown in FIG.

[0043] As described above, the current sensor 7 (current value acquisition unit) acquires a current value when a current is applied to the drive unit 30 of an actuator (e.g., yaw actuator 3, pitch actuator) provided in the wind turbine 101. The strain sensor 6 (strain amount acquisition unit) acquires the amount of strain of each bolt that fixes the actuator having the drive unit 30 to a fixed part of the wind turbine 101. The storage unit 81 stores correspondence information that indicates a correspondence between the torque generated in the shaft 33 (drive shaft) of the drive unit 30 when a current is applied to the drive unit 30, the current value of the drive unit 30, and the amount of strain of the bolt. The estimation unit 83 estimates the torque of the shaft 33 (output shaft, drive shaft) based on the current value acquired by the current sensor 7 (current value acquisition unit) or the amount of strain acquired by the strain sensor 6 (strain amount acquisition unit) and the correspondence information. The creation unit 82 creates or updates correspondence information (e.g., a conversion table or function as shown in FIG. 5) that represents the correspondence between current values, distortion amounts, and torque, based on the current values ​​and distortion amounts (e.g., FIG. 3) and characteristic information (e.g., FIG. 4).

[0044] The correspondence between the current value and the torque is not easily affected by temperature changes or changes over time in the drive unit 30. Therefore, the creation unit 82 creates correspondence information (a conversion table, a function, etc.) based on the characteristic information indicating the correspondence between the current value and the torque and the measured current value and amount of distortion. This makes it possible to estimate the torque of the shaft 33 of the yaw actuator 3 within the range of the current value indicated by the characteristic information.

[0045] The torque estimation device 8 can be provided in an existing yaw actuator 3. The torque estimation device 8 can predict a failure of the yaw actuator 3 based on the estimated time-series torque. The torque estimation device 8 can reduce the possibility that the wind turbine 101 will miss an opportunity to generate power.

[0046] (Second embodiment) The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the torque of the shaft 33 to which a simulated load is applied and the strain amount of the bolt 5 are measured before the wind turbine 101 is put into operation (when the yaw actuator 3 is installed). The second embodiment will be mainly described with reference to the first embodiment.

[0047] 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a torque estimation system 1b before the operation of a wind turbine 101. The torque estimation system 1b includes a control device 2, one or more yaw actuators 3, a ring gear 4, N bolts 5, N strain sensors 6, a torque estimation device 8, one or more torque meters 9, and a load unit 10.

[0048] Before the wind turbine 101 is put into operation, the load unit 10 (load generating device) applies a torque of an output value instructed by the communication unit 80 to the shaft 33. In this state, the torque meter 9 attached to the bolt 5 measures the torque applied to the shaft 33. A moment is generated in the yaw actuator 3 according to the torque applied to the shaft 33, causing distortion in the bolt 5. The strain sensor 6 measures the amount of distortion in each bolt 5 before the wind turbine 101 is put into operation.

[0049] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of measurement results of torque and strain amount before operation of the wind turbine 101. In Fig. 10, the strain amount of the bolt 5 measured by the strain sensor 6 is associated with the torque of the shaft 33 measured by, for example, a torque meter 9 provided on the bolt 5. The storage unit 81 stores the measurement results of the torque and strain amount as pre-operation information.

[0050] The load unit 10 and the torque meter 9 are removed by an operator before the wind turbine 101 is put into operation. Before the wind turbine 101 is put into operation, the torque estimation system 1b is changed to have the same configuration as the torque estimation system 1a shown in the first embodiment. Therefore, while the wind turbine 101 is in operation, the torque estimation system 1b having the same configuration as the torque estimation system 1a operates.

[0051] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a conversion table before updating while the wind turbine 101 is in operation. The creation unit 82 creates a part of the conversion table shown in Fig. 11 based on the current values ​​and distortion amounts shown in Fig. 3 and the characteristic information shown in Fig. 4. Here, the creation unit 82 creates a part of the conversion table shown in Fig. 11 by treating the current values ​​shown in Fig. 3 and the current values ​​shown in Fig. 4 as common items.

[0052] For example, the creation unit 82 associates the current value "100A" shown in Fig. 3 with the current value "100A" shown in Fig. 4 as a common item, and associates the current value "100A" with the strain amount "10 μST" and torque "12 kN m" in the conversion table. For example, the creation unit 82 associates the current value "200A" shown in Fig. 3 with the current value "200A" shown in Fig. 4 as a common item, and associates the current value "200A" with the strain amount "15 μST" and torque "22 kN m" in the conversion table.

[0053] Furthermore, the creation unit 82 completes the conversion table shown in Fig. 11 based on the current values ​​and distortion amounts shown in Fig. 3 and the pre-operation information shown in Fig. 10. Here, the creation unit 82 completes the conversion table shown in Fig. 11 by using the distortion amounts shown in Fig. 3 and the distortion amounts shown in Fig. 10 as common items.

[0054] For example, the creation unit 82 associates a current value of 300 A with the strain amount of 25 μST and a torque of 30 kN m in the conversion table, with the strain amount of 25 μST shown in Fig. 3 and the strain amount of 25 μST shown in Fig. 10 as common items. For example, the creation unit 82 associates a current value of 400 A with the strain amount of 35 μST and a torque of 40 kN m in the conversion table, with the strain amount of 35 μST shown in Fig. 3 and the strain amount of 35 μST shown in Fig. 10 as common items.

[0055] In the following, a case where the values ​​of the strain amounts shown in Fig. 3 drift as shown in Fig. 6 will be described as an example. The reason why the values ​​of the strain amounts drift is, for example, because the output of the strain sensor 6 changes with temperature and time.

[0056] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of an updated conversion table during operation of the wind turbine 101. The creation unit 82 creates the updated conversion table shown in Fig. 12 based on the updated current values ​​and distortion amounts shown in Fig. 6, the characteristic information shown in Fig. 4, and the pre-operation information shown in Fig. 10.

[0057] For example, in Fig. 11, a strain amount of "10 μST" is associated with a current value of "100 A," but in Fig. 12, a strain amount of "15 μST" is associated with a current value of "100 A." In Fig. 11, a strain amount of "15 μST" is associated with a current value of "200 A," but in Fig. 12, a strain amount of "20 μST" is associated with a current value of "200 A."

[0058] Similarly, for example, while a current value of 300 A is associated with a strain amount of 25 μST in Fig. 11, a current value of 300 A is associated with a strain amount of 35 μST in Fig. 12. While a current value of 400 A is associated with a strain amount of 35 μST in Fig. 11, a current value of 400 A is associated with a strain amount of 40 μST in Fig. 12.

[0059] Next, an example of the operation of the torque estimation system 1b will be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation (calibration operation) of the torque estimation system 1b before the wind turbine 101 is put into operation (when the yaw actuator 3 is installed), and the operation of the torque estimation system 1a while the wind turbine 101 is in operation.

[0060] Before the wind turbine 101 is put into operation, the load unit 10 applies a torque of an output value instructed by the communication unit 80 to the shaft 33. That is, the load unit 10 applies a load simulating a load due to wind force to the shaft 33. In this state, the torque meter 9 attached to the bolt 5 measures the torque applied to the shaft 33. The strain sensor 6 measures the amount of strain of each bolt 5 before the wind turbine 101 is put into operation (step S201).

[0061] The creation unit 82 creates pre-operation information (for example, FIG. 10) that indicates the torque applied to the shaft 33 and the amount of strain of each bolt 5 (step S202).

[0062] While the wind turbine 101 is in operation, the torque estimation system 1b is modified to have the same configuration as the torque estimation system 1a shown in the first embodiment.

[0063] The memory unit 81 acquires the characteristic information (e.g., FIG. 4) from the communication unit 80. The memory unit 81 stores the characteristic information (step S203). The current sensor 7 measures the current value of the drive unit 30 (step S204). The strain sensor 6 measures the amount of strain of each bolt 5 (e.g., the lower part in FIG. 3) (step S205). The creation unit 82 creates a conversion table based on the current value, the amount of strain, the characteristic information, and the pre-operation information (step S206).

[0064] The estimation unit 83 estimates the torque of the shaft 33 based on the current value or strain amount measured during operation and the conversion table. For example, when the drive unit 30 is stopped (when no current is applied to the drive unit 30), the estimation unit 83 estimates the torque of the shaft 33 based on the strain amount of each bolt 5 and the conversion table (step S207).

[0065] The estimation unit 83 determines whether to end the torque estimation process, for example, based on an instruction signal (step S208). If the estimation unit 83 determines to continue the estimation process (continue to correct the torque) (step S208: NO), the estimation unit 83 returns the process to step S204. If the estimation unit 83 determines to end the estimation process (step S208: YES), each unit of the torque estimation system 1a ends the process shown in FIG.

[0066] As described above, the bolt 5-n is equipped with a torque meter 9-n. For calibration, the torque meter 9 measures the torque before the operation of the wind turbine 101. The creation unit 82 creates pre-operation information (e.g., FIG. 10 ) that represents the correspondence between the torque of the shaft 33 measured before the operation of the wind turbine 101 and the amount of strain of the bolt 5 measured before the operation of the wind turbine 101. The storage unit 81 stores the pre-operation information. The creation unit 82 creates a conversion table (e.g., FIG. 11 ) that represents the correspondence between the current value, the amount of strain, and the torque, based on the current value, the amount of strain, the characteristic information, and the pre-operation information.

[0067] The correspondence between current values ​​and torque is not easily affected by temperature changes or changes over time in the drive unit 30. Therefore, the creation unit 82 creates part of the conversion table (in FIG. 11, a column for the current value "100 A" and a column for "200 A") based on the characteristics information indicating the correspondence between current values ​​and torque and the measured current values ​​and strain amounts. This makes it possible to estimate the torque of the shaft 33 of the yaw actuator 3 within the range of current values ​​indicated by the characteristics information.

[0068] Furthermore, in the calibration before the wind turbine 101 is put into operation (when the yaw actuator 3 is installed), a torque is measured that reflects the influence of individual variations (variations due to external factors) and the influence of the rigidity of the assembly part. Therefore, the creation unit 82 creates the remaining part of the conversion table (in FIG. 11, the columns for the current value "300 A" and "400 A") based on the measured current value and strain amount and the pre-operation information. This makes it possible to estimate the torque of the shaft 33 of the yaw actuator 3 even for a range of current values ​​for which characteristic information is not available.

[0069] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes designs within the scope of the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1a, 1b...torque estimation system, 2...control device, 3...yaw actuator, 4...ring gear, 5...bolt, 6...strain sensor, 7...current sensor, 8...torque estimation device, 9...torque meter, 10...load section, 30...drive section, 31...braking section, 32...reduction gear, 33...shaft, 34...pinion, 80...communication section, 81...storage section, 82...creation section, 83...estimation section, 84...display section, 101...wind turbine, 102...tower, 103...nacelle, 104...rotor, 105...blade

Claims

1. a strain amount acquiring unit that acquires a strain amount of a bolt that fixes an actuator provided in the wind turbine to a fixed portion; a storage unit that stores correspondence information indicating a correspondence between the torque generated in the drive shaft of the drive unit of the actuator and the strain amount; a creating unit that updates the correspondence information during operation of the wind turbine based on the distortion amount, the torque, and specification information of the drive unit or characteristic information that is a result of advance measurement; an estimation unit that estimates the torque generated in the drive shaft based on the strain amount acquired by the strain amount acquisition unit and the correspondence information; Equipped with The torque estimation device, wherein the preliminary measurement results are measurement results of a current value and a torque.

2. the estimation unit estimates the torque while the drive shaft is being driven based on the strain amount measured in advance while the drive shaft is stopped and the correspondence information. The torque estimation device according to claim 1 .

3. a strain amount acquisition step of acquiring a strain amount of a bolt that fixes an actuator provided in the wind turbine to a fixed portion; accessing a storage unit in which correspondence information indicating a correspondence between the torque generated on the drive shaft of the drive unit of the actuator and the distortion amount is stored, and updating the correspondence information during operation of the wind turbine based on the distortion amount, the torque, and specification information of the drive unit or characteristic information that is a result of advance measurement; a step of estimating the torque generated in the drive shaft based on the strain amount acquired in the strain amount acquisition step and the correspondence information; wherein the preliminary measurement results are measurement results of a current value and a torque.

4. On the computer, a strain amount acquisition step of acquiring a strain amount of a bolt that fixes an actuator provided in the wind turbine to a fixed part; accessing a storage unit that stores correspondence information indicating a correspondence between the torque generated on the drive shaft of the drive unit of the actuator and the distortion amount, and updating the correspondence information during operation of the wind turbine based on the distortion amount, the torque, and specification information of the drive unit or characteristic information that is a result of advance measurement; a step of estimating the torque generated in the drive shaft based on the strain amount acquired in the strain amount acquisition step and the correspondence information; wherein the preliminary measurement results are measurement results of a current value and a torque.

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