Wind Turbine Pitch Control During Power Supply Failure

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wind turbine systems face challenges in safely and efficiently adjusting rotor blades to a feathered or spin position during power supply failures, particularly when primary energy sources fail, leading to potential malfunctions and reduced safety.

Innovation Solution

A wind turbine system with redundant safety controllers and energy storage devices that monitor and adjust rotor blades individually, allowing for precise positioning and safe stopping, even in fault modes, by deactivating power supply shutdown devices and using redundant sensors to prevent unintended movements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the power supply shutdown device is activated when the rotor blade reaches the cut-off range, then the rotor blade is stopped in the feathered position, but the device experiences wear and potential malfunction from frequent switching operations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety of rotor blade positioningVSAvoidwear and malfunction of power supply shutdown device
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The safety controller monitors the rotor blade position and deactivates the power supply shutdown device before the rotor blade reaches the cut-off range, preventing the device from activating in the first place. This preliminary action avoids wear and potential malfunction of the shutdown device while ensuring the rotor blade is stopped safely in the feathered position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the energy supply from the energy storage device is interrupted by the power supply shutdown device, then the rotor blade is stopped in the feathered position, but unintended movements and slippage may occur due to delayed response

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of rotor blade positioningVSAvoidresponse time for stopping rotor blade
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The safety controller continuously monitors the rotor blade position and the state of the power supply shutdown device, and adjusts the energy supply to the adjustment drive accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that the rotor blade is stopped accurately in the feathered position without unintended movements or slippage, while minimizing response time by proactively managing the energy supply.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If the rotor blade is adjusted to the feathered position using the adjustment drive, then the rotor blade is positioned correctly, but the adjustment drive and power supply components experience increased wear from emergency operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning accuracy of rotor bladeVSAvoidservice life of adjustment drive and power supply components
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The safety controller deactivates the power supply shutdown device before the rotor blade reaches the cut-off range, preventing emergency stopping operations. This preliminary action reduces wear on the adjustment drive and power supply components by avoiding frequent emergency operations, while still ensuring accurate positioning of the rotor blade in the feathered position through normal control operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3933191B1Wind energy system and method for operating a wind energy system
Publication Date: 2025.11.19 SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY SERVICE GMBH
  • EP3933191B1 patent drawingFigure 1~1a
  • EP3933191B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4

AI summary

According to a method according to the invention for operating a wind turbine, which has a rotor (1) with a first angle-adjustable rotor blade (2), a first adjustment drive (3) for adjusting the first rotor blade, and a safety control (10), in a normal operating mode the first adjustment drive is supplied from an energy source (6) and controlled by a first pitch control (5), wherein in a fault operating mode the energy supply of the first adjustment drive is switched from the energy source to an energy storage device (7) and the safety control monitors a position and/or movement of the first rotor blade; wherein in the fault operating mode the first rotor blade is adjusted by the first adjustment drive in the direction of a predetermined holding position, while the safety control deactivates a first energy supply shutdown device (9) depending on the monitored position and/or movement.1) releases or causes; and/or wherein, in the fault operating mode, the safety control, depending on the monitored position and/or movement, instead of a pitch brake closing switching device (9.1), closes a first pitch brake (4) to hold the first rotor blade, closes the first pitch brake and activates a first locking mode in which the energy supply to the first adjustment drive from the energy storage and/or an opening of the first pitch brake is prevented.