DK178375B1 - Power supply for an electric component in a wind turbine blade - Google Patents
Power supply for an electric component in a wind turbine blade Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- DK178375B1 DK178375B1 DK201500050A DKPA201500050A DK178375B1 DK 178375 B1 DK178375 B1 DK 178375B1 DK 201500050 A DK201500050 A DK 201500050A DK PA201500050 A DKPA201500050 A DK PA201500050A DK 178375 B1 DK178375 B1 DK 178375B1
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- DK
- Denmark
- Prior art keywords
- lightning
- transformer
- blade
- wind turbine
- electronic equipment
- Prior art date
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
- Y02E10/70—Wind energy
- Y02E10/72—Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
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- Wind Motors (AREA)
Abstract
The invention relates to at least a part a lightning protection system for protecting electronic equipment located in a blade of a wind turbine, the lightning protection system comprises an energy carrying lightning down conductor, a first transformer and a second transformer, wherein the first transformer is electrically connected to the second transformer by means of the energy carrying lightning down conductor, and wherein the energy carrying lightning down conductor comprises at least two individual conductors for supplying power to the electronic equipment located in the blade.
Description
Power supply for an electric component in a wind turbine blade Field of the invention
The invention relates to a lightning protection system for electronic equipment located in a blade of a wind turbine, a wind turbine having blades with such as lightning protection system and the use of such lightning protection system for protection of electronic equipment in a wind turbine blade.
Background of the invention
Supplying power to electronics located in the blades of wind turbine is associated with great challenges in order to protect such electronics from current from lightning striking the wind turbine blades.
Different solutions to this problem has been provided one of which is described in EP2212551. Here an optic fiber is supplying an electric powered module located in the blade. Another solution is found in EP2551516 where compressed air is used to supply power consuming components in the blade with power. A solution to protect electronics from currents from lightning strikes is found in DE 19728716 in which a heating wire in a blade is used as a lightning conductor. I addition hereto other suggested solutions e.g. related to generating energy from vibrations of the blade is known.
Hence the known solutions require either fibers, hoses or power generating devices installed in the blade which is costly and time consuming and it is an object with the present invention to overcome these problems.
Brief description of the invention
It is an object of the present invention provide a lightning protection system protecting electronic equipment located in a blade of a wind turbine, the lightning protection system comprises an energy carrying lightning down conductor, a first transformer and a second transformer, wherein the first transformer is electrically connected to the second transformer by means of the energy carrying lightning down conductor, and wherein the energy carrying lightning down conductor comprises at least two individual conductors.
Hence by supplying power from a power supply to the second transformer this power can be provided to the electronic equipment located in the blade via the first transformer and the energy carrying lightning down conductor.
This is advantages in that electric power can be supplied to electronic equipment in the blade without the risk of such electric power supply is faced with large induced voltages from couplings from lightning down conductors and large voltage coursed by voltage drop along the lightning down conductor. Thereby the electronic equipment is protected without high demands to level of insulation of the transformers.
By separating the energy carrying down conductor from the electronic equipment, galvanic separation is obtained and thereby the electronics of the electronic equipment is protected from lightning currents conducted by the energy carrying lightning down conductor.
This is advantages in that it then becomes possible to supply electronic equipment located in the blade of a wind turbine with electric power.
Electronic equipment may include any kind of electronic equipment including communication devices, measurement equipment, data processing devices, etc.
The down conductor is preferably the standard lightning conductor installed in the blade and part of the lightning protection system of the wind turbine which facilitates conducting current from strokes of lightning from the blade to ground.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the two energy carrying lightning down conductors are cables of equal cross-sectional area and length. Equally size cables (in terms of cross-section and length and of course also conductive material such as cobber or aluminium) are advantageous in that this ensures equal split of lightning currents in opposite direction in the high current side of the transformers, this ensures low coupling of lightning energy to low current sides of the transformers. The energy carrying lightning down conductor may be implemented as one cable with a plurality of individual conductors or as a plurality of individual conductors.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the two energy carrying lightning down conductors are supplying power to electronic equipment located in the blade. This is advantageous in that the energy carrying lighting down conductor is able to provide power to electronic equipment in the blades at the same time as the energy carrying lightning down conductors are conducting lightning current.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the second transformer is designed to transform more power than the first transformer. This is advantages in that the first transformer is cheaper to buy. This is possible due to the electrical losses in the two conductors of the energy carrying lightning down conductor.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the number of windings of the high current side / secondary side of the second transformer 11 is 1 or 2.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the number of windings of the high current side / primary side of the first transformer 10 is 1 or 2. It is advantageous in that the induced voltage across the high current winding in case of lightning strike is kept low and within low cost insulation level.
It should be mentioned that reference to first transformer 10 should be understood as a reference to all first transformers 10A, 10B, 10η.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the second transformer connects the energy carrying lightning down conductor from the blade to the lightning down conductor of the hub. Often the main structure of the hub is use as a down conductor hence the sown conductor of the hub may be implemented as the main structure and accordingly the second transformer may connect the down conductor from the blade to the main structure of the hub.
Preferably the first transformer connects the energy carrying lightning down conductor from the hub the lightning down conductor which at the other end is connected to a receptor.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the wind turbine blade comprises two or more electronic equipment stations wherein these electronic equipment stations are located at different locations within the wind turbine blade and wherein these electronic equipment stations each are energized via individual first transformers. An electronic equipment station comprises electronic equipment and may be located at different location along the length of the blade.
Moreover the invention relates to a wind turbine having at least two blades each having a lightning protection system according to any of the preceding claims
Moreover the invention relates to the use of a lightning protection system according to any of the preceding claims for protection of electronic equipment located in a blade of a wind turbine.
Figures A few exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described in more detail in the following with reference to the figures, of which: figure 1 illustrates a wind turbine according to an embodiment of the invention, figure 2 illustrates a blade with a first and a second transformer connected with two an energy carrying lightning down according to an embodiment of the invention, figure 3 illustrates the blade of figure 2 where lightning down conductors in the blade and hub is connected with an additional lightning down conductor according to an embodiment of the invention, and figure 4 illustrates the blade of figure 2 with wherein the energy carrying lightning down conductor from the second transformer is connected to at least two first transformers.
Detailed description of the invention
Figure 1 illustrates an electrical power generating system in form of a wind turbine 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. The wind turbine 1 comprises a tower 2, a nacelle 3, a hub 4 and two or more blades 5. The blades 5 of the wind turbine 1 are rotatable mounted on the hub 4, together with which they are referred to as the rotor. The rotation of a blade 5 along its longitudinal axial is referred to as pitch. The wind turbine 1 is controlled by a control system comprising a wind turbine controller 6, sub controllers 7 for controlling different parts of the wind turbine 1 and communication lines 8. The wind turbine controller 6 is preferably communication with external controllers (not illustrated) and operators (not illustrated) via not illustrated communication lines.
The wind turbine further comprises a lightning protection system 15 comprising receptors 16 at the blades 5 which is intended for receiving strokes of lightning.
From the receptors 16 lightning current is conducted to ground 17 via lightning down conductors 13.
Figure 2 illustrates a blade 5 according to an embodiment of the invention. The blade 5 comprises an electronic equipment station 18 comprising electronic equipment 9A. The electronic equipment station 18 is supplied with power from a first and a second transformer 10A, 11 between which the lightning down conductor 14 is implemented as one or more energy carrying lightning down conductors 12. The energy carrying lightning down conductor 12 may be implemented as two or more separate cables or as one cable with two or more individual conductors.
The electronic equipment station 18 may include electronic equipment 9A such as e.g. data processors, measuring devices for measuring acceleration, movement, angle, temperature, etc. communication devices for receiving and sending information e.g. using electromagnetic waves such as radio communication as Ultra Wide Band signals, wireless communication, etc.
Furthermore the electronic equipment station 18 preferably includes the first transformer 10A which in case of a wind turbine blade 5 struck by lightning separates the lightning current from the electronic equipment 9A.
As illustrated the energy carrying lightning down conductors 12 is part of the lightning protection system 15 of the wind turbine 1 and is capable of conducting lightning current from blades 5 struck by lightning to ground 17. The illustrated part of this lightning protection system 15 further comprises lightning down conductors 14A, 14B. Lightning down conductor 14B is in the not illustrate end connected to a receptor 16 located in the blade 5. At the illustrated end the lighting down conductor 14B is connected to the primary side / high current side of the first transformer 10A. Preferably the lightning down conductor 14B is implemented as a cobber or aluminium cable but may also be implemented by other materials or structures of the blade 5.
Lightning down conductor 14A is at one end connected to a common terminal on secondary side / high current side of the second transformer 11. The other end of the lightning down conductor 14A is connected to ground 17 via other parts of the lightning protection system of the wind turbine 1. This may preferably include cables and / or structures of the wind turbine 1.
The electronic equipment 9A is supplied with power from a power supply (not illustrated) connected to the second transformer 11 and then via the energy carrying lightning down conductors 12 and then finally via the first transformer 10A. Thereby is obtained galvanic separation between the energy carrying down conductors 12 and the electronic equipment 9A which is thereby protected from the lightning currents conducted by the energy carrying down conductors 12 of the lightning protection system 15.
The not illustrated power supply is connected to the primary side / low current side of the second transformer 11 and could be a power supply already available in a panel (not illustrated) in the hub 4. Preferably the second transformer 11 is located in a separate panel in the hub 4 to protect existing panels and electronic equipment from the lightning current conducted by the energy carrying lightning down conductor 12 upon blades 5 are struck by lightning. The power supply may provide any of 48V, 110V, 230Vac or any other voltage levels and any current needed by the electronic equipment 9A which is preferably below 2A preferably below 1 A. accordingly the power supply is determined by demands of the one or more electronic equipment stations 18.
The first transformer 10A and the second transformer 11 is preferably connected via a cable connection comprising two cables each having a size of at least 25mm2 preferably at least 35mm2. This cable connection is referred to as energy carrying lightning down conductor 12. This facilitates a differential mode power supply from the second transformer 11 to the first transformer 10A and thereby to the electronic equipment 9A. Furthermore, this facilitates a common mode lightning current conduction between the transformers 10A and 11.
Using first and second transformers 10A and 11 connected with two energy carrying lightning conductors 12 for supplying electronic equipment 9 in a blade 5 is advantageous compared to the situation where one lightning carrying conductor 14 between the blade 5 and the hub 4 is used together with separate conductors for supplying power to electronic equipment 9 in the blades 5. This is mainly because then couplings from the lightning down conductor 14 will induce large voltages in the power supply cable to the electronic equipment 9, and large voltage along the down conductor which is coursed by lightning current and cable inductance. Such induced voltages and voltage drop could easily be well above 1000V which is damaging to most electronics equipment 9. Hence by changing part of the lightning protection system 15 as suggested by the present invention the level of insulation of the first and second transformers can be reduced significantly in that there will not be induced such large voltages difference between the lightning down conductor 14 and the electronic equipment 9.
It should be mentioned that the secondary side / high current side of the second transformer 11 and the first primary side / high current side preferably comprise only 1 or 2 winding.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, both of the energy carrying lightning down conductors 12 are terminated at the same structure as the electronic equipment station 18 is connected to. This structure could e.g. be a baseplate of the blade 5, a plate connected to the hub 4 structure, etc. Therefore when blades 5 are struck by lightning by the fact that lightning current is conducted in common mode between hub 4 and blades 5 the electronic equipment stations 18 will follow the potential of the lightning protection system 15 up and down again.
It should be mentioned that the first and second transformer 10, 11 comprises protection circuits 19 for protection of the transformers 10, 11 in situations that the power supplied are not exactly equally shared between the two energy carrying lightning down conductors 12.
The above description of figure 2 also applies to figure 3 and figure 4.
In the embodiment illustrated in figure 3 an additional lightning down conductor 14C is illustrated. This lightning down conductor 14C may e.g. be implemented as part of an existing lightning protection system 15 implemented in cables or structures of the wind turbine parts. In case of blades 5 are struck by lightning’s the lightning current will according to this embodiment of the invention be divided between the each of the energy carrying lightning carrying conductors 12 and the lightning carrying conductor 14C.
Figure 4 only serves to illustrate that each blade 5 may include more than one electronic equipment stations 18 i.e. more than one sets of first transformer 10A, 10B and electronic equipment 9A, 9B. Hence by the present invention it is possible to supply power to electronic equipment 9A, 9B located at different locations throughout the length of the blade. In principle this the present invention is able to deliver power to electronic equipment 9 located at the tip of the blade by means for first and second transformers 10, 11 and energy carrying lightning down conductors 12.
It should be mentioned that even though figures 2, 3 and 4 only illustrates embodiments of the invention in one blade 5, then it is preferred that each blade 5 of the wind turbine 1 is equipped as described above.
Hence, the invention relates to at least a part a lightning protection system 15 for protecting electronic equipment 9 located in a blade 5 of a wind turbine 1, the lightning protection system 15 comprises an energy carrying lightning down conductor 12, a first transformer 10 and a second transformer 11, wherein the first transformer 10 is electrically connected to the second transformer 11 by means of the energy carrying lightning down conductor 12, and wherein the energy carrying lightning down conductor 12 comprises at least two individual conductors for supplying power to the electronic equipment 9 located in the blade 5. In this way the at least a part of the lightning protection system 15 i.e. the energy carrying lightning down conductor 12 facilitates both supplying power to electronic equipment 9 located in the blades 5 and conducting lighting current. Thereby it becomes possible to supply electronic equipment 9 in the blades 5 by use of electric power supplied by means of one or more cable or by one cable with one or more independent conductors.
List of reference numbers 1. Wind turbine 2. Tower 3. Nacelle 4. Hub 5. Blade 6. Wind turbine controller 7. Sub controller 8. Communication line 9. Electronic equipment (9A, 9B also refers to the electronic equipment) 10. First transformer (10A, 10B, 10η also refers to the first transformer) 11. Second transformer 12. Energy carrying lightning down conductor 13. Protection circuit for transformer 14. Lightning down conductor (14A, 14B, 14C also refers to the lightning down conductor) 15. Lightning protection system 16. Receptor 17. Ground potential 18. Electronic equipment station
Claims (9)
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DK201500050A DK178375B1 (en) | 2015-01-29 | 2015-01-29 | Power supply for an electric component in a wind turbine blade |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DK201500050A DK178375B1 (en) | 2015-01-29 | 2015-01-29 | Power supply for an electric component in a wind turbine blade |
| DK201500050 | 2015-01-29 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| DK178375B1 true DK178375B1 (en) | 2016-01-18 |
Family
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Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| DK201500050A DK178375B1 (en) | 2015-01-29 | 2015-01-29 | Power supply for an electric component in a wind turbine blade |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| DK (1) | DK178375B1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2020259777A1 (en) * | 2019-06-26 | 2020-12-30 | Vestas Wind Systems A/S | Large inductors for lightning protection of power systems |
Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE19748716C1 (en) * | 1997-11-05 | 1998-11-12 | Aerodyn Eng Gmbh | Rotor blade heater and lightning diverter for wind turbine operation in sub-zero conditions |
| DE102011051789B3 (en) * | 2011-07-12 | 2013-01-03 | Phoenix Contact Gmbh & Co. Kg | Device for protecting electrical apparatus arranged in rotor blade of wind power plant against damage by lightning stroke, has insulating unit for electrical insulation against ground potential of electrical energy |
| EP2658061A2 (en) * | 2012-04-26 | 2013-10-30 | Sankosha Corporation | Communication line isolator |
-
2015
- 2015-01-29 DK DK201500050A patent/DK178375B1/en active
Patent Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE19748716C1 (en) * | 1997-11-05 | 1998-11-12 | Aerodyn Eng Gmbh | Rotor blade heater and lightning diverter for wind turbine operation in sub-zero conditions |
| DE102011051789B3 (en) * | 2011-07-12 | 2013-01-03 | Phoenix Contact Gmbh & Co. Kg | Device for protecting electrical apparatus arranged in rotor blade of wind power plant against damage by lightning stroke, has insulating unit for electrical insulation against ground potential of electrical energy |
| EP2658061A2 (en) * | 2012-04-26 | 2013-10-30 | Sankosha Corporation | Communication line isolator |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2020259777A1 (en) * | 2019-06-26 | 2020-12-30 | Vestas Wind Systems A/S | Large inductors for lightning protection of power systems |
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