Patents Assigned to Repower Systems AG
  • Patent number: 7741728
    Abstract: A wind turbine with a rotor and a generator driven by, the rotor generates electrical power and delivers it to a power system. A control unit controlling the operation of the plant includes a reactive-power control module. The control unit includes also a determining device for a safe minimum active power. Furthermore, and a limiting device for the reactive-power control module, wherein the reactive power is limited to such a measure that the safe minimum active power is still available, taking into consideration the available power. As a result, the total current generated, apart from the active current required for the safe operation of the plant, can be fed into the power system as reactive current as backup in the case of a voltage drop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Repower Systems AG
    Inventors: Jens Fortmann, Heinz-Hermann Letas
  • Publication number: 20100148506
    Abstract: A wind turbine includes a rotor having adjustable rotor blades for driving a generator and an adjusting device for the rotor blades provided with an actuator that comprises at least an excitation winding. The adjusting device includes a torque-reducing device that automatically reduces drag torque of the actuator. The torque-reducing device includes a current divider that switches the current through the excitation winding in such a manner that the current flows completely through the excitation coil when the motor is in operation and the current only partly flows through the excitation coil when coasting (slip operation). As a result, when coasting, the magnetization of the excitation winding is reduced about the adjusting device, whereby the increase of the speed torque characteristic curve can be determined, thus improving the ratio of the adjusting device when coasting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2008
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: REpower Systems AG
    Inventor: Heinz-Hermann Letas
  • Publication number: 20100091417
    Abstract: An overvoltage protective device for wind energy installations is designed for connection to a connecting line having at least one inductance between a wind energy installation and a grid system. The overvoltage protective device has a controller which operates a limiting unit as a function of an overvoltage at the wind energy installation. The limiting unit comprises a spur line having an induction module and a power tapping module which is provided with a switching unit. This yields a second power strand which can accept a considerable reactive current if necessary, thus increasing the voltage drop across the inductance, as a result of which the voltage acting on the wind energy installation is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2009
    Publication date: April 15, 2010
    Applicant: REpower Systems AG
    Inventor: Heinz-Hermann LETAS
  • Publication number: 20100052322
    Abstract: A wind energy installation can include a generator which is driven by a rotor and generates electrical power in a multiphase manner for feeding into a network, a converter which is connected to the generator and to the network, and a control system which interacts with the converter and includes a negative sequence system regulation mechanism. The negative sequence system regulation mechanism can include a phase control module configured to determine an electrical variable of the negative sequence system according to the phase. Accordingly, an available current can be provided according to the operating situation for active power or idle power in the negative sequence system regulation mechanism. The negative sequence system regulation mechanism can thus help stabilize the network in the event of asymmetrical network conditions. Also, this relates to a correspondingly equipped wind park and an operating method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: REpower Systems AG
    Inventors: Jens Fortmann, Heinz-Hermann Letas
  • Publication number: 20100013227
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the operation of a wind power plant (10), wherein in particular the wind power plant (10) will be or is switched off after a shutdown signal is triggered by a safety shutdown device (20) that is logically superordinate to an operating control system. The method is characterized in that the wind power plant (10) is released for operation by means of an operating device (41) that is spatially separated from the wind power plant (10) after a safety shutdown. The invention also relates to an energy supply system with at least one wind power plant (10). Moreover, the invention relates to a safety chain on a wind power plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2007
    Publication date: January 21, 2010
    Applicant: REPOWER SYSTEMS AG
    Inventor: Roland Weitkamp
  • Publication number: 20100001527
    Abstract: A system for a wind energy installation. The wind energy installation feeds electrical power into a power supply system. A phase control device can include a power supply system fault detector, a phase angle detector, and a signal processing module. When a power supply system fault is detected, a phase error signal can be determined. A preset angle signal can be determined based on the phase error signal. The preset angle signal can be provided to a converter which can emit electrical power having a phase angle corresponding to the preset angle signal into the power supply system. Accordingly, an undesirable sudden surge in power output resulting from a phase change occurring at the end of the power supply system disturbance can be avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2007
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Applicant: REpower Systems AG
    Inventors: Jens Fortmann, Heinz-Hermann Letas
  • Publication number: 20090322086
    Abstract: A converter for a wind energy installation and a method. The converter includes an inverter which drives a generator via a plurality of phases and an intermediate circuit having an intermediate-circuit voltage between an upper and a lower intermediate-circuit potential. The generator is driven with phase potentials at a variable frequency. A shift value is calculated between an extreme phase potential and one of the intermediate-circuit potentials, a separation value is determined between a middle phase potential and the closest intermediate-circuit potential, and an additional voltage is generated using the separation value as amplitude. The phase potentials are shifted through the shift value and the additional voltage is added to the middle phase potential. Accordingly, the switching elements in the converter do not need to be clocked in every second half-cycle resulting in reduced switching losses and increased current load capacity of the converter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: REpower Systems AG
    Inventor: Heinz-Hermann LETAS
  • Publication number: 20090322079
    Abstract: A method for the operation of a converter of a power-generating generator system that can be connected to an electrical AC network, and the use of the converter is provided. The converter is operated by a regulation device regulating the converter as an active audio frequency block. At least one audio frequency current of at least one specified audio frequency is detected. An AC current progression that is to be transmitted to the converter in the regulation device is determined, where at least one audio frequency current is at least Partially impressed on the AC current progression. The AC current progression in the converter is generated. The AC current progression generated by the converter is then supplied to the AC network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2007
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: REPOWER SYSTEMS AG
    Inventor: Heinz-Hermann Letas
  • Publication number: 20090317256
    Abstract: A rotor hub (10) of a wind power plant for a rotor, in particular with at least one rotor blade is provided, wherein a hub core body (12) and at least one hub outer body (16) are connected together by means of a flange connection (18). The rotor hub (10) is further characterized in that the flange connection (18) is constructed with a predetermined tilt angle (?) towards the rotational axis (24) of the rotor, wherein the tilt angle (?) of the flange connection (18) is constructed larger than the tilt angle (?) of the rotor blade connection surface of the hub outer body (16). Furthermore, a wind power plant may be provided with the rotor hub (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2007
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: REPOWER SYSTEMS AG
    Inventor: Peter Quell
  • Patent number: 7629702
    Abstract: Reduction in power output or rotor speed of a wind turbine above a defined limit value, the reduction not being implemented based on the measured wind speed, but on an input value which on one hand is easily detected physically and by control technology and on the other hand is a good indicator of mechanical stresses on the wind turbine. The invention uses the rotor-blade angle as the input value in a manner that starting at the limit value, the reduction in power output or in rotor speed is adjusted as a function of the rotor-blade angle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Repower Systems AG
    Inventor: Matthias Schubert
  • Publication number: 20090295161
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a wind energy installation (10), in which the wind energy installation (10) has a rotor (12, 13, 22), at least one rotor blade (14) with an adjustable angle, a mechanical brake device (19) for braking the rotor (14), an operational control device (15, 15?) and a safety system (16, 20). The invention also relates to a corresponding wind energy installation (10). The method according to the invention is defined by the following method steps: braking of the rotor (12, 13, 22) by means of an angular adjustment (28) with an average angular adjustment rate of less than 8.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2007
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: REPOWER SYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Stefan Steiner, Martin Von Mutius
  • Publication number: 20090289804
    Abstract: An offshore wind farm can include at least two wind energy installations for generating electrical power from wind, at least two acoustic warning devices, and a visibility measuring device for detecting visibility. After detection of a visibility below a visibility limit value, an activation signal can be applied to the at least two acoustic warning devices. One or more synchronization modules can be provided which determine the points in time of the acoustic signals to be emitted by at least one of the acoustic warning devices in relation to the acoustic signals of the other acoustic warning devices. Accordingly, this facilitates the navigation along an offshore wind farm and enables safe circumnavigation. Also, the impression of a contiguous area can be conveyed to the ships by the synchronized emission of the warning signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: REpower Systems AG
    Inventors: Lorenz-Heinrich CARSTENSEN, Jens ALTEMARK
  • Publication number: 20090278359
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wind power plant (W) with a rotor, which is in operative connection with a gearbox (13) via a rotor shaft (12), wherein in particular the gearbox (13) is in operative connection with a generator via a main drive (19). Moreover, the invention relates to a method for the operation of a wind power plant (W) with a rotor and use of a driving device. The wind power plant (W), with a rotor, is further established in that the gearbox (13) has an auxiliary drive (30) and in that a rotor positioning rotating device (24) is arranged on the auxiliary drive (30) so that using the rotor positioning rotating device (24) and the auxiliary drive (30) of the gearbox (13), the rotor of the wind power plant (W) is positioned, and wherein the auxiliary drive (30) cannot be switched within the gearbox (13).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2009
    Publication date: November 12, 2009
    Applicant: REPOWER SYSTEMS AG
    Inventor: Alf Trede
  • Publication number: 20090274559
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rotor blade (60) of a wind energy plant with a top side (suction side) and a bottom side (pressure side) wherein profiles (21, 22, 23, 24, 25) with a front edge and a back edge (62) in cross-section are designed along a longitudinal axis between a rotor blade root and a rotor blade tip, one designed-based direction of air inflow (31, 32, 33, 34, 35) is predetermined for each profile (21, 22, 23, 24, 25) and the profiles (21, 22, 23, 24, 25) in the outer area facing the rotor blade tip are designed with a relative thickness of less than 30%.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Applicant: REPOWER SYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Marc Petsche, Urs Bendel
  • Publication number: 20090263246
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the calibration of at least one sensor (11-14) of a wind power plant (10). The invention also relates to a wind power plant (10). The calibration process according to the invention is captured by the at least one sensor (11-14). The measurement value (30, 31), which is a measure for the load of a component (15-17), is evaluated, wherein the wind power plant has at least the moveable component (15, 15?, 15?, 16, 17), wherein the component (15-17) is pivoted or rotated around a predeterminable axis (19, 20). The wind power plant according to the invention is provided with a calibration module for the automatic calibration of at least one sensor (11-14), which measures the load of a movable component (15-17) of the wind power plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2007
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: REPOWER SYSTEMS AG
    Inventor: Detlef Bolz
  • Publication number: 20090261588
    Abstract: A method for operating a wind energy installation and a system for implementing the method. An oblique incident flow value, which represents the difference between the wind direction and the direction of a rotor axis of the wind energy installation, and a load value, which represents the load state of the wind energy installation, are determined. A total load value is determined based on the load value and the oblique incident flow value. The rotor rotation speed is reduced when the total load value is above a first limit value. The wind energy installation is shut down when, in addition, a second limit value is exceeded. The method makes it possible to react objectively to oblique incident flows and can reduce a load on a wind energy installation without causing large yield losses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: REpower Systems AG
    Inventors: Martin VON MUTIUS, Roland WEITKAMP, Jochen ANEMUELLER
  • Publication number: 20090263250
    Abstract: The invention relates to a rotor blade attachment (17), in particular of a wind power plant (1), for the connection of a rotor blade (5) with an attachment device (4), including a transverse pin (20, 20?) and a connecting device (13, 21), which can be brought together to establish an operative connection, wherein the connecting device (13, 21) defines a longitudinal axis. The rotor blade attachment (17) is characterized in that the transverse pin (20, 21?) in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the connecting device has a higher bending stiffness than transversally to the longitudinal axis (18). An alternative rotor blade attachment (17) is characterized in that the transverse pins (20, 20?) are arranged in at least two rows (33, 34), wherein at least a first row (33) is arranged closer to the blade-root-side end (19) of the rotor blade (5) than at least a second row (34).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Publication date: October 22, 2009
    Applicant: REPOWER SYSTEMS AG
    Inventors: Peter Quell, Urs Bendel, Matthias Schubert, Carsten Eusterbarkey
  • Patent number: 7606638
    Abstract: A windpark includes at least two wind energy installations, each of which installations comprises a rotor, a generator driven by the rotor and a control device, and which are connected via connecting lines to a main line. The windpark also includes a linking point which connects the main line to a power transmission network, a parkmaster which is configured for power factor control and has communication lines for transmission of control signals to the wind energy installations, and a power-factor control section including a distributed regulator having a higher-level regulator located at the parkmaster which is configured to determine a nominal voltage in order to set a global power coefficient for the power which is emitted to the power transmission network and to emit the nominal voltage as a signal via the communication lines and lower-level regulators at the wind energy installations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: REpower Systems AG
    Inventors: Jens Fortmann, Heinz-Hermann Letas
  • Patent number: 7603202
    Abstract: A method for optimizing the operation of wind energy installations includes operating target and reference wind energy installations to optimize the target installation first using a first set of operating parameters and then using a second set of operating parameters different from the first operating parameters, recording target variables for the target wind energy installation and recording reference results of the reference wind energy installation in each case for both sets of operating parameters, performing an automated evaluation of the target variables by calculation of a quality measure taking account of the reference results, and determining in an automated manner based on the automated evaluation which of the sets of operating parameters has better quality measure. Each wind installation includes comprise a rotor, a generator driven by the rotor to produce electrical energy, and a controller operating the wind energy installation on the basis of a set of operating parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: REpower Systems AG
    Inventor: Roland Weitkamp
  • Publication number: 20090243296
    Abstract: Wind energy installation with a generator (13) which is driven by a rotor (2) with adjustable rotor blades (21), for producing electrical energy, wherein a pitch adjustment device (3) is provided for adjusting the blades, which pitch adjustment device comprises an emergency circuit (5) with an energy store (50) for actuating a blade actuating motor (55). The invention provides for a shunt branch (60) with a current-balancing device (6, 6?) to be provided in parallel with the energy store (50), wherein the current-balancing device (6, 6?) is designed so as to control the current shunt branch (60) depending on a feedback current from the blade actuating motor (55). The invention provides a current balancing circuit (6), with which the feedback current occurring in the overrunning state is dissipated in controlled fashion via a shunt branch and therefore the electrical energy store (50) is protected from a damaging feedback current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Applicant: REpower Systems AG
    Inventor: Heinz-Hermann Letas