Patents by Inventor Jens Fortmann

Jens Fortmann has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11920568
    Abstract: A wind turbine comprising a converter connected to a generator, which converter supplies at least some of the energy generated by the electrical generator into an electrical grid, sensors for interference in the electrical grid and a controller module for controlling the converter and/or the wind turbine. The controller module comprises a grid interference module which, in the case of detected interference in the electrical grid, counteracts the interference. The controller module comprises an override module which, in the case of a detected interference in the grid, is provided in order to deactivate the grid interference module at least in part. This improves the behavior in interference situations in that the controller module detects, over the course of the interference, that at least parts of the inherent grid stabilization functions do not counteract the interference and, in this specific situation, it deactivates the respective harmful grid stabilization functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Service GmbH
    Inventor: Jens Fortmann
  • Publication number: 20220069584
    Abstract: A wind turbine comprising a converter connected to a generator, which converter supplies at least some of the energy generated by the electrical generator into an electrical grid, sensors for interference in the electrical grid and a controller module for controlling the converter and/or the wind turbine. The controller module comprises a grid interference module which, in the case of detected interference in the electrical grid, counteracts the interference. The controller module comprises an override module which, in the case of a detected interference in the grid, is provided in order to deactivate the grid interference module at least in part. This improves the behavior in interference situations in that the controller module detects, over the course of the interference, that at least parts of the inherent grid stabilization functions do not counteract the interference and, in this specific situation, it deactivates the respective harmful grid stabilization functions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Applicant: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Service GmbH
    Inventor: Jens FORTMANN
  • Patent number: 10461536
    Abstract: Operating a wind farm in which the power generated by the wind energy installations is fed to a power supply system via a system internal to the wind farm and via a substation is disclosed. The farm director of the wind farm can ascertain a standard target voltage value and transmit it to the control units of the individual wind energy installations on the wind farm, which can use an overall factor to regulate the reactive power generated by a wind energy installation. The overall factor can be calculated from the difference between the actual voltage across the wind energy installation and the target voltage value, multiplied by a gain factor. On account of the impedance in the internal system of the wind farm, wind energy installations situated far away from the substation thus generate less reactive power than the wind energy installations which are situated close to the substation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: SENVION SE
    Inventor: Jens Fortmann
  • Patent number: 9920745
    Abstract: Wind farm comprising a farm master and a plurality of wind energy installations. The farm master has a controller with an input for a control parameter for power supplied to a grid and transmits desired value specifications to a local controller of the wind energy installations. The local controller has a dual structure and comprises a desired value channel, to which the desired value specification is applied by the farm master and which is designed to output a stationary reactive power desired value, and a responsive channel comprising an autonomous controller, to which no desired value specification is applied by the farm master and to which an actual voltage of the particular wind energy installation is applied via a washout filter. The autonomous controller with the washout filter enables a fast and dependent response to transient disturbances (e.g., voltage spikes and voltage dips as a result of a short circuit).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: SENVION SE
    Inventor: Jens Fortmann
  • Patent number: 9581139
    Abstract: A wind turbine having a rotor, a generator driven by the rotor, a converter, a control device having an input for a control signal for reactive power output and a controller for the converter, the controller determining a reactive power target value for the wind turbine and correcting the output reactive power in dependence on the voltage present at the wind turbine, and an additional module for the controller having separate small and large signal paths and interacting with the controller such that the small signal path has an additional storage element in comparison with the large signal path, which additional storage element stores state values of the small signal path for the past. Thus, small voltage changes can be reacted to more slowly and while taking into account past values, whereas large changes can be reacted to quickly, in particular in the event of a network short circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: SENVION SE
    Inventors: Jens Fortmann, Vincenz Dinkhauser
  • Patent number: 9344025
    Abstract: A method for operating a wind farm and to a wind farm is disclosed. When a wind farm and the wind energy installations involve target values for the reactive power being prescribed by a farm regulatory device, said target values for the reactive power ignored by the control units when controlling the respective wind energy installation in the event of a power supply system fault in the power supply system. Only when the power supply system fault has been rectified are said target values considered by the control units again for controlling the respective wind energy installation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Senvion SE
    Inventors: Roman Bluhm, Jens Fortmann
  • Publication number: 20150333501
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling the electrical moment of a wind turbine by closed-loop control in the event of a grid fault. A fall in voltage that is outside the limits of normal operation is discovered. A moment closed-loop controller which determines a target value for the electrical moment of the wind turbine, is operated. A moment ramp is initialized. The target value of the moment closed-loop controller is compared with the moment ramp and the lesser value is selected as a moment setpoint value. The electrical moment of the wind turbine is set on the basis of the moment setpoint value. The invention additionally relates to a wind turbine suitable for implementing the method. The invention makes it possible, on the one hand, to achieve a rapid restoration of the power after the end of the grid fault, while, on the other hand, the loads for the wind turbine are kept within limits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2013
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Jens Geisler, Stefan Schrader, Jens Fortmann
  • Publication number: 20150184640
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wind turbine having a rotor (12), a generator (14) driven by the rotor, a converter (15), and a control device (167), which has an input for a control signal for reactive power output and a controller (72) for the converter (15). The controller (72) determines a reactive power target value for the wind turbine and corrects the output reactive power in dependence on the voltage present at the wind turbine. The invention provides for an additional module (8) for the controller (72), which additional module has separate small and large signal paths (81, 82) and interacts with the controller (72) in such a way that the small signal path (81) has an additional storage element (83) in comparison with the large signal path (82), which additional storage element stores state values of the small signal path (81) for the past.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2013
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Applicant: SENVION SE
    Inventors: Jens Fortmann, Vincenz Dinkhauser
  • Patent number: 9035480
    Abstract: A method is employed for operating a wind turbine. Electrical energy is produced by means of a generator and is fed into an electrical power network. The electrical energy is fed to the secondary side of a transformer at a low voltage and is output on the primary side of the transformer at a higher voltage. The potential on the primary side of the transformer is undefined. In the method, a measured value of the voltage between the primary side of the transformer and the earth potential is first recorded. The measured value is compared with a predefined limit value. The electrical energy produced by the generator is changed if the measured value exceeds the limit value. A wind turbine is designed to carry out the method. Faults in the medium voltage network can be reacted to without an additional star point on the primary side of the transformer being required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Senvion SE
    Inventor: Jens Fortmann
  • Publication number: 20150088326
    Abstract: Wind farm comprising a farm master (1) and a plurality of wind energy installations (4). The farm master (1) has a controller (15) with an input for a control parameter for power supplied to a grid and transmits desired value specifications to a local controller (5) of the wind energy installations (4). According to the invention, the local controller (5) has dual structure and comprises a desired value channel (6), to which the desired value specification is applied by the farm master (1) and which is designed to output a stationary reactive power desired value, and a responsive channel (7) comprising an autonomous controller (75), to which no desired value specification is applied by the farm master (1) and to which an actual voltage of the particular wind energy installation (4) is applied via a washout filter (71).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: Senvion Se
    Inventor: Jens Fortmann
  • Patent number: 8692419
    Abstract: A method is provided for operating a wind power plant (15-19) with a rotor-driven (25-29) electric generator (30) for delivering electric power to an electric grid (31) which provides a grid voltage in which, when excess voltage prevails in the grid (31), idle power from the wind power plant (15-19) is fed to the grid (31) in order to lower the voltage. A wind power plant is provided (15-19) with a rotor-driven electric generator (30) for delivering electric power to an electric grid (31) in which when excess voltage prevails in the grid idle power from the wind power plant (15-19) is fed to the grid (31) in order to lower the voltage. Monitoring occurs to determine whether within a predeterminable time a voltage was lowered to a predeterminable reference value and/or an idle current is delivered which is greater than or equal to a predeterminable idle current reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Repower Systems SE
    Inventors: Jens Fortmann, Heinz-Hermann Letas
  • Publication number: 20130241201
    Abstract: A method is employed for operating a wind turbine. Electrical energy is produced by means of a generator and is fed into an electrical power network. The electrical energy is fed to the secondary side of a transformer at a low voltage and is output on the primary side of the transformer at a higher voltage. The potential on the primary side of the transformer is undefined. In the method, a measured value of the voltage between the primary side of the transformer and the earth potential is first recorded. The measured value is compared with a predefined limit value. The electrical energy produced by the generator is changed if the measured value exceeds the limit value. A wind turbine is designed to carry out the method. Faults in the medium voltage network can be reacted to without an additional star point on the primary side of the transformer being required.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2011
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Inventor: Jens Fortmann
  • Publication number: 20130175800
    Abstract: A method for operating a wind farm and to a wind farm is disclosed. When a wind farm and the wind energy installations involve target values for the reactive power being prescribed by a farm regulatory device, said target values for the reactive power ignored by the control units when controlling the respective wind energy installation in the event of a power supply system fault in the power supply system. Only when the power supply system fault has been rectified are said target values considered by the control units again for controlling the respective wind energy installation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: REPOWER SYSTEMS SE
    Inventors: Roman Bluhm, Jens Fortmann
  • Publication number: 20130175870
    Abstract: Operating a wind farm in which the power generated by the wind energy installations is fed to a power supply system via a system internal to the wind farm and via a substation is disclosed. The farm director of the wind farm can ascertain a standard target voltage value and transmit it to the control units of the individual wind energy installations on the wind farm, which can use an overall factor to regulate the reactive power generated by a wind energy installation. The overall factor can be calculated from the difference between the actual voltage across the wind energy installation and the target voltage value, multiplied by a gain factor. On account of the impedance in the internal system of the wind farm, wind energy installations situated far away from the substation thus generate less reactive power than the wind energy installations which are situated close to the substation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: REpower Systems SE
    Inventor: Jens Fortmann
  • Patent number: 8471956
    Abstract: A closure device for an image capture facility, such as a webcam or the like, integrated in a piece of equipment, includes at least one frame which is able to be fastened on the surface of the piece of equipment, and at least one closure, held so as to be adjustably movable on the frame via a mounting, which is able to be brought into a closed position covering the image capture facility or into an open position exposing the image capture facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: Bornbex Handels- und Vertriebs GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Jens Fortmann
  • Patent number: 8400003
    Abstract: A method for controlling a converter of a wind energy installation. The converter is connected to the rotor of a doubly-fed asynchronous generator in order to feed electrical power into an electrical grid and comprises a generator-side inverter, a grid-side inverter, and at least one converter regulator for regulating and/or controlling current output from at least one of the inverters to the doubly-fed asynchronous generator and/or to the electrical grid. The method includes detecting a change in output real power, determining whether the detected change satisfies a predefined condition, and changing a nominal value of reactive power to be output in an opposite sense to a change in real power at the grid-side inverter and in a same sense as the generator-side inverter when the predefined condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2013
    Assignee: REpower Systems AG
    Inventors: Heinz-Hermann Letas, Jens Fortmann
  • Patent number: 8390139
    Abstract: A method for controlling a converter of a wind energy installation. The converter is connected to a rotor of a doubly-fed asynchronous generator for feeding electrical power into an electrical grid and comprises a generator-side inverter, a grid-side inverter, and at least one converter regulator for regulating and/or controlling currents emitted from at least one of the inverters to at least one of the generator and the electrical grid. The method includes detecting a change in electrical voltage present in at least one of emitted real currents and emitted reactive currents at one of the inverters, determining whether the detected change corresponds to a predetermined change, and changing nominal values of at least one of real currents to be emitted and reactive currents to be emitted from the other inverter if the detected change corresponds to the predetermined change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: REpower Systems AG
    Inventor: Jens Fortmann
  • Patent number: 8390138
    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: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: REpower Systems AG
    Inventors: Jens Fortmann, Heinz-Hermann Letas
  • Patent number: 8378514
    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: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: REPower Systems AG
    Inventors: Jens Fortmann, Heinz-Hermann Letas
  • Patent number: 8378515
    Abstract: A network disturbance module for a control device of a wind energy installation having a generator driven by a wind rotor and a converter for producing electrical power fed into a network. The module includes a measurement device configured to measure at least one electrical parameter of the network, a detector configured to identify a network disturbance and output a switching signal, and a reference generator configured to produce a substitute reference vector for the converter based on the at least one electrical parameter. The module also includes a fault management unit comprising a fault classifier, the unit being configured to interact with the measurement device, detector, and reference generator such that, in the event of an undervoltage during island operation, a quick-action frequency regulator is activated. The regulator acts on the converter to vary a real-power feed P in the event of a discrepancy in a network frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: REpower Systems AG
    Inventor: Jens Fortmann