Ultracapacitor pitch energy module
AssigneeRichardson Electronics, Ltd.
InventorsJeremy Winston Wilks, John Raymond Curran, Brian Christopher Gumino
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pitch energy module comprising one or more ultracapacitors storing electrical energy for a wind turbine emergency pitch energy event. The pitch energy module replaces at least one battery within a battery housing of a wind turbine and interfaces with the existing battery wiring harness to communicate with a control system of the wind turbine. The pitch energy module is installed without further modification to the battery housing or the battery wiring harness.
Claims20
A pitch energy system for storing electrical energy to electrically power a pitch energy control system of a wind turbine, the pitch energy system comprising:
- at least one wiring harness associated with a battery housing of the pitch energy control system;
- one or more pitch energy modules, each respective pitch energy module of the one or more pitch energy modules comprising:
- a pitch energy module housing sized for mounting in the battery housing of the pitch energy control system;
- and
- one or more ultracapacitors mounted within the pitch energy module housing, the one or more ultracapacitors configured to store electrical energy for a wind turbine pitch event,
- wherein the one or more ultracapacitors are electrically connected to the at least one wiring harness;
- at least one processor communicatively coupled to the one or more ultracapacitors, the at least one processor processing a set of information associated with the one or more ultracapacitors;
- and
- at least one charger electrically connected to at least one of the one or more pitch energy modules for electrically charging at least one of the one or more ultracapacitors of each respective pitch energy module.
A pitch energy module for replacing at least one battery within an electric pitch control system of a wind turbine, the at least one battery mounted in the wind turbine in a battery housing and operably coupled with a control system of the wind turbine via at least a wiring harness, the pitch energy module comprising:
- a pitch energy module housing sized for mounting in the battery housing upon replacement of the at least one battery with the pitch energy module;
- and
- one or more ultracapacitors mounted within the pitch energy module housing, the one or more ultracapacitors configured to store electrical energy for a wind turbine pitch event,
- wherein the one or more ultracapacitors is configured to be communicatively coupled to at least one processor, the at least one processor processing a set of information associated with the one or more ultracapacitors, and
- wherein the pitch energy module is configured to be operably electrically connected to at least one charger for electrically charging the one or more ultracapacitors.
An energy system for storing electrical energy to electrically power at least a portion of a wind turbine, the energy system comprising:
- at least one wiring harness disposed within a housing of the wind turbine;
- one or more energy modules, each respective energy module of the one or more energy modules comprising:
- an energy module housing sized for mounting in the housing of the wind turbine;
- and
- one or more ultracapacitors mounted within the energy module housing, the one or more ultracapacitors configured to store electrical energy,
- wherein the one or more ultracapacitors are electrically connected to the at least one wiring harness;
- at least one processor electrically connected to the one or more ultracapacitors, the at least one processor processing a set of information associated with the one or more ultracapacitors;
- and
- at least one charger electrically connected to the one or more energy modules for electrically charging the one or more ultracapacitors of each respective energy module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.