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 module for replacing at least one battery within an electric pitch control system of a wind turbine, the pitch energy module comprising:
- a pitch energy module housing sized for mounting in a battery housing of the wind turbine;
- one or more capacitors mounted within the pitch energy module housing, the one or more capacitors configured to store electrical energy for a wind turbine pitch event;
- and
- a control system programmed to adjust a voltage set-point of the pitch energy module based on at least one measured electrical parameter of the pitch energy module to thereby increase a lifetime of the one or more capacitors of the pitch energy module.
A control system for an energy module of a wind turbine, the energy module for replacing at least one battery within an electric pitch control system of the wind turbine and comprising an energy module housing sized for mounting in a battery housing of the wind turbine and one or more capacitors mounted within the energy module housing, the one or more capacitors configured to store electrical energy for a wind turbine pitch event, the control system comprising:
- at least one processor communicatively coupled to the one or more capacitors;
- at least one sensor operable to measure at least one measured electrical parameter of the energy module;
- and
- one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that store computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, automatically adjust a voltage set-point of the energy module based on the at least one measured electrical parameter of the energy module to thereby increase a lifetime of the one or more capacitors of the energy module.
An energy module for replacing at least one battery within an energy storage system of a wind turbine, the energy module comprising:
- an energy module housing sized for mounting in a battery housing of the wind turbine;
- one or more capacitors mounted within the energy module housing, the one or more capacitors configured to store electrical energy for a wind turbine pitch event;
- at least one sensor operable to measure at least one measured parameter of the energy module;
- and
- a control system programmed to adjust a voltage set-point of the energy module based on at least one measured parameter of the energy module to thereby increase a lifetime of the one or more capacitors of the energy module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.