# US 12,760,705 B2 · Wind turbine system with a controller and power supply unit with an energy storage system as well as associated wind turbine and method

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- Number: US 12,760,705 B2
- Document ID: US12760705B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/745,708
- Filed: 2024-06-17
- Published: 2024-12-19
- Granted: 2026-10-13
- Earliest claimed: 2023-06-19
- Assignees: Wobben Properties GmbH
- Applicants: Wobben Properties GmbH
- Inventors: Nils-Hendric Schall; Michael Hohmann; Stefan Heller; Kai Busker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12760705B2

## CPC

- F03D 7/0204: {for orientation in relation to wind direction}
- F03D 9/10: Combinations of wind motors with apparatus storing energy
- F05B 2270/32: Wind speeds
- F05B 2270/321: Wind directions
- F03D: WIND MOTORS
- F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G

## Abstract

Provided is a wind turbine system for a wind turbine with a controller and an energy supply unit with an energy storage system and a network connection. The unit recognizes a normal operating mode in which the turbine is connected with the network, and a separated state in which the turbine is separated. The controller is connected with a wind sensor for acquiring at least one parameter, and comprises an azimuth controller for setting an azimuth angle of the turbine as a function of the parameter. The unit further has a monitoring device, which is supplied with energy from the energy storage system in the separated state, and connected with the wind sensor or an additional wind sensor for acquiring parameters in the separated state, and the unit in the separated state deenergizes the controller or supplies with energy from the energy storage system as a function of the parameter.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A wind turbine system for a wind turbine, the wind turbine system comprising:
(a) a controller for controlling the wind turbine; and
(b) an energy supply unit with an energy storage system as well as a network connection for connection to a network,
wherein;
(i) the energy supply unit is set up to recognize a normal operating mode of the wind turbine in which the wind turbine is connected with the network, and a separated state of the wind turbine in which the wind turbine is separated from the network, and
(ii) the controller is connected with a wind sensor for acquiring at least one wind parameter, and comprises an azimuth controller for setting an azimuth angle of the wind turbine as a function of the wind parameter,
(iii) the wind turbine system comprises a DC intermediate circuit and a DC converter,
(iv) the controller and several azimuth drives are connected with a DC intermediate circuit for energy supply purposes,
(v) the energy supply unit further has a monitoring device, which is connected with the wind sensor or an additional wind sensor for acquiring wind parameters in the separated state,
(vi) the energy supply unit with the monitoring device is always connected with the energy storage system so that wind parameters can continue to be acquired in the separated state even in a case where the energy supply unit turns off voltage or energy supply to the DC intermediate circuit, and
(vii) the energy supply unit is set up in the separated state as a function of the wind parameter acquired with the monitoring device to:
(1) deenergize the DC intermediate circuit by separating the energy storage system from the DC intermediate circuit, or
(2) feed energy from the energy storage system into the DC intermediate circuit by actuating the DC converter, in order to supply the controller and the azimuth drives with energy for adjusting the azimuth angle, and thereafter to turn off the energy supply to the controller and the azimuth drives when the wind parameters lie within predefined limits.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine system according to claim 1, wherein the energy supply unit is set up to keep the controller deenergized in the separated state if a wind parameter representing a wind speed lies below at least one predefined threshold value or a wind parameter representing a wind direction lies within a predefined maximum wind direction range, and turn on an energy supply if the wind parameter representing the wind speed lies above the threshold value and the wind parameter representing the wind direction lies outside of the predefined maximum wind direction range.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The wind turbine system according to claim 2, wherein the energy supply unit is set up in the separated state to deenergize the controller supplied with energy from the energy storage system if the wind parameter representing the wind direction lies within a minimum wind direction range or if the wind parameter representing the wind speed lies below at least one predefined threshold value or a predefined additional threshold value.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring device is set up to adjust a maximum wind direction range or a minimum wind direction range as a function of a current azimuth angle of the wind turbine.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine system according to claim 1, wherein a maximum wind direction range has a larger angular range than a minimum wind direction range.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The wind turbine system according to claim 5, wherein the maximum wind direction range corresponds to an angular range lying between −8° or less from a current azimuth angle up to 8° or more to the current azimuth angle.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The wind turbine system according to claim 5, wherein the minimum wind direction range corresponds to an angular range lying between an angle of −5° or more from a current azimuth angle and an angle of 5° of less to the current azimuth angle.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is set up to use the azimuth controller and azimuth drives for changing the azimuth angle of the wind turbine in the separated state while energy is being supplied by the energy supply unit.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine system according to claim 1, wherein the energy supply unit is set up in the separated state to separate the energy storage system with the DC intermediate circuit as a function of the wind parameters, so as to deenergize the DC intermediate circuit, or to connect it, so as to supply energy to the DC intermediate circuit from the energy storage system.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The wind turbine system according to claim 9, wherein the DC intermediate circuit is separated from the energy supply unit by way of the DC converter.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine system according to claim 1, wherein the wind turbine system is set up in the normal operating mode to connect a DC intermediate circuit with the network via a rectifier circuit and a transformer, and to extract energy from the DC intermediate circuit for charging the energy storage system.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine system according to claim 1, wherein the controller and several azimuth drives are connected with a DC intermediate circuit for energy supply purposes, wherein each azimuth drive has at least one rectifier and at least one azimuth motor, wherein the rectifier of each azimuth drive is set up to supply the azimuth motor with energy from the DC intermediate circuit.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine with the wind turbine system according to claim 1.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

A method for operating the wind turbine with the wind turbine system according to claim 1.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14, wherein the controller of the wind turbine is used to receive wind parameters from the wind sensor, and set the azimuth angle of the wind turbine as a function of the wind parameters, wherein the energy supply unit is used to recognize the separated state of the wind turbine and in the separated state to supply energy from the energy storage system to the monitoring device, so as to acquire wind parameters from the wind sensor connected with the monitoring device, wherein the energy supply unit is used in the separated state to supply the controller with energy from the energy storage system or deenergize it as a function of the acquired wind parameters.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14, wherein the controller is kept deenergized in the separated state if a wind parameter representing a wind speed lies below at least one predefined threshold value or a wind parameter representing a wind direction lies within a predefined maximum wind direction range, and energy supply to the controller is turned on if the wind parameter representing the wind speed lies above the threshold value or the wind parameter representing the wind direction lies outside of the predefined maximum wind direction range.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method according to claim 16, wherein the controller supplied with energy from the energy storage system is deenergized in the separated state if the wind parameter representing the wind direction lies within a minimum wind direction range or if the wind parameter representing the wind speed lies below at least one predefined threshold value.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14, wherein a maximum wind direction range or a minimum wind direction range is adjusted as a function of an azimuth angle of the wind turbine.