Methods for adapting wind farms for grid compliance
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorJonathan Henry Zalar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for controlling a wind farm having a plurality of wind turbines connected to a power grid includes terminating use of an existing farm-level controller of the wind farm. The method also includes installing an upgraded farm-level controller in place of the existing farm-level controller. Further, the method includes communicatively coupling the upgraded farm-level controller to each of the plurality of wind turbines. Moreover, the method includes replacing at least one component of a subset of the wind turbines with an upgraded component capable of satisfying one or more grid requirements. Thus, the method also includes controlling the wind farm via the upgraded farm-level controller.
Claims20
A method for controlling a wind farm connected to a power grid, the wind farm having a plurality of wind turbines, the method comprising:
- terminating use of an existing farm-level controller of the wind farm;
- installing an upgraded farm-level controller in place of the existing farm-level controller;
- communicatively coupling the upgraded farm-level controller to each of the plurality of wind turbines;
- replacing at least one component of a subset of the wind turbines with an upgraded component capable of satisfying one or more grid requirements;
- and,
- controlling the wind farm via the upgraded farm-level controller.
A method for adapting a wind farm connected to a power grid to satisfy one or more grid requirements, the wind farm having a plurality of wind turbines, the method comprising:
- terminating use of an existing farm-level management system of the wind farm;
- installing an upgraded farm-level management system in place of the existing farm-level management system capable of satisfying one or more grid requirements;
- communicatively coupling the upgraded farm-level management system to each of the plurality of wind turbines.
A wind farm management system, comprising:
- a farm-level controller;
- a plurality of wind turbines each comprising a turbine-level controller, the turbine-level controllers communicatively coupled to the farm-level controller,
- wherein a first subset of the wind turbines comprises an upgraded power converter and a second subset of the wind turbines comprises an existing power converter, each of the upgraded power converters capable of satisfying one or more grid requirements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.