A frequency detector for a PLL controller, the controller being for generating an output signal to control a motor driver electrically connected to a motor having multiple phase windings arranged as a stator and a rotor having a permanent magnet or a DC current excitation winding for rotating the rotor, the motor driver selectively establishing current paths through selected windings in response to said output signal, to provide maximum torque to the rotor based on the rotational position of the rotor relative to the windings, the frequency detector comprising a monitor for detecting a number of pulses in said output signal during a time period between a first and a second rotational position of the rotor relative to the windings and a governor for generating a frequency control signal as a function of said number of pulses, wherein the PLL controller generates said output signal at output frequencies selectively as a function of said frequency control signal, whereby the frequency detector minimizes a difference between the frequency of the output signal and a corresponding rotational frequency of the rotor.

An exemplary embodiment includes a wind turbine system. The wind turbine system includes a wind turbine generator operable to supply wind turbine power to a utility system. A converter is coupled to the wind turbine generator and the utility system. The wind turbine system also includes a controller comprising an internal reference frame of the wind turbine generator, coupled to the converter, and configured for modulating flow of power through the converter in response to frequency disturbances or power swings of the utility system relative to the internal reference frame.

Several embodiments of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system, which system provides highly reliable output power to a load using a slip-ring induction machine and a flywheel combination, are disclosed as well as methods relating thereto. In a preferred embodiment, the UPS system comprises a back-up power source, e.g., an engine and generator, and a slip-ring, or wound-rotor, induction motor and flywheel combination, which are in parallel to a primary power source, e.g., a utility grid. During normal operation of the UPS, the primary power source supplies alternating current and voltage to the load and the UPS compensates for voltage drop across the isolating inductor. Moreover, the primary power source keeps the slip-ring induction machine and flywheel in an excited state, i.e., the rotor of the slip-ring induction machine, the shaft of which is shared by the flywheel, is excited above normal synchronous speed. When the primary power source fails, the flywheel, which is rotating at super-synchronous speed and storing kinetic energy, drives the rotor of the slip-ring induction machine and generates, i.e., induces current in the stator. Accordingly, the flywheel and slip-ring induction machine combination provides instantaneous, short term power to the load until the back-up power source has powered up and been brought on line.

A wind power station comprises a wind rotor; a transmission mechanically coupled to the wind rotor; an asynchronous generator having a generator rotor mechanically coupled to the transmission, and a generator stator electrically coupled to a power grid; and a protection unit protecting the generator and the transmission against accidental breakdowns of an alternating voltage provided by the power grid. The Protection unit includes at least one choke electrically arranged between the power grid and the generator stator, and a synchronous electrical machine electrically coupled to the choke.

To shorten a startup interval to reach a synchronizing condition, a phase difference and an amplitude difference between the grid voltage and the stator voltage of one phase of a winding are obtained. The difference in amplitude is decreased prior to or in parallel to synchronizing the stator voltage with the grid voltage. The calculated compensation phase compensation value is used as an initial value for synchronizing at the next synchronizing operation.