METHOD FOR STARTING OCEAN CURRENT POWER GENERATION DEVICE AND START CONTROL DEVICE

摘要

The purpose of the present invention is to enable smooth starting of an ocean current power generation device that uses blades having a fixed pitch angle. The ocean current power generation device is provided with: a mechanical brake for regulating the rotation of a rotor shaft of the rotor blades; and a driving force transmission mechanism which is interposed between the rotor shaft and a power generator. The driving force transmission mechanism has a changeover means for switching between a driving force transmission state and a driving force cutoff state, a load application means for applying a rotational load to the rotor shaft when in the driving force cutoff state, and a speed change means for changing the rotation speed of the rotor shaft and transmitting the resulting driving force to the power generator when in the driving force transmission state. The mechanical brake is released with the driving force transmission mechanism being in the driving force cutoff state (S10), the rotation speed of the rotor shaft is increased while the rotation load is being applied to the rotor shaft (S20), the power generator is caused to start rotating by switching to the driving force transmission state (S30), the rotation speed of the power generator is increased (S40), and the power generator begins generating electric power upon being connected to a grid power supply (S50).