Electromechanical drive system

The present invention provides an electromechanical drive system (1) for actuations of a component (3), where reliability, integrity and diagnostics of the actuation (A) of the component (3) is safety-relevant for operating the component (3), and a method to operate such a drive system (1) as well as a pitch system (71) and a wind turbine (7) each comprising such drive systems (1). The electromechanical drive system (1) comprises beside conventional driving parts a safety module (4) and an advanced position sensor (5) adapted to monitor component position and/or speed of the actuated component (3) with a sufficient degree of reliability, integrity and diagnostics to fulfill safety requirements for the safety-relevant actuations and being connected to the safety module (4) via a first data connection (51) to send corresponding sensor signals (SS) comprising position and/or speed data to the safety module (4), where the safety module (4) is connected to a conventional motor control unit (22) via a second data connection (41) to transmit actuation signals (AS) like actuation speed and desired component position to the conventional motor control unit (22) for actuating (A) the component (3) in accordance to one or more safety functions (SF) at least implemented on the safety module (4) to ensure safe actuation of the component (3), and is adapted to monitor position and/or speed of the component (3) utilizing the received sensor signals (SS) compared with an expected behavior from the actuation signals (AS) and the motor control signals (MCS) are transmitted to a conventional power unit (23) via the safety module (4) to execute the safety functions (SF), where the safety functions (SF) at least comprise the actuation (A) of the component (3) in a resting or neutral position (FP) as a first safety function (SFR) executed by safety module (4) at least in an emergency situation.