U.S. patent application number 10/486617 was filed with the patent office on 2005-01-06 for wind energy installation.
Invention is credited to Wobben, Aloys.
Application Number | 20050002787 10/486617 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 7695178 |
Filed Date | 2005-01-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050002787 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wobben, Aloys |
January 6, 2005 |
Wind energy installation
Abstract
The present invention concerns a wind power installation, in
particular a wind power installation having an apparatus for the
dehumidification of a gaseous medium in a substantially closed
space within the wind power installation. In order to keep down the
personnel and logistical expenditure for attaining proper
operability of the apparatus, to simplify the structure and to
permit very substantially maintenance-free operation, the apparatus
includes a first air exposed element and a cooling device for
cooling the first element to a temperature below the ambient
temperature.
Inventors: |
Wobben, Aloys; (Aurich,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SEED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW GROUP PLLC
701 FIFTH AVE
SUITE 6300
SEATTLE
WA
98104-7092
US
|
Family ID: |
7695178 |
Appl. No.: |
10/486617 |
Filed: |
September 8, 2004 |
PCT Filed: |
July 1, 2002 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP02/07225 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
416/146R |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 2003/1446 20130101;
F24F 5/0042 20130101; F03D 17/00 20160501; F03D 9/255 20170201;
F25B 2321/0212 20130101; F03D 80/60 20160501; Y02E 10/722 20130101;
F03D 80/80 20160501; F24F 13/222 20130101; Y02E 10/72 20130101;
F05B 2260/64 20130101; Y02E 10/725 20130101; F03D 9/25
20160501 |
Class at
Publication: |
416/146.00R |
International
Class: |
B63H 001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 10, 2001 |
DE |
101395566 |
Claims
1. A wind power installation comprising a pylon and a machine
housing arranged at the top of the pylon, having a generator,
optionally a transformer and a rectifier coupled to the
transformer, wherein provided in the proximity of the generator or
the transformer and/or the rectifier and/or in the region of the
base of a pylon of the wind power installation is a device for
dehumidifying the air, wherein the dehumidification device has a
first air exposed element and a cooling device coupled thereto for
cooling the first element to a temperature below the temperature in
the proximity of the generator or the transformer and/or the
rectifier and/or in the region of the base of the tower.
2. The wind power installation according to claim 1 characterised
in that the dehumidification device is characterised by a first air
exposed element and a cooling device coupled thereto for cooling
the first element to a temperature below ambient temperature,
wherein the air humidification device is arranged substantially in
the interior of the wind power installation.
3. The wind power installation according to claim 1 characterised
in that a second element is connected to a wall or is formed by the
wall.
4. The wind power installation according to claim 3 characterised
in that the cooling device is arranged between the first element
and the second element and preferably connects them.
5. The wind power installation according to claim 1 characterised
by a cooling device which utilises the Peltier effect.
6. The wind power installation according to claim 1 characterised
in that there is provided a catch unit and/or a duct for removal of
the liquid extracted from the gaseous medium.
7. The wind power installation according to claim 6 characterised
in that the liquid caught with the first surface element is passed
out of the space by way of a suitable device, preferably the
duct.
8. The wind power installation according to claim 7 characterised
in that the duct is arranged in the region, near the ground, of the
space, in the base region of the pylon in the case of a wind power
installation.
9. The wind power installation according to claim 6 characterised
in that provided for catching the liquid extracted from the gaseous
medium is a catch space in which the liquid is collected.
10. The wind power installation according to claim 1 characterised
in that there are provided a first temperature sensor for detecting
the temperature of the first element and a second temperature
sensor for detecting the ambient temperature, that the temperatures
are preferably detected and processed by a control device, and the
control device sets the temperature of the first element by
variations in the cooling power of the cooling device.
11. The wind power installation according to claim 10 characterised
in that the control device is controlled in such a way that the
temperature of the first element is a predeterminable amount below
the ambient temperature and/or does not exceed a predeterminable
temperature.
12. The wind power installation comprising a pylon and a machine
housing arranged at the top of the pylon for accommodating various
machine assemblies of the wind power installation, characterised in
that arranged in the pylon and/or the machine housing is a device
according to one of the preceding claims.
13. The wind power installation according to claim 12 characterised
in that the device is arranged approximately in the region of the
base of the pylon of the wind power installation.
14. The wind power installation according to claim 1 characterised
in that a plurality of air dehumidification devices in accordance
with one of the preceding claims are arranged in the wind power
installation.
15. The wind power installation according to claim 6 characterised
in that in the range of approximately one to ten litres of water
and per day are extracted from the air with each air
dehumidification device and the total electrical power of the air
humidification device is approximately in the range between 50 and
500 W.
16. A device for dehumidifying a gaseous medium, preferably air, in
a substantially closed space, preferably the interior of a wind
power installation, characterised by a first air exposed element
and a cooling device coupled thereto for cooling the first element
to a temperature below ambient temperature, and by a second element
for cooling the heat which is extracted from the first element and
which is preferably added into the space, and that the second
element is connected to a pylon wall of a wind power installation
or is formed by the pylon wall.
17. A device comprising: a generator having rotor blades attached
thereto exposure to the wind to generate electric power from the
wind; a pylon coupled to and supporting the generator, the pylon
having an internal open space; electrical equipment that receives
the electrical power generated by the generator, the electrical
equipment being located inside the internal space of the pylon; a
dehumidifier positioned within the. internal space of the pylon,
the dehumidifier being positioned adjacent to the electrical
equipment to provide ambient air around the electrical equipment
that has a reduced water content below that of air external to the
pylon.
18. The device according to claim 17 wherein the dehumidifer
comprises: a first element positioned inside the pylon, within the
internal open space; a heat transfer element coupled to the first
element and removing heat from the first element; a second element
coupled to the heat transfer element that receives the heat removed
from the first element.
19. The device according to claim 18 wherein the heat transfer
element is a Peltier element.
20. The device according to claim 18 wherein the second element
includes a main wall of the pylon that supports the generator.
21. The device according to claim 17 wherein in the electrical
equipment includes a rectifier.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention concerns a wind power installation, in
particular a wind power installation having an apparatus for
dehumidifying a gaseous medium in a substantially closed space
within the wind power installation.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A dehumidifying apparatus operating on a chemical basis has
long been known. In that known apparatus moisture is removed from
the ambient air chemically and the moisture is collected in a catch
container. That known apparatus however suffers from the
disadvantage that the chemical has to be replaced at certain time
intervals in order to maintain proper operability of the apparatus.
In relation to a large number of apparatuses which are to be
centrally monitored and maintained, that requires additional
expenditure in terms of personnel and logistics.
[0005] Dehumidifiers are also known, in which an enclosed space is
cooled on the basis of the operative principle of a refrigerator by
way of a compressor/evaporator unit by means of a coolant
specifically provided for that purpose, in order in that way to
remove moisture from the air contained in that space.
[0006] With those apparatuses however the structure is complicated
and expensive and in addition it is necessary for the cooling fluid
to be collected separately upon disposal.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] Therefore the object of the present invention is to develop
a wind power installation and in particular to design a wind power
installation in such a way that moisture problems within the wind
power installation can be eliminated in a simple manner.
[0008] That object is attained by a wind power installation having
the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments are set forth in
the appendant claims. In the wind power installation according to
the invention the object is attained by a first flat or air exposed
element and a cooling device for cooling the element to a
temperature below the ambient temperature (room temperature). At
that ambient temperature a part of the moisture contained in the
air condenses at the surface of the first element. That moisture is
removed from the ambient air in that way and can be drained
off.
[0009] In order to permit maintenance-free long-term operation the
cooling device is preferably a Peltier element or a group of
Peltier elements which withdraw heat from the first element and
thereby cool that element. The heat which is withdrawn from the
first element is discharged to the ambient atmosphere again by way
of a second element.
[0010] In order to achieve a particularly good effect the second
element can be connected to a wall delimiting the space to be
dehumidified or can even be formed by that wall.
[0011] The condensate water can be discharged into the open through
a duct and a wall opening. In that case the wall opening can
preferably be provided in the region of the ground in order to
avoid traces of dripping water on outside walls.
[0012] In order to prevent the condensate water from uncontrolledly
dripping down within the space in the event of a blockage of the
duct for draining off the condensate water, it is possible to
provide a container which catches those drips. Thus the container
can be emptied in the context of an inspection procedure or after
signalling from a sensor suitably arranged in the container. At the
same time the closure of the duct can be removed so that the
condensate water is again automatically removed from the space.
[0013] In a particularly preferred development of the invention
there is provided a first temperature sensor for detecting the
temperature of the first element and a second temperature sensor
for detecting the ambient temperature. The apparatus according. to
the invention can be controlled by means of those sensors and a
control device connected on the output side thereof, in such a way
that the first element is always at a predeterminable temperature
difference with respect to the ambient temperature. A constant
dehumidification output can be achieved in that way.
[0014] Advantageous embodiments are recited in the appendant
claims.
[0015] Room air dehumidifiers are already known from DE-U-92 10
970.5, DE 44 23 851, German patent specification No 1 189 250, EP 0
758 730 A2 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,027. The use of such room air
dehumidifiers within wind power installations has hitherto not been
proposed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0016] An embodiment of the invention is described in greater
detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an apparatus according to
the invention,
[0018] FIG. 2 shows a further view of the apparatus according to
the invention,
[0019] FIG. 3 shows an arrangement of an apparatus according to the
invention in the pylon of a wind power installation, and
[0020] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of an apparatus according to
the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] Referring to FIG. 1 shown therein is a side view of an
apparatus according to the invention. Disposed between a first
element 10 and a second element 14 is a cooling device 12. The
cooling device 12 is a Peltier element operated with electrical
power or a group of Peltier elements. It causes transportation of
heat from a lateral boundary surface to the other--in this case the
heat is transported from the first element 10 to the second element
14.
[0022] If the cooling device 12 is acted upon by a suitable current
which is predetermined in respect of amount and direction, heat is
withdrawn from the first element 10 and transported to the second
element 14 where it is in turn discharged to the ambient
atmosphere. The first element 10 and the second element 14 are
preferably in the form of cooling bodies, that is to say flat or
air exposed aluminium elements with cooling ribs extending thereon
for increasing the effective surface area.
[0023] Due to the extraction of heat the first element 10 cools
down to below the ambient temperature and the moisture contained in
the ambient air condenses at the element 10.
[0024] As the surface area-increasing cooling ribs of the first
element 10 extend vertically, the condensate water can easily drain
away downwardly due to the effect of the force of gravity and can
be suitably collected up and if necessary drained off by means of
conduits.
[0025] It can be seen from the side view in FIG. 2 that the
condensate water which drains off downwardly along the cooling ribs
of the first element 10 passes into a duct 20 which is passed into
the open air through a wall 32 so that the condensate water can
drain off into the open without any problem.
[0026] If that duct 20 should suffer from a blockage, there is
additionally provided a catch space 22 which can store the
condensate water so that it does not drip uncontrolledly into
regions below the apparatus. Provided in that catch space 22 is a
liquid sensor 24 which can detect a rise in the level of liquid and
trigger a suitable signal which for example can be used to cause
maintenance personnel to remove the closure of the duct 20 and
empty the catch space.
[0027] The apparatus has a control device 26 in order to detect the
temperature of the first element 10 by way of a first temperature
sensor 16. The ambient temperature is detected by way of a second
temperature sensor 18. The control device 26 can then derive the
required control effect for the cooling device 12, from the
temperature difference and predetermined reference values. It will
be appreciated that this control system can also monitor the liquid
sensor 24 and produce and output the corresponding signals.
[0028] FIG. 3 shows a partial view of a pylon 30 of a wind power
installation. The apparatus according to the invention which in
FIG. 3 is identified generally by reference numeral 2 is assumed to
be arranged approximately at a halfway position on the height of
the pylon 30. The duct 20 for draining off the condensate water is
laid within the pylon 30 to a position close to the ground in FIG.
3 and only there issues outwardly through the wall 32 of the pylon
30. In one embodiment, the second element 14 which receives the
heat in directly coupled to the wall 32 of the pylon 30, or in one
case, is composed of the wall 32 itself, so that a large heat sink
mass is provided to assist in the cooling element 10 to become very
cool easily and without having to heat the element 14 itself to a
high temperature. Namely, the mass of element 14 for receiving the
heat which is removed from the cooling element 10 can be very large
so that the element 10 can easily become very cool and not cause a
corresponding temperature rise in the element 14 which receives the
heat. That reliably prevents traces of water on the outside of the
wall 32.
[0029] The preferred position of installation of the dehumidifier
according to the invention is in the region of the base of the
tower, but installation at other locations on the wind power
installation is also possible. The region of the base of the tower
has the advantage that air which has already been dehumidified will
pass through the rectifiers which are usually arranged in the base
of the tower.
[0030] A further advantageous possible way of draining off the
condensate water from the tower is in the region of the access
door. The door is fitted in any case as a separate component
element into the lower section of the pylon. It is possible in that
way to avoid a change in structure which is essential when making
an opening through the wall of the pylon.
[0031] FIG. 4 shows a modified representation of FIG. 1. The
difference in relation to FIG. 1 essentially lies in a baffle plate
40 which is arranged above the cooling body (first and second
element) 10, 14 and which deflects cooled air which is guided along
the first (cooling) element by a fan. That cooled air is deflected
on to the second (warm) element 14 by the baffle plate 40 and cools
the second element. In that arrangement the baffle plate 40 is held
in a predetermined position by supports 42. For the sake of clarity
of the drawing only one support 42 is illustrated, but of course
others support will be provided as needed.
[0032] Accordingly, heat is extracted at the first element 10 from
the air flowing therepast, and that heat is transported to the
second element 14 by the cooling device, usually a (Peltier
element) 12. The baffle plate 40 deflects the cooled air to the
second element 14 and there the air picks up again the heat
(previously extracted from it). In that way the fan power required
for cooling the second element 14 and thus the power consumption of
the apparatus can be reduced.
[0033] As described, the function of the cooling device, such as
for example the Peltier element is therefore as a primary matter
not cooling of the air within the wind power installation but
solely dehumidification of the interior of the installation, for
which reason also the cooled air is deflected from one side of the
cooling device to the other and is then equally warmed again and
the temperature in the installation is thus scarcely affected.
* * * * *