U.S. patent application number 13/521038 was filed with the patent office on 2013-03-07 for wind power plant.
This patent application is currently assigned to Aloys Wobben. The applicant listed for this patent is Jochen Roer. Invention is credited to Jochen Roer.
Application Number | 20130056173 13/521038 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44305869 |
Filed Date | 2013-03-07 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130056173 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Roer; Jochen |
March 7, 2013 |
WIND POWER PLANT
Abstract
The present invention concerns a wind power installation
comprising a pod having at least one fluid-cooled component and a
heat exchanger. To simplify transport and construction of a wind
power installation with a heat exchanger and thus to eliminate or
at least reduce sources of error in the wind power installation of
the kind set forth in the opening part of this specification the
heat exchanger is integrated into the external contour of the pod.
In that respect the present invention is based on the realization
that in that way when transporting and handling the pod, there is
no need for any alterations worth mentioning, at the same time
however the heat exchanger can also be installed upon assembly of
the pod in the factory and can be tested for satisfactory
functioning. That leads to a simplification in transporting and
constructing the wind power installation and at the same time
eliminates possible error sources.
Inventors: |
Roer; Jochen; (Ganderkesee,
DE) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Roer; Jochen |
Ganderkesee |
|
DE |
|
|
Assignee: |
Aloys Wobben
Aurich
DE
|
Family ID: |
44305869 |
Appl. No.: |
13/521038 |
Filed: |
January 10, 2011 |
PCT Filed: |
January 10, 2011 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2011/050202 |
371 Date: |
October 25, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/47 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F05B 2260/64 20130101;
Y02E 10/72 20130101; F03D 9/25 20160501; F05B 2240/14 20130101;
F05B 2260/232 20130101; F03D 80/60 20160501 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/47 |
International
Class: |
F28F 9/00 20060101
F28F009/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 8, 2010 |
DE |
10 2010 000 756.0 |
Claims
1. A wind power installation comprising: a pod with at least one
fluid-cooled component and a heat exchanger, wherein the heat
exchanger is integrated into the external contour of the pod.
2. A wind power installation according to claim 1 wherein the heat
exchanger has at least one ribbed tube.
3. A wind power installation according to claim 1 wherein the heat
exchanger has a ribbed tube which is at least partially
continuously wound.
4. A wind power installation according to claim 1 wherein the heat
exchanger has a plurality of ribbed tubes arranged in parallel
relationship.
5. A wind power installation according to claim 1 wherein the heat
exchanger is arranged on a carrier.
6. A wind power installation according to claim 5 wherein the
carrier is in the form of a peripherally extending opening in the
contour of the pod.
7. A wind power installation according to claim 5 wherein the
carrier is in the form of a separate pod attachment component.
8. A wind power installation according to claim 2 and further
comprising hold-down means which are arranged in the direction of a
longitudinal axis of the pod and which hold the ribbed tube or
tubes in the installation position thereof.
9. A wind power installation according to claim 1 and further
comprising a fan so arranged that the air drawn in thereby flows
around the heat exchanger.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] The present invention concerns a wind power installation
comprising a pod with at least one fluid-cooled component and a
heat exchanger. Such wind power installations are known in large
numbers in the state of the art.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Wind power installations with different pod shapes are also
known. In that respect substantially rectangular or box-shaped
pods, sometimes called gondolas are represented as well as
cylindrical pods and pods approximating to a drop shape.
[0005] As a heat exchanger must be able to give off the heat to be
dissipated to the environment in order to be able to perform its
function, it is usual to arrange it on the top side of the pod in
wind power installations. That is effected for example when
erecting a wind power installation on the building site so that the
heat exchanger arranged on the pod does not cause difficulties in
transporting and handling the pod or so that it cannot be damaged
in that case. Therefore the heat exchanger is usually fitted in
place during erection of the wind power installation on the
building site. In that case however a wide range of different
mounting errors can occur, which adversely affect satisfactory
functioning of the heat exchanger.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0006] Therefore the object of the present invention is to simplify
transport and construction of a wind power installation having a
heat exchanger and thus to eliminate or at least reduce sources of
error.
[0007] In a wind power installation of the kind set forth in the
opening part of this specification, that is achieved in accordance
with the invention by integrating the heat exchanger into the
external contour of the pod.
[0008] The object of the invention is attained by a wind power
installation as set forth in claim 1.
[0009] Accordingly there is provided a wind power installation
comprising a pod having at least one fluid-cooled component and a
heat exchanger. In that case the heat exchanger is integrated into
the external contour of the pod.
[0010] In an aspect of the invention the heat exchanger has at
least one ribbed tube.
[0011] In a further aspect of the invention the heat exchanger is
formed from a ribbed tube which at least partially is continuously
wound.
[0012] In a further aspect of the invention the heat exchanger has
a plurality of ribbed tubes arranged in parallel relationship.
[0013] In a further aspect of the invention the heat exchanger is
arranged on a carrier.
[0014] In a further aspect of the invention the carrier is in the
form of a peripherally extending opening in the contour of the
pod.
[0015] In a further aspect of the invention the carrier is in the
form of a separate pod component.
[0016] In a further aspect of the invention the wind power
installation, in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the pod,
has a hold-down means which holds the ribbed tube in its
installation position.
[0017] In a further aspect of the invention the wind power
installation has a fan arranged in such a way that the air that it
draws in flows around the heat exchanger.
[0018] In that respect the present invention is based on the
realization that when transporting and handling the pod, there is
no need for any alterations worth mentioning, at the same time
however the heat exchanger can also be installed upon assembly of
the pod in the factory and can be tested for satisfactory
functioning. That leads to a simplification in transporting and
constructing the wind power installation and at the same time
eliminates possible error sources.
[0019] In a preferred embodiment the heat exchanger can be formed
from at least one ribbed tube. Such a ribbed tube can be easily
bent in such a way that it follows the contour of the pod and can
therefore be well adapted to the pod contour.
[0020] A high level of reliability is afforded if the heat
exchanger is formed from a continuously wound ribbed tube because
then it is possible to eliminate connecting locations and thus
possible error locations at which for example leaks can occur.
[0021] To provide an adequate cooling efficiency the heat exchanger
can also be formed from a plurality of ribbed tubes arranged in
parallel relationship, thus affording a larger available
cross-section in which the cooling fluid can be cooled.
[0022] Particularly preferably the heat exchanger is arranged on a
carrier. In that way that heat exchanger can be pre-produced in the
form of a structural unit and mounted in the form of an attachment
component to the pod. In that way functional testing can for
example already be effected before it is attached to the pod so
that a reliable heat exchanger is certain to be available when the
pod is assembled.
[0023] In an alternative embodiment the carrier can be in the form
of a peripherally extending opening in the contour of the pod. It
is possible in that way to avoid sources of error when attaching
the separately produced cooler, such as for example incorrect
positioning, damage caused by failure to pay proper attention
during transport, and so forth.
[0024] To hold the ribbed tube or tubes of the heat exchanger in an
intended installation position, there can be hold-down means which
are distributed over the periphery of the heat exchanger and
arranged substantially in the direction of the longitudinal axis of
the pod.
[0025] In a preferred development of the invention there is
provided a fan so arranged that the air drawn in thereby flows
around the heat exchanger. That provides an active heat exchanger
and a defined level of cooling efficiency for the heat
exchanger.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] An advantageous embodiment is illustrated in the Figures in
which:
[0027] FIG. 1 shows a simplified view of a wind power
installation,
[0028] FIG. 2 shows a view on an enlarged scale of the pod of the
wind power installation of FIG. 1,
[0029] FIG. 3 shows a side view of a heat exchanger according to
the invention in the form of an attachment component,
[0030] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of a heat exchanger according to
the invention, and
[0031] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the heat exchanger with
the flow configuration of the cooling air sucked in by the fan.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0032] FIG. 1 shows a greatly simplified view of a wind power
installation 10. The pylon 12 carries the pod 16 (alternatively the
term machine housing or gondola can also be used for the pod). The
pod 16 is mounted on a head of the pylon 12 by means of an azimuth
bearing (not shown) so that it is possible to provide wind
direction tracking by way of azimuth drives (also not shown). The
transition between the pod 16 and the pylon 12 is covered by a pod
skirt 14 and is thus protected from the influences of weather.
[0033] The pod 16 also includes the hub to which the rotor blades
24 are mounted. The hub (with the front part of the pod 16) is
caused to rotate by the rotor blades 24. The rotary movement is
transmitted to the rotor of the generator so that the wind power
installation 10 generates electrical energy when there is a
sufficient wind speed.
[0034] FIG. 2 shows a more detailed view of the pod 16 of the wind
power installation of FIG. 1. The pod has a pod skirt 14 which
covers over the transition from the pod 16 to the pylon (not shown
in this Figure). The pod 16 has a front pod part 18 and a rear pod
part 22. The generator 20 can be disposed between those two pod
parts. The generator 20 can optionally be in the form of a ring
generator.
[0035] Rotor blade domes 26 with blade enlargement portions can be
provided on the front pod part 18. The respective rotor blade roots
of the rotor blades (not shown in this Figure) can be guided into
those rotor blade domes 26 and fastened to the rotor hub which
transmits the rotary movement by way of a transmission or also
directly, without a transmission, to the rotor as the rotary part
of the generator 20 (not shown in this Figure).
[0036] The electrical energy generated when there is a sufficient
wind speed is generated in the generator 20 and depending on the
respective concept of the wind power installation can be fed by way
of a transformer (not shown) for example directly into the network
or can be converted into a direct current by way of rectifiers
(also not shown) and then fed into the network again by way of
inverters at a suitable frequency and phase position. A part of
those described components can be disposed in the pod 16. At any
event however in dependence on the power generated in the generator
20, heat due to energy losses is produced, which has to be
dissipated by cooling. That cooling can involve air cooling; it can
however also use a cooling fluid such as for example water. It is
precisely when a high thermal loading is involved that air cooling
may be inadequate and fluid cooling can be required. Accordingly
the generator 20 can have a generator cooling connection 30 from
which a connection 32 is taken to the heat exchanger 28 at one side
of the pod (at the right in the Figure). The cooling fluid flows
through the generator cooling connection 30, the connection 32 and
through the heat exchanger 28. The heat exchanger 28 is once again
exposed to the flow of air and is of a sufficiently large surface
area to reliably implement the required dissipation of heat so that
the correspondingly cooled cooling fluid can again be fed to the
generator in order to continue to reliably dissipate the heat due
to energy losses.
[0037] The heat exchanger 28 which in the present example is formed
from ribbed tubes 34 is fitted into or on to the contour of the pod
16 so that the aerodynamically favorable shape of the pod 16 is not
detrimentally altered by the heat exchanger 28. In other words the
heat exchanger thus replaces a part of the pod and is matched to
the shape thereof so that the original shape of the pod is
maintained to achieve an as aerodynamic shape as possible. In this
case the heat exchanger can be provided at the end of the pod,
opposite to the rotor 18, and can be of a dome-shaped
configuration. Alternatively or additionally the heat exchanger can
be at least partially oval or elliptical in cross-section.
Alternatively the heat exchanger can be of a cap-shaped
configuration. That provides for adequate cooling of the cooling
fluid utilizing the advantageous shape of the pod 16. The heat
exchanger can also be of an elliptical external contour.
[0038] FIG. 3 shows a heat exchanger 28 according to the invention
in the form of a separate attachment component. That heat exchanger
according to the invention has ribbed tubes 34 which are wound on
to a carrier in such a way that the external contour is a
continuation of the pod contour, that is substantially true to the
shape thereof, that is to say the contour of the heat exchanger is
oval (in cross-section), dome-shaped or cap-shaped. So that the
ribbed tubes 34 remain in position there are provided hold-down
means 36 which hold the ribbed tubes 34 in the predetermined
position. A fan 38 can be arranged downstream of the ribbed tubes
34 in the flow direction, the fan 38 drawing in air in such a way
that it flows over the ribbed tubes 34 and thus the excess heat can
be dissipated.
[0039] While FIG. 3 shows a side view of an embodiment by way of
example of a heat exchanger according to the invention and FIG. 4
shows a rear view, that is to say a view on to the heat exchanger
28, as is represented from the rear side of the pod. It will be
noted in this respect however that, as in FIG. 3, the pod is not
shown. It is possible to clearly see in FIG. 4 the ribbed tubes 34,
the hold-down means 36 and the fan 38. FIG. 4 also clearly shows a
connecting box 40 to which all ribbed tubes 34 are connected.
Through that connecting box 40 the cooling fluid can flow
simultaneously through all ribbed tubes 34 so as to provide a
sufficiently large flow cross-section to dissipate the required
amount of heat to the ambient air by way of the heat exchanger 28.
For that purpose the connecting box 40 is connected by way of a
connection (not shown here) to the components to be cooled in the
pod of the wind power installation.
[0040] A somewhat modified embodiment of the heat exchanger 28
according to the invention is shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 shows a
perspective view, once again without the pod of the wind power
installation. As already described above, the ribbed tubes 34
extend from the connecting box 40 so that the cooling fluid can
simultaneously flow through them to be able to provide the required
cooling efficiency. The fan 38 is again arranged at the end of the
heat exchanger 28 and is provided with a cover 44 which allows the
air flow 42 to be better guided.
[0041] When the fan 38 is set in operation it produces a flow of
the ambient air over the surface of the ribbed tubes 34 in the
direction indicated by arrows 42 so that active cooling can be
implemented with that heat exchanger 28 according to the invention
to dissipate the waste heat to the ambient air.
[0042] As the heat exchanger according to the invention is fitted
into the external pod contour the external appearance of the wind
power installation is at most slightly influenced, but is
substantially retained. Accordingly the flow conditions at the pod
are also substantially retained and at the same time an adequate
cooling effect on the part of the heat exchanger 28 is
achieved.
[0043] For example, if the pod is shaped like a box, with the rear
end having a rectangular shape, the heat exchanger would be
rectangular in shape and will match the shape and cross-section of
the pod at the rear end. Thus, in the situation of the square or
rectangular cross-section at the end, the tubes 34 will be in a
shape that bends, at some places, and may have corners, as one
example. The goal is to have a matching shape to that of the rear
of the pod where they are coupled so that the heat exchanger can
easily be added at the end of the pod either at the factory where
the pod is built or later if desired. Even though it has some shape
as the rear of the pod where it coupled, it can narrow down to
change shape of the length of the heat exchanger as it extends
backward.
[0044] The various embodiments described above can be combined to
provide further embodiments. All of the U.S. patents, U.S. patent
application publications, U.S. patent application, foreign patents,
foreign patent application and non-patent publications referred to
in this specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet
are incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety. Aspects of
the embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of
the various patents, application and publications to provide yet
further embodiments.
[0045] These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in
light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the
following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit
the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the
specification and the claims, but should be construed to include
all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents
to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not
limited by the disclosure.
* * * * *