Damping device for onshore and offshore wind turbines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10400754-B2
Application number	US-201715672411-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2017
Priority date	Aug 9, 2017
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

A damping device for a wind turbine tower is disclosed having at least one upper mount extending from a tower structure, at least one lower mount extending from one of the tower structure or a tower foundation, at least one damping device extending only in a substantially vertical direction, the damping device having an upper connector coupled with the upper mount and a lower connector coupled with the lower mount, and at least one damper coupled between the upper connector and the lower connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wind turbine, comprising;
a substantially tubular tower structure extending from a tower foundation, the tower structure comprising a plurality of substantially tubular segments having an exterior wall and an interior wall, the tower foundation comprising an exterior portion and an interior portion;
a nacelle mounted atop the tower structure;
a rotor coupled to the nacelle, the rotor having one or more rotor Hades attached thereto;
at least one upper mount extending from the tower structure;
at least one lower mount extending from one of the tower structure or the tower foundation;
at least one damping device extending parallel with the interior wall of the tubular sections, the damping device comprising an upper connector coupled with the upper mount, a lower connector coupled with the lower mount, and at least one damper coupled between the upper connector and the lower connector.

2. The wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein the upper mount and lower mount extend from the tower structure interior wall.

3. The wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein the upper connector and lower connector comprise hinges.

4. The wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein the tower foundation is configured to be positioned at one of onshore, near-shore, and offshore.

5. The wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one damper comprises a viscous damper further comprising at least one of a passive damper, a semi-active damper, an active damper, a hybrid damper, a hydraulic damper, a pneumatic damper, a solid friction damper, a rotational inertia-viscous damper, a rotational friction damper, a variable-orifice viscous damper, a variable stiffness damper, a variable-friction damper, a controllable fluid damper and mixtures thereof.

6. The wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein the at least one damper comprises a damping coefficient in the range of 5 to 5000 meganewton-seconds/meter.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Rodriguez Tsouroukdissian Arturo

Classifications

• E04H9/0215

  involving active or passive dynamic mass damping systems · CPC title

• F05B2240/95

  offshore · CPC title

• F05B2220/706

  an electrical generator · CPC title

• F05B2240/2211

  of the multibladed, low speed, e.g. "American farm" type · CPC title

• F16F15/02

  Suppression of vibrations of non-rotating, e.g. reciprocating systems; Suppression of vibrations of rotating systems by use of members not moving with the rotating systems ({F16F15/005 takes precedence } ; layered products B32B; suppression of vibration in ships B63; {relieving load on bearings, using magnetic means F16C39/06}) · CPC title