Slip ring system for a wind turbine wind turbine and a method for producing electrical energy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10502196-B2
Application number	US-201615150544-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2016
Priority date	May 10, 2016
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

A slip ring system for a wind turbine for electrically connecting a first electrical device and a second electrical device, wherein the first electrical device is mounted to a rotor of the wind turbine, and the second electrical device is mounted to a nacelle of the wind turbine, is provided. The slip ring system comprises a slip ring apparatus and a rotational damping apparatus, with which an electrical connection between the first electrical device and the second electrical device can be established. The slip ring apparatus has a rotatable component with a rotatable electrode and a non-rotatable support electrode, wherein the rotatable electrode is electrically connected to the first electrical device, and the support electrode is electrically connected to the second electrical device. The non-rotatable support electrode and the rotatable electrode are arranged with respect to each other's position and configured such that an electrical connection can be established between the non-rotatable support electrode and the rotatable electrode. The rotational damping apparatus connects the turbine rotor and the slip ring apparatus. The rotational damping apparatus prevents vibrations at least partially from migrating into the rotatable component. The rotational damping apparatus comprises a slip ring portion, a shaft portion and a damping portion. The slip ring portion is mounted to the rotatable component and the shaft portion is adapted for being mechanically connected to the turbine rotor for rotating with the turbine rotor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A slip ring system for a wind turbine for electrically connecting a first electrical device and a second electrical device, wherein the first electrical device is mounted to a turbine rotor of the wind turbine, and the second electrical device is mounted to a nacelle of the wind turbine, the slip ring system comprising:
a slip ring apparatus for establishing an electrical connection between the first electrical device and the second electrical device, the slip ring apparatus having a rotatable component with a rotatable electrode and a non-rotatable support electrode, wherein the rotatable electrode is electrically connectable to the first electrical device, the non-rotatable support electrode electrically connectable to the second electrical device, and the non-rotatable support electrode and the rotatable electrode are arranged for establishing an electrical connection;
a rotational damping apparatus for mechanically connecting the turbine rotor and the slip ring apparatus while at least partially preventing vibrations from migrating into the rotatable component, comprising a slip ring portion, a shaft portion and a damping portion, wherein the slip ring portion is mounted to the rotatable component and the shaft portion is adapted for being mechanically connected to the turbine rotor for rotating with the turbine rotor,
an electrical connector for connecting the first electrical device with the rotatable electrode, wherein the rotational damping apparatus is adapted for at least partially receiving and guiding the electrical connector; and
a connecting device for accommodating an electrical joint of the electrical connector, wherein the connecting device is arranged between the rotational damping apparatus and the rotatable component for rotating with rotational damping apparatus and the rotatable component.

2. The slip ring system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational damping apparatus comprises an opening axially projecting through the rotational damping apparatus via the slip ring portion and the shaft portion, and wherein the rotational damping apparatus receives the electrical connector.

3. The slip ring system according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting device comprises an access opening for accessing an interior of the connecting device for mounting and maintenance reasons.

4. The slip ring system according to claim 1 , wherein the damping portion is arranged between the slip ring portion and the shaft portion.

5. The slip ring system according to claim 1 , further comprising a damper for mechanically connecting a support component of the slip ring apparatus and the nacelle while at least partially preventing vibrations from migrating into the support component, wherein the damper is configured to be arranged between the support component and the nacelle.

6. The slip ring system according to claim 5 , wherein the damper comprises a tuner coupled thereto for adjusting vibration and/or damping characteristics of the damper.

7. A wind turbine comprising:
a turbine rotor including a first electrical device mounted to the turbine rotor;
a nacelle including a second electrical device, wherein the nacelle rotatably supports the turbine rotor, and wherein the second electrical device is mounted to the nacelle; and
a slip ring system for electrically connecting the first electrical device with the second electrical device, wherein the slip ring system comprises:
a slip ring apparatus for establishing an electrical connection between the first electrical device and the second electrical device, the slip ring apparatus having a rotatable component with a rotatable electrode and a non-rotatable support electrode, wherein the rotatable electrode is electrically connected to the first electrical device, the non-rotatable support electrode is electrically connected to the second electrical device, and the non-rotatable support electrode and the rotatable electrode are arranged for establishing an electrical connection,
a rotational damping apparatus mechanically connecting the turbine rotor and the slip ring apparatus while at least partially preventing vibrations from migrating into the rotatable component, comprising a slip ring portion, a shaft portion and a damping portion, wherein the slip ring portion is mounted to the rotatable component and the shaft portion is mechanically connected with the turbine rotor for rotating with the turbine rotor,
an electrical connector for connecting the first electrical device with the rotatable electrode, wherein the rotational damping apparatus is adapted for at least partially receiving and guiding the electrical connector, and
a connecting device for accommodating an electrical joint of the electrical connector, wherein the connecting device is arranged between the rotational damping apparatus and the rotatable component for rotating with the rotational damping apparatus and the rotatable component.

8. The wind turbine according to claim 7 , wherein the rotational damping apparatus comprises an opening axially projecting through the rotational damping apparatus via the slip ring portion and the shaft portion, a and wherein the rotational damping apparatus receives the electrical connector.

9. The wind turbine according to claim 7 , wherein the connecting device comprises an access opening for accessing an interior of the connecting device for mounting and maintenance reasons.

10. The wind turbine according to claim 7 , wherein the damping portion is arranged between the slip ring portion and the shaft portion.

11. The wind turbine according to claim 7 , wherein the slip ring system comprises a damper mechanically connecting a support component of the slip ring apparatus and the nacelle while at least partially preventing vibrations from migrating into the support component, wherein the damper is arranged between the support component and the nacelle.

12. The wind turbine according to claim 11 , wherein the damper comprises a tuner coupled thereto for adjusting vibration and/or damping characteristics of the damper.

13. The wind turbine according to claim 11 , wherein the nacelle comprises a gearbox with a gearbox shaft connected with the turbine rotor, the gear box shaft has a hollow, inner tube, which completely projects through the entire gearbox, and wherein the electrical connector is accommodated within the tube.

14. The wind turbine according to claim 13 , wherein the nacelle further comprises a support beam mounted to the gearbox, and the support component is mounted to the support beam.

15. The wind turbine according to claim 7 , comprising a tower, wherein the nacelle is rotatably mounted to the tower for rotating in a mainly horizontal plane around a longitudinal axis of the tower.

16. A method for producing electrical energy by operating a wind turbine, wherein the wind turbine comprises a turbine rotor with a first electrical device, a nacelle with a generator and a second electrical device, and a slip ring system having a slip ring apparatus and a rotational damping apparatus, the slip ring apparatus having a rotatable component with a rotatable electrode and a non-rotatable support electrode, wherein the rotational damping apparatus includes a slip ring portion, a shaft portion and a damping portion, the method comprising the following steps:
a) rotating the turbine rotor due to a conversion of kinetic wind energy into rotational energy;
b) transmitting rotational energy from the turbine rotor to the generator for producing electrical energy;
c) transmitting a rotation of the turbine rotor to the rotatable compone

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Kluemper Stephan
• Langel Andre
• Edenfeld Thomas
• Chen Xianglei

Classifications

• F03D80/82

  of electrical components · CPC title

• F03D80/88 Primary

  of mechanical components · CPC title

• H01R39/08

  Slip-rings · CPC title

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title