Rotor blade pitch arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10508642-B2
Application number	US-201715642949-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2017
Priority date	Jul 12, 2016
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

A blade pitch arrangement of a wind turbine is provided having a number of blade shafts extending radially outward from a hub and a rotor blade mounted around each blade shaft, which blade pitch arrangement includes a toothed ring arranged at the root end of each rotor blade; and a pitch drive unit for each rotor blade, having a driver body and a pinion realized to engage with the toothed ring of a rotor blade; wherein a pitch drive unit is arranged relative to its corresponding rotor blade such that the pinion is positioned closest to the hub, and the driver body extends in a direction radially outward from the hub. A wind turbine is also described.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A blade pitch arrangement of a wind turbine having a number of blade shafts extending radially outward from a hub and a rotor blade mounted around each blade shaft, which blade pitch arrangement having
a toothed ring arranged at the root end of each rotor blade; and
a pitch drive unit for each rotor blade, including a driver body and a pinion realized to engage with the toothed ring of a rotor blade;

comprising the pitch drive unit arranged relative to its corresponding rotor blade such that the pinion is positioned closest to the hub, and the driver body extends in a direction radially outward from the hub; and
a pinion bracket, wherein the pinion bracket comprises a hub mounting interface adapted for mounting the pitch drive unit to the hub.

2. A blade pitch arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the pitch drive unit comprises a transmission system enclosed in the driver body.

3. A blade pitch arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the pitch drive unit comprises the pinion bracket arranged to partially enclose the pinion, which the pinion bracket comprises a lateral opening arranged to allow the pinion to engage with the toothed ring of a rotor blade.

4. A blade pitch arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein the pinion bracket comprises a drive unit mounting interface adapted for mounting the pinion bracket to the driver body of the pitch drive unit.

5. A blade pitch arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the pitch drive unit is realized such that a rotational shaft of the pitch drive unit extends into an interior cavity of the pinion bracket.

6. A blade pitch arrangement according to claim 5 , comprising a bearing arranged in the interior cavity of the pinion bracket to support the hub end of the rotational shaft of the pitch drive unit.

7. A blade pitch arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein the pitch drive unit is realized to counteract a force acting on the pinion during operation of the blade pitch arrangement.

8. A blade pitch arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the pitch drive unit comprises an electric pitch drive unit.

9. A blade pitch arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the toothed ring of a rotor blade is arranged on the outside of the rotor blade.

10. A wind turbine comprising a hub, a number of blade shafts extending radially outward from the hub, a rotor blade mounted around each blade shaft, and a blade pitch arrangement according to claim 1 .

11. The wind turbine according to claim 10 , comprising a bearing arrangement between a blade shaft and the rotor blade mounted on that shaft.

12. The wind turbine according to claim 11 , wherein the bearing arrangement comprises two annular bearings separated by a distance.

13. The wind turbine according to claim 10 , wherein a blade shaft extends into the rotor blade to a distance of 15%-40% of the length of the rotor blade.

Assignees

• Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy As

Inventors

• Damgaard Steen
• Elmose Soeren Forbech

Classifications

• F05B2260/503

  using gears · CPC title

• F05B2250/36

  in inner-outer relationship, e.g. shaft-bearing arrangements · CPC title

• F05B2240/54

  Radial bearings · CPC title

• F05B2260/79

  Bearing, support or actuation arrangements therefor · CPC title

• F05B2260/76

  the adjusting mechanism using auxiliary power sources · CPC title