Device for measuring moments of a wind turbine, method for operating a wind turbine, and wind turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10794367-B2
Application number	US-201816140922-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2018
Priority date	Sep 25, 2017
Publication date	Oct 6, 2020
Grant date	Oct 6, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for measuring moments of a wind turbine, comprising a carrier pin that can be fixedly connected to a bedplate of a nacelle of the wind turbine, which is arranged on a tower and can be adjusted with respect to yaw, a torque support of a gearbox of the wind turbine being mountable on the carrier pin via an elastomer body, and to a method for operating a wind turbine and the corresponding wind turbine. The carrier pin is provided with one or more sensors that are designed and arranged to detect strains and/or shears of the carrier pin, a signal processing and/or evaluation unit being provided, which is connected to the sensor(s) and which can determine, during operation of the wind turbine, from measurement signals of the sensors, pitch moments and/or yaw moments that act upon the torque support.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for measuring moments of a wind turbine, comprising:
a carrier pin that is configured to be connected to a bedplate of a nacelle of the wind turbine, which is arranged on a tower and which can be adjusted in respect of yaw, a torque support of a gearbox of the wind turbine being mountable or mounted on the carrier pin, wherein the carrier pin is provided with one or more sensors that are designed and arranged to detect strains and/or shears of the carrier pin, and
a signal processing and/or evaluation unit connected to the one or more sensors, wherein the signal processing and/or evaluation unit is designed to determine pitch moments and/or yaw moments that act upon the torque support from measurement signals of the one or more sensors measuring deflections and/or shears of the carrier pin during operation of the wind turbine, and
wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more strain gauges attached to the carrier pin.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more strain gauges are aligned in a the longitudinal direction of the carrier pin for measuring deflections of the carrier pin, and/or the one or more strain gauges are aligned at an angle of 30° to 90°, in relation to the longitudinal direction of the carrier pin for measuring shears of the carrier pin.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the one or more strain gauges include four strain gauges aligned in the longitudinal direction of the carrier pin and which are interconnected to form a bridge circuit, and/or the one or more strain gauges include four strain gauges aligned at an angle of 30° to 90° in relation to the longitudinal direction of the carrier pin and which are interconnected to form a second bridge circuit.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier pin is passed through a bearing opening of the torque support and a first end portion and a second end portion of the carrier pin projects out of the bearing opening on opposing sides of the bearing opening, the one or more strain gauges being arranged symmetrically in relation to a central plane of the bearing opening on the two projecting end portions.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more strain gauges are countersunk into one or more prefabricated groove-type recesses.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein at least one cable routing of the one or more sensors on the carrier pin run in the one or more recesses and/or in one or more leadthroughs through the carrier pin.

7. The device according to claim 5 , wherein a tube is inserted, as a cable leadthrough, in the one or more recesses, in a central part of the carrier pin that is not accessible when in an integrated state in the torque support of the gearbox.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier pin, on at least one side, has a sensor bore in a longitudinal direction of the carrier pin, the device further comprising:
a sensor rod arranged within the sensor bore, an external diameter of which is smaller than an internal diameter of the sensor bore, the sensor rod being fixed in an end portion of the sensor bore, at least one of the one or more sensors arranged at an outlet of the sensor bore, wherein the at least one of the one or more sensors is designed to determine deflections and/or deflection forces of an end of the sensor rod opposite to the fixed end of the sensor rod due to deflections or shears of the carrier pin.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier pin, on at least one side, has a sensor bore in a longitudinal direction of the carrier pin, the device further comprising:
a sensor rod arranged in the sensor bore, an external diameter of which is smaller than an internal diameter of the sensor bore, the sensor rod being detachably connected in an end portion of the sensor bore and at an outlet of the sensor bore, the sensor rod being provided with at least one of the one or more sensors.

10. A wind-turbine having at least one device according to claim 1 for measuring moments of the wind turbine, the wind turbine having a nacelle, arranged on a tower and adjustable in respect of yaw, having a rotor having a horizontal rotor axis, and having a drive train, which is driven or drivable by the rotor and which has a gearbox that is supported, via one or more torque supports, on a bedplate of the nacelle.

11. The wind turbine according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one device includes two devices for measuring moments of the wind turbine, and wherein the gearbox is supported on the bedplate, on two opposite sides, by means of respectively a first torque support and a second torque support, the first torque support having one of the two devices and the second torque support having the other of the two devices, the two devices having a common signal processing and/or evaluation unit.

12. A method for operating a wind turbine having a device according to claim 1 , comprising: a carrier pin that is configured to be connected to a bedplate of a nacelle of the wind turbine, which is arranged on a tower and which can be adjusted in respect of yaw, a torque support of a gearbox of the wind turbine being mountable or mounted on the carrier pin, wherein strains and shears of the carrier pin are measured by means of the one or more sensors on or in the carrier pin and, by means of the signal processing and/or evaluation unit that is connected to the one or more sensors, pitch moments and/or yaw moments that act upon the torque supports are determined, during operation of the wind turbine, from measurement signals of the one or more sensors of deflections and/or shears of the carrier pin.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the pitch moments and yaw moments determined from the measurement signals of the one or more sensors are fed into a control device for torque control of the wind turbine and/or for pitch control.

14. A device for measuring moments of a wind turbine, comprising:
a carrier pin that is configured to be connected to a bedplate of a nacelle of the wind turbine, which is arranged on a tower and which can be adjusted in respect of yaw, a torque support of a gearbox of the wind turbine being mountable or mounted on the carrier pin, wherein the carrier pin is provided with one or more sensors that are designed and arranged to detect strains and/or shears of the carrier pin, wherein the carrier pin, on at least one side, has a sensor bore in a longitudinal direction of the carrier pin;
a sensor rod arranged within the sensor bore, an external diameter of which is smaller than an internal diameter of the sensor bore, the sensor rod being releasably coupled, in an end portion of the sensor bore, the one or more sensors being arranged at an outlet of the sensor bore, which the one or more sensors is designed to determine deflections and/or deflection forces of an end of the sensor rod opposite to the releasably coupled end of the sensor rod due to deflections or shears of the carrier pin; and
a signal processing and/or evaluation unit being provided, which is connected to the one or more sensors and which is designed to determine, during operation of the wind turbine, from measurement signals of the one or more sensors, deflections and/or shears of the carrier pin, pitch moments and/or yaw moments that act upon the torque support.

15. A device for measuring moments of a wind turbine, comprising:
a carrier pin that is configured to be connected to a bedplate of a nacelle of the wind turbine, which is arranged on a tower and which can be adjusted in respect of yaw, a torque support of a gearbox of the wind t

Assignees

• Senvion Gmbh

Inventors

• Warfen Karsten
• Hopp Eckart

Classifications

• F05B2270/1095

  by limiting mechanical stresses · CPC title

• F05B2260/964

  by damping means · CPC title

• F03D17/00 Primary

  Monitoring or testing of wind motors, e.g. diagnostics (testing during commissioning of wind motors F03D13/30) · CPC title

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title

• F03D15/00

  Transmission of mechanical power · CPC title