Blade adapter for wind turbines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10844833-B2
Application number	US-201815964431-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2018
Priority date	Apr 27, 2017
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A blade adapter for rotor blades of wind turbines, for increasing the rotor diameter, has a first end for attaching to the rotor hub, and a second end, spaced apart in the axial direction, for connecting to the blade root of a rotor blade. In addition, the blade adapter, at its first and second end, has a pitch circle for connecting to the rotor hub or to the rotor blade, wherein the wall of the blade adapter extending in the axial direction is open outwardly, in the form of a truncated cone, from the first end toward the second end, in at least one portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A blade adapter for increasing rotor diameter of a wind turbine, the blade adapter comprising:
a first end comprising a first pitch circle for connecting to a rotor hub of the wind turbine;
a second end spaced apart in an axial direction from the first end and comprising a second pitch circle for connecting to a blade root of a rotor blade of the wind turbine; and
a wall extending in the axial direction between the first end and the second end, wherein at least a portion of the wall tapers outwardly in a direction from the first end toward the second end in the form of a truncated cone, and wherein the wall is configured such that, at the first end, the wall is inside the first pitch circle and, at the second end, the wall is outside the second pitch circle.

2. The blade adapter of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the wall opens outwardly in the form of a truncated cone from the first end toward the second end and a total length of the portion of the wall is greater than or equal to a total length of a remaining portion of the wall.

3. The blade adapter of claim 1 , wherein the two pitch circles have an identical diameters.

4. The adapter of claim 3 , wherein the two pitch circles have drilled holes with identical diameters.

5. The adapter of claim 3 , wherein the two pitch circles have an identical number of drilled holes.

6. The adapter of claim 3 , wherein the two pitch circles have an identical position of the drilled holes.

7. The blade adapter of claim 1 , wherein a half cone angle of a truncated conical portion of the wall that is closest to the first end is configured such that, upon connection of the first end to an outer ring of a rotor blade roller bearing, an extension of a middle surface of the truncated conical portion of the wall passes through rolling elements of the rotor blade roller bearing.

8. The blade adapter of claim 1 , wherein, in a region of at least one pitch circle, reinforcements are provided on an inner side of the wall, wherein the reinforcements comprise ribs extending in the axial direction or stiffening rings running perpendicular to an axis of the blade adapter.

9. The blade adapter of claim 1 , wherein the wall thickens in a region of at least one of the pitch circles.

10. The adapter of claim 9 , wherein the wall thickens on a side that faces away from the at least one of the pitch circles.

11. The blade adapter of claim 1 , further comprising, within the blade adapter, at least one circular platform that extends perpendicularly relative to an axis of the blade adapter, and includes an opening that is disposed close to the wall at a circumference of the opening.

12. The adapter of claim 11 , wherein the central opening is closeable by a cover element of the adapter.

13. The blade adapter of claim 1 , wherein drilled holes of at least one pitch circle are configured as through-holes or blind holes.

14. The adapter of claim 13 , wherein the drilled holes include internal threads.

15. The blade adapter of claim 1 , wherein the pitch circles are arranged on L-flanges fixedly connected to the wall of the blade adapter.

16. The blade adapter of claim 1 , wherein the blade adapter is cast or welded.

17. A wind turbine, comprising a rotor that is rotatable about a substantially horizontal axis, the rotor comprising at least two rotor blades attached to a rotor hub, wherein each rotor blade is attached to the rotor hub by a blade adapter that comprises:
a first end comprising a first pitch circle for connecting to the rotor hub;
a second end spaced apart in an axial direction from the first end and comprising a second pitch circle for connecting to a blade root of a respective rotor blade; and
a wall extending in the axial direction between the first end and the second end, wherein at least a portion of the wall tapers outwardly in a direction from the first end toward the second end in the form of a truncated cone, and wherein the wall is configured such that, at the first end, the wall is inside the first pitch circle and, at the second end, the wall is outside the second pitch circle.

18. The wind turbine of claim 17 , wherein the rotor blades are rotatably mounted on the rotor hub.

19. The wind turbine of claim 18 , wherein each rotor blade adapter is connected by the first end to an outer or an inner ring of rotor blade bearings.

Assignees

• Senvion Gmbh

Inventors

• Trede Alf

Classifications

• F03D1/0658 Primary

  Arrangements for fixing wind-engaging parts to a hub · CPC title

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title

• F05B2240/202

  with adjustable area of intercepted fluid · CPC title

• F03D1/0675

  of the blades · CPC title

• F05B2250/232

  conical · CPC title