Nacelle for a wind turbine, the nacelle comprising side units

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11274657-B2
Application number	US-201715649704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2017
Priority date	Mar 22, 2010
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

A nacelle for a wind turbine and a method for erecting a wind turbine are disclosed. The nacelle comprises a main unit arranged to be connected to a wind turbine tower, via a yawing arrangement, and at least one side unit mounted along a side of the main unit in such a manner that direct access is allowed between the main unit and the side unit(s), each side unit accommodating at least one wind turbine component, and at least one side unit being capable of carrying the wind turbine component(s) accommodated therein. The main unit and at least one of the side unit(s) are distributed side by side along a substantially horizontal direction which is substantially transverse to a rotational axis of a rotor of the wind turbine. A sufficient interior space of the nacelle is obtained while allowing the nacelle to be transported due to the modular construction. The weight of the wind turbine components is arranged close to the tower due to the transversal arrangement of the side unit(s) relative to the main unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A nacelle for a wind turbine, comprising:
a main unit arranged to be connected to a wind turbine tower, via a yawing arrangement, the main unit having a top, a bottom, and at least one side between the top and bottom, the main unit having an interior; and
at least one side unit mounted along the at least one side of the main unit in such a manner that the main unit and the at least one side unit are distributed side-by-side along a substantially horizontal direction which is substantially transverse to a rotational axis of a rotor of the wind turbine, the at least one side unit having an interior,
wherein a substantially vertical wall extends between the main unit and the at least one side unit to separate the interior of the main unit and the interior of the at least one side unit, the wall including a first door to allow passage between the interior of the main unit and the interior of the at least one side unit in the substantially horizontal direction, and
wherein at least one wind turbine component is mounted within the interior of and supported by the at least one side unit.

2. The nacelle according to claim 1 , wherein the wall includes a second door spaced apart from the first door, the second door allowing passage between the interior of the main unit and the interior of the at least one side unit in the substantially horizontal direction.

3. The nacelle according to claim 2 , wherein the interior of the at least one side unit includes first and second closed compartments, the at least one wind turbine component being arranged in one of the first and second closed compartments, one of the first and second closed compartments includes a door to allow access to the at least one wind turbine component.

4. The nacelle according to claim 3 , wherein the one of the first and second closed compartments with the at least one wind turbine component provides electromagnetic shielding for the at least one wind turbine component therein.

5. The nacelle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one side of the main unit defines a mounting plane and no structural component associated with the main unit protrudes through the mounting plane such that the at least one side unit may be hoisted directly adjacent and substantially parallel to the mounting plane of the main unit.

6. The nacelle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one side unit comprises a supporting structure, the at least one wind turbine component being mounted to the supporting structure.

7. The nacelle according to claim 1 , wherein the main unit comprises at least one beam, the at least one beam being connectable to lifting equipment for mounting and/or demounting the main unit on/from the wind turbine tower.

8. The nacelle according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one beam forms part of a hoisting arrangement for hoisting and/or lowering the at least one wind turbine component and/or the at least one side unit to/from the nacelle.

9. The nacelle according to claim 7 , wherein the at least one beam is adapted to carry the at least one wind turbine component accommodated in the at least one side unit.

10. The nacelle according to claim 1 , wherein the least one wind turbine component mounted within the interior of and supported by the at least one side unit is a transformer.

11. The nacelle according to claim 10 , wherein a converter is also mounted within the interior of and supported by the at least one side unit.

12. The nacelle according to claim 11 , wherein the converter is arranged adjacent to the transformer and adjacent to a generator of the wind turbine.

13. The nacelle according to claim 10 , wherein the transformer is arranged at a position near the yawing arrangement.

14. The nacelle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one wind turbine component mounted within the interior of and supported by the at least one side unit is an on-board crane.

15. The nacelle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one side unit extends substantially along the entire length of the main unit.

16. The nacelle according to claim 1 , wherein an interface defined by the main unit towards the at least one side unit is connectable to a corresponding interface of a crane, upon removal of the at least one side unit.

17. The nacelle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one side unit is adapted to accommodate the at least one wind turbine component during transport from a manufacturing location to a wind turbine site.

18. The nacelle according to claim 1 , further comprising a cover covering at least part of the main unit and at least part of the at least one side unit.

19. The nacelle according to claim 1 , further comprising a main cover covering at least part of the main unit, and at least one side cover covering at least part of the at least one side unit.

20. The nacelle according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one side of the main unit includes first and second opposed sides, wherein the at least one side unit comprises one side unit mounted along the first side of the main unit and a cooling device having a cooling area is mounted to and extends from the second side of the main unit, the one side unit on the first side and the cooling device on the second side providing an asymmetric configuration of the nacelle.

21. The nacelle according to claim 20 , comprising a cooling cover having at least one inner face, the cooling device being enclosed by a face of the second side of the main unit and the inner face of the cover.

22. A wind turbine comprising a nacelle according to claim 1 .

23. A method for erecting a wind turbine comprising a nacelle comprising:
erecting a wind turbine tower,
mounting a main unit on the wind turbine tower, via a yawing arrangement, the main unit having a top, a bottom, and at least one side between the top and bottom, the at least one side defining a mounting plane,
hoisting at least one side unit to a position adjacent to the at least one side of the main unit, wherein no structural component associated with the main unit protrudes through the mounting plane such that the at least one side unit is hoisted directly adjacent and substantially parallel to the mounting plane of the main unit, and
connecting the at least one side unit to the at least one side of the main unit in such a manner that the main unit and the at least one side unit are distributed side-by-side along a substantially horizontal direction which is substantially traverse to a rotational axis of a rotor of the wind turbine.

24. The method according to claim 23 , further comprising transporting the at least one side unit having at least one wind turbine component mounted therein from a manufacturing location to a wind turbine site, prior to performing the step of hoisting the at least one side unit.

25. The method according to claim 24 , further comprising;
disconnecting the at least one side unit having the at least one wind turbine component from the at least one side of the main unit,
lowering the at least one side unit from the main unit directly adjacent and substantially parallel to the mounting plane of the main unit.

26. The method according to claim 23 , wherein the at least one side unit includes at least one wind turbine component mounted therein prior to the at least one side unit being hoisted.

27. The method of claim 23 , wherein the main unit has an interface

Assignees

• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Mortensen Henning
• Hansen Frank
• Buch-Lorentsen Karsten
• À Porta Peter Haakon
• Hansen Erland Falk
• Abolfazlian Mazyar
• Mogensen Morten

Classifications

• F03D80/60

  Cooling or heating of wind motors · CPC title

• F05B2230/601

  using limited numbers of standard modules which can be adapted by machining · CPC title

• F05B2240/14

  Casings, housings, nacelles, gondels or the like, protecting or supporting assemblies there within · CPC title

• F05B2240/916

  with provision for hoisting onto the structure · CPC title

• F03D80/82

  of electrical components · CPC title