Nacelle assembly for a wind turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11499532-B2
Application number	US-202016940790-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2020
Priority date	Jul 31, 2019
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

A nacelle assembly for a wind turbine is connected to a wind turbine tower through a yaw system and includes a front region coupled to a rotor having a rotor hub and at least one rotor blade. The nacelle assembly includes a nacelle having a cover structure to house wind turbine components and an add-on wind flow deflector system that is coupled to an outside of the cover structure. The wind flow deflector system guides wind flowing to the nacelle for reducing a drag of the nacelle when a wind direction is misaligned with respect to the longitudinal wind direction in a yaw system failure event.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A nacelle assembly for a wind turbine, the nacelle assembly connectable to a wind turbine tower through a yaw system, comprising:
a front region coupled to a rotor comprising a rotor hub and at least one rotor blade;
a nacelle having a cover structure to house wind turbine components, the cover structure comprising a front side arranged at the front region, a rear side opposite to the front side, a first and a second lateral side and a top and a bottom side;
the cover structure extending from the front side to the rear side along a longitudinal axis;
an add-on wind flow deflector system coupled to an outside of the cover structure to guide wind flowing to the nacelle for reducing a drag of the nacelle when a wind direction is misaligned with respect to the longitudinal axis;
the add-on wind flow deflector system comprising one or more deflector devices extending longitudinally along a portion of a first top edge region formed between the top side and the first lateral side or a portion of a second top edge region formed between the top side and the second lateral side; and
each deflector device is disposed on the cover structure so as to extend from the respective top edge region and alongside of and at an acute angle relative to the respective lateral side such that each deflector device extends over a portion of the respective lateral side, the respective lateral side extending under the one or more deflector devices completely between the top side and the bottom side, and a terminal distal end edge of each deflector device displaced laterally from the respective lateral side, each terminal distal end edge being a free unattached edge such that an open space is defined around each terminal distal end edge and between the respective lateral side and the respective deflector device.

2. The nacelle assembly according to claim 1 , each deflector device comprising a plate extending from a proximal end edge connected to the cover structure to the respective terminal distal end edge.

3. The nacelle assembly according to claim 2 , wherein for each deflector device, the proximal end edge is connected to the cover structure at the respective top edge region.

4. The nacelle assembly according to claim 2 , wherein each plate is hingedly connected to the cover structure.

5. The nacelle assembly according to claim 2 , wherein each plate is curved.

6. The nacelle assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the terminal distal edge end of each plate faces the cover structure.

7. The nacelle assembly according to claim 1 , wherein one deflector device of the one or more deflector devices comprises a reinforcing structure on an underside thereof connected to the cover structure.

8. A nacelle assembly for a wind turbine having a front region to be coupled to a wind turbine rotor comprising a rotor hub and at least one wind turbine blade, the nacelle assembly comprising:
a nacelle having a cover structure to house wind turbine components, the cover structure having a substantially cuboid shape and comprising:
a front side arranged at the front region;
a rear side opposite to the front side;
a first and a second lateral side extending from the front side to the rear side along a longitudinal axis, wherein the first and the second lateral sides are arranged on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis;
a top and a bottom side extending from the front side to the rear side along the longitudinal axis and from the first to the second lateral sides along a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;
an add-on wind flow deflector system comprising wind flow deflector devices extending along the longitudinal axis, wherein the wind flow deflector devices are coupled to an outside of the cover structure to at least partially cover an underlying portion of the first and the second lateral sides, the first and the second lateral sides underlying the respective deflector devices and extending completely between the top side and the bottom side; and
each of the deflector devices disposed on the cover structure so as to extend at an acute angle away from the respective lateral side such that a terminal distal end edge of the deflector device is displaced laterally from the respective lateral side, each terminal distal end edge being a free unattached edge such that an open space is defined around each terminal distal end edge and between the respective lateral side and the respective deflector device.

9. The nacelle assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the deflector devices comprise a plate having a proximal end edge coupled to the cover structure.

10. The nacelle assembly according to claim 9 , the cover structure comprising:
a first and a second top edge portion respectively formed between the top side and the first and the second lateral sides, and
a first and a second bottom edge portion respectively formed between the bottom side and the first and the second lateral sides;
the deflector devices are included in a set of deflector devices comprising:
a first top wind flow deflector device having the respective proximal end edge coupled to the first top edge portion;
a second top wind flow deflector device having the respective proximal end edge coupled to the second top edge portion;
a first bottom wind flow deflector device having the respective proximal end coupled to the first bottom edge portion; and
a second bottom wind flow deflector device having the respective proximal end coupled to the second bottom edge portion.

Assignees

• General Electric Renovables Espana Sl

Inventors

• Herrig Andreas
• Tomas Monpol Santiago
• Hallissy Benjamin Patrick

Classifications

• F03D13/10

  Assembly of wind motors; Arrangements for erecting wind motors · CPC title

• F03D80/00 Primary

  Details, components or accessories not provided for in groups F03D1/00 - F03D17/00 · CPC title

• F05B2270/321

  Wind directions · CPC title

• F05B2240/14

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

• F05B2270/32

  Wind speeds · CPC title