Method for operating a wind turbine, cooling system and wind turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12085062-B2
Application number	US-202318451473-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 17, 2023
Priority date	Aug 18, 2022
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

A method is for operating a wind turbine. The wind turbine includes a nacelle including a nacelle component, in particular a rotor bearing, and a nacelle air flow influencing unit. The nacelle air flow influencing unit is configured to influence an air flow entering, flowing through and/or exiting the nacelle. The method includes: determining an operating condition of the nacelle component, determining a cooling demand of the nacelle component dependent on the determined operating condition of the nacelle component, controlling an operation of the nacelle air flow influencing unit dependent on the cooling demand of the nacelle component to adapt the air flow to the cooling demand of the nacelle component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating a wind turbine, wherein the wind turbine includes a nacelle having a nacelle component and a nacelle air flow influencing unit, wherein the nacelle air flow influencing unit is configured to influence an air flow which is at least one of entering, flowing through and exiting the nacelle, the method comprising:
determining an operating condition of the nacelle component;
determining a cooling demand of the nacelle component dependent on the determined operating condition of the nacelle component;
controlling an operation of the nacelle air flow influencing unit dependent on the cooling demand of the nacelle component to adapt the air flow to the cooling demand of the nacelle component;
determining a load condition of a load acting on a rotor bearing; and,
determining the operating condition of the rotor bearing dependent on the determined load condition.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining the load condition of a load acting on the rotor bearing is based on at least one of a power generated by the wind turbine and a wind speed acting on a rotor of the wind turbine.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the load acting on the rotor bearing is an axial load condition.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining a rotation speed of a rotor of the wind turbine; and,
determining the operating condition of the rotor bearing dependent on the determined rotation speed of the rotor.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the operating condition of the rotor bearing dependent on a comparison between the determined load condition and at least one predefined load condition threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining a component temperature of the nacelle component; and,
determining the operating condition of the nacelle component dependent on a comparison between the determined component temperature and at least one predefined temperature threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining a further operating condition, the further operating condition being of a further nacelle component arranged in an interior of the nacelle;
determining a cooling demand of the further nacelle component dependent on the determined further operating condition; and,
controlling the operation of the nacelle air flow influencing unit dependent on the cooling demand of the further operating condition.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the further nacelle component is one of a gearbox, a converter, and a generator.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the operation of the nacelle air flow influencing unit is controlled in accordance with the cooling demand of the nacelle component having a highest cooling demand.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining at least one of an air temperature in an interior of the nacelle and an ambient air temperature outside of the nacelle; and,
controlling the operation of the nacelle air flow influencing unit dependent on at least one of the determined air temperature in the interior of the nacelle and on the determined ambient air temperature outside of the nacelle.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nacelle component is a rotor bearing.

12. A cooling system for a wind turbine including a nacelle having a nacelle component, the cooling system comprising:
a control unit;
a nacelle air flow influencing unit configured to influence an air flow which is at least one of entering, flowing through, and exiting the nacelle of the wind turbine; and,
said control unit being configured to:
determine an operating condition of the nacelle component;
determine a cooling demand of the nacelle component dependent on the determined operating condition of the nacelle component;
control an operation of the nacelle air flow influencing unit dependent on the cooling demand of the nacelle component to adapt the air flow to the cooling demand of the nacelle component;
determine a load condition of a load acting on a rotor bearing; and,
determine the operating condition of the rotor bearing dependent on the determined load condition.

13. The cooling system of claim 12 , wherein:
said nacelle air flow influencing unit includes a nacelle air flow enhancing device;
said nacelle air flow enhancing device is at least one of:
located at an air outlet assembly of the nacelle and configured to draw air out of the nacelle; and,
located at an air inlet assembly of the nacelle and configured to blow air into the nacelle.

14. The cooling system of claim 13 , wherein said nacelle air flow enhancing device is a nacelle fan.

15. The cooling system of claim 12 , wherein:
said nacelle air flow influencing unit includes a nacelle air flow limiting device;
said nacelle air flow limiting device is located at least at one of:
an air inlet assembly of the nacelle and is configured to selectively limit an amount of air entering into the nacelle; and,
an air outlet assembly of the nacelle and is configured to selectively limit the amount of air exiting the nacelle.

16. The cooling system of claim 15 , wherein said nacelle air flow limiting device is a shutter device.

17. The cooling system of claim 12 , wherein:
said nacelle air flow influencing unit includes a nacelle air flow guiding device; and,
said nacelle air flow guiding device is located at an air inlet assembly of the nacelle and is configured to selectively guide the air flow in at least one of a direction of one of the nacelle components and a direction of a specific area of one of the nacelle components.

18. The cooling system of claim 17 , wherein said nacelle air flow guiding device is a moveable air flap or a directional control valve.

19. A wind turbine, comprising:
a nacelle having a housing and defining an interior;
a nacelle component being arranged in said interior of said nacelle;
a cooling system including a control unit and a nacelle air flow influencing unit;
said nacelle air flow influencing unit configured to influence an air flow which is at least one of entering, flowing through, and exiting the nacelle of the wind turbine; and,
said control unit being configured to:
determine an operating condition of the nacelle component;
determine a cooling demand of the nacelle component dependent on the determined operating condition of the nacelle component;
control an operation of the nacelle air flow influencing unit dependent on the cooling demand of the nacelle component to adapt the air flow to the cooling demand of the nacelle component;
determine a load condition of a load acting on a rotor bearing; and,
determine the operating condition of the rotor bearing dependent on the determined load condition;
said nacelle air flow influencing unit being coupled with said nacelle housing; and,
said cooling system being provided for cooling said nacelle component.

20. The wind turbine of claim 19 further comprising:
a rotor;
said nacelle including a nacelle air inlet assembly to let in air and a nacelle air outlet assembly to let out air;
said nacelle air inlet assembly being arranged on a first side of said nacelle facing said rotor and the nacelle air outlet assembly being arranged on a second side of said nacelle facing away from said rotor; and,
said nacelle air flow influencing unit being arranged at least at one of said nacelle air inlet assembly and said nacelle air outlet assembly.

Assignees

• Nordex Energy Se & Co Kg

Inventors

• Harich Martin
• Nitzpon Joachim
• Adler Florian
• Dreher Moritz
• Albertsen Björn

Classifications

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title

• F03D80/70

  Bearing or lubricating arrangements · CPC title

• F05B2270/327

  Rotor or generator speeds · CPC title

• F05B2270/3032

  excessive temperatures, e.g. caused by overheating · CPC title

• F05B2260/201

  by impingement of a fluid · CPC title