Modular cooler top for a wind turbine and method of assembling same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12203452-B2
Application number	US-202218276674-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2022
Priority date	Feb 11, 2021
Publication date	Jan 21, 2025
Grant date	Jan 21, 2025

Abstract

A wind turbine ( 10 ) includes a nacelle ( 14 ) with a longitudinal axis (LA) aligned with the flow of the incoming wind during operation. When so aligned, the nacelle defines a longitudinal direction (X). The wind turbine ( 10 ) includes one or more heat-generating components ( 22 ) and a modular cooler ( 24 ) operatively coupled to the one or more heat-generating components ( 22 ). The modular cooler ( 24 ) includes one or more cooling modules ( 30 ) with each including one or more cooling units ( 32 ). Each cooling unit ( 32 ) includes a heat exchanger ( 40 ) defining a cooling area ( 38 ), which defines a normal axis (NA) and a deflector plate ( 42 ) to divert the flow of the incoming wind by an angle less than 180° relative to the longitudinal direction (X). Each cooling unit ( 32 ) is oriented such that the normal axis (NA) is non-parallel to the longitudinal axis (LA). The modular cooler ( 24 ) is scalable in multiple dimensions to increase the cooling capacity of the cooler ( 24 ). A method of assembling the modular cooler ( 24 ) is also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wind turbine, comprising:
a tower;
a nacelle rotatably coupled to the tower and having a longitudinal axis (LA) configured to be aligned with the direction of the flow of the incoming wind during operation of the wind turbine, wherein when so aligned, the nacelle defines a longitudinal direction (X), a traverse direction (Y), and a vertical direction (Z);
one or more heat-generating components housed in the wind turbine; and
a modular cooler affixed to the nacelle and operatively coupled to the one or more heat-generating components for cooling the heat-generating components, the modular cooler comprising one or more cooling modules, each cooling module including one or more cooling units, each cooling unit further comprising:
a heat exchanger defining a cooling area, the cooling area defining a normal axis (NA); and
a deflector plate configured to be initially engaged by the incoming wind, thereby diverting the flow of the incoming wind so as to be directed through the heat exchanger,

wherein the deflector plate is positioned to define an angle between the deflector plate and the longitudinal axis (X) upstream of the deflector plate that is less than 180°, and
wherein each of the one or more cooling units of the modular cooler is oriented such that the normal axis (NA) of the heat exchanger is non-parallel to the longitudinal axis (LA) of the nacelle.

2. The wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cooling modules includes a plurality of cooling units arranged adjacent each other along at least one of the longitudinal direction (X), traverse direction (Y), and vertical direction (Z).

3. The wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein the modular cooler includes a plurality of cooling modules arranged adjacent each other along at least one of the longitudinal direction (X), traverse direction (Y), and vertical direction (Z).

4. The wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger includes one or more heat transfer panels.

5. The wind turbine of claim 4 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat transfer panels arranged adjacent each other in the longitudinal direction (X) of the nacelle, and wherein the deflector plate is positioned relative to the heat exchanger such that the incoming wind is directed to each of the plurality of heat transfer panels.

6. A wind turbine, comprising:
a tower;
a nacelle rotatably coupled to the tower and having a longitudinal axis (LA) configured to be aligned with the direction of the flow of the incoming wind during operation of the wind turbine, wherein when so aligned, the nacelle defines a longitudinal direction (X), a traverse direction (Y), and a vertical direction (Z);
one or more heat-generating components housed in the wind turbine; and
a modular cooler affixed to the nacelle and operatively coupled to the one or more heat-generating components for cooling the heat-generating components, the modular cooler comprising one or more cooling modules, each cooling module including one or more cooling units, each cooling unit further comprising:
a heat exchanger defining a cooling area, the cooling area defining a normal axis (NA); and
a deflector plate to direct the incoming wind through the heat exchanger by diverting the flow of the incoming wind by an angle that is less than 180° relative to the longitudinal direction (X),

wherein each of the one or more cooling units of the modular cooler is oriented such that the normal axis (NA) of the heat exchanger is non-parallel to the longitudinal axis (LA) of the nacelle, and
wherein the heat exchanger is oriented such that the normal axis (NA) is substantially parallel to the vertical direction (Z).

7. The wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is oriented such that the normal axis (NA) is substantially parallel to the transverse direction (Y).

8. The wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein each cooling unit further comprises first and second side walls positioned at opposing ends of the deflector plate, wherein the first and second side walls cooperate with the deflector plate to direct the incoming wind through the heat exchanger.

9. A method for assembling a modular cooler on a nacelle of a wind turbine, the nacelle having a longitudinal axis (LA) configured to be aligned with the direction of the flow of the incoming wind during operation of the wind turbine, wherein when so aligned, the nacelle defines a longitudinal direction (X), a traverse direction (Y), and a vertical direction (Z), the method comprising:
providing one or more cooling modules, each cooling module including one or more cooling units, each cooling unit comprising:
a heat exchanger having a cooling area, the cooling area defining a normal axis (NA); and
a deflector plate;

attaching the one or more cooling modules to the nacelle in an orientation such that the normal axis (NA) of the heat exchanger of the one or more cooling units is non-parallel to the longitudinal axis (LA) of the nacelle; and
positioning the deflector plate relative to the heat exchanger of the one or more cooling units to initially be engaged by the incoming wind, thereby diverting the flow of the incoming wind so as to direct the flow of the incoming wind through the heat exchanger, the deflector plate being positioned so as to define an angle between the deflector plate and the longitudinal axis (X) upstream of the deflector plate that is less than 180°.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the one or more cooling modules includes a plurality of cooling units and the step of attaching the one or more cooling units includes arranging the plurality of cooling units adjacent each other in a direction along at least one of the longitudinal direction (X), traverse direction (Y), and vertical direction (Z).

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the modular cooler includes a plurality of cooling modules and the step of attaching the one or more cooling modules includes arranging the plurality of cooling modules adjacent each other along at least one of the longitudinal direction (X), traverse direction (Y), and vertical direction (Z).

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a plurality of heat transfer panels and the step of attaching the one or more cooling modules includes arranging the plurality of heat transfer panels adjacent each other in the longitudinal direction (X) of the nacelle, and wherein the step of positioning the deflector plate includes positioning the deflector plate relative to the heat exchanger such that the incoming wind is directed to each of the plurality of heat transfer panels.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of attaching the one or more cooling modules includes orienting the heat exchanger such that the normal axis (NA) is substantially parallel to the vertical direction (Z).

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of attaching the one or more cooling modules includes orienting the heat exchanger such that the normal axis (NA) is substantially parallel to the transverse direction (Y).

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
positioning first and second side walls at opposing ends of the deflector plate, wherein the first and second side walls cooperate with the deflector plate to direct incoming wind through the heat exchanger.

16. A modular cooler for a nacelle of a wind turbine, the nacelle having a longitudinal axis (LA) configured to be aligned with the direction of the flow of the incoming wind during operation of the wind turbine, wherein when so aligned, the nacelle defines a longitudinal direction (X), a traverse direction

Assignees

• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Andreasen Marcin Blazniak
• Nyvad Jesper
• Catroga Renato
• Baun Torben Ladegaard

Classifications

• F05B2260/20

  Heat transfer, e.g. cooling · CPC title

• F05B2240/14

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

• F05B2220/30

  in turbines · CPC title

• F03D1/101

  Nacelles (arrangement of components within nacelles F03D80/80) · CPC title

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title