Set of units for making a wind turbine nacelle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12448950-B2
Application number	US-202017774618-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2020
Priority date	Nov 22, 2019
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

A set of units for assembly to form a wind turbine nacelle. The nacelle comprises a rotor-supporting assembly and generator, and a power conversion assembly and the set of units comprises a main unit arranged to be connected to a wind turbine tower and housing the rotor-supporting assembly and the generator, and at least two different auxiliary units each housing an operative component forming part of the power conversion assembly. To allow different wind turbine configurations, one of the auxiliary units can be selected from the at least two auxiliary units and assembled with the main unit to form the nacelle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A set of units for assembly to form a nacelle for a wind turbine, the set of units comprising:
a main unit arranged to be connected to a wind turbine tower, the main unit including a top, a bottom, and at least one side between the top and bottom, the main unit including an interior housing at least a main bearing unit and a gear arrangement of the wind turbine, and
at least two different auxiliary units each including an interior that houses an operative component of the wind turbine, wherein the at least two different auxiliary units have identical interfaces towards the main unit whereby one of the auxiliary units can be selected from the at least two auxiliary units and assembled with the main unit to form the nacelle,
wherein a wall extends between the main unit and the one of the at least two auxiliary units to separate the interior of the main unit and the interior of the one of the at least two auxiliary units.

2. The set of units according to claim 1 , wherein a second one of the at least two auxiliary units is indirectly attached to the main unit.

3. The set of units according to claim 2 , wherein a generator of the wind turbine is operational with the operative component in each of the auxiliary units, to deliver power from the generator in a converted form without the use of the second one of the at least two auxiliary units.

4. The set of units according to claim 1 , wherein the main unit defines a first interface allowing selectively connection of one of said at least two different auxiliary units, such that each auxiliary units can be attached on the same location on the main unit.

5. The set of units according to claim 4 , wherein the main unit defines a second interface on an opposite side of the main unit and allowing selectively connection of one or the other of said at least two different auxiliary units.

6. The set of units according to claim 5 , comprising at least two different auxiliary units configured for the first interface and/or at least two auxiliary units configured for the second interface.

7. The set of units according to claim 4 , wherein the identical interfaces of the at least two different auxiliary units can be assembled with the first and the second interfaces.

8. The set of units according to claim 1 , wherein one of the at least two auxiliary units houses an operative component of a type selected from the group consisting of: transformers, converters, and electrolysis cells, and wherein another of the at least two auxiliary units houses a different operative components of a type selected from the group consisting of: transformers, converters, and electrolysis cells.

9. The set of units according to claim 8 , wherein the at least two auxiliary units each house an operative component of the same type.

10. The set of units according to claim 9 , wherein both operative components of the same type have different power rating.

11. The set of units according to claim 8 , wherein the at least two auxiliary units each house an operative component of different type.

12. The set of units according to claim 11 , wherein the set of units comprises a first line of auxiliary units each housing an operative component of a first type and each operative component having different capacity, and wherein the set of units comprises a second line of auxiliary units housing operative components of a second type, the operative components of the second type interacting with the operative component of the first type during operation of the wind turbine nacelle, and each operative component of the second type having a capacity matching a capacity of one of the operative components of the first type housed in one of the auxiliary units of the first line of auxiliary units.

13. The set of units according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two different auxiliary units having identical interfaces towards the main unit facilitate attachment to at least two different locations on the main unit.

14. The set of units according to claim 13 , wherein the at least two different locations on the main unit is a right side location and a left side location on opposite sides of the main unit.

15. The nacelle according to claim 1 , wherein the wind turbine comprises a generator located outside the nacelle.

16. The nacelle according to claim 1 , wherein the nacelle further houses a generator.

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

18. A method of making a nacelle by use of a set or units according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
selecting a main unit and one of the at least two different auxiliary units, and
making the nacelle by connecting the selected auxiliary unit to the main unit.

19. The method according to claim 18 , comprising connecting a second one of the at least two auxiliary units to the one of the at least two different auxiliary units that is connected to the main unit.

20. The method according to claim 18 , comprising the step of attaching the nacelle to a wind turbine tower by assembling the main unit and the wind turbine tower.

21. The method according to claim 20 , comprising a subsequent step of assembling the one of the at least two auxiliary units and the main unit after the main unit is attached to the wind turbine tower.

22. The method according to claim 18 , comprising defining for each auxiliary unit, constraints defining other auxiliary units configured for interaction with the auxiliary unit in question, or defining other auxiliary units not capable of interaction with the auxiliary unit in question.

23. The method according to claim 18 , comprising defining:
a desired nacelle configuration;
determining a plurality of combinations between at least one main unit and different auxiliary units;
defining, for each combination, the resulting nacelle configuration; and
selecting a combination based on a comparison of the resulting nacelle configuration and the desired nacelle configuration.

24. The method according to claim 23 , wherein the defined desired nacelle configuration and the defined resulting nacelle configuration comprises at least one of a desired grid frequency, an output rated power, and a specific desired climate condition.

25. The method according to claim 18 , comprising selecting a combination between a main unit and one of the at least two auxiliary units based on a generator power and mean wind speed defined for the main unit and a total rated power of a conversion assembly defined for the one of the at least two auxiliary units.

26. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the main unit and the one of the at least two auxiliary units is selected to provide the nacelle which produces a chemical substance based on power from a generator.

27. The method according to claim 26 , wherein the main unit and the one of the at least two auxiliary units is selected to provide the nacelle which produces electrical power for a grid in addition to the chemical substance which is produced based on power from the generator.

28. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the main unit and the auxiliary unit is selected to provide the nacelle which produces electrical power based on an airborne unit.

29. The method according to claim 18 , comprising defining a plurality of combinations of the main unit with different auxiliary units for the left side of the

Assignees

• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Baun Torben Ladegaard

Classifications

• F05B2240/92

  on an airbourne structure · CPC title

• F05B2240/14

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

• F03D80/82 Primary

  of electrical components · CPC title

• F03D9/19

  storing chemical energy, e.g. using electrolysis · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title