Hydraulic device for a pitch system, a pitch system and wind turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12577934-B2
Application number	US-202418985537-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2024
Priority date	Dec 29, 2023
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

A hydraulic device for a pitch system of a wind turbine includes an air separation device which includes a fluid collector having an air accumulation portion, at least one fluid inlet and a fluid outlet portion, wherein a fluid emulsion of air and hydraulic fluid can be introduced into the fluid collector through the at least one fluid inlet. The fluid collector is labyrinth-shaped so that rotation of the air separation device about an axis of rotation causes the air in the fluid emulsion to move through the labyrinth-shaped fluid collector in a direction to the air accumulation portion and the hydraulic fluid in the fluid emulsion to move through the labyrinth-shaped fluid collector in a direction to the fluid outlet portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A hydraulic device for a pitch system of a wind turbine comprising an air separation device,
the air separation device comprising a fluid collector having an air accumulation portion, at least one fluid inlet and a fluid outlet portion, wherein a fluid emulsion of air and hydraulic fluid can be introduced into the fluid collector through the at least one fluid inlet, wherein the fluid collector is labyrinth-shaped so that rotation of the air separation device about an axis of rotation causes the air in the fluid emulsion to move through the labyrinth-shaped fluid collector in a direction to the air accumulation portion and the hydraulic fluid in the fluid emulsion to move through the labyrinth-shaped fluid collector in a direction to the fluid outlet portion.

2 . The hydraulic device according to claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic device further comprises a reservoir having a variable-capacity fluid storage space,
wherein the labyrinth-shaped fluid collector is coiled about an axis, wherein the air accumulation portion being a radially outermost portion of the labyrinth-shaped fluid collector, wherein the fluid outlet portion is disposed radially inwardly of the air accumulation portion, and wherein the at least one fluid inlet is disposed between the fluid outlet portion and the air accumulation portion, wherein the fluid outlet portion is connected to the variable-capacity fluid storage space.

3 . The hydraulic device according to claim 2 , wherein the labyrinth-shaped fluid collector comprises one channel coiled about the central axis.

4 . The hydraulic device according to claim 2 , wherein the fluid outlet portion comprises at least one through hole.

5 . The hydraulic device according to claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic device further comprises an air outlet and an air drain valve, wherein the air accumulation portion is connected to the air outlet via the air drain valve.

6 . The hydraulic device according to claim 5 , wherein a first detection sensor arrangement is disposed in the air accumulation portion, wherein opening and closing of the air drain valve is controlled via measuring signals of the first detection sensor arrangement.

7 . The hydraulic device according to claim 2 , wherein the reservoir comprises a housing and a piston movably disposed in said housing, wherein the piston separates the housing into the variable-capacity fluid storage space and an air space.

8 . The hydraulic device according to claim 7 , wherein the air separation device is disposed within the housing.

9 . The hydraulic device according to claim 7 , wherein the air accumulation portion is connected to the air space.

10 . The hydraulic device according to claim 9 , wherein a second detection sensor arrangement is disposed in the air space.

11 . A pitch system for a wind turbine comprising at least one hydraulic actuator, a hydraulic pump, a hydraulic accumulator, and a hydraulic device according to claim 1 , wherein the hydraulic device is connected to the hydraulic accumulator and the hydraulic pump, wherein the hydraulic pump is configured to drive the hydraulic actuator and to load the hydraulic accumulator.

12 . A wind turbine comprising a nacelle, a hub rotatably supported at the nacelle, at least one rotor blade supported at the hub and at least one pitch system according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one pitch system is disposed in the hub, and wherein the at least one pitch system is configured to adjust a pitch angle between the at least one rotor blade and the hub.

13 . The hydraulic device according to claim 2 , wherein the axis is a central axis.

14 . The hydraulic device according to claim 3 , wherein the one channel coiled about the central axis is in one plane.

15 . The hydraulic device according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one through hole is connected to the variable-capacity fluid storage space.

16 . The hydraulic device according to claim 7 , wherein the reservoir is a bootstrap reservoir.

Assignees

• Hawe Hydraulik Se

Inventors

• Hansen Jesper Berg

Classifications

• F03D7/0224

  Adjusting blade pitch · CPC title

• F05B2260/79

  Bearing, support or actuation arrangements therefor · CPC title

• F05B2270/604

  hydraulic actuators · CPC title

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title

• F05B2270/506

  hydraulic means, e.g. hydraulic valves within a hydraulic circuit · CPC title