Direct-drive wind turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9328716-B2
Application number	US-201214376773-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2012
Priority date	Feb 17, 2012
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

A direct-drive wind turbine comprising an external rotor having an external anular body and a stator, a nacelle which is mounted on an upper part of a tower and which houses a shaft-holder mechanism for supporting the horizontal shaft, a plurality of blade-holder structures arranged equidistantly on external peripheral portions of the external anular body, and a blade root connected to the blade-holder structure, said turbine also including a distal end part connected to the blade root, a lateral hatch for accessing an internal chamber in the blade ender and a door for closing the hatch.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A direct drive wind turbine comprising a generator equipped with an external rotor ( 1 ) that has an external annular body ( 1 a ) and internal stator ( 3 ); a horizontal shaft ( 5 ) connected to the external rotor ( 1 ) so that the external rotor ( 1 ) turns around the internal stator ( 3 ); a nacelle ( 6 ) mounted on an upper part of a tower ( 7 ) and housing a shaft carrier mechanism ( 8 ) to support the horizontal shaft ( 5 ); and numerous blade carrier structures ( 9 ) evenly arranged on the different outer peripheral parts of the external rotor body ( 1 a ), and each blade carrier structure ( 9 ) connected to a blade root ( 10 a ) of a turbine blade ( 10 );
characterized by
each blade root ( 10 a ) is connected to the blade carrier structure ( 9 ) on the external annular body ( 1 ) through a hollow root extender ( 12 );
the blade root extender ( 12 ) comprises a proximal end part ( 12 a ) connected to the blade carrier structure ( 9 ) through proximal bolts ( 11 a ), and a distal end part ( 12 c ) connected to the blade root ( 10 a ), an inner chamber ( 12 e ) encompassed by a peripheral wall ( 12 f ), a lateral manhole ( 13 ) on the peripheral wall ( 12 f ) for gaining access to the inner chamber ( 12 e ) and a door ( 14 ) to close the manhole ( 13 ).

2. A direct drive wind turbine according to claim 1 , characterized by the external rotor ( 1 ) comprises a plurality of permanent magnets ( 2 ) attached internally to the external annular body ( 1 a ) and an internal stator ( 3 ) that comprises inductor windings ( 4 ).

3. A direct drive wind turbine according to claim 1 , characterized by the distal end part ( 12 c ) is securely connected to the blade root ( 10 a ).

4. A direct drive wind turbine according to claim 3 , characterized by the distal end part ( 12 c ) of the root extender ( 12 ) is connected to the blade root ( 10 a ) through distal axial bolts ( 11 b , 11 c ) extending through an internal distal flange ( 12 d ) inside the root extender ( 12 ) and penetrating into a peripheral wall of the blade root ( 10 a ).

5. A direct drive wind turbine according to claim 3 , characterized by each blade carrier structure ( 9 ) comprises a blade pitch angle adjustment mechanism for turning the blade ( 10 ) that consists of a gyratory ring element ( 15 ) mounted on the proximal end part ( 12 a ) of the root extender ( 12 ) and at least one propeller pinion ( 16 ) that engages an annular notched part ( 15 a ) on the gyratory ring element ( 15 ); and the propeller pinion ( 16 ) is driven by an electric gear motor ( 17 ).

6. A direct drive wind turbine according to claim 5 , characterized by the gyratory ring element ( 15 ) rotates around a central part ( 9 a ) of the blade carrier structure ( 9 ).

7. A direct drive wind turbine according to claim 6 , characterized by the cited notched part ( 15 a ) is a constituent of the outer peripheral edge of the gyratory ring element ( 15 ) arranged underneath the proximal end part ( 12 a ) of the root extender ( 12 ), and each electric gear motor is attached to the external annular body ( 1 a ) outside the root extender ( 12 ).

8. A direct drive wind turbine according to claim 6 , characterized by
the cited notched part ( 15 a ) is a constituent of the inner peripheral edge of the gyratory ring element ( 15 );
the proximal end part ( 12 a ) of the root extender ( 12 ) encompasses the cited notched part ( 15 a ) and each propeller pinion ( 16 );
each electric gear motor ( 17 ) is mounted in a stationary manner on the cited central part ( 9 a ) of the blade carrier structure ( 9 ) so that the gyratory ring element ( 15 ) rotates on this blade carrier structure ( 9 ).

9. A direct drive wind turbine according to claim 8 , characterized by each electrical gear motor ( 17 ) is mounted in a stationary manner onto the cited central part ( 9 a ) of the blade carrier structure ( 9 ) through a motor support ( 21 ) so that the gear motor ( 17 ) is located inside the inner chamber ( 12 e ) of the root extender ( 12 ).

10. A direct drive wind turbine according to claim 8 , characterized by each electric gear motor ( 17 ) is mounted at least partially in a stationary manner at a gap on this central part ( 9 a ) of the blade support ( 9 ).

11. A direct drive wind turbine according to claim 5 , characterized by the proximal end part ( 12 a ) of the root extender ( 12 ) is connected to the gyratory ring element ( 15 ) through proximal bolts ( 11 a ) extending through a proximal flange ( 12 b ) inside the root extender ( 12 ) into the gyratory ring element ( 15 ).

12. A direct drive wind turbine according to claim 3 , characterized by
each blade carrier structure ( 9 ) comprises a blade pitch angle adjustment mechanism to turn the blade ( 10 ) that consists of a stationary ring element ( 15 ′) mounted in a stationary manner onto the blade carrier structure ( 9 );
at least one propeller pinion ( 16 ) that engages the stationary ring element ( 15 ′), and the propeller pinion ( 16 ) is driven by an electric gear motor ( 17 );
the proximal end part ( 12 a ) of the root extender ( 12 ) is mounted on a part of the peripheral support ( 9 b ) that is mounted in a gyratory manner onto a blade carrier structure ( 9 );
each electric gear motor is mounted in a stationary manner next to the blade carrier structure ( 9 ) onto an inner part of the wall inside the inner chamber ( 12 e ) of the root extender ( 12 ).

13. A direct drive wind turbine according to claim 1 , characterized by the proximal end part ( 12 a ) of the root extender ( 12 ) is securely connected to the blade carrier structure ( 9 ).

14. A direct drive wind turbine according to claim 13 , characterized by each proximal end part ( 12 a ) of the root extender ( 12 ) is securely connected to the blade carrier structure ( 9 ) through a plurality of proximal axial bolts ( 11 a ) extending from an internal proximal flange ( 12 b ) inside the root extender ( 12 ) into the blade carrier structure ( 9 ).

15. A direct drive wind turbine according to claim 13 , characterized by
a blade pitch angle adjustment mechanism for turning each blade ( 10 ) that consists of a gyratory ring element ( 15 ) mounted in a gyratory manner onto the distal end part ( 12 b ) of the root extender ( 12 ) and at least one propeller pinion ( 16 ) that engages an annular notched part ( 15 a ) inside the gyratory ring element ( 15 ), and the propeller pinion ( 16 ) is driven by an electric gear motor ( 17 );
the electric gear motor ( 17 ) is mounted in a stationary manner onto an inner distal part of the wall inside the inner chamber ( 12 e ) of the root extender ( 12 );
the blade root ( 10 a ) is fastened to the gyratory ring element ( 15 ).

Assignees

• Alti Barbon Ignacio
• Villanueva Monzón Mauro
• Gamesa Innovation & Tech Sl

Inventors

• Alti Barbon Ignacio
• Villanueva Monzón Mauro

Classifications

• F03D9/25

  the apparatus being an electrical generator (F03D9/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F05B2220/7066

  via a direct connection, i.e. a gearless transmission · CPC title

• F03D80/50

  Maintenance or repair · CPC title

• F03D15/20

  Gearless transmission, i.e. direct-drive · CPC title

• Y02B10/30

  Wind power · CPC title