Wind turbines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9587623-B2
Application number	US-201314406981-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2013
Priority date	Jun 10, 2012
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

A wind turbine is described which comprises a tower, a nacelle mounted to the top of the tower, and a rotor mounted to the nacelle. The rotor comprises two or more blades mounted to a central hub. The hub supports two or more annular pitch bearings associated respectively with the two or more blades. Each pitch bearing defines a bearing plane inclined at a first angle with respect to a horizontal plane when the respective blade is oriented in a downwardly direction in alignment with the tower. Each pitch bearing is spanned by a hub plate; and a work platform integral with or mounted to the hub plate lies generally in a plane at a second angle to the horizontal plane when the respective blade is oriented in a downwardly direction in alignment with the tower, which second angle is less than the first angle. The work platform provides a substantially horizontal platform for use by maintenance personnel when installing or servicing components in and around the hub.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wind turbine comprising:
a tower;
a nacelle mounted to the top of the tower;
a rotor mounted to the nacelle, the rotor comprising two or more blades mounted to a central hub, the hub supporting two or more annular pitch bearings associated respectively with the two or more blades, each pitch bearing defining a bearing plane inclined at a first angle with respect to a horizontal plane when the respective blade is oriented in a downwardly direction in alignment with the tower, wherein: each pitch bearing is spanned by a hub plate; and a work platform integral with or mounted to the hub plate lies generally in a plane at a second angle to the horizontal plane when the respective blade is oriented in a downwardly direction in alignment with the tower, which second angle is less than the first angle.

2. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plane of the work platform lies substantially parallel to the horizontal plane.

3. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second angle is approximately five degrees or less.

4. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the work platform is inclined inwardly with respect to the hub moving parallel to a rotor axis of the wind turbine in a direction from the hub towards the nacelle.

5. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hub plate comprises a substantially circular outer flange for connecting the hub plate to the hub, the outer flange lying in a plane parallel to the bearing plane.

6. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the outer flange is mounted between the hub and the pitch bearing.

7. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the pitch bearing comprises an inner ring and an outer ring and the outer flange is mounted to the inner ring.

8. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the hub plate comprises a peripheral sidewall between the work platform and the outer flange.

9. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the profile of the sidewall varies about the periphery of the work platform in accordance with the inclination of the work platform relative to the outer flange.

10. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the peripheral sidewall extends towards the rotor blade on an inboard side of the work platform nearest the nacelle and extends towards the hub on an outboard side of the platform furthest from the nacelle.

11. The wind turbine as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a majority of the work platform is contained within a cylindrical space defined by an inner circumference of the annular pitch bearing and bound by a pair of opposed planes defined respectively by upper and lower faces of the annular pitch bearing.

12. A wind farm comprising a plurality of wind turbines as claimed in claim 1 .

13. A hub plate for a wind turbine, the hub plate comprising:
a work platform defining a first plane; and
a substantially circular outer flange at least partially surrounding the work platform, the outer flange defining a second plane and providing a means for mounting the hub plate to a hub of the wind turbine at an interface between the hub and a rotor blade;
wherein the first plane is inclined relative to the second plane.

14. A hub for a wind turbine comprising a hub plate as claimed in claim 13 .

15. A wind turbine comprising a hub as claimed in claim 14 .

Assignees

• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Christoffersen Leif
• Baun Torben Friis
• Neubauer Jesper Lykkegaard

Classifications

• F05B2250/314

  the axes being inclined in relation to each other · CPC title

• F03D80/70

  Bearing or lubricating arrangements · CPC title

• Y02E10/721

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F03D1/0658 Primary

  Arrangements for fixing wind-engaging parts to a hub · CPC title

• F03D7/0224

  Adjusting blade pitch · CPC title