Apparatus for accessing the nacelle of a wind turbine and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9611837-B2
Application number	US-201214005729-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2012
Priority date	Mar 17, 2011
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A wind turbine includes a tower having an interior, an exterior, a lower end and an upper end; a nacelle coupled to the tower adjacent the upper end and movable to define at least two yaw positions of the nacelle; a rotor coupled to the nacelle; and an access apparatus disposed about the tower adjacent the upper end thereof, the access apparatus defining a passageway into the nacelle that is exterior of the tower, and the access apparatus providing access to the nacelle in the at least two yaw positions of the nacelle. A method for transporting equipment and personnel to the nacelle using the access apparatus is disclosed. A method for assembling a wind turbine having such an access apparatus is also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wind turbine, comprising:
a tower having an interior, an exterior, a lower end, and an upper end;
a nacelle coupled to the tower adjacent the upper end thereof and movable relative to the tower to define at least two yaw positions of the nacelle;
a rotor coupled to the nacelle and including a hub and at least one blade extending therefrom, the rotor configured to interact with the wind to rotate the rotor; and
an access apparatus disposed about the tower adjacent the upper end thereof, the access apparatus defining a passageway into the nacelle that is exterior of the tower, and the access apparatus providing access to the nacelle in the at least two yaw positions of the nacelle,
wherein the tower includes at least one sidewall that defines the interior and exterior of the tower, the tower further comprising:
a first door in the at least one sidewall adjacent the lower end of the tower; and
a second door in the at least one sidewall adjacent the upper end of the tower,
wherein each of the first and second doors provides an access path between the interior and exterior of the tower, and wherein the second door is accessible from within an interior of the access apparatus.

2. The wind turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the access apparatus is coupled to the nacelle and moves relative to the tower with movement of the nacelle.

3. The wind turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the access apparatus provides access to the nacelle for all yaw positions of the nacelle.

4. The wind turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the passageway of the access apparatus includes a staircase.

5. The wind turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the access apparatus further comprises:
a housing having a bottom wall and at least one sidewall that defines a housing interior, the passageway providing communication between the interior of the housing and an interior of the nacelle.

6. The wind turbine according to claim 5 , wherein the passageway extends beyond a periphery of a main housing portion.

7. The wind turbine according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one sidewall includes a plurality of upright supports and one or more cross supports to provide the access apparatus with a cage-like appearance.

8. The wind turbine according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one sidewall has a solid construction.

9. The wind turbine according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one sidewall includes at least one port and a transparent covering for covering the port.

10. The wind turbine according to claim 5 , further comprising an occluding member extending between the bottom wall of the housing and the tower, the occluding member including an elastomeric member.

11. The wind turbine according to claim 1 , further comprising an emergency evacuation system for evacuating personnel from the nacelle along a route exterior to the tower.

12. The wind turbine according to claim 11 , wherein the emergency evacuation system comprises:
a closure member formed in the access apparatus and selectively movable between an opened position and a closed position, a communication path being established between the interior of the access apparatus and the exterior of the access apparatus when the closure member is in the opened position, the communication path between the interior and exterior of the access apparatus being closed off when the closure member is in the closed position; and
a lift system capable of supporting and moving a load from the access apparatus to the lower end of the tower.

13. The wind turbine according to claim 12 , wherein the lift system includes a winch and a cable spooled about the winch and having a sufficient length to extend from the access apparatus and the lower end of the tower.

14. The wind turbine according to claim 13 , further comprising a carriage configured to be coupled to the cable to facilitate transporting the load.

15. The wind turbine according to claim 11 , further comprising one or more emergency indicators for guiding personnel from the nacelle.

16. The wind turbine according to claim 15 , wherein one or more emergency indicators is selected from the group consisting of a light, a sign, a noise generator, and combinations thereof.

17. A method of transporting equipment or personnel to a nacelle of a wind turbine, comprising:
i) positioning the nacelle in a first yaw position relative to a wind turbine tower having at least one sidewall;
ii) transporting the equipment or personnel through a first door in the at least one sidewall at a lower end of the tower and to an upper end of the tower through an interior of the tower;
iii) further transporting the equipment or personnel through a second door in the at least one sidewall adjacent an upper end of the tower and into an interior of an access apparatus adjacent an upper end of the tower and exterior of the tower;
iv) further transporting the equipment or personnel from the interior of the access apparatus to the interior of the nacelle along a passageway in the access apparatus that is exterior to the tower;
v) positioning the nacelle in a second yaw position different from the first yaw position; and
vi) performing at least step iv) when in the second yaw position.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein positioning the nacelle in the first yaw position further comprises aligning the second door in the at least one sidewall of the tower with the passageway of the access apparatus.

19. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising moving the access apparatus with movement of the nacelle from the first yaw position to the second yaw position.

20. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising using a conveyor to transport equipment or personnel from the interior of the access apparatus to the interior of the nacelle.

21. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising transporting equipment or personnel out of the nacelle along a path that is reversed relative to the path used to transport equipment and personnel to the nacelle.

Assignees

• Abolfazlian Mazyar
• Mogensen Morten
• Bovbjerg Jan Riis
• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Abolfazlian Mazyar
• Mogensen Morten
• Bovbjerg Jan Riis

Classifications

• F03D1/001

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F03D13/20

  Arrangements for mounting or supporting wind motors; Masts or towers for wind motors · CPC title

• F03D1/003

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F03D1/00

  Wind motors with rotation axis substantially parallel to the air flow entering the rotor  (controlling thereof F03D7/02) · CPC title

• Y02E10/728

  Onshore wind turbines · CPC title