Wind energy system with a pitch adjustment system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9890767-B2
Application number	US-201314413818-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 10, 2013
Priority date	Jul 11, 2012
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a wind energy system with at least one pitch adjustment system for adjusting the pitch of at least one rotor blade of the wind energy system, wherein the pitch adjustment system comprises at least one electrohydraulic drive that comprises an unregulated electromotor rotating in one direction of rotation for generating pressure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wind energy system comprising at least one pitch adjustment system for adjusting a pitch of at least one rotor blade of the wind energy system, wherein the pitch adjustment system comprises at least one electrohydraulic drive with at least one hydraulic cylinder, at least one hydraulic reservoir, at least one adjustment valve, at least one electromotor pump unit, and at least one control unit wherein the at least one hydraulic cylinder and the at least one hydraulic reservoir are combined and arranged in a device, or arranged on a rotor of the wind energy system,
wherein the electrohydraulic drive comprises at least one unregulated electromotor that rotates in one direction of rotation for generating pressure,
wherein the hydraulic cylinder of the electrohydraulic drive comprises a lock including at least one locking bolt configured to engage at least one recess in a piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder, and
wherein a mechanism for loosening the lock is directly coupled to a pressure of the hydraulic reservoir such that loosening of the lock occurs when the hydraulic reservoir is charged to a given pressure.

2. The wind energy system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one locking bolt includes a position recognition system for detecting its position.

3. The wind energy system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least two electromotor pump units and at least two switchable bypass valves, each of the at least two switchable bypass valves configured with a first position configured to fluid connect one of the at least two electromotor pump units to the hydraulic cylinder and a second position configured to isolate the hydraulic cylinder from one of the at least two electromotor pump units, wherein the at least two electromotor pump units and the at least two switchable bypass valves are further configured to control an adjustment speed of the pitch of the at least one rotor blade of the wind energy system.

4. The wind energy system according to claim 3 , wherein two or more of the at least two electromotor pump units provide hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic cylinder if an applied external load is below a given threshold value.

5. The wind energy system according to claim 1 , wherein during movement of the hydraulic cylinder, a first cylinder chamber is in fluid connection to the at least one electromotor pump unit and a second cylinder chamber is connected to the hydraulic reservoir.

6. The wind energy system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one hydraulic reservoir is charged to a pressure that is elevated in comparison to a pressure of a hydraulic system.

7. The wind energy system according to claim 1 , wherein hydraulic components of the electrohydraulic drive are arranged on a central valve plate.

8. The wind energy system according to claim 1 , wherein an electromotor and a hydraulic pump of the electromotor pump unit are located in a pre-tensioned tank of the hydraulic reservoir.

9. The wind energy system according to claim 1 , further comprising an additional support bearing with low rigidity constructed on a bottom surface of the electrohydraulic drive such that axial forces of the hydraulic cylinder of the electrohydraulic drive are introduced via a main support into a hub structure, wherein the additional support bearing receives only components of the force of weight that generate a torque about an axis of the hydraulic cylinder.

10. The wind energy system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least two rotor blades that are arranged on the rotor, wherein each of the at least two rotor blades is associated with a hydraulic adjustment unit.

Assignees

• Liebherr Components Biberach Gmbh

Inventors

• Gaile Anton
• Staimer Anton
• Wennheller Oliver
• Lavergne Hans Peter

Classifications

• F15B2211/212

  the pressure sources being accumulators · CPC title

• F15B2211/411

  the positions being discrete · CPC title

• F15B15/18

  Combined units comprising both motor and pump · CPC title

• F03D7/0224 Primary

  Adjusting blade pitch · CPC title

• F15B1/022

  used as an emergency power source, e.g. in case of pump failure · CPC title