Speed reducer for use in yaw drive apparatus for wind power generation apparatus, and yaw drive method and apparatus for wind power generation apparatus using the speed reducer

Abstract

A speed reducer and a yaw drive apparatus for a wind power generation apparatus, where the speed reducer has high efficiency and a short axial length, and suitable for the yaw drive apparatus. The speed reducer has three stages for speed reduction. The total reduction gear ratio of a first stage speed reducing portion 10 and a second speed reducing portion 20 is set to 1/6 to 1/60, and a third stage speed reducing portion 30 is constructed from an eccentric oscillating-type speed reduction mechanism having an internal gear member 32, external gears 34, crankshafts 35, and a carrier 37. The reduction gear ratio of the eccentric oscillating-type speed reduction mechanism is set to 1/50 to 1/140, and the total reduction gear ratio of the speed reducer is set to 1/1000 to 1/3000. A yaw drive method and the yaw drive apparatus can reduce noise, and the yaw drive apparatus is inexpensive and reduced in size.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a speed reducer for use in a yaw drive apparatus which rotates a wind power generation unit of a wind power generation apparatus in a substantially horizontal plane, and a yaw drive method and an apparatus for wind power generation apparatus using the speed reducer. BACKGROUND ART [0002] In general, the yaw drive apparatus of the wind power generation apparatus rotates a windmill power generation unit about a tower according to a wind in order that blades of the wind power generation apparatus can receive the wind, and rotates a ring gear provided at the tower. [0003] The yaw drive apparatus is generally constructed by a general-purpose induction motor (the number of rotations is 1000 to 1800 rpm) and a plurality of reducing mechanism (the total reduction gear ratio is 1 / 1000 to 1 / 3000). [0004] Most conventional speed reducers for use in the yaw drive apparatus of the windmill power generation apparatus use a speed reducer incl...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0023] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a speed reducer which has high efficiency and a short axial length, and is suitable for the yaw drive apparatus. Further, it is possible to provide a yaw drive apparatus of a wind power generation apparatus which is highly efficient and is compact in size.

[0024] Further, when the wind power generation unit is yawed by a drive motor, the drive energy is supplied to the drive motor. At this time, since the drive energy, which is supplied to the drive motor from when the supply of the drive energy to the drive motor begins to start, is made to be smaller than the drive energy supplied to the drive motor in a common yawing by the reduction means, the rotational drive torque applied to the second gear from the drive motor at the start-up of the rotation has an energy corresponding to the small drive energy. As a result, the impact between the teeth of the first gear and the second gear is reduced at the time of the start-up of the rotation of the second gear, whereby it is possible to reduce the damage on the teeth of the first and second gears and noise, and to make the apparatus small in size at a low price. At this state, after a predetermined time, the rotational speed of the drive motor increases to some degree. After that, however, the drive motor is provided with the drive energy in common yawing and the yawing of the wind power generation unit is performed.

[0025] Further, when the yawing of the wind generation unit is stopped, the drive energy, which is supplied to the drive motor for a predetermined period just before the supply of the drive energy to the drive motor is stopped to the point of time at which the supply of the drive energy is stopped, is made smaller than the drive energy supplied to the drive motor in a common yawing, and the rotary power applied to the wind power generation unit from the drive motor for the above-described period is made small, the rotational speed of the wind power generation unit decreases gradually due to the frictional resistance or gyroscopic effect of the rotor-head or th...

Problems solved by technology

However, the maintenance of the former speed reducer including five stage-planetary speed reduction mechanisms was not good due to the long total length and the large capacity.

However, since the wind power generation unit has a large inertial mass, it cannot rotate by following the second gear.

As a result, the teeth of the second gear cause a significant impact on the first gear.

Therefore, the teeth of the first and second gear may be damaged at the start-up of the yawing of the wind power generation unit, or a loud noise occurs.

Further, considering the structural features, the strength of the first and second gears ...

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