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Wind turbine generator

Inactive Publication Date: 2012-02-09
MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND LTD
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]The present invention has been conceived in light of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a wind turbine generator that can introduce a sufficient amount of external wind with a simple and low-cost configuration while suppressing power consumption and that can achieve preferable cooling of heat-generating electrical equipment installed inside the nacelle and the tower.

Problems solved by technology

However, when a ventilating fan is installed or cooling liquid is circulated to serve as a cooling structure for cooling heat-generating electrical equipment, as described above, the configuration thereof inevitably becomes complicated, and, in addition, power generated by the wind turbine generator must be consumed to drive the ventilating fan or the circulation pump, which is not desirable.
In the case of a liquid cooling system, there is a problem in that, in addition to having a complex structure to begin with, by installing a heat exchanger, the nacelle and its surroundings are increased in size and also become heavier; therefore, the strength of the tower inevitably needs to be increased.
Additionally, because the heat exchanger is structured so as to be exposed to external air, in the case in which the wind turbine generator is installed at the coast or at sea, the heat exchanger must be sufficiently protected against corrosion; and the building cost of the wind turbine generator is increased due to these factors.

Method used

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first embodiment

[0073]FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal cross-section of a wind turbine generator 1A according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a lateral cross-section taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. The wind turbine generator 1A is provided with a cooling structure A. In this cooling structure A, an introducing vent 21 and an exhaust vent 22 are provided in the tower 4 having a substantially circular cross-sectional shape as described above. The introducing vent 21 is an opening for taking external wind into the internal space S in the tower 4 as cooling air and is provided at an outer circumference surface of the tower 4 at a portion that receives positive pressure due to the external wind. The exhaust vent 22 is an opening for externally exhausting the cooling air inside the internal space S and is provided at the outer circumference surface of the tower 4 at a portion that receives negative pressure due to the external wind.

[0074]More specifically, in considera...

second embodiment

[0082]FIG. 5 is a schematic longitudinal cross-section of a wind turbine generator 1B according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The wind turbine generator 1B is provided with a cooling structure B. This cooling structure B differs from the cooling structure A in the above-described first embodiment only in that the installation height of the introducing vent 21 is close to a middle portion of the tower 4 and that the installation height of the exhaust vent 22 is close to the bottom end of the tower 4, and other configurations are the same as those of the cooling structure A. That is, the positional relationship between the introducing vent 21 and the exhaust vent 22 in plan view is as shown in FIG. 3, and operational advantages brought about by doing so are also similar to those of the cooling structure A.

[0083]In this cooling structure B, the height of the introducing vent 21 is set near the highest position in a range R from the ground surface 2 to a bottom end of...

third embodiment

[0085]FIG. 6 is a schematic longitudinal cross-section of a wind turbine generator 1C according to a third embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a lateral cross-section taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 6, and FIG. 8 is a lateral cross-section taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 6. The wind turbine generator 1C is provided with a cooling structure C. In this cooling structure C, as in the cooling structure A in the first embodiment, the introducing vent 21 is disposed near the bottom end of the tower 4, and exhaust vents 22a to 22d are disposed near the top end of the tower 4.

[0086]As in the cooling structure A, in the circumference direction of the outer circumference surface of the tower 4, the introducing vent 21 is provided only at a single location at a surface where the wind strikes the most on average throughout the year, that is, the surface subjected to the highest positive pressure due to the external wind. On the other hand, the exhaust vents 22a to 22d are provide...

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Abstract

The present invention provides a wind turbine generator, in which a rotor head that rotates by receiving external wind with turbine blades generates power by driving a generator installed inside a nacelle and in which the nacelle is installed at a top end of a tower, wherein an introducing vent that takes the external wind into an internal space in the wind turbine generator is provided at a portion of an outer circumference surface of the tower or the nacelle that receives positive pressure due to the external wind; and an exhaust vent that externally exhausts cooling air in the internal space is provided at a portion of the outer circumference surface of the tower or the nacelle that receives the negative pressure due to the external wind.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation application of PCT / JP2011 / 065040 filed on Jun. 30, 2011 and claims the benefit of Japanese Application No. 2010-150473 filed in Japan on Jun. 30, 2010, the contents of which is hereby incorporated by its reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to a wind turbine generator in which heat generated in equipment during operation is cooled by introducing external air.[0004]2. Description of Related Art[0005]A standard wind turbine generator is an apparatus in which a rotor head provided with turbine blades rotates by receiving wind force, and a generator is driven by increasing the speed of this rotation by using a gear box, etc., thus generating power. The rotor head is mounted at an end portion of a nacelle, which is installed at the top of a tower erected on the ground, etc. and which is capable of yawing, and is supported so as to be rotatable...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): H02K9/02
CPCF03D11/00F05B2260/20Y02E10/722F05B2260/64Y02E10/728F05B2240/912Y02E10/726F03D80/60Y02E10/72
Inventor SATO, SHINSUKEISHIGURO, TATSUO
Owner MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND LTD
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