Lubrication system, transmission system and wind turbine

Abstract

The present invention discloses a lubrication system, a transmission system, and a wind turbine. The lubrication system includes a gearbox, a container for storing lubricating oil, a first flow channel and a second flow channel for respectively connecting the gearbox and the container, a first pump device disposed on the first flow channel, and a valve disposed on the second flow channel. When the wind turbine is operating normally, the valve is closed, the first pump device operates at a preset speed, and the lubricating oil in the gearbox flows into the container, so that the lubricating oil in the gearbox reaches a first liquid level, and the gearbox lubricates the transmission system in a dry sump mode. When the wind turbine is operating abnormally, the valve is opened, the first pump device stops operating, and the lubricating oil in the container flows back into the gearbox, so that the lubricating oil in the gearbox reaches a second liquid level. The second liquid level is greater than the first liquid level, and the gearbox lubricates the transmission system in a wet sump mode. The present invention facilitates switching the lubrication mode of the wind turbine transmission system between the dry sump mode and the wet sump mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of wind power generation equipment, and in particular to a lubrication system, a transmission system and a wind power generator. Background Art

[0002] With the increasing prevalence of large-megawatt (>5MW) gearboxes in the wind power industry, the amount of oil required for gearbox lubrication has continued to increase, and gearbox lubrication systems using external oil tanks have become increasingly popular. Regardless of whether the lubricant is internal to the gearbox or located externally, the current mainstream arrangement for gearbox lubrication is the wet sump method, which involves storing a large amount of lubricant within the gearbox at a high oil level. The advantage of the wet sump method is that it enables splash lubrication. Using the wet sump method, wind turbine gearboxes can still receive the required lubricant through splash lubrication even under harsh conditions.

[0003] In contrast to the wet sump method, the dry sump method, in which only a small amount of necessary lubricating oil remains in the gearbox, is less commonly used due to the need for an external oil tank.

[0004] The wet sump mode has the following disadvantages: 1. The amount of oil in the gearbox is large, and the oil stirring loss is high. As the fan capacity increases, this disadvantage becomes increasingly prominent; 2. The splash lubrication method allows pollutants in the oil pool to easily enter the internal components of the transmission system, causing secondary damage to the components and shortening the life of the gearbox; 3. Hot oil collects in the oil pool, and the moving parts of the transmission system are immersed in the mixed (hot) oil pool, which has a poor cooling effect; 4. It is prone to risks such as foaming and additive loss, which shortens the life of the lubricant; the dry sump mode requires an external oil tank, and the complexity and cost of the lubrication system are higher than the wet sump method. Under harsh conditions (power outage, oil circuit failure), the required lubricating oil cannot be obtained by splashing, causing the moving parts of the transmission system to be damaged by oil deprivation. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a lubrication system, a transmission system and a wind turbine generator, so that the lubrication mode of the transmission system of the wind turbine generator can be easily switched between a dry tank mode and a wet tank mode.

[0006] In order to achieve the above objectives, the present invention is implemented through the following technical solutions:

[0007] A lubrication system for lubricating a transmission system of a wind turbine, comprising: a gearbox 1 of the transmission system, in which lubricating oil is stored; a container 2 for storing lubricating oil; a first flow channel 6; a second flow channel 7; the first flow channel 6 and the second flow channel 7 are respectively used to connect the gearbox 1 and the container 2; a first pump device 4, which is arranged on the first flow channel 6 and is located between the gearbox 1 and the container 2; a valve 8, which is arranged on the second flow channel 7; a third flow channel 9, and a second pump device 5, which is arranged on the third flow channel 9; when the wind turbine is operating normally, the normal operating states of the wind turbine include: an initial startup state and a fully operational state; when the wind turbine is in the initial startup state,

[0008] The valve 8 is closed, the first pump device 4 operates at a first speed, and the second pump device 5 operates at a second speed, where the first speed is greater than the second speed; the lubricating oil in the gearbox 1 flows into the container 2 through the first flow channel 6, and the lubricating oil in the container 2 flows back into the gearbox 1 through the third flow channel 9 until the lubricating oil in the gearbox 1 reaches a first liquid level; when the wind turbine is in full operation, the first pump device 4 operates at the second speed or the second pump device 5 operates at the first speed, so that the gearbox lubricates the transmission system in a dry sump mode;

[0009] When the wind turbine is not working properly, the abnormal working state of the wind turbine includes: the wind turbine enters the cut-out state, and the wind turbine suddenly loses power during operation, the valve 8 opens, the first pump device 4 stops running, and the lubricating oil in the container 2 flows back to the gear box 1 through the second flow channel 7. The second pump device 5 cools the lubricating oil in the container 2 and flows from the third flow channel 9 to the gear box 1, so that the lubricating oil in the gear box 1 is at a second liquid level, the second liquid level is greater than the first liquid level, and the gear box 1 lubricates the transmission system in a wet tank mode.

[0010] Optionally, the connection port between the first flow channel 6 and the gear box 1 is close to the bottom of the gear box 1; the connection port between the first flow channel 6 and the container 2 is close to the bottom of the container 2; the connection port between the second flow channel 7 and the gear box 1 is close to the bottom of the gear box 1, and is located at the same horizontal plane as the first port of the first flow channel 6; the connection port between the second flow channel 7 and the container 2 is close to the bottom of the container 2, and is located at the same horizontal plane as the second port of the first flow channel 6.

[0011] Optionally, a first oil suction port 11 is further provided at the bottom of the container 2, which is connected to one end of the third flow channel 9. A gear box oil distributor 10 is also provided at the top of the gear box 1, and the other end of the third flow channel 9 is connected to the gear box 1 through the gear box oil distributor 10.

[0012] Optionally, it further includes: a first liquid level sensor 12, which is arranged in the gearbox 1 and is used to measure the liquid level of the lubricating oil in the gearbox 1; a second liquid level sensor 13, which is arranged in the container 2 and is used to measure the liquid level of the lubricating oil in the container 2.

[0013] Optionally, it also includes: a controller, which is respectively connected to the first liquid level sensor 12, the second liquid level sensor 13, the first pump device 4, the valve 8 and the second pump device 5; and is used to control the opening or closing of the corresponding first pump device 4, the second pump device 5 and the valve 8 according to the working status of the wind turbine or the liquid level information transmitted from the first liquid level sensor 12 or the second liquid level sensor 13.

[0014] Optionally, when the wind turbine is in a state of not yet started or idling, the first pump device 4 and the second pump device 5 both stop running, the first flow channel 6 is closed, the valve 8 is opened, the second flow channel 7 is connected, the liquid level in the gearbox 1 is the same as the liquid level in the container 2, and the gearbox 1 lubricates the transmission system in a wet tank mode.

[0015] Optionally, when the wind turbine is in the initial startup state, the first pump device 4 operates at a first speed, the second pump device 5 operates at a second speed, and the first speed is greater than the second speed; when the liquid level in the gearbox 1 and the liquid level in the container 2 are both at the limit liquid level; the first pump device 4 operates at the second speed.

[0016] Optionally, when the wind turbine is in full operation and the transmission system needs to increase the amount of lubricating oil, the first pump device 4 and the second pump device 5 both operate synchronously at the first speed so that the liquid level in the gearbox 1 and the liquid level in the container 2 remain at the limit liquid level.

[0017] On the other hand, the present invention further provides a transmission system of a wind turbine, comprising the lubrication system as described above.

[0018] In yet another aspect, the present invention further provides a wind turbine comprising the transmission system as described above in the claims.

[0019] The present invention has at least one of the following advantages:

[0020] The lubrication system provided by the present invention is used to lubricate the main gearbox of a wind turbine. The lubrication system is suitable for switching between a dry sump mode and a wet sump mode in an easy manner. It can be further seen that the lubrication system of the present invention mainly lubricates the transmission system in a dry sump mode, that is, the gearbox realizes a forced oil injection lubrication function, thereby avoiding the defects existing in the above-mentioned wet sump mode.

[0021] The present invention also provides a redundant function, namely, when the wind turbine enters the cut-out state or the wind turbine suddenly loses power during operation, the lubrication system switches from the dry tank mode to the wet tank mode, and lubricates the transmission system in the wet tank mode, thereby solving the problems existing in the dry tank mode mentioned above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the main structure of a lubrication system provided by one embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a process of converting a gearbox from a wet sump mode to a dry sump mode in a lubrication system provided by one embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a state in which a gear box in a lubrication system according to an embodiment of the present invention lubricates the transmission system in a dry sump mode;

[0025] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a gearbox in a lubrication system provided by an embodiment of the present invention lubricating the transmission system in a wet tank mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The following is a further detailed description of a lubrication system, a transmission system and a wind turbine proposed by the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. According to the following description, the advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer. It should be noted that the drawings are in a very simplified form and are not in precise proportions, which are only used to conveniently and clearly assist in explaining the purpose of the embodiments of the present invention. In order to make the purpose, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, please refer to the drawings. It should be noted that the structures, proportions, sizes, etc. illustrated in the drawings of this specification are only used to match the contents disclosed in the specification for people familiar with this technology to understand and read, and are not used to limit the conditions for the implementation of the present invention, so they have no technical significance. Any modification of the structure, change in the proportional relationship or adjustment of the size should still fall within the scope of the technical content disclosed by the present invention without affecting the efficacy and purpose that can be achieved by the present invention.

[0027] like Figure 1As shown, this embodiment provides a lubrication system for lubricating a transmission system of a wind turbine, comprising: a gearbox 1 of the transmission system, in which lubricating oil is stored; a container (external oil tank) 2 for storing lubricating oil; a first flow channel 6; a second flow channel 7; the first flow channel 6 and the second flow channel 7 They are respectively used to connect the gearbox 1 and the container 2; a first pump device 4 is arranged on the first flow channel 6 and is located between the gearbox 1 and the container 2; a valve 8 is arranged on the second flow channel 7; when the wind turbine is working normally, the valve 8 is closed, the first pump device 4 runs at a preset speed, and the lubricating oil in the gearbox 1 flows into the container 2, so that the lubricating oil in the gearbox 1 is at a first liquid level, and the gearbox 1 lubricates the transmission system in a dry tank mode; when the wind turbine is not working normally, the valve 8 is opened, the first pump device 4 stops running, and the lubricating oil in the container 2 flows back to the gearbox 1, so that the lubricating oil in the gearbox 1 is at a second liquid level, the second liquid level is greater than the first liquid level, and the gearbox 1 lubricates the transmission system in a wet tank mode.

[0028] Please continue to refer to Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the connection port between the first flow channel 6 and the gear box 1 is close to the bottom of the gear box 1; the connection port between the first flow channel 6 and the container 2 is close to the bottom of the container 2; the connection port between the second flow channel 7 and the gear box 1 is close to the bottom of the gear box 1, and is located at the same horizontal plane as the first port of the first flow channel 6; the connection port between the second flow channel 7 and the container 2 is close to the bottom of the container 2, and is located at the same horizontal plane as the second port of the first flow channel 6.

[0029] Please continue to refer to Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment further includes: a third flow channel 9, a second pump device 5, which is arranged on the third flow channel 9; when the wind turbine is working normally, the second pump device 5 runs at a second speed to cool the lubricating oil in the container 2 and flow it from the third flow channel 9 to the gear box 1; when the wind turbine is not working normally, the second pump device 5 runs at a preset speed to cool the lubricating oil in the container 2 and flow it from the third flow channel 9 to the gear box 1.

[0030] Please continue to refer to Figure 1 As shown, the bottom of the container 2 is also provided with a first oil suction port 11, which is connected to one end of the third flow channel 9. The top of the gearbox 1 is also provided with a gearbox oil distributor 10, and the other end of the third flow channel 9 is connected to the gearbox 1 through the gearbox oil distributor 10.

[0031] Please continue to refer to Figure 1As shown, this embodiment further includes: a first liquid level sensor 12, which is arranged in the gearbox 1 and is used to measure the liquid level of the lubricating oil in the gearbox 1; a second liquid level sensor 13, which is arranged in the container 2 and is used to measure the liquid level of the lubricating oil in the container 2.

[0032] In this embodiment, it also includes: a controller, which is respectively connected to the first liquid level sensor 12, the second liquid level sensor 13, the first pump device 4, the valve 8 and the second pump device 5; and is used to control the opening or closing of the corresponding first pump device 4, the second pump device 5 and the valve 8 according to the working state of the wind turbine or the liquid level information transmitted from the first liquid level sensor 12 or the second liquid level sensor 13.

[0033] The working process of the lubrication system provided in this embodiment is as follows:

[0034] Please continue to refer to Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the lubrication system in an initial state. At this time, the wind turbine is not yet started or is in an idling state. In this state, the first pump device 4 and the second pump device 5 are both stopped. At this time, the first pump device 4 acts as a shut-off valve, so that the first flow channel 6 is closed (i.e., disconnected state), the valve 8 is open (i.e., the valve 8 is in a connected state), and the second flow channel 7 is connected. Based on the principle of communicating vessels, the liquid level of the lubricating oil in the gearbox 1 is the same as the liquid level of the lubricating oil in the container 2, that is, the gearbox 1 is in a "wet tank" state with the highest liquid level of the lubricating oil, and the gearbox 1 lubricates the transmission system in a wet tank mode.

[0035] The normal working state of the wind turbine generator mentioned above includes: the wind turbine generator is in an initial startup state, and the wind turbine generator is in a fully operational state.

[0036] like Figure 2As shown, during the initial startup phase of the wind turbine, valve 8 is closed (i.e., valve 8 is in the blocked state), second flow channel 7 is blocked, and first pump device 4 operates at a first speed, causing the lubricating oil in gearbox 1 to flow into container 2. Second pump device 5 operates at a second speed (second pump device 5 is started at a low speed). At this point, a large amount of lubricating oil remains in gearbox 1. The low speed of second pump device 5 causes gearbox 1 to operate in a combined state of forced oil injection lubrication (dry sump mode) and splash lubrication (wet sump mode), meeting the transmission system's lubrication requirements and lubricating oil cooling requirements during the initial low-load operation of the wind turbine. Subsequently, the lubricating oil level in gearbox 1 gradually decreases, while the lubricating oil level in external oil tank 2 gradually increases, indicating that gearbox 1 is transitioning from wet sump mode to dry sump mode. It will be appreciated that in this embodiment, the first speed is greater than the second speed.

[0037] like Figure 3 As shown, when the wind turbine is in full operation (i.e., normal operation), the lubricating oil levels in gearbox 1 and container 2 both reach their limit levels. At this point, second pump device 5 switches to high-speed operation, meaning that both first pump device 4 and second pump device 5 operate synchronously at the first speed, with the second pump device 5 and first pump device 4 providing the same flow rate. The liquid levels in gearbox 1 and container 2 remain at their limit levels. In other words, gearbox 1 remains in a "dry sump" state with the lowest liquid level, enabling gearbox 1 to achieve forced oil injection (dry sump mode) to lubricate the transmission system.

[0038] In some other embodiments, when the liquid levels in the gearbox 1 and the container 2 are both at the limit levels, the first pump device 4 operates at the second speed. Specifically, the first pump device 4 is reduced to a low speed, so that both the first pump device 4 and the second pump device 5 operate at the second speed. The flow rates of the first pump device 4 and the second pump device 5 remain the same, and the gearbox 1 remains in a "dry sump" state with the lowest liquid level. This allows the gearbox 1 to achieve forced oil injection (dry sump mode) to lubricate the transmission system. This approach has the advantage of low power consumption.

[0039] Later, when the transmission system requires an increased amount of lubricating oil (i.e., the wind turbine requires a larger amount of lubricating oil), both the first pump device 4 and the second pump device 5 are synchronously switched to high speed, i.e., run at the first speed, to maintain the liquid levels in the gearbox 1 and the container 2 at the limit levels. The gearbox 1 continues to lubricate the transmission system via forced oil injection (dry sump mode). This approach can meet the lubrication needs of wind turbines under heavy loads.

[0040] like Figure 4 As shown, the abnormal working state of the wind turbine generator includes: the wind turbine generator enters a cut-out state, and the wind turbine generator suddenly loses power during operation.

[0041] Specifically, at this time, the first pump device 4 stops running, disconnecting the oil path in the first flow channel 6, connecting the valve 8, and connecting the oil path in the second flow channel 7. Due to the communicating vessel principle, the oil level in the gear box 1 rises rapidly, and the oil level in the external oil tank 2 drops rapidly. The gear box 1 is in the process of transforming from a "dry tank" state to a "wet tank" state, and finally returns to the "dry tank" state. Figure 1 "Wet tank" condition shown.

[0042] In this state, the operation of the second pump device 5 can accelerate the transformation process of the gear box 1 from the "dry tank" state to the "wet tank" state.

[0043] It can be understood that the controller controls the start and stop and high and low speed control of the first pump device 4 and the second pump device 5 and the opening and closing of the valve 8 based on the fan status and the signals of the first liquid level sensor 12 and the first liquid level sensor 13 to achieve the above-mentioned various states, which will not be repeated here.

[0044] In this embodiment, the external oil tank 2 may not be sealed. In this embodiment, an external lubrication system 3 may be provided on the third flow channel 9 to implement functions such as filtering, oil absorption, flow rate, temperature, and pressure control of a traditional gearbox lubrication system.

[0045] In this embodiment, both the first pump device 4 and the second pump device 5 may be oil pumps, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0046] On the other hand, the present invention further provides a transmission system of a wind turbine, comprising the lubrication system as described above.

[0047] In yet another aspect, the present invention further provides a wind turbine comprising the transmission system as described above in the claims.

[0048] The lubrication system provided in this embodiment is used to lubricate the main gearbox of a wind turbine. The lubrication system is suitable for switching between a dry sump mode and a wet sump mode in an easy manner. It can be further seen that the lubrication system of the present invention mainly lubricates the transmission system in a dry sump mode, that is, the gearbox realizes a forced oil injection lubrication function, thereby avoiding the defects existing in the above-mentioned wet sump mode.

[0049] This embodiment also provides a redundant function, namely, when the wind turbine enters the cut-out state or the wind turbine suddenly loses power during operation, the lubrication system switches from the dry tank mode to the wet tank mode, and lubricates the transmission system in the wet tank mode, thereby solving the problems existing in the dry tank mode mentioned above.

[0050] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as first and second are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another entity or operation, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprise," "include," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or device comprising a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article, or device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or device comprising the element. It should be noted that the devices and methods disclosed in the embodiments of this document may also be implemented in other ways. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible architectures, functions, and operations of the devices, methods, and computer program products according to the various embodiments of this document.

[0051] Although the present invention has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the above description is not intended to limit the present invention. After reading the above description, various modifications and substitutions of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A lubrication system for lubricating a transmission system of a wind turbine, characterized in that: include: A gear box (1) of the transmission system, wherein lubricating oil is stored; a container (2) for storing lubricating oil; a first flow channel (6); a second flow channel (7); The first flow channel (6) and the second flow channel (7) are used to connect the gear box (1) and the container (2) respectively; a first pump device (4) disposed on the first flow channel (6) and located between the gear box (1) and the container (2); a valve (8) disposed on the second flow channel (7); A third flow channel (9), a second pump device (5), which is arranged on the third flow channel (9); the normal working state of the wind turbine includes: an initial start-up state and a fully operational state; When the wind turbine generator is in the initial startup state, The valve (8) is closed, the first pump device (4) operates at a first speed, and the second pump device (5) operates at a second speed, the first speed being greater than the second speed; the lubricating oil in the gear box (1) flows into the container (2) through the first flow channel (6), and the lubricating oil in the container (2) flows back into the gear box (1) through the third flow channel (9); When the wind turbine is in full operation, the first pump device (4) operates at the second speed or the second pump device (5) operates at the first speed, so that the gearbox (1) lubricates the transmission system in a dry sump mode; The abnormal working state of the wind turbine includes: the wind turbine enters the cut-out state, and the wind turbine suddenly loses power during operation, the valve (8) opens, the first pump device (4) stops running, the lubricating oil in the container (2) flows back to the gear box (1) through the second flow channel (7), the second pump device (5) cools the lubricating oil in the container (2) and flows from the third flow channel (9) to the gear box (1), so that the lubricating oil in the gear box (1) is at a second liquid level, the second liquid level is greater than the first liquid level, and the gear box (1) lubricates the transmission system in a wet tank mode.

2. The lubrication system according to claim 1, wherein: The connection port between the first flow channel (6) and the gear box (1) is close to the bottom of the gear box (1); the connection port between the first flow channel (6) and the container (2) is close to the bottom of the container (2); The connection port between the second flow channel (7) and the gear box (1) is close to the bottom of the gear box (1) and is located at the same horizontal plane as the first port of the first flow channel (6); the connection port between the second flow channel (7) and the container (2) is close to the bottom of the container (2) and is located at the same horizontal plane as the second port of the first flow channel (6).

3. The lubrication system according to claim 1, wherein: The bottom of the container (2) is also provided with a first oil suction port (11), which is connected to one end of the third flow channel (9). The top of the gear box (1) is also provided with a gear box oil distributor (10), and the other end of the third flow channel (9) is connected to the gear box (1) through the gear box oil distributor (10).

4. The lubrication system according to claim 3, characterized in that Also includes: a first liquid level sensor (12), which is arranged in the gear box (1) and is used to measure the liquid level of the lubricating oil in the gear box (1); A second liquid level sensor (13) is provided in the container (2) and is used to measure the liquid level of the lubricating oil in the container (2).

5. The lubrication system according to claim 4, characterized in that Also includes: A controller is connected to the first liquid level sensor (12), the second liquid level sensor (13), the first pump device (4), the valve (8) and the second pump device (5) respectively; and is used to control the opening or closing of the corresponding first pump device (4), the second pump device (5) and the valve (8) according to the working state of the wind turbine or the liquid level information transmitted from the first liquid level sensor (12) or the second liquid level sensor (13).

6. The lubrication system according to claim 5, characterized in that When the wind turbine is in a state of not yet started or idling, the first pump device (4) and the second pump device (5) both stop running, the first flow channel (6) is closed, the valve (8) is opened, the second flow channel (7) is connected, the liquid level in the gear box (1) is the same as the liquid level in the container (2), and the gear box (1) lubricates the transmission system in a wet tank mode.

7. The lubrication system according to claim 6, characterized in that When the wind turbine is in an initial startup state, the first pump device (4) operates at a first speed, and the second pump device (5) operates at a second speed, wherein the first speed is greater than the second speed; When the liquid level in the gear box (1) and the liquid level in the container (2) are both at the limit liquid levels; The first pump device (4) operates at the second speed.

8. The lubrication system according to claim 7, wherein: When the wind turbine is in full operation and the transmission system needs to increase the amount of lubricating oil, the first pump device (4) and the second pump device (5) are both synchronously operated at the first speed so that the liquid level in the gear box (1) and the liquid level in the container (2) remain at the limit liquid level.

9. A transmission system for a wind turbine, characterized in that: The lubrication system comprises the lubrication system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A wind turbine, characterized in that: Comprising the transmission system as claimed in claim 9.

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