Phase change cooler and its application in high-power wind turbine

Abstract

The application discloses a phase change cooler and application thereof in a high-power wind driven generator, comprising a cold air suction unit, a phase change cooling unit and an air outlet unit, the phase change cooling unit is arranged in a rectangular support box body, the rectangular support box body is located between the cold air suction unit and the air outlet unit and is detachably connected with the two, and the cold air suction unit and the air outlet unit form an outer air path which carries away the heat generated by the phase change cooling unit; wherein the phase change cooling unit mainly comprises a solid bottom plate heat absorption rib, left and right side plates, a cooling partition plate and front and back side plates of the rectangular support box body which jointly constitute a closed space, and a liquid cooling working medium is arranged in the closed space; the phase change cooler is arranged in a heat source generating area of the high-power wind driven generator. The application can greatly improve the heat exchange efficiency of the cooler, and the heat generated by the load during the operation of the motor is carried away through heat exchange, so that the windings and the iron core in the generator are cooled, and the generator can be stably operated for a long time under the condition of stable temperature rise.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of cooling equipment for wind turbine generators, specifically relating to a phase change cooler and its application in high-power wind turbine generators. Background Technology

[0002] Phase change cooling technology is a process that transforms a working fluid from one state to another, exchanging heat during the phase change. It generally includes solid-liquid phase change and liquid-gas phase change, with liquid-gas phase change being more commonly used in industry. This involves changing the working fluid from a liquid to a gaseous state, absorbing a significant amount of heat from the external environment to cool equipment or components. Currently, phase change cooling technology is widely used in electronic components and inverters, and also has applications in the aerospace field. Phase change cooling technology has attracted considerable attention due to its high heat exchange efficiency, high integration, high modularity, and small size, and has become a cutting-edge technology in the field of heat exchange.

[0003] As is well known, wind turbines currently commonly employ cooling methods such as air-to-air cooling, air-to-water cooling, water jacket cooling, and direct cooling. Each of these methods has certain drawbacks or shortcomings when applied to high-power wind turbines, as detailed below: For air-to-air cooling structures used in high-power wind turbines, the only way to improve heat exchange efficiency is to increase the heat exchange area and forced ventilation volume. However, the cooler's volume cannot be increased indefinitely, as it is often limited by nacelle space. Therefore, high-power wind turbines are gradually abandoning air-to-air cooling technology. In the most common air-to-water cooling structure for high-power wind turbines, the generator must be equipped with an air-to-water cooling system, resulting in relatively high costs. In the current environment of widespread price reductions in the wind power market, this is clearly not the optimal solution. Finally, direct cooling structures, due to their simple structure and high heat exchange efficiency, are currently attracting attention in the mainstream market. However, they have high requirements for the generator environment, requiring high air cleanliness and low humidity, limiting their applicability. Furthermore, the frequent replacement of filters increases maintenance costs.

[0004] In view of this, the inventors provide a phase change cooler and its application in high-power wind turbines to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a phase change cooler and its application in high-power wind turbines, so as to solve the problems of low heat exchange efficiency, large space occupation, high manufacturing cost and poor environmental adaptability of existing coolers used in high-power wind turbines.

[0006] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution: On one hand, the present invention provides a phase change cooling, wherein the phase change cooler includes a cold air intake unit, a phase change cooling unit and an air outlet unit. The phase change cooling unit is arranged in a rectangular support box with openings on the left and right sides. The rectangular support box is located between the cold air intake unit and the air outlet unit and is detachably connected to both of them. The heat generated by the phase change cooling unit is carried away by the external air path formed by the cooperation of the cold air intake unit and the air outlet unit.

[0007] The phase change cooling unit includes a bottom plate heat-absorbing rib fixedly disposed at the bottom of a rectangular support box, a left side plate and a right side plate disposed on the left and right sides of the bottom plate heat-absorbing rib, and a cooling baffle disposed above the bottom plate heat-absorbing rib and located inside the rectangular support box. The bottom plate heat-absorbing rib, the left side plate, the right side plate, the cooling baffle, and the front and rear side plates of the rectangular support box together form a closed space, and the cavity of the closed space stores a liquid cooling medium.

[0008] The cooling baffle (24) is made of a metal plate with good thermal conductivity and compressive strength. The thickness of the metal plate is less than or equal to 5 mm, and its shape is set as a curved surface structure. The curved surface structure is set as a "V" shape or an inverted "S" shape structure.

[0009] The cooling baffle (24) is a metal plate with thermal conductivity. The thickness of the metal plate is less than or equal to 5 mm, and its shape is set as a curved surface structure to increase the heat exchange area and accelerate the return of the liquefied cooling medium.

[0010] The front side plate of the rectangular support box (4) is provided with a working medium injection port and an observation port (41). The working medium injection port and the observation port (41) are located at a position higher than the liquid surface of the liquid cooling working medium (25) and lower than the cooling baffle (24). The working medium injection port and the observation port (41) are in a closed state when no cooling working medium is added.

[0011] Furthermore, the cold air intake unit includes a first flange, one end of which is connected to the left end of the rectangular support box via a bolt assembly, and the other end of the first flange is fixedly welded to an air inlet hood, on which a fan is installed.

[0012] Furthermore, the fan is an axial flow fan or a centrifugal fan.

[0013] Furthermore, the air outlet unit includes a second flange, an air outlet hood, and a hose connector. One end of the second flange is connected to the right end of the rectangular support box via a bolt assembly. The other end of the second flange is sequentially welded with an air outlet hood and a hose connector, through which heat is discharged.

[0014] Furthermore, rubber sealing gaskets are provided at the connection points between the first flange and the rectangular support box, and at the connection points between the second flange and the rectangular support box.

[0015] Furthermore, the phase change cooler also includes a leakage alarm detection unit, which is used to detect whether the liquid coolant is abnormally reduced. If the liquid coolant is abnormally reduced, an alarm procedure is activated.

[0016] On the other hand, the present invention provides an application of the above-mentioned phase change cooler, wherein the phase change cooler is detachably connected to a high-power wind turbine generator and is used to cool and reduce the temperature of the high-power wind turbine generator.

[0017] Furthermore, the phase change cooler is bolted to the high-power wind turbine, and the heat-absorbing ribs on the bottom plate of the phase change cooler are tightly attached to the heat source generation area of ​​the high-power wind turbine.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: This invention provides a phase change cooler and its application in a high-power wind turbine. The phase change cooler mainly consists of a cold air intake unit, a phase change cooling unit, a rectangular support box, and an air outlet unit. The cold air intake unit and the air outlet unit are respectively connected to both sides of the rectangular support box, and the bottom of the rectangular support box is equipped with a phase change cooling unit containing a liquid cooling medium. After the phase change cooler is connected to the high-power wind turbine, the generator produces a large amount of heat under load, which is then converted into pressure by the rotation of the generator rotor, forming an internal airflow path. This internal airflow path carries... When the heat from the liquid cooling medium comes into contact with the heat-absorbing ribs on the bottom plate of the phase change cooling unit, the liquid cooling medium undergoes a phase change and vaporizes, absorbing heat. After vaporization, the cooling medium floats to the surface, encounters the cooling baffles, liquefies, and flows back into the working medium pool. This cycle continues, cooling the high-power wind turbine. Simultaneously, through the external air path formed by the cold air intake and exhaust units, cold air is continuously drawn into the rectangular support box to cool the phase change cooling unit. In particular, as the cold air flows past the cooling baffles, it carries away the heat released by the liquefaction of the cooling medium, and this hot air is discharged into the atmosphere through the flexible hose connector of the exhaust unit. This invention can significantly improve the heat exchange efficiency of the cooler, overcome the bottleneck of the heat exchange limit of high-power generators, and provide more options for high-power generator technology. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The accompanying drawings are incorporated in and form part of this specification, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structural frame of the phase change cooler of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another structural frame of the phase change cooler of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cold air intake unit structure of the phase change cooler of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of the air outlet unit of the phase change cooler of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a side view of the air outlet unit of the phase change cooler of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the phase change cooling unit structure in the phase change cooler of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the connection structure between the phase change cooler and the power wind turbine of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the phase change cooler of this invention in a high-power wind turbine generator.

[0022] Wherein: 1 is the cold air intake unit; 2 is the phase change cooling unit; 3 is the air outlet unit; 4 is the rectangular support box; 11 is the first flange; 12 is the air inlet hood; 13 is the fan; 21 is the bottom plate heat absorption rib; 22 is the left side plate; 23 is the right side plate; 24 is the cooling baffle; 25 is the liquid cooling medium; 31 is the second flange; 32 is the air outlet hood; 33 is the hose connector; 41 is the working medium injection port and observation port. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses consistent with some aspects of the invention as detailed in the appended claims.

[0024] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0025] See Figures 1-8As shown, the present invention provides a phase change cooler, including a cold air intake unit 1, a phase change cooling unit 2, and an air outlet unit 3. The phase change cooling unit 2 is arranged at the bottom of a rectangular support box 4 with openings on the left and right sides. The rectangular support box 4 is located between the cold air intake unit 1 and the air outlet unit 3, and is detachably connected to both of them. The cooperation of the cold air intake unit 1 and the air outlet unit 3 forms an external air passage. Through this external air passage, not only can cold air from the outside be continuously delivered to the rectangular support box 4 to cool the phase change cooling unit 2 itself, but the hot air generated after cooling can also be discharged in time to ensure that the phase change cooling unit 2 can work stably for a long time within a controllable temperature range, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the phase change cooler.

[0026] Specifically, such as Figure 1 , 6 As shown, the phase change cooling unit 2 of this embodiment includes a bottom plate heat-absorbing rib 21 fixed (e.g., by welding) at the bottom of a rectangular support box 4 (the heat-absorbing rib is added to the outside of the bottom plate by welding to increase the heat absorption area of ​​the bottom plate and improve the heat exchange efficiency), a left side plate 22 and a right side plate 23 disposed on the left and right sides of the bottom plate heat-absorbing rib 21, and a cooling baffle 24 disposed above the bottom plate heat-absorbing rib 21 and located inside the rectangular support box 4. The bottom plate heat-absorbing rib 21, the left side plate 22, the right side plate 23, the cooling baffle 24 and the front and rear side plates of the rectangular support box 4 are welded together to form a closed space. After welding, it must undergo flaw detection and pressure testing to ensure that a certain amount of liquid cooling medium 25 is injected into the cavity (tank) of the closed space under the condition of meeting the technical requirements. Preferably, the liquid cooling medium 25 is generally selected as a low-boiling-point liquid refrigerant. All the plates are made of Q235 ordinary steel plates to ensure the strength of the closed space.

[0027] In this invention, the cooling baffle 24 is made of a metal plate with good thermal conductivity and compressive strength. Generally, a metal plate with a thickness of less than or equal to 5 mm is selected, and its shape is set as a curved surface structure. The curved surface structure is set as a "V" shape or an inverted "S" shape structure. For example, in this embodiment, the cooling baffle 24 is made of a 1 mm thick thin steel plate and its shape is set as a "V" shaped curved surface structure. Its functions include the following two aspects: on the one hand, it is used to increase the heat exchange area; on the other hand, the "V" shaped curved surface structure is conducive to the vaporized cooling working fluid floating to the cooling baffle 24 and the liquefied liquid flowing back into the working fluid pool.

[0028] In addition, since the liquid cooling medium 25 will be slightly depleted after prolonged operation of the phase change cooler, the present invention provides a working medium inlet and an observation port 41 on the front side plate of the rectangular support box 4. The working medium inlet and observation port 41 are located above the normal liquid level of the liquid cooling medium 25 and below the cooling baffle 24. The working medium inlet and observation port 41 are closed when no cooling medium is being added. The working medium level is observed through these ports, and the working medium is periodically replenished through the inlet. Preferably, the present invention also includes a leakage alarm detection unit. This leakage alarm detection unit is used to detect whether the liquid cooling medium 25 is abnormally reduced. If it is abnormally reduced, an alarm program is activated to improve the reliability of the phase change cooler.

[0029] like Figures 1-3 As shown, the cold air intake unit 1 of the present invention includes a first flange 11. One end of the first flange 11 is fixedly connected to the left end of the rectangular support box 4 by a bolt assembly, and the other end of the first flange 11 is fixedly welded to an air inlet hood 12. The two form a structure with a round top and a square bottom, which facilitates air collection. A fan 13 is installed on the air inlet hood 12. The fan 13 can be... Figure 3 The axial flow fan shown or such Figure 2 The centrifugal fan shown is used as the source of air volume for the external air duct. After being powered on, it draws in cold air to cool the cooling baffle 24 in the phase change cooling unit 2.

[0030] The air outlet unit 3 of the present invention is as follows Figure 1 , 4 As shown in Figure 5, the system specifically includes a second flange 31, an air outlet hood 32, and a flexible hose connector 33. One end of the second flange 31 is connected to the right end of the rectangular support box 4 via a bolt assembly. The other end of the second flange 31 is sequentially welded with the air outlet hood 32 and the flexible hose connector 33, through which heat is discharged. After absorbing the heat from the cooling baffle 24, the external air duct blows out from the air outlet of the air outlet unit 3, and is flexibly connected to the user through the flexible hose connector 33, finally dissipating heat into the atmosphere through the cabin wall.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment of the invention, rubber sealing gaskets (not shown in the figure) are provided at the connection between the first flange 11 and the left end of the rectangular support box 4 and at the connection between the second flange 31 and the right end of the rectangular support box 4, to ensure that the overall external air duct can still be sealed even when it is detachable, thereby making full use of the absorbed cold air to cool the cooling baffle 24.

[0032] On the other hand, the present invention provides an application of the above-mentioned phase change cooler, specifically as follows: Figure 7 , 8As shown, the phase change cooler is detachably connected to the high-power wind turbine and is used to cool the high-power wind turbine. Preferably, the phase change cooler is bolted to the high-power wind turbine, and the heat-absorbing ribs 21 of the bottom plate of the phase change cooler are closely attached to the heat source generation area of ​​the high-power wind turbine. The middle of the air passage inside the generator is the hot air outlet area, which exchanges heat with the heat-absorbing ribs 21 of the bottom plate of the phase change cooling unit 2 and the liquid cooling medium 25. The heat enters the generator from the air inlets at both ends of the generator to cool the generator. That is, the phase change cooler removes the heat generated by the load during the operation of the motor through heat exchange, cooling the windings and core inside the generator and ensuring long-term stable operation of the generator under stable temperature rise conditions.

[0033] Specifically, the heat exchange / heat dissipation of this invention is divided into the following three aspects: First, the heat exchange in the generator's internal airflow path: The generator relies on the centrifugal force generated by the rotor itself to form an internal airflow path circulation, which carries the heat generated by the generator's operation to the surface of the heat-absorbing fins 21 on the bottom plate. After cooling, the heat is circulated in two paths and then enters the motor cooling windings and iron core. Second, phase change heat dissipation: When the heat-absorbing fins 21 of the bottom plate absorb heat, the liquid cooling medium 25 will be heated. The low-boiling-point liquid cooling medium 25 will immediately vaporize and float to the surface in the closed space. The vaporized cooling medium will release heat when it encounters the cooling baffle 24, that is, it will undergo phase change (liquefaction) and then flow back to the molten pool through the V-shaped curved surface structure. This phase change process can absorb a large amount of heat and has extremely high heat exchange efficiency. Thirdly, the external air duct cooling baffle heat dissipation: The external air duct is mainly composed of the cold air intake unit 1 and the air outlet unit 3. When the fan 13 of the cold air intake unit 1 is turned on, the outside cold air will continuously enter the upper space of the rectangular support box 4, carrying away the heat generated by the liquefaction of the cooling working fluid in the cooling baffle 24, and transferring the hot air to the outside atmosphere of the cabin through the air outlet unit 3.

[0034] Through the synergistic effect of the above three aspects, the purpose of cooling and reducing the temperature of high-power wind turbines can be continuously achieved, thereby ensuring the long-term stable operation of high-power generators.

[0035] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of the present invention, enabling those skilled in the art to understand or implement the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

[0036] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the content already described above, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A phase change cooler, characterized in that, The phase change cooler includes a cold air intake unit (1), a phase change cooling unit (2), and an air outlet unit (3). The phase change cooling unit (2) is arranged in a rectangular support box (4) with openings on the left and right sides. The rectangular support box (4) is located between the cold air intake unit (1) and the air outlet unit (3) and is detachably connected to both of them. The heat generated by the phase change cooling unit (2) is carried away by the external air path formed by the cooperation of the cold air intake unit (1) and the air outlet unit (3). The phase change cooling unit (2) includes a bottom plate heat-absorbing rib (21) fixedly installed at the bottom of the rectangular support box (4), a left side plate (22) and a right side plate (23) installed on the left and right sides of the bottom plate heat-absorbing rib (21), and a cooling baffle (24) installed above the bottom plate heat-absorbing rib (21) and located inside the rectangular support box (4). The bottom plate heat-absorbing rib (21), the left side plate (22), the right side plate (23), the cooling baffle (24) and the front and rear side plates of the rectangular support box (4) together form a closed space. The cavity of the closed space stores liquid cooling medium (25). The cooling baffle (24) is a metal plate with thermal conductivity and compressive strength. The thickness of the metal plate is less than or equal to 5 mm, and its shape is set as a curved surface structure. The curved surface structure is set as a "V" shape or an inverted "S" shape structure to increase the heat exchange area and accelerate the return of the liquefied cooling working fluid. The front side plate of the rectangular support box (4) is provided with a working medium injection port and an observation port (41). The working medium injection port and the observation port (41) are located at a position higher than the liquid surface of the liquid cooling working medium (25) and lower than the cooling baffle (24). The working medium injection port and the observation port (41) are in a closed state when no cooling working medium is added.

2. The phase change cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cold air intake unit (1) includes a first flange (11), one end of which is connected to the left end of the rectangular support box (4) by a bolt assembly, and the other end of the first flange (11) is fixedly welded to an air inlet hood (12), on which a fan (13) is installed.

3. A phase change cooler according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fan (13) is an axial flow fan or a centrifugal fan.

4. A phase change cooler according to claim 2, characterized in that, The air outlet unit (3) includes a second flange (31), an air outlet hood (32), and a hose connector (33). One end of the second flange (31) is connected to the right end of the rectangular support box (4) by a bolt assembly. The other end of the second flange (31) is sequentially welded with an air outlet hood (32) and a hose connector (33), and the heat is discharged through the hose connector (33).

5. A phase change cooler according to claim 4, characterized in that, Rubber sealing gaskets are provided at the connection between the first flange (11) and the rectangular support box (4) and at the connection between the second flange (31) and the rectangular support box (4).

6. A phase change cooler according to claim 1, characterized in that, The phase change cooler also includes a leakage alarm detection unit, which is used to detect whether the liquid coolant (25) is abnormally reduced. If it is abnormally reduced, an alarm program is activated.

7. The application of a phase change cooler according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The phase change cooler is detachably connected to the high-power wind turbine and is used to cool down the high-power wind turbine.

8. The application of the phase change cooler according to claim 7, characterized in that, The phase change cooler is bolted to the high-power wind turbine, and the heat-absorbing ribs (21) on the bottom plate of the phase change cooler are closely attached to the heat source generation area of ​​the high-power wind turbine.

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