Efficient cooling system of offshore wind turbine generator

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of wind power generation equipment, in particular to an efficient cooling system of an offshore wind turbine generator. The fan comprises a fan shell, a generator, a case and an air guide box, a connecting cavity communicated with an air inlet is formed in the air guide box, and cold air flow is introduced through a first fan set; a plurality of cooling fins are arranged at the side end of the generator, the case is communicated with the air guide box through a connecting hole, and an air guide plate is arranged in the connecting hole and driven by a driving mechanism to swing so as to guide airflow to the side faces of the cooling fins; the exhaust assembly is arranged at the top end of the case and used for exhausting hot air. By optimizing the air cooling flow guide design and the synergistic effect of the dynamic air guide plates, the heat dissipation efficiency is remarkably improved, the liquid leakage hidden danger and high maintenance cost of a water cooling system are avoided, and the heat dissipation requirement of a large offshore wind turbine generator is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of wind power generation equipment, and in particular to a high-efficiency cooling system for an offshore wind turbine generator set. Background Art

[0002] As a pollution-free, green, and clean energy source, wind energy currently holds enormous development potential, particularly in the offshore wind power sector. Its superior wind field conditions, such as stable airflow and minimal seasonal variation, make it a key energy development direction. However, with the gradual decline in high-quality wind field resources, wind power generation equipment is moving towards increasing the installed capacity of each unit. This, in turn, is leading to increasing integration of key components within the units, such as generators and power electronics. Heat dissipation is becoming a bottleneck restricting the development of larger units.

[0003] Currently, water-cooling systems are widely used in wind turbines due to their efficient cooling performance. However, they pose safety risks such as leakage, especially after long-term operation due to aging pipes or loose joints. Furthermore, water-cooling systems are expensive to maintain, requiring regular coolant replacement and pipe cleaning. Furthermore, offshore wind turbines face difficulties in maintenance due to terrain factors, which limits the economic and reliability of water-cooling systems.

[0004] In contrast, while air cooling systems are safe and cost-effective, existing air cooling methods often rely on simple fans to extract heat for cooling, making them difficult to meet the efficient heat dissipation requirements of large wind turbines. Therefore, designing a cooling system that can both ensure efficient heat dissipation and overcome the shortcomings of existing technologies has become a pressing technical challenge. This invention aims to provide a more reliable and economical cooling solution for offshore wind turbines by optimizing the structural design of the air cooling system, improving heat dissipation efficiency while reducing maintenance costs and safety risks. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides an efficient cooling system for an offshore wind turbine generator system, aiming to improve at least one of the above technical problems.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides a high-efficiency cooling system for an offshore wind turbine, comprising a fan casing, a generator, a chassis and an air guide box, the generator body is arranged in the chassis, the air guide box is arranged on the outside of the chassis, and the fan casing is provided with an air inlet; a connecting cavity connected to the air outlet is provided in the air guide box; a first fan group for blowing air into the connecting cavity is provided at one end of the connecting cavity close to the air inlet; a plurality of heat sinks are arranged horizontally at the side end of the generator, and the heat sinks are arranged longitudinally; a plurality of connecting holes are also provided between the inner cavity of the chassis and the connecting cavity, and the output end of the connecting hole is facing between two adjacent heat sinks; wherein, a plurality of connecting holes are arranged at intervals in the longitudinal direction and a plurality of rows are arranged in the transverse direction.

[0007] Furthermore, it also includes an air guide assembly, which is provided with an air guide plate that can rotate horizontally in the connecting hole; it is also provided with a driving mechanism for driving the air guide plate to swing back and forth horizontally; when the air guide plate swings, it can guide the airflow in the connecting hole to the side wall of the heat sink; it also includes an exhaust assembly, which is provided at the top of the inner cavity and is used to discharge the hot air in the inner cavity. The cold air flow is introduced into the air guide box from the side end of the fan housing through the first fan group. After passing through the connecting cavity and the connecting hole, the air flow can enter the inner cavity of the chassis. At the same time, since the side end of the generator increases the surface area for heat conduction by providing the heat sink, the air guide plate is driven to swing left and right by the driving mechanism, and the air flow can be guided to blow back and forth on the sides of the heat sink on both sides of its outlet end, and then the fast-flowing air flow impacts the larger heat dissipation surface, thereby efficiently dissipating heat. Finally, the exhaust assembly at the top end of the inner cavity is used to discharge the dissipated hot air from the inner cavity, forming a complete heat dissipation airflow path.

[0008] As a further optimization, the driving mechanism includes a first motor, a worm, a worm wheel, a transmission shaft, a turntable, a gear transmission member, a driven gear and a rotating shaft. The first motor is used to drive the worm to rotate. The worm is connected to the worm wheel. The worm wheel and the turntable are connected through a transmission shaft. An eccentric shaft is eccentrically arranged at the bottom end of the turntable.

[0009] Among them, the gear transmission part includes a rotating tooth portion located on one side of the shaft end and a long hole portion on the other side. The shaft end of the gear transmission part is rotatably connected to a shaft rod, and the eccentric shaft is suitable for passing through the opening of the long hole portion and slidingly connected; the driven gear is coaxially fixed on the rotating shaft and is suitable for meshing and connecting with the rotating tooth portion; the rotating shaft is connected to the wind guide plate, which is used to drive the wind guide plate to swing.

[0010] As a further optimization, the worm is driven by the first motor, which in turn drives the worm wheel through meshing. The worm wheel then drives the turntable through the drive shaft. As the turntable rotates, the eccentric shaft moves back and forth within the elongated hole of the gear rotating member, driving the gear transmission member to rotate back and forth on the shaft. The rotating teeth then drive the driven gear to rotate, and finally the air guide plate swings back and forth via the rotating shaft. The air guide plate rotates in the middle of the connecting hole. When its front end rotates to the left, its rear end approaches and contacts the right side wall of the connecting hole, directing the airflow forward from the left side and through the opening between its front end and the connecting hole, blowing the airflow onto the right side of the front left heat sink, greatly increasing the contact between the airflow and the heat dissipation surface. This results in a highly efficient heat dissipation effect.

[0011] As a further optimization, the air deflector features symmetrical curved sections on both sides near the inner cavity, with the thickness gradually decreasing towards the end closest to the connection cavity. The air deflector is thinner at the point facing the oncoming airflow, minimizing airflow obstruction. Furthermore, the connection hole is curved on both sides near the inner cavity. This curved section and the connection hole create a guide path that directs airflow toward the sides of the heat sink, significantly increasing heat dissipation efficiency.

[0012] As a further optimization, the exhaust assembly includes an air outlet duct and a second fan assembly. The air outlet duct is connected to the upper end of the inner cavity, and the second fan assembly is arranged between the inner cavity and the air outlet duct. The second fan assembly extracts hot air from the inner cavity of the chassis.

[0013] As a further optimization, a first air-water separator is installed within the air outlet duct. This separator separates moisture from gas within the incoming cold airflow, preventing corrosion damage after it enters the chassis. In this embodiment, the air-water separator uses a zigzag path within the separator to separate gas from liquid droplets and drain them through the drainage system. This is prior art and will not be further elaborated here. Furthermore, since the airflow is continuously blown outward, external air is prevented from entering.

[0014] As a further optimization, the connection hole is curved on both sides of the end near the inner cavity. This can cooperate with the curved surface of the guide plate to better form an airflow path directed to the side of the heat sink, thereby dissipating heat more efficiently.

[0015] As a further optimization, a second air-water separator is installed between the first fan group and the air inlet. It has the same effect as the first air-water separator and will not be described in detail here.

[0016] As a further optimization, the air inlet is equipped with multiple rotating sealing plates, which are used to close or open the air inlet. A transmission gear set is also included to drive the sealing plates to rotate. The input end of the transmission gear set is connected to a second motor. The second motor drives the transmission gear set to drive the sealing plates to open and close the air inlet. For example, during maintenance, the sealing plates can be tilted to block rainwater or initially separate some moisture through the inclined surface.

[0017] As a further optimization, according to the invention, in a high-efficiency cooling system for an offshore wind turbine, both sides of the fan housing are arranged in an arc shape. By providing the curved fan housing, the cooling air flow can be better directed to the air inlet located in the middle.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention can achieve the following technical effects:

[0019] This application provides a high-efficiency cooling system for offshore wind turbines, achieving efficient heat dissipation for key components such as the generator. Specifically, the wind deflector, through precise control of the drive mechanism, directs the cold airflow toward the sidewalls of the heat sink, significantly improving heat dissipation efficiency. The design of the air-water separator effectively prevents water vapor from entering the chassis and causing corrosion damage. The design of the sealing plate and transmission gear set enhances the system's environmental adaptability, making it particularly suitable for complex offshore operating conditions. Furthermore, this invention avoids the potential for leakage and high maintenance costs associated with water-cooling systems, and thus possesses significant industrial application value. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of a high-efficiency cooling system for an offshore wind turbine generator system according to the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a half-section structure of a high-efficiency cooling system for an offshore wind turbine generator system according to the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention when the air guide plate is swung to one side of the connection hole;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of an air guide assembly in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of a gear rotating part in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Markings in the figure: 1. Fan casing; 2. Air inlet; 3. Generator; 4. Chassis; 5. Air guide box; 6. Connecting cavity; 7. First fan group; 8. Heat sink; 9. Connecting hole; 10. Air guide plate; 11. First motor; 12. Worm; 13. Worm gear; 14. Drive shaft; 15. Turntable; 16. Eccentric shaft; 17. Gear transmission member; 18. Driven gear; 19. Shaft; 20. Rotating shaft; 21. Arc-shaped portion; 22. Air outlet duct; 23. Second fan group; 24. First air-water separator; 25. Second air-water separator; 26. Closing plate; 27. Drive gear group; 28. Second motor; 29. Long hole portion; 30. Rotating gear portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the invention for which protection is sought, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0028] Depend on Figures 1 to 5 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a high-efficiency cooling system for an offshore wind turbine, comprising a wind turbine housing 1, a generator 3, a chassis 4, an air guide box 5, an air guide assembly and an air exhaust assembly.

[0029] The body of the generator 3 is arranged in the chassis 4, the air guide box 5 is arranged on the outside of the chassis 4, and the fan housing 1 is provided with an air inlet 2; a connecting cavity 6 connected to the air outlet is provided in the air guide box 5; a first fan group 7 for blowing air into the connecting cavity 6 is provided at one end of the connecting cavity 6 close to the air inlet 2.

[0030] The first fan group 7 is installed on the side of the fan housing 1 close to the air inlet 2, and is used to guide the external cold air flow into the connecting cavity 6 in the air guide box 5. The connecting cavity 6 is connected to the inner cavity of the chassis 4 through a plurality of connecting holes 9, and the output end of the connecting hole 9 faces the gap between the adjacent heat sinks 8 on the side of the generator 3. The heat sink 8 is arranged horizontally and arranged vertically, which greatly increases the heat dissipation area, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency. Furthermore, the two sides of the connecting hole 9 near the end of the inner cavity are arc-shaped. This design cooperates with the arc-shaped portion 21 of the air guide plate 10 to form a precise airflow guide path, so that the airflow can be accurately blown to the side wall of the heat sink 8.

[0031] In this embodiment, the fan housing 1 has an arc-shaped design on both sides and is provided with an air inlet 2. The arc-shaped structures on both sides help to more efficiently guide the external cold air flow to the air inlet 2 located in the middle. A plurality of sealing plates 26 are provided at the air inlet 2. The sealing plates 26 are connected to the second motor 28 through a transmission gear set 27. The second motor 28 drives the transmission gear set 27 to drive the sealing plates 26 to rotate, thereby realizing the opening or closing of the air inlet 2. The sealing plates 26 allow external cold air to enter when in the open state, and can be completely closed when shut down for maintenance to prevent the intrusion of external moisture or impurities. In addition, the sealing plates 26 can preliminarily separate water vapor by adjusting the inclination angle to reduce the humidity entering the system.

[0032] Preferably, the core component of the air guide assembly is the air guide plate 10 and its driving mechanism. The air guide plate 10 is arranged in the connecting hole 9 and can be rotated laterally in its middle position. The driving mechanism is arranged on the air guide box 5, which includes a first motor 11, a worm 12, a worm wheel 13, a transmission shaft 14, a turntable 15, a gear transmission member 17, a driven gear 18, a shaft 19 and a rotating shaft 20. Specifically, the first motor 11 drives the worm 12 to rotate, the worm 12 is meshed and connected with the worm wheel 13, and the worm wheel 13 drives the turntable 15 to rotate through the transmission shaft 14. An eccentric shaft 16 is eccentrically arranged at the bottom end of the turntable 15, and the eccentric shaft 16 passes through the elongated hole portion 29 of the gear transmission member 17 and is slidably connected therein. The shaft end of the gear transmission member 17 rotates on the shaft 19, and its rotating tooth portion 30 is meshed with the driven gear 18. The driven gear 18 is coaxially fixed to the rotating shaft 20, and the rotating shaft 20 is connected to the air guide plate 10, thereby driving the air guide plate 10 to swing left and right in the connecting hole 9. The swinging movement of the air guide plate 10 guides the airflow to the side wall of the heat sink 8 through the cooperation between its front end and the inner wall of the connecting hole 9. Specifically, when the front end of the air guide plate 10 swings to the left, its tail end approaches the right side wall of the connecting hole 9, and the airflow is concentrated and guided to the right side wall of the left heat sink 8; conversely, when the front end of the air guide plate 10 swings to the right, the airflow is concentrated and guided to the left side wall of the right heat sink 8. This dynamic air guiding method significantly improves the efficiency of the airflow contacting the heat sink 8. As the airflow enters the space between the air guide plate 10 and the side wall of the connecting hole 9 from the connecting hole 9, the aperture is reduced, the airflow is accelerated, and the heat sink 8 is blown quickly, further achieving efficient heat dissipation.

[0033] Correspondingly, multiple connection holes 9 are provided in the longitudinal direction, aligned between two adjacent heat sinks 8. Multiple rows of connection holes 9 are also provided in the transverse direction, corresponding to heat sinks 8 at different transverse positions. This allows heat exchange on both sides of the heat sink 8. Correspondingly, the drive mechanism drives the worm 12 via a first motor 11. The worm 12 has multiple helical teeth arranged at intervals, each of which meshes with a corresponding worm tooth portion of a worm wheel 13. Finally, in the same longitudinal direction, a rotating shaft 20 passes through each of the multiple connection holes 9 and drives the multiple air guide plates 10 to swing back and forth to guide the airflow.

[0034] Among them, the other end of the worm 12 is installed and connected through a bearing seat, the transmission shaft 14 and the rotating shaft 20 are installed in the air guide box 5 through bearings, and the shaft 19 is fixedly installed in the air guide box 5. There are many ways to install and connect the shaft, which will not be elaborated here.

[0035] Preferably, the air guide plate 10 is symmetrically provided with arc-shaped portions 21 on both sides close to the inner cavity, and the thickness of the air guide plate 10 gradually decreases toward the end close to the connecting cavity 6. The air guide plate 10 is thinner at a point facing the oncoming airflow, which can reduce the obstruction to the airflow. At the same time, the connection hole 9 is provided with an arc-shaped portion on both sides of the end close to the inner cavity, so as to match the arc-shaped surface of the guide plate. A guide path for guiding the airflow to the side of the heat sink 8 can be formed between the arc-shaped portion 21 and the connecting hole 9, which can greatly allow the airflow to blow on the side of the heat sink 8, making the heat dissipation more efficient.

[0036] Among them, in a preferred embodiment, the connecting hole 9 and the air guide plate 10 can be designed to be inclined upward, so as to better allow the blown air flow to quickly flow upward and be discharged after completing heat exchange.

[0037] Preferably, the exhaust assembly is arranged at the top of the inner cavity of the chassis 4, for discharging the hot air in the inner cavity. The exhaust assembly includes an air outlet pipe 22 and a second fan group 23, the air outlet pipe 22 is connected to the upper end of the inner cavity, and the second fan group 23 is arranged between the inner cavity and the air outlet pipe 22, and the hot air is extracted and discharged through the air outlet pipe 22 by high-speed operation. A first gas-water separator 24 is installed in the air outlet pipe 22, and the first gas-water separator 24 separates gas and water vapor through an internal zigzag path. The separated droplets are discharged through a drainage system. This is a prior art and will not be described in detail here. Gas-water separation prevents water vapor from entering the chassis 4 and causing corrosion damage. A second gas-water separator 25 is also provided between the first fan group 7 and the air inlet 2, which plays the same role. The design of the two groups of gas-water separators ensures that the airflow entering the system is dry and clean, and adapts to the high humidity environment at sea.

[0038] The working process of the entire cooling system is as follows: After the first fan group 7 is started, the external cold air flows into the air guide box 5 through the air inlet 2, and after the water vapor is separated by the second air-water separator 25, the air flow enters the connecting cavity 6. The air flow flows in the connecting cavity 6 and enters the inner cavity of the chassis 4 through the connecting hole 9. After entering the inner cavity, the air flow is dynamically guided by the air guide plate 10 and directed to the side wall of the heat sink 8. The swing of the air guide plate 10 is precisely controlled by the driving mechanism to ensure that the air flow always blows towards the side wall of the heat sink 8 with a larger area, thereby maximizing the heat exchange efficiency. The cold air flow passing through the heat sink 8 absorbs heat and becomes hot air. The hot air flows upward in the inner cavity and is finally extracted by the second fan group 23 and discharged through the air outlet 22. During the whole process, the first air-water separator 24 and the second air-water separator 25 respectively separate the water vapor of the incoming and outgoing air flows to ensure that the system is dry and prevent water vapor from corrosive damage to the equipment. When maintenance is required, the second motor 28 drives the transmission gear set 27 to drive the sealing plate 26 to close the air inlet 2, and the first fan group 7 and the second fan group 23 stop running to ensure that the system is in a safe state.

[0039] The cooling system in this embodiment is suitable for large-scale offshore wind turbines, especially for the efficient heat dissipation requirements of key components such as the generator 3. By optimizing the air-cooled flow guide design, combined with the synergistic effect of the heat sink 8 structure and the dynamic wind guide plate 10, the heat dissipation efficiency of the air-cooled system is significantly improved. Compared with traditional water-cooling systems, this system avoids the hidden dangers of leakage and high maintenance costs, and has higher environmental adaptability. For example, under complex working conditions at sea, the design of the sealing plate 26 and the air-water separator effectively blocks the intrusion of rainwater and moisture, ensuring stable operation of the system. In addition, the dynamic air guiding method of the wind guide plate 10 enables the airflow to accurately impact the side walls of the heat sink 8, greatly improving the heat dissipation efficiency and meeting the heat dissipation requirements of large wind turbines.

[0040] The technical solution of this embodiment not only solves the heat dissipation bottleneck problem existing in the prior art, but also reduces the system maintenance cost and extends the service life of the equipment through innovative design, and has important industrial application value. In actual application, the system can adjust parameters according to the specific needs of different types of wind turbines, for example, by increasing the number of heat sinks 8 or adjusting the swing frequency of the wind guide plate 10 to adapt to higher power units, further expanding its scope of application. Of course, in other embodiments, it is not limited to the use of the cooling system of this application in combination with a water cooling system, and can be coordinated to work according to different working conditions to achieve higher efficiency. I will not elaborate on this here.

[0041] The foregoing description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention are intended to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An efficient cooling system for an offshore wind turbine, characterized in that: The fan comprises a fan housing, a generator, a chassis and an air guide box, wherein the body of the generator is arranged in the chassis, the air guide box is arranged outside the chassis, the fan housing is provided with an air inlet, and the air guide box is provided with a connecting cavity communicating with the air inlet; A first fan assembly for blowing air into the connecting cavity is provided at one end of the connecting cavity close to the air inlet; A plurality of heat sinks are arranged transversely on the side ends of the generator, and the heat sinks are arranged longitudinally; a plurality of connection holes are also provided between the inner cavity of the chassis and the connection cavity, and the output ends of the connection holes face between two adjacent heat sinks; The heat sink further comprises an air guide assembly, the air guide assembly being provided with an air guide plate capable of rotating laterally in the middle of the connecting hole; and a driving mechanism for driving the air guide plate to swing back and forth laterally; when the air guide plate swings, the airflow in the connecting hole can be directed to the side wall of the heat sink; It also includes an exhaust component, which is arranged at the top of the inner cavity and is used to exhaust the hot air in the inner cavity.

2. The high-efficiency cooling system for offshore wind turbines according to claim 1 is characterized in that The driving mechanism includes a first motor, a worm, a worm wheel, a transmission shaft, a turntable, a gear transmission member, a driven gear and a rotating shaft. The first motor is used to drive the worm to rotate. The worm is connected to the worm wheel. The worm wheel and the turntable are connected via a transmission shaft. An eccentric shaft is eccentrically arranged at the bottom end of the turntable. The gear transmission member includes a rotating tooth portion located on one side of the shaft end and an elongated hole portion on the other side. The shaft end of the gear transmission member is rotatably connected to a shaft rod, and the eccentric shaft is suitable for passing through the opening of the elongated hole portion and slidingly connected thereto. The driven gear is coaxially arranged on the rotating shaft and is suitable for being engaged with the rotating gear portion; the rotating shaft is connected to the air guide plate and is used to drive the air guide plate to swing.

3. The high-efficiency cooling system for offshore wind turbines according to claim 2 is characterized in that The connection holes are arranged in a plurality of intervals in the longitudinal direction and in a plurality of rows in the transverse direction.

4. The high-efficiency cooling system for offshore wind turbines according to claim 2 is characterized in that The air guide plate is symmetrically provided with arc-shaped portions on both sides close to the inner cavity, and the thickness of the air guide plate gradually decreases toward the end close to the connecting cavity.

5. The high-efficiency cooling system for offshore wind turbines according to claim 1 is characterized in that The exhaust assembly includes an air outlet pipe and a second fan group. The air outlet pipe is connected to the upper end of the inner cavity, and the second fan group is arranged between the inner cavity and the air outlet pipe.

6. The high-efficiency cooling system for offshore wind turbines according to claim 5 is characterized in that , a first gas-water separator is installed in the air outlet pipe.

7. The high-efficiency cooling system for offshore wind turbines according to claim 1 is characterized in that The connection hole is arranged in an arc shape on both sides of one end close to the inner cavity.

8. The high-efficiency cooling system for offshore wind turbines according to claim 1 is characterized in that A second air-water separator is installed between the first fan group and the air inlet.

9. The high-efficiency cooling system for offshore wind turbines according to claim 1 is characterized in that The air inlet is rotatably provided with a plurality of sealing plates, and the sealing plates are used to close or open the air inlet; it also includes a transmission gear set, and the transmission gear set is used to drive the sealing plates to rotate, and the input end of the transmission gear set is connected to a second motor.

10. The high-efficiency cooling system for offshore wind turbines according to claim 1 is characterized in that , the two sides of the fan casing are arranged in an arc shape.

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