A medium-large horizontal axis wind turbine automatic real-time yawing wind-aiming system

Abstract

This invention provides an automatic real-time yaw alignment system for medium and large horizontal axis wind turbines. It features a simple structure, high reliability, low cost, and no need for an external power source. It adopts a pure mechanical transmission and two sets of drag-type impeller assemblies, and drives the slewing bearing through a bevel gear mechanism and spline shaft transmission to achieve fully automatic real-time yaw alignment. It effectively avoids common problems in electronic control systems such as sensor failure, power dependence, and cable twisting, significantly improves system stability and wind energy utilization, and reduces manufacturing and maintenance costs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wind power generation technology, and in particular to an automatic real-time yaw wind-aligning system for medium and large horizontal axis wind turbines. Background Technology

[0002] As a crucial device for converting wind energy into electrical energy, the yaw alignment system of a wind turbine is a key component in ensuring that the rotor always faces the wind direction and maximizes wind energy capture. With the increasing size of wind turbine units, the reliability and efficiency of the yaw alignment system directly impact the overall performance and power generation efficiency. Currently, medium-to-large-sized horizontal-axis wind turbines with a power output of 50kW or more commonly employ electronically controlled yaw alignment systems. These systems, utilizing electronic sensors, drive motors, and complex control logic, achieve wind direction tracking and adjustment, and have become the mainstream technology in the industry.

[0003] Existing electronically controlled yaw wind-aligning systems typically consist of components such as a wind vane, an anemometer, a drive motor, a brake, a hydraulic system, limit switches, sensors, and a cable unloader. The workflow is as follows: the wind vane detects the wind direction, the anemometer determines the wind speed, and the PLC controller issues a command to drive the motor to adjust the slewing bearing's direction. Simultaneously, the brake and hydraulic systems ensure positional stability, and the cable unloader prevents excessive cable twisting. However, this system has many inherent drawbacks: First, the system has a complex structure and numerous components, resulting in a high density of potential failure points; the failure of a single sensor or limit switch can paralyze the entire system. Second, the system is highly dependent on power supply and requires backup battery packs; once power is lost, the system loses its functionality. Third, a large number of cables and signal lines need to be managed through unloaders, but the unloaders themselves are prone to failure, leading to the risk of cable twisting or even breakage. In addition, under high wind conditions, the gyroscopic effect generated by the rotor rotation often causes the yaw system to respond slowly or fail to adjust, resulting in wind deviation and power loss. Finally, the electrical control system is expensive and requires frequent maintenance, seriously affecting the economic efficiency and reliability of wind power generation.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field to develop a yaw system that is simple in structure, requires no external power supply, has a low failure rate, and can respond to wind direction changes in real time, so as to overcome the inherent drawbacks of the electronic control system and improve the operating efficiency and reliability of medium and large wind turbines. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic real-time yaw wind-aligning system for medium and large horizontal axis wind turbines to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution: This invention provides an automatic real-time yaw wind-aligning system for medium and large horizontal axis wind turbines, comprising: Support assembly, the support assembly being used to support the wind turbine generator body; A power generation component, which is rotatably mounted on top of the support component; An automatic real-time yaw wind-aligning component is disposed between the support component and the power generation component. It includes a drag-type impeller assembly, which is mounted parallel to one end of a splined drive shaft A. The other end of the splined drive shaft A is connected to a bevel gear T-type speed-changing corner mechanism via a splined drive shaft B. The middle part of the bevel gear T-type speed-changing corner mechanism is connected to a bevel gear L-type speed-changing corner mechanism via a splined drive shaft C. The output bevel gear of the bevel gear L-type speed-changing corner mechanism meshes with an internal gear at the top of the support component to drive the power generation component to rotate and achieve wind alignment.

[0007] Preferably, the support assembly includes a tower, which is connected to the inner ring of the slewing bearing via a short circuit. The generator body is connected to the outer ring of the slewing bearing, and the output bevel gear of the L-shaped bevel gear shifting mechanism meshes with the inner gear of the slewing bearing.

[0008] Preferably, the power generation component includes a generator, which is connected to the output end of the generator body via a planetary speed increaser mechanism. The input end of the generator body is connected to the blades and pitch hub assembly via the wind turbine main shaft. The generator body is connected to the outer ring of the slewing bearing.

[0009] Preferably, the generator is a permanent magnet generator or an asynchronous motor.

[0010] Preferably, the blade and pitch hub assembly includes three blades and a set of magnetic reluctance pitch hubs, which are used to drive rotation by wind power and transmit torque to generate electricity.

[0011] Preferably, the drag-type impeller assembly includes five S-shaped blades with an installation angle of 20-25 degrees. The two sets of drag-type impeller assemblies rotate in the same direction to achieve clockwise or counterclockwise rotation according to the wind direction.

[0012] Preferably, the speed ratio of the T-type bevel gear shifting corner mechanism and the L-type bevel gear shifting corner mechanism is 2:1, and the speed ratio of the output bevel gear of the L-type bevel gear shifting corner mechanism to the internal gear of the slewing bearing is 6:1.

[0013] Preferably, both the spline drive shaft A and the spline drive shaft B are fitted with a spline shaft sleeve A, and the spline drive shaft C is fitted with a spline shaft sleeve B.

[0014] Preferably, both the spline bushing A and the spline bushing B are steel pipe structures with flanges at both ends, and the interior accommodates the spline drive shaft and connecting sleeve.

[0015] The present invention achieves the following beneficial technical effects compared to the prior art: This invention provides an automatic real-time yaw alignment system for medium and large horizontal axis wind turbines, which features simple structure, high reliability, low cost, and no need for external power supply. It adopts pure mechanical transmission and two sets of drag-type impeller assemblies, and drives the slewing bearing through bevel gear mechanism and spline shaft transmission to achieve fully automatic real-time yaw alignment. It effectively avoids common problems in electronic control systems such as sensor failure, power dependence, and cable twisting, significantly improves system stability and wind energy utilization, and reduces manufacturing and maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a front view of the automatic real-time yaw wind-aligning system for medium and large horizontal axis wind turbines provided by the present invention. Figure 2 Side view of the automatic real-time yaw wind-following system for medium and large horizontal axis wind turbines provided by the present invention; Figure 3 Top view of the automatic real-time yaw wind-following system for medium and large horizontal axis wind turbines provided by the present invention; In the diagram: 1: Tower, 2: Short circuit, 3: Slewing bearing, 4: Resistance type impeller assembly, 5: Bevel gear L-type speed change angle mechanism, 6: Bevel gear T-type speed change angle mechanism, 7: Splined shaft sleeve A, 8: Splined shaft sleeve B, 9: Splined drive shaft A, 10: Splined drive shaft B, 11: Splined drive shaft C, 12: Generator, 13: Generator body, 14: Blades and pitch hub assembly, 15: Planetary speed increaser mechanism, 16: Wind turbine main shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Unless otherwise specified, the terms "connection" and "linkage" used in this application include both direct and indirect connections (linkages). In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention.

[0019] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0021] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic real-time yaw alignment system for medium and large horizontal axis wind turbines. Its core lies in achieving autonomous, real-time yaw alignment of the wind turbine through a purely mechanical transmission structure, completely eliminating reliance on electrical control, sensors, and external power sources. The system senses wind direction changes through two sets of drag-type rotor assemblies and converts wind energy into yaw driving force via a series of transmission mechanisms. Ultimately, gear meshing drives the generator body to rotate, ensuring the wind turbine is always precisely aligned with the wind direction.

[0022] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0023] Example 1: like Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the automatic real-time yaw wind-following system of the present invention mainly includes a support component, a power generation component, and an automatic real-time yaw wind-following component connected between the two.

[0024] Specifically, the support components constitute the basic support structure of the system, mainly including tower 1, shorting joint 2, and slewing bearing 3. Tower 1 is fixed to the foundation as the main load-bearing structure. The top of tower 1 is connected to the inner ring of slewing bearing 3 via shorting joint 2, which is a tubular structure with flanges at both ends, serving as a connection and transition. The outer ring of slewing bearing 3 is connected to the generator body 13 in the power generation assembly, allowing the generator body 13 and its components such as the wind turbine to rotate freely relative to tower 1.

[0025] Furthermore, the power generation assembly is the core component for realizing wind energy capture and power conversion, mainly including a generator 12, a generator body 13, a blade and pitch hub assembly 14, a planetary speed increaser mechanism 15, and a wind turbine main shaft 16. The generator body 13 serves as the support for the power generation assembly, with its lower flange fixedly connected to the outer ring of the slewing bearing 3. The input end of the generator body 13 is driven by the wind turbine main shaft 16 to the blade and pitch hub assembly 14. The blade and pitch hub assembly 14 consists of three blades and a set of reluctance pitch hubs, responsible for rotating under wind power and capturing wind energy. The output end of the generator body 13 is connected to the generator 12 via the planetary speed increaser mechanism 15, which increases the rotational speed to meet the power generation needs of the generator 12. The generator 12 can be selected as a permanent magnet generator or an asynchronous motor depending on the actual application scenario.

[0026] Furthermore, the automatic real-time yaw wind-aligning component is the key to realizing the core function of this invention. It adopts a completely mechanical structure and requires no external power or electronic control. This component mainly includes two sets of drag-type impeller assemblies 4, a bevel gear L-type speed change corner mechanism 5, a bevel gear T-type speed change corner mechanism 6, a spline shaft sleeve A7, a spline shaft sleeve B8, a spline drive shaft A9, a spline drive shaft B10, and a spline drive shaft C11.

[0027] Furthermore, two sets of drag-type impeller assemblies 4 are mounted parallel to one end of the splined drive shaft A9 and secured with nuts. Each drag-type impeller assembly 4 consists of five S-shaped blades installed at an angle of 20-25 degrees. This design and installation angle allow the impeller assembly 4 to respond to wind from all directions (except the wind direction directly opposite the main impeller) and drive the splined drive shaft A9 to rotate. The two impeller assemblies rotate in the same direction, with their specific rotation direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) determined by the real-time wind direction.

[0028] Furthermore, the other end of the spline drive shaft A9 is connected to the input end of the bevel gear T-type speed change corner mechanism 6 via the spline drive shaft B10. The bevel gear T-type speed change corner mechanism 6 internally consists of two bevel gears with a speed ratio of 2:1, its main function being to change the direction of power transmission and initially increase the rotational speed. The middle output end of the bevel gear T-type speed change corner mechanism 6 is connected to the input end of the bevel gear L-type speed change corner mechanism 5 via the spline drive shaft C11.

[0029] Furthermore, the bevel gear L-type speed-changing corner mechanism 5 also consists of two bevel gears with a speed ratio of 2:1. The bevel gear at its output end directly meshes with the internal gear of the slewing bearing 3, with a designed speed ratio of 6:1 between them. This multi-stage speed-changing design ensures that the torque generated by the drag-type impeller assembly 4 at lower wind speeds can be effectively amplified, thereby providing sufficient driving force to overcome the rotational inertia of components such as the generator body 13, achieving smooth and reliable yaw action.

[0030] Furthermore, to protect and support the drive shafts, splined drive shafts A9 and B10 are fitted with splined bushings A7, and splined drive shaft C11 is fitted with a splined bushing B8. Both splined bushings A7 and B8 are steel pipe structures with flanges at both ends for easy connection to other components (such as the gearbox housing). They internally house the splined drive shafts and necessary connecting sleeves, ensuring both reliable transmission and protective function.

[0031] The working principle of this invention is as follows: When the natural wind direction changes, causing the blades and pitch hub assembly 14 to be not directly facing the wind, the lateral wind force will drive the two sets of drag-type impeller assemblies 4 to rotate. The rotational power of the impeller assembly 4 is transmitted sequentially through spline drive shaft A9 and spline drive shaft B10 to the bevel gear T-type speed change angle mechanism 6. After the speed is changed and the direction is changed by this mechanism, the power is transmitted again through spline drive shaft C11 to the bevel gear L-type speed change angle mechanism 5. After another speed change and direction change, the small bevel gear at the output end of the bevel gear L-type speed change angle mechanism 5 drives the internal gear of the slewing bearing 3 to rotate. Since the inner ring of the slewing bearing 3 is fixed to the tower 1 and the outer ring is connected to the generator body 13, the rotation of the internal gear will be converted into the rotation of the generator body 13 and the entire power generation components (including the blades and pitch hub assembly 14) around the tower axis, i.e., yaw motion. This yaw motion will continue until the blades and pitch hub assembly 14 are directly facing the wind again. At this point, the wind-driven torque acting on the drag-type impeller assembly 4 decreases, it stops rotating, the yaw process ends, and the system enters a stable power generation state. Once the wind direction changes again, the above yaw-to-wind process will automatically repeat, thus achieving real-time, fully automatic wind-to-wind operation. Throughout the process, magnetic reluctance variable pitch technology is applied to the main wind turbine, enabling efficient speed regulation and safety protection of the main generator.

[0032] In summary, this invention, through ingenious purely mechanical structural design, successfully achieves automatic real-time yaw alignment of medium and large horizontal axis wind turbines. It has a series of significant advantages, such as simple structure, low manufacturing cost, no need for external power supply, extremely low failure rate, easy maintenance, and real-time reliable response, effectively solving many technical problems inherent in traditional electronically controlled yaw systems.

[0033] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0034] It should be noted that the components mentioned in the above embodiments are all general standard parts or components known to those skilled in the art. Their structures and principles can be learned by those skilled in the art through technical manuals or conventional experimental methods.

[0035] This invention has illustrated its principles and implementation methods using specific examples. The descriptions of these embodiments are merely illustrative of the method and its core ideas; furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that modifications may be made to the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the principles of this invention. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as limiting the invention.

Claims

1. An automatic real-time yaw wind-aligning system for medium and large horizontal axis wind turbines, characterized in that, include: A support assembly is provided for supporting the wind turbine generator body. The support assembly includes a tower (1), which is connected to the inner ring of a slewing bearing (3) via a short circuit (2). The generator body (13) is connected to the outer ring of the slewing bearing (3). The output bevel gear of the L-shaped bevel gear shifting mechanism (5) meshes with the inner gear of the slewing bearing (3) to drive the generator assembly to rotate and achieve wind resistance. A power generation component, which is rotatably mounted on top of the support component; An automatic real-time yaw wind-following assembly is provided between the support assembly and the power generation assembly. It includes a drag-type impeller assembly (4), which is installed in parallel at one end of a spline drive shaft A (9). The other end of the spline drive shaft A (9) is connected to a bevel gear T-type speed change corner mechanism (6) via a spline drive shaft B (10). The middle part of the bevel gear T-type speed change corner mechanism (6) is connected to a bevel gear L-type speed change corner mechanism (5) via a spline drive shaft C (11). The bevel gear T-type speed change corner mechanism (6) is composed of two bevel gears with a speed ratio of 2:1; the bevel gear L-type speed change corner mechanism (5) is composed of two bevel gears with a speed ratio of 2:

1.

2. The automatic real-time yaw wind-aligning system for medium and large horizontal axis wind turbines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power generation component includes a generator (12), which is connected to the output end of the generator body (13) via a planetary speed increase mechanism (15). The input end of the generator body (13) is connected to the blade and pitch hub assembly (14) via the wind turbine main shaft (16). The generator body (13) is connected to the outer ring of the slewing bearing (3).

3. The automatic real-time yaw wind-aligning system for medium and large horizontal axis wind turbines according to claim 2, characterized in that, The generator (12) is a permanent magnet generator or an asynchronous motor.

4. The automatic real-time yaw wind-aligning system for medium and large horizontal axis wind turbines according to claim 2, characterized in that, The blade and pitch hub assembly (14) includes three blades and a set of magnetic reluctance pitch hubs, which are used to drive rotation by wind power and transmit torque to generate electricity.

5. The automatic real-time yaw wind-aligning system for medium and large horizontal axis wind turbines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drag-type impeller assembly (4) includes five S-shaped blades with an installation angle of 20-25 degrees. The two sets of drag-type impeller assemblies (4) rotate in the same direction and are used to achieve clockwise or counterclockwise rotation according to the wind direction.

6. The automatic real-time yaw wind-aligning system for medium and large horizontal axis wind turbines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The speed ratio of the bevel gear T-type speed change corner mechanism (6) and the bevel gear L-type speed change corner mechanism (5) is 2:

1. The speed ratio of the bevel gear at the output end of the bevel gear L-type speed change corner mechanism (5) to the internal gear of the slewing bearing (3) is 6:

1.

7. The automatic real-time yaw wind-aligning system for medium and large horizontal axis wind turbines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spline drive shaft A (9) and the spline drive shaft B (10) are both fitted with spline shaft sleeves A (7), and the spline drive shaft C (11) is fitted with spline shaft sleeves B (8).

8. The automatic real-time yaw wind-aligning system for medium and large horizontal axis wind turbines according to claim 7, characterized in that, Both the spline bushing A (7) and the spline bushing B (8) are steel pipe structures with flanges at both ends, and the interior accommodates the spline drive shaft and connecting sleeve.

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