Positioning structure and wind power generation device

Abstract

This invention provides a positioning structure that facilitates the positioning of two large components that make up a wind power generation device. [Solution] The positioning structure 6 for positioning a first large component and a second large component constituting a wind power generation device comprises a plurality of positioning bolts 60 provided in the first large component and a plurality of positioning holes 70 provided in the second large component, each of which is configured to accommodate a corresponding one of the plurality of positioning bolts 60. Each of the plurality of positioning bolts 60 has a skirt portion and a threaded portion connected to the skirt portion. The diameter of the skirt portion gradually decreases towards the threaded portion. Each of the plurality of positioning holes 70 has a first opening, a second opening, and a housing portion. The diameter of the positioning hole 70 gradually decreases from the first opening to the second opening.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a positioning structure and a wind power generation device including the positioning structure. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a positioning structure for positioning two large components constituting a wind power generation device.

Background Art

[0002] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, dozens of bolts are used for the connection between two large components constituting a wind power generation device (for example, the connection between a nacelle and a tower or the connection between a hub and a blade). Many towers for wind power generation have a height exceeding 100 m. Therefore, when installing the nacelle or the blade, it is necessary to finely adjust the position of a large crane that has a height exceeding the tower while the nacelle or the blade is lifted by the large crane so that dozens of bolts are simultaneously inserted into dozens of bolt holes. Finally, since it is necessary to position between two large components within an error range of several millimeters, there are problems such as the installation work of the wind power generation device being delayed due to restrictions such as weather conditions.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Incidentally, large nacelles can weigh over 1,000 tons. Furthermore, the blades themselves weigh tens of tons, and are often over 100 meters long. Wind turbines are susceptible to wind pressure during installation. Because winds are often stronger at higher elevations than at ground level, precisely adjusting the position of a large crane to ensure that dozens of bolts are simultaneously inserted into dozens of bolt holes is an extremely difficult task. This challenge is particularly serious for offshore wind turbines, which are installed at sea where stronger winds often blow for extended periods than on land.

[0005] Therefore, wind turbine installation work can only be carried out during periods of extremely weak winds, which often causes delays in construction and is one of the factors contributing to increased construction and maintenance costs for wind turbines. Furthermore, delays in repair work on wind turbines lead to a decrease in the operating rate of the equipment.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, this disclosure aims to provide a positioning structure that can facilitate the positioning of two large components constituting a wind power generation device. Furthermore, this disclosure aims to provide a wind power generation device equipped with said positioning structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A positioning structure according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a positioning structure for positioning a first large component and a second large component among a plurality of large components constituting a wind power generation device, comprising: a plurality of positioning bolts provided in the first large component; and a plurality of positioning holes provided in the second large component, each of which is configured to accommodate a corresponding one of the plurality of positioning bolts. Each of the plurality of positioning bolts has a skirt portion and a threaded portion connected to the skirt portion. In the axial direction of the positioning bolt, the diameter of the skirt portion gradually decreases toward the threaded portion. Each of the plurality of positioning holes has a first opening facing the first large component, a second opening located on the opposite side of the first opening, and a housing portion provided between the first opening and the second opening. In the axial direction of the positioning hole, the diameter of the positioning hole gradually decreases toward the second opening from the first opening.

[0008] According to the above configuration, a positioning structure is provided that facilitates the positioning of the first large component and the second large component of the wind power generation device. Thus, this positioning structure can reduce the construction and maintenance costs of the wind power generation device.

[0009] Furthermore, the skirt portion and the positioning hole may be formed in a frustoconical shape. The shape of the skirt portion may substantially coincide with the shape of the positioning hole.

[0010] According to the above configuration, the gap between the positioning bolt and the positioning hole can be reduced when the positioning bolt is inserted into the positioning hole. Therefore, when a large force is applied to the first large component, the outer surface of the skirt portion of each positioning bolt comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the housing portion of each positioning hole, so that the force generated on the first large component can be distributed and transmitted to the second large component. As a result, excessive force is prevented from being applied to parts of the first and second large components, and damage to the first and second large components can be effectively prevented.

[0011] Furthermore, one of the first large component and the second large component may be a blade. The other of the first large component and the second large component may be a hub.

[0012] According to the above configuration, a positioning structure can be provided that facilitates the positioning of the blade and the hub.

[0013] Furthermore, the first large component may be a blade. The second large component may be a hub. The plurality of positioning bolts may be provided at the base end of the blade. The plurality of positioning holes may be provided in the bearing portion of the hub. Positioning of the blade and the bearing portion may be completed when each of the plurality of positioning bolts is inserted into one of the corresponding positioning holes.

[0014] According to the above configuration, a positioning structure can be provided that facilitates the positioning of the blade and the bearing portion of the hub.

[0015] A wind power generation device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a first large component, a second large component, and a positioning structure for positioning the first large component and the second large component. The positioning structure comprises a plurality of positioning bolts provided in the first large component, and a plurality of positioning holes provided in the second large component, each of which is configured to accommodate a corresponding one of the plurality of positioning bolts. Each of the plurality of positioning bolts has a skirt portion and a threaded portion connected to the skirt portion. In the axial direction of the positioning bolt, the diameter of the skirt portion gradually decreases toward the threaded portion. Each of the plurality of positioning holes has a first opening facing the first large component, a second opening located on the opposite side of the first opening, and a housing portion provided between the first opening and the second opening. In the axial direction of the positioning hole, the diameter of the positioning hole gradually decreases toward the second opening from the first opening. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] This disclosure provides a positioning structure that facilitates the positioning of two large components constituting a wind power generation device. Furthermore, this disclosure provides a wind power generation device equipped with this positioning structure. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a wind power generation device. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the hub and blades of a wind turbine. [Figure 3] This figure shows multiple positioning bolts located at the base end of the blade. [Figure 4] (a) is a perspective view of the positioning structure according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as "this embodiment"), viewed from diagonally above. (b) is a perspective view of the positioning structure according to this embodiment, viewed from diagonally below. [Figure 5]This is a view showing an enlarged part of a plurality of positioning bolts provided at the base end of the blade. [Figure 6] This is a perspective sectional view showing an enlarged part of a positioning hole provided in the bearing portion of the hub.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, the positioning structure 6 and the wind power generation device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the wind power generation device 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the wind power generation device 1, which is a huge structure, is composed of a plurality of large components. Specifically, the wind power generation device 1 includes a tower 5, a nacelle 4, a hub 3, and a plurality of blades 2.

[0020] The tower 5 is installed on a base portion (not shown) and is configured to support the nacelle 4 and the blade 2. The nacelle 4 is fixed to the tower 5 and is configured to house components necessary for power generation such as a speed increaser and a generator. The speed increaser functions to amplify the rotational speed of the blade 2 to the rotational speed required for power generation. The generator functions to convert rotational energy into electrical energy. A rotor shaft (not shown), which functions as the rotational shaft of the blade 2, is housed in the nacelle 4. The rotor shaft is connected to the speed increaser.

[0021] The hub 3 (an example of the second large component) is connected to the rotor shaft and the plurality of blades 2, and is configured to connect the base end portion 20 (root) of each blade 2 to the rotor shaft. Each blade 2 (an example of the first large component) is configured to convert wind power into rotational energy by rotating about the rotor shaft by the wind force. In this example, three blades 2 are provided in the wind power generation device 1, but the number of blades 2 is not particularly limited. Each blade 2 has a base end portion 20 and a tip end portion 21 provided on the side opposite to the base end portion 20. Each blade 2 is made of, for example, fiber reinforced plastic or the like and has a hollow structure. The base end portion 20 of each blade 2 is fixed to the hub 3. The hub 3 may be provided with a variable pitch mechanism configured to adjust the angle of each blade 2.

[0022] Next, the connection between the hub 3 and the blade 2 will be described below by referring to FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, for convenience of explanation, only one blade 2 and the hub 3 are illustrated. As shown in FIG. 2, a positioning structure 6 for positioning the blade 2 and the hub 3 is provided in the wind power generation device 1. When attaching the blade 2 to the hub 3, positioning between the blade 2 and the hub 3 (more specifically, the bearing portion 31 of the hub 3) is performed using the positioning structure 6 while the blade 2 is lifted by a large crane. After the positioning between the blade 2 and the hub 3 is completed, the blade 2 and the hub 3 are fixed to each other.

[0023] The hub 3 has a hub body 30 and a plurality of bearing parts 31. The bearing parts 31 may be made of a metal material such as carburized steel. The number of bearing parts 31 corresponds to the number of blades 2. In this example, three bearing parts 31 are arranged at equal intervals along the outer circumference of the hub body 30. The positioning structure 6 includes a plurality of positioning bolts 60 and a plurality of positioning holes 70. The plurality of positioning bolts 60 are provided at the base end 20 of the blade 2. The plurality of positioning holes 70 are provided in each bearing part 31. In this example, three positioning structures 6 are provided in the wind power generation device 1 for positioning between the three blades 2 and the three bearing parts 31.

[0024] As shown in Figure 3, multiple positioning bolts 60 are provided on the edge 23 of the base end 20 of the blade 2. Each positioning bolt 60 is fixed to the edge 23 by a predetermined fixing means. For example, each positioning bolt 60 may be fixed to one of a plurality of fixing means (not shown) embedded in the edge 23. The shape of each positioning bolt 60 may be the same. As shown in Figure 4, the multiple positioning bolts 60 are provided along the circumference of the edge 23 at predetermined intervals so as to surround the hollow portion S1 of the blade 2. Note that in Figure 4, for the sake of explanation, parts other than the base end 20 of the blade 2 are not shown.

[0025] As shown in Figure 5, each positioning bolt 60 has a skirt portion 162 fixed to the edge portion 23 and a threaded portion 163 connected to the skirt portion 162. The skirt portion 162 and the threaded portion 163 may be formed integrally. The skirt portion 162 is formed in a frustoconical shape. In the axial direction D1 of the positioning bolt 60, the diameter R1 of the skirt portion 162 gradually decreases from the edge portion 23 toward the threaded portion 163. Also, the spacing d1 between two adjacent positioning bolts 60 in the arrangement direction D2 of the positioning bolts 60 gradually increases from the edge portion 23 toward the threaded portion 163. The taper angle of the skirt portion 162 may be, for example, in the range of 1 to 45 degrees.

[0026] The threaded portion 163 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The diameter of the threaded portion 163 may be substantially the same as the diameter of the skirt portion 162 at the boundary between the threaded portion 163 and the skirt portion 162. With each of the multiple positioning bolts 60 inserted into one of the multiple positioning holes 70 formed in the bearing portion 31, the threaded portion 163 protrudes from the positioning hole 70 in the axial direction D1. In this state, the blade 2 and the bearing portion 31 of the hub 3 are fixed to each other by attaching fastening means such as nuts to each of the multiple threaded portions 163 protruding from the positioning hole 70.

[0027] As shown in Figure 4, each of the multiple positioning holes 70 is provided in the bearing portion 31. The bearing portion 31 has an upper surface 310 facing the edge portion 23 of the blade 2 and a lower surface 312 located on the opposite side of the upper surface 310. Each positioning hole 70 penetrates the bearing portion 31 so as to extend from the upper surface 310 to the lower surface 312. The shape of each positioning hole 70 may be the same. As shown in Figure 4, the multiple positioning holes 70 are provided at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction of the bearing portion 31.

[0028] As shown in Figure 6, each positioning hole 70 is formed in the shape of a frustocone. Each positioning hole 70 is configured to accommodate one of a plurality of positioning bolts 60 (more specifically, a plurality of skirt portions 162). Each positioning hole 70 has a first opening 171, a second opening 172, and a housing portion 173.

[0029] The first opening 171 is formed on the upper surface 310 of the bearing portion 31 and faces the edge portion 23 of the blade 2. The second opening 172 is located on the opposite side from the first opening 171 and is formed on the lower surface 312 of the bearing portion 31. The housing portion 173 is provided between the first opening 171 and the second opening 172 and is a space that communicates with the first opening 171 and the second opening 172.

[0030] The diameter of the first opening 171 is larger than the diameter of the second opening 172. In particular, in the axial direction D3 of the positioning hole 70, the diameter R2 of the positioning hole 70 (more specifically, the diameter R2 of the housing portion 173) gradually decreases from the first opening 171 to the second opening 172. In this way, each positioning hole 70 is formed in a tapered shape. The taper angle of the positioning hole 70 may coincide with the taper angle of the skirt portion 162.

[0031] The spacing between two adjacent positioning holes 70 in the alignment direction D4 (see Figure 4(b)) gradually increases from the upper surface 310 towards the lower surface 312.

[0032] The shape of the skirt portion 162 substantially matches the shape of the corresponding positioning hole 70. In particular, the diameter R1 of the skirt portion 162 at the edge portion 23 substantially matches the diameter of the first opening 171. Furthermore, the diameter R1 of the skirt portion 162 at the boundary between the skirt portion 162 and the threaded portion 163 substantially matches the diameter of the second opening 172. Here, "substantially matches" does not mean that the shape and dimensions of the skirt portion 162 and the shape and dimensions of the positioning hole 70 are perfectly identical. In this respect, the dimensions of the positioning hole 70 are slightly larger than the dimensions of the skirt portion 162. Therefore, when the skirt portion 162 is inserted into the corresponding positioning hole 70, the gap formed between the outer circumferential surface 162S of the skirt portion 162 and the inner wall surface 175 of the housing portion 173 is made as small as possible.

[0033] In this embodiment, the positioning step between the blade 2 and the bearing portion 31 is performed by inserting each positioning bolt 60 into one of the corresponding positioning holes 70. Here, the positioning between the blade 2 and the bearing portion 31 is ensured by ensuring that each of the positioning bolts 60 is fully inserted into its corresponding positioning hole 70. This positioning step may also be performed by fine-tuning the position of the large crane that lifts the blade 2.

[0034] Furthermore, in the positioning step between the blade 2 and the bearing portion 31, multiple positioning bolts 60 may be inserted into multiple positioning holes 70 simultaneously. Alternatively, at least one of the multiple positioning bolts 60 may be replaced with a positioning guide pin having a longer dimension than the positioning bolt 60, and the positioning guide pin may be inserted into the positioning hole 70 first. After that, multiple positioning bolts 60 may be inserted into multiple positioning holes 70 simultaneously.

[0035] Furthermore, the step of fixing the blade 2 to the bearing portion 31 is performed after the positioning step described above. In this fixing step, fastening means such as nuts are attached to the threaded portion 163 of each positioning bolt 60. As a result, the bearing portion 31 is sandwiched between the nuts and the edge portion 23 of the blade 2, and the blade 2 is fixed to the bearing portion 31. This fixing step may be performed manually by workers on site.

[0036] According to this embodiment, the diameter of the first opening 171 of the positioning hole 70 facing the positioning bolt 60 is the maximum diameter of the positioning hole 70, and is considerably larger than the diameter of the threaded portion 163, which is the minimum diameter of the positioning bolt 60. Therefore, it is easy to simultaneously insert the tip (threaded portion 163) of each positioning bolt 60 into the corresponding positioning hole 70. Furthermore, the diameter R2 of the positioning hole 70 is set to gradually decrease from the first opening 171 to the second opening 172 in the axial direction D3. Therefore, when the blade 2 is pushed toward the bearing portion 31, each positioning bolt 60 can be smoothly guided toward the second opening 172 by the housing portion 173 of the positioning hole 70. In particular, if the taper angle of the skirt portion 162 is less than 45°, the force acting in the direction of guiding the position of each positioning bolt 60 toward the positioning hole 70 will be greater than the pushing force applied to each positioning bolt 60. Therefore, a positioning structure 6 that facilitates positioning between the blade 2 and the hub 3 (bearing portion 31) can be provided.

[0037] Furthermore, according to the positioning structure 6 of this embodiment, precise positioning between the blade 2 and the hub 3 is unnecessary, thus effectively preventing situations such as delays in the installation of the wind power generation device 1 due to constraints on weather conditions, etc. In this way, it becomes possible to reduce the construction costs and maintenance costs of the wind power generation device 1.

[0038] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the skirt portion 162 of each positioning bolt 60 is formed in a tapered shape, and when each skirt portion 162 is inserted into the corresponding positioning hole 70, it is possible to minimize the gap formed between the outer peripheral surface 162S of the skirt portion 162 and the inner wall surface 175 of the housing portion 173. Therefore, when a large force is applied to the blade 2 after it has been fixed to the hub 3, the outer peripheral surface 162S of each skirt portion 162 contacts the inner wall surface 175 of each housing portion 173, so that the force generated on the blade 2 can be distributed and transmitted to the bearing portion 31 of the hub 3. As a result, excessive force is prevented from being applied to parts of the blade 2 and the bearing portion 31, and damage to the blade 2 and the bearing portion 31 can be effectively prevented.

[0039] Furthermore, the diameter of the base of the skirt portion 162 is larger than the diameter of conventional positioning bolts. As a result, even if the skirt portion 162 comes into contact with other components during the installation of the wind power generation device 1, damage such as bending of the skirt portion 162 is less likely to occur.

[0040] In this embodiment, multiple positioning bolts 60 are provided on the blade 2 side and multiple positioning holes 70 are provided on the bearing portion 31 side, but this embodiment is not limited to this. In this regard, multiple positioning holes 70 may be provided on the blade 2 side and multiple positioning bolts 60 may be provided on the bearing portion 31 side. In this case, multiple positioning holes 70 are provided on the edge portion 23 and multiple positioning bolts 60 are provided on the upper surface 310 of the bearing portion 31. Thus, multiple positioning bolts 60 are provided on either the blade 2 or the hub 3, and multiple positioning holes 70 are provided on the other of the blade 2 or the hub 3.

[0041] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes a positioning structure 6 for positioning the blades 2 and hubs 3, which are two large components constituting the wind power generation device 1, the positioning structure 6 can also be applied to positioning between the tower 5 and the nacelle 4, which are two large components. Specifically, multiple positioning bolts 60 are provided on either the tower 5 or the nacelle 4, and multiple positioning holes 70 are provided on the other of the tower 5 or the nacelle 4. In this case as well, a positioning structure 6 that facilitates positioning between the tower 5 and the nacelle 4 can be provided, thereby reducing the construction and maintenance costs of the wind power generation device 1.

[0042] Furthermore, the positioning structure 6 can also be applied to positioning between multiple tower components that make up the tower 5. Here, the tower components are large components of the wind power generation device 1 that are formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. In this case, multiple positioning bolts 60 are provided on one of two adjacent tower components in the axial direction (extension direction) of the tower 5, and multiple positioning holes 70 are provided on the other. In this way, the positioning structure 6 makes it easy to position the tower components. Similarly, the positioning structure 6 can also be applied to positioning between the tower 5 and a base (an example of a large component) fixed to the tower 5. In this case, multiple positioning bolts 60 are provided on either the base or the base end of the tower 5 facing the base, and multiple positioning holes 70 are provided on the other. In this way, the positioning structure 6 makes it easy to position the tower 5 and the base.

[0043] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited by the description of these embodiments. These embodiments are examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications to the embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims. The technical scope of the present invention should be determined based on the scope of the invention described in the claims and the scope of its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0044] 1: Wind power generation equipment 2: Blade 3: Hub 4: Nasser 5: Tower 6: Positioning structure 20: Proximal end 21:Tip 23: Edge 30: Hub body 31: Bearing section 60: Positioning bolt 70: Positioning hole 162: Skirt section 162S: Outer surface 163: Screw part 171: First opening 172: Second opening 173: Detention Unit 175: Interior wall surface 310:Top surface 312: Bottom surface D1: Axial direction D2: Array direction D3: Axis D4: Array direction S1: Hollow part

Claims

1. A positioning structure for positioning a first large component and a second large component among a plurality of large components constituting a wind power generation device, Multiple positioning bolts provided on the first large component, A plurality of positioning holes provided in the second large component, each of which is configured to accommodate a corresponding one of the plurality of positioning bolts, Equipped with, Each of the aforementioned positioning bolts is The skirt part, The screw portion connected to the aforementioned skirt portion, It has, In the axial direction of the positioning bolt, the diameter of the skirt portion gradually decreases towards the threaded portion. Each of the plurality of positioning holes is A first opening facing the first large component, A second opening located on the opposite side from the first opening, A housing section provided between the first opening and the second opening, It has, In the axial direction of the positioning hole, the diameter of the positioning hole gradually decreases from the first opening towards the second opening. Positioning structure.

2. The skirt portion and the positioning hole are formed in a frustoconical shape. The shape of the skirt portion substantially matches the shape of the positioning hole. The positioning structure according to claim 1.

3. One of the first large component and the second large component is a blade, The other of the first large component and the second large component is a hub. The positioning structure according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The first large component is a blade, The second large component is a hub, The plurality of positioning bolts are provided at the base end of the blade, The plurality of positioning holes are provided in the bearing portion of the hub, The positioning of the blade and the bearing portion is completed when each of the plurality of positioning bolts is inserted into one of the corresponding positioning holes. The positioning structure according to claim 3.

5. The first large component and The second large component, A positioning structure for positioning the first large component and the second large component, A wind power generation device equipped with, The positioning structure is Multiple positioning bolts provided on the first large component, A plurality of positioning holes provided in the second large component, each of which is configured to accommodate a corresponding one of the plurality of positioning bolts, Equipped with, Each of the aforementioned positioning bolts is The skirt part, The screw portion connected to the aforementioned skirt portion, It has, In the axial direction of the positioning bolt, the diameter of the skirt portion gradually decreases towards the threaded portion. Each of the plurality of positioning holes is A first opening facing the first large component, A second opening located on the opposite side from the first opening, A housing section provided between the first opening and the second opening, It has, In the axial direction of the positioning hole, the diameter of the positioning hole gradually decreases from the first opening towards the second opening. Wind power generation device.

Images