Wind power generation system

Abstract

To provide a wind-power generation system including a steel tower and a wind-power generation device.SOLUTION: A wind-power generation system includes a plurality of foundations, a steel tower, a wind-power generation device, and a support structure supporting the wind-power generation device. The steel tower includes a plurality of main pillar components extending upward from a base end fixed to the foundation. At least a part of the support structure is fixed to one of the plurality of foundations not via the plurality of main pillar components.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a wind power generation system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a wind turbine generator is housed and arranged inside a steel tower on which a power transmission line is arranged. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-139042 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the technology of Patent Document 1, the weight of the wind turbine generator and the wind load that the wind turbine generator receives are all applied to the steel tower, which may be damaged by an overload. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The wind power generation system disclosed in this specification includes a plurality of foundations, a steel tower, a wind power generation device, and a support structure that supports the wind power generation device. The steel tower includes a plurality of main columns extending upward from a base end fixed to the foundation. At least a portion of the support structure is fixed to at least one of the plurality of foundations without being connected to the plurality of main columns.

[0006] With the above configuration, the weight of the wind turbine generator and at least a portion of the wind load that the wind turbine generator receives can be supported directly by the foundation without being applied to the main pillars of the steel tower. This reduces the load on the main pillars, making it possible to prevent damage to the main pillars due to excessive loads.

[0007] The support structure may have a substructure located below the wind turbine generator. The substructure may be fixed to at least one of the foundations without using the main pillars. With the above configuration, at least a portion of the weight of the wind turbine generator can be supported directly by the foundation without being applied to the main pillars of the pylon. This reduces the load on the main pillars.

[0008] The support structure may have an upper structure located above the wind power generation device. The upper structure may be connected to at least one of the plurality of main pillars. A moment load may be applied to the main pillar due to wind load. In the above configuration, a portion of the moment load applied to the main pillar can be borne by the upper structure. This makes it possible to increase the resistance of the main pillar to moment loads.

[0009] The upper structure may have a diagonal member that extends from the wind turbine generator toward one of the plurality of main columns while displacing upward. With the above configuration, part of the moment load applied to the upper structure can be borne as an axial load of the diagonal member, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity of the upper structure.

[0010] The wind turbine may be located inside a steel tower. The substructure may have a plurality of legs. Each of the plurality of foundations may have a base end of a corresponding one of the plurality of main columns and a base end of a corresponding one of the plurality of legs fixed in common. With the above configuration, it is possible to appropriately reduce the load on the main columns. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view of a wind power generation system 1. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a wind power generation system 201. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a wind power generation system 301. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a wind power generation system 401. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a wind power generation system 501. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Example]

[0012] (Configuration of wind power generation system 1) Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of the wind power generation system 1. Fig. 2 shows a schematic top view taken along the line II-II in Fig. 1. For ease of understanding, Fig. 2 shows only the main components. The wind power generation system 1 mainly comprises foundations 11-14, a steel tower 20, a wind power generation device 30, a substructure 40, and an upper structure 50.

[0013] The foundation 11-14 is fixed to the ground GND. The foundation 11-14 is a structural member for supporting the steel tower 20. The type of the foundation 11-14 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a concrete foundation or a steel foundation. As shown in FIG. 2, the foundations 11-14 are arranged at the four corners of a quadrangle.

[0014] The steel tower 20 is a structure for arranging a power transmission line (not shown). The steel tower 20 has a structure in which equal-leg angle steel or steel pipes are joined with bolts or the like. The steel tower 20 includes main pillar members 21-24, multiple horizontal members 25, and multiple diagonal members 26. Note that in FIG. 1, the horizontal members 25 and diagonal members 26 are shown with imaginary lines for ease of viewing. The base ends 21b-24b of each of the main pillar members 21-24 are fixed to the foundation 11-14. The main pillar members 21-24 extend upward (in the +z direction) from the foundation 11-14. The distance between the main pillar members 21-24 decreases as the steel tower 20 becomes taller. Therefore, the steel tower 20 is substantially pyramidal in shape and has a central axis CA.

[0015] The horizontal members 25 and diagonal members 26 are members that reinforce the main column members 21-24 by connecting them. In other words, the horizontal members 25 and diagonal members 26 are members that are not directly connected to the foundations 11-14. The horizontal members 25 extend in a plane perpendicular to the central axis CA. The diagonal members 26 extend at an angle to the plane perpendicular to the central axis CA. The horizontal members 25 and diagonal members 26 form a truss structure.

[0016] The wind turbine generator 30 is located inside the pylon 20. The wind turbine generator 30 includes a vertical axis wind turbine. The vertical axis wind turbine may have various structures, such as a gyromill type, a Darrieus type, or a Savonius type. The wind turbine generator 30 includes a generator 31, a main rotating shaft 32, a first wind turbine 33, and a bearing 36. The main rotating shaft 32 extends upward from the generator 31. The first wind turbine 33 includes multiple rotor blades 33w, multiple lower arms 33b, and multiple upper arms 33u. The multiple rotor blades 33w are arranged in a cylindrical shape around the main rotating shaft 32. The multiple lower arms 33b connect the lower portions of the multiple rotor blades 33w to the main rotating shaft 32. The multiple upper arms 33u connect the upper portions of the multiple rotor blades 33w to the main rotating shaft 32. The bearing 36 rotatably supports the upper portion of the main rotating shaft 32.

[0017] The lower structure 40 and the upper structure 50 are support structures that support the wind turbine generator 30. The lower structure 40 is located below the wind turbine generator 30. The upper structure 50 is located above the wind turbine generator 30.

[0018] The lower structure 40 has legs 41-44. The upper ends 41u-44u of the legs 41-44 are fixed to the generator 31. The base ends 41b-44b of the legs 41-44 are fixed to the foundation 11-14. As a result, each of the legs 41-44 is fixed to the foundation 11-14 without the intervention of the main column members 21-24. In other words, the generator 31 and each of the foundations 11-14 are directly connected by the legs 41-44. The legs 41-44 extend at an angle relative to a plane perpendicular to the central axis CA. In other words, the legs 41-44 are diagonal members.

[0019] The base end 21b of the main pillar material 21 and the base end 41b of the leg material 41 are both fixed to the foundation 11. Similarly, the base end 22b of the main pillar material 22 and the base end 42b of the leg material 42 are both fixed to the foundation 12. Note that foundations 13 and 14 have a similar structure, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0020] The upper structure 50 has diagonal members 51-54. The diagonal members 51-54 extend from the wind turbine generator 30 toward each of the main pillars 21-24 while being displaced upward. In other words, the diagonal members 51-54 are angled with respect to a plane perpendicular to the central axis CA. The lower end 51b of the diagonal member 51 is fixed to the bearing 36, and the upper end 51u is fixed to the main pillar 21. Similarly, the lower end 52b of the diagonal member 52 is fixed to the bearing 36, and the upper end 52u is fixed to the main pillar 22. Note that the diagonal members 53 and 54 have a similar structure, and therefore will not be illustrated or described here.

[0021] (effect) In the configuration of this embodiment, each of the legs 41-44 is fixed directly to the foundation 11-14 without using the main columns 21-24. Therefore, the weight of the wind turbine generator 30 and the wind load that the wind turbine generator 30 receives can be supported directly by the foundation 11-14 without being applied to the main columns 21-24. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the main columns 21-24 due to excessive loads.

[0022] Creating a new foundation for a wind turbine generator near a steel tower can be time-consuming and costly. This is because the foundation needs to be constructed (e.g., concrete poured) at the installation site. Also, the steel tower can get in the way, which can increase the time required to construct the foundation. In the configuration of this embodiment, the foundations 11-14 of the steel tower 20 can be reused as the foundation for the wind turbine generator 30. Because there is no need to create a new foundation for the wind turbine generator 30, the installation costs for the wind turbine generator 30 can be reduced.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1 , consider a case where the wind power generation system 30 is subjected to wind pressure in the direction of arrow F1. In this case, a wind load in the direction of arrow F1 is applied to the main pillars 21-24. A bending moment acts on the tower 20, with the foundations 11-14 as fixed ends. Therefore, a tensile load TL is applied to the main pillars 21 and 24 on the windward side of the central axis CA. A compressive load CL is applied to the main pillars 22 and 23 on the leeward side of the central axis CA. If the compressive load CL exceeds the load-bearing capacity of the main pillars 22 and 23, the main pillars 22 and 23 may buckle. Therefore, in the configuration of this embodiment, the superstructure 50 is configured to include diagonal members 51-54. This allows the diagonal members 52 and 53 to bear a portion of the compressive load CL applied to the main pillars 22 and 23 as an axial load AL1. The steel material or steel pipes that make up the diagonal member 52 generally have a higher load-bearing capacity for axial loads than for bending loads. This prevents buckling of the diagonal members 52 and 53. As a result, part of the compressive load CL can be distributed to the diagonal members 52 and 53, which makes it possible to increase the resistance of the main pillar members 22 and 23 to the compressive load CL.

[0024] In addition, in the configuration of this embodiment, the leg members 41-44 of the lower structure 40 are made up of diagonal members. This allows part of the compressive load CL applied to the main column members 22 and 23 to be borne as an axial load AL2 by the leg members 42 and 43. This makes it possible to distribute part of the compressive load CL to the leg members 42 and 43 while preventing buckling of the leg members 42 and 43. This makes it possible to increase the resistance of the main column members 22 and 23 to the compressive load CL. [Example]

[0025] (Configuration of wind power generation system 201) Fig. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a wind power generation system 201 according to Example 2. Fig. 3 is a side view of the same location as Fig. 1 of Example 1. Components common to Example 2 and Example 1 are given common reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Components unique to Example 2 are distinguished by being given reference numerals in the 200s.

[0026] Example 2 differs from Example 1 in that it includes a wind turbine generator 230. Compared to the wind turbine generator 30 of Example 1, the wind turbine generator 230 of Example 2 additionally includes a second wind turbine 233, a bearing 236, and diagonal members 251-254. The second wind turbine 233 is located inside the steel tower 20 and above the first wind turbine 33. Note that the specific structure of the second wind turbine 233 is similar to that of the first wind turbine 33, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted. The first wind turbine 33 and the second wind turbine 233 include a common main rotating shaft 232. The upper end of the main rotating shaft 232 is supported by a bearing 236. The diagonal members 251-254 extend from the bearing 236 toward each of the main pillar members 21-24 while being displaced upward.

[0027] (effect) The wind power generation device 230 of Example 2 has a larger number of wind turbines and the height of the wind turbines from the ground GND is higher than that of the wind power generation device 30 of Example 1. Therefore, the wind power generation device 230 of Example 2 has a larger weight and wind load than the wind power generation device 30 of Example 1. In the configuration of this example, the legs 41-44 of the lower structure 40 are made up of diagonal members. Diagonal members 51-54 and diagonal members 251-254 are also provided. Therefore, part of the compressive load applied to the main pillar members 21-24 can be borne as an axial load of the legs 41-44, diagonal members 51-54, and diagonal members 251-254. It is possible to increase the compressive load resistance of the main pillar members 22-24. [Example]

[0028] (Configuration of wind power generation system 301) FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a wind power generation system 301 according to Example 3. Example 3 differs from Example 1 in that a wind power generation device 330 is arranged outside a steel tower 20. FIG. 4 is a side view of the same location as FIG. 1 of Example 1. Components common to Example 3 and Example 1 are given common reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Components unique to Example 3 are distinguished by reference numerals in the 300s. Furthermore, the foundation 312, leg members 343 and 344, and diagonal member 352 are not shown in FIG. 4.

[0029] Wind power generation system 301 further includes foundations 311 and 312. Foundations 311 and 312 are foundations to which main column materials are not fixed. Foundation 311 is located on the +x side of the line connecting foundations 11 and 12. Foundation 312 is located on the +x side of the line connecting foundations 14 and 13. In other words, foundations 12, 311, 312, and 13 form a rectangle identical to the rectangle formed by foundations 11-14 (see Figure 2).

[0030] The wind power generation system 330 is located outside the pylon 20. The lower structure 340 has legs 341-344. The legs 341-344 are diagonal members extending at an angle relative to a plane perpendicular to the central axis CA. The upper ends 341u-344u of the legs 341-344 are fixed to the generator 31. The base end 341b of the leg 341 is fixed to the foundation 12. Although not shown, the base end 344b of the leg 344 is fixed to the foundation 13. As a result, the legs 341 and 344 are fixed to the foundations 12 and 13 without the main pillars 22 and 23 interposed therebetween. Meanwhile, the base end 342b of the leg 342 is fixed to the foundation 311. Although not shown, the base end 343b of the leg 343 is fixed to the foundation 312.

[0031] The upper structure 350 has diagonal members 351 and 352. The diagonal members 351 and 352 extend from the wind turbine generator 330 toward the main pillars 22 and 23, respectively, while being displaced upward. A lower end 351b of the diagonal member 351 is fixed to the bearing 36, and an upper end 351u is fixed to the main pillar 22. Although not shown, the lower end of the diagonal member 352 is fixed to the bearing 36, and an upper end is fixed to the main pillar 23.

[0032] (effect) Some of the four foundations 11-14 of the steel tower 20 (foundations 12 and 13) can be used as the foundations of the wind power generation device 330. This makes it possible to reduce the installation costs of the wind power generation device 330. In addition, the diagonal members 351 and 352 can bear part of the compressive load applied to the main pillar members 22 and 23.

[0033] (Modification of Example 3) The number of wind turbines included in the wind power generation plant 330 is not limited to one. As shown in the second embodiment, the wind power generation plant 330 may include a plurality of wind turbines. [Example]

[0034] (Configuration of wind power generation system 401) FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a wind power generation system 401 according to Example 4. Example 4 differs from Example 1 in the structure of the foundation. FIG. 5 is a side view of the same location as FIG. 1 of Example 1. Components common to Example 4 and Example 1 are given common reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Components unique to Example 4 are distinguished by being denoted by reference numerals in the 400s. Furthermore, foundations 413 and 414 and leg members 443 and 444 are not shown in FIG. 5.

[0035] The foundations 411-414 comprise lower foundation portions 411b-414b and upper foundation portions 411u-414u. The lower foundation portions 411b-414b are fixed to the ground GND. The base ends 21b-24b of the main pillar members 21-24 are fixed to the lower foundation portions 411b-414b. The upper foundation portions 411u-414u surround the base portions of the main pillar members 21-24. The upper foundation portions 411u-414u are members that reinforce the base portions of the main pillar members 21-24. The lower ends of the upper foundation portions 411u-414u are connected to the lower foundation portions 411b-414b. The upper foundation portions 411u-414u, together with the lower foundation portions 411b-414b, function together as a foundation that supports the steel tower 20. The upper base portions 411u-414u may be made of various materials and have various structures, for example, may have a cylindrical structure made of iron.

[0036] The inner ends 441i-444i of each of the legs 441-444 are fixed to the generator 31. The outer ends 441o-444o of each of the legs 441-444 are fixed to the upper parts of the foundations 411u-414u. As a result, each of the legs 441-444 is fixed to the foundations 411-414 without using the main column members 21-24.

[0037] (effect) In this embodiment, the base portions of the main columns 21-24 can be reinforced by the upper foundation portions 411u-414u. The weight of the wind power generation system 30 and wind loads can be directly supported by the upper foundation portions 411u-414u without being applied to the main columns 21-24. [Example]

[0038] (Configuration of wind power generation system 501) Fig. 6 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a wind power generation system 501 according to a fifth embodiment. Fig. 6 is a side view of the same location as Fig. 1 of the first embodiment. Components common to the fifth embodiment and the first embodiment are given common reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. Components unique to the fifth embodiment are distinguished by being given reference numerals in the 500s.

[0039] The wind power generation system 501 further includes a foundation 511. The foundation 511 is a foundation to which main pillar materials are not fixed. The foundation 511 is disposed vertically below the generator 31. The foundation 511 may be made of a variety of materials and have a variety of structures. For example, the foundation 511 may be a laid footing. In this case, concrete can be poured in a factory, and then the foundation can be transported to the site and installed there. Since pouring concrete on site is not necessary, it is possible to reduce installation costs and shorten construction time.

[0040] The leg member 541 extends along the central axis CA. An upper end 541u of the leg member 541 is fixed to the generator 31. A base end 541b of the leg member 541 is fixed to the foundation 511 without being connected to any of the main pillar members 21-24. This allows the weight of the wind turbine generator 30 and the wind load that the wind turbine generator 30 receives to be borne directly by the foundation 511, without being applied to the main pillar members 21-24. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the main pillar members 21-24 due to excessive loads.

[0041] Although the embodiments have been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples exemplified above. The technical elements described in this specification or drawings exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technology exemplified in this specification or drawings simultaneously achieves multiple objectives, and achieving one of these objectives itself has technical utility.

[0042] (Variation) The upper structure 50 (for example, the diagonal members 51-54) for fixing the upper part of the wind power generation device 30 may be omitted.

[0043] The first wind turbine 33 and the second wind turbine 233 may have various structures, and may be, for example, horizontal axis wind turbines.

[0044] The structure of the steel tower 20 may vary. For example, it may have a substantially triangular pyramid shape with three bases. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1: Wind power generation system 11-14: Foundation 20: Steel tower 21-24: Main pillar material 21b-24b: Base end 30: Wind power generation device 40: Substructure 41-44: Leg material

Claims

1. A wind power generation system comprising a plurality of foundations, a steel tower, a wind power generation device, and a support structure that supports the wind power generation device, The steel tower includes a plurality of main pillar members extending upward from a base end fixed to the foundation, the support structure has a substructure located below the wind turbine generator, The lower structure is fixed to at least one of the plurality of foundations without using the plurality of main column members, the support structure has an upper structure located above the wind turbine generator, The upper structure is connected to at least one of the plurality of main column members, The upper structure has a diagonal member extending while being displaced upward from the wind power generation apparatus toward one of the plurality of main pillar members. Wind power generation system.

2. The wind turbine generator is located inside the steel tower, The lower structure has a plurality of legs, 2. The wind power generation system according to claim 1, wherein both a base end of a corresponding one of the plurality of main column members and a base end of a corresponding one of the plurality of leg members are commonly fixed to each of the plurality of foundations.

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