Wind Turbine Nacelle Pivot Mounting for Tower Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbine nacelle designs require specific tower flatness and increased construction costs, limiting adaptability and increasing costs for traditional towers and existing wind turbines.
Innovation Solution
A wind turbine nacelle design featuring a body with a tubular chamber and a pivotally mounted head, allowing for clamping onto traditional towers, with pivot connection means between the ferrule and tubular chamber to distribute forces and facilitate installation on various tower types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a ball slewing ring bearing is used to support the nacelle on the tower, then the nacelle can rotate along the vertical axis, but excellent flatness is required at the upper end of the tower and at the base of the nacelle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a receiving zone with a conical upper end and tubular chamber as an intermediary structure between the tower and the nacelle body. This intermediary structure absorbs the flatness requirement, allowing the nacelle to be mounted on traditional towers without requiring excellent flatness at the tower upper end or at the nacelle base, while still enabling smooth rotation through the bearing arrangement within this receiving zone.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a conical body with tubular chamber is used to house the nacelle, then the nacelle can be adapted to traditional towers, but the tower requires specific design features
Solution Approach 1:
The nacelle is segmented into distinct functional parts: a body with a conical upper end and tubular chamber, and a head with cavity and ferrule. This segmentation allows the body to interface with traditional towers while the head accommodates the alternator and blades, achieving adaptability without requiring complex tower designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The receiving zone with conical upper end and tubular chamber serves multiple functions: it provides a mounting interface for traditional towers, houses the bearing assembly for rotation, and supports the head section. This multi-functionality reduces the need for specific tower design features while maintaining adaptability.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the nacelle body is fixed to the tower, then stability is improved, but the cantilever loading from the alternator mass must be supported
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a vertical tubular chamber extending upwards from the base, creating a three-dimensional structural arrangement. This vertical dimension allows the alternator mass to be positioned above the base level, distributing the cantilever loading through the tubular chamber structure while maintaining stability through the fixed connection to the tower.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a wind turbine nacelle (1). This nacelle comprises a body (3) and a head (5). The body is formed by a base (7), which is designed to be fastened to the upper end of a wind turbine tower, and by a tubular chamber (9) which upwardly extends said base along a vertical axis. The head is formed by a cavity (11), which is designed for rotationally mounting blades and for accommodating a generator, and by a shroud (13) which is secured to the cavity and arranged along a vertical axis so as to be pivotally mounted on the tubular chamber (9). Furthermore, the nacelle comprises pivot connection means which are arranged between the shroud (13) and the tubular chamber (9) and allow the head (5) to be pivotably mounted on the body (3). Another aspect of the present invention concerns a wind turbine equipped with such a wind turbine nacelle (1).