WIND POWER PLANT WITH SUPPORTING STRUCTURE

Abstract

A wind power plant comprising a first structural element, a second structural element, a bearing assembly by means of which the first structural element is rotatably mounted on the second structural element, a first flange connection between the first structural element and the bearing assembly, a second flange connection between the second structural element and the bearing assembly, and at least one drive, held by a support structure for rotating the first structural element relative to the second structural element. The support structure is formed as a plate and is arranged at one of the flange connections.

Claims

1. A wind power plant comprising: a first structural element, a second structural element, a bearing assembly, wherein the first structural element is rotatably mounted on the second structural element by the bearing assembly, a first flange connection between the first structural element and the bearing assembly, a second flange connection between the second structural element and the bearing assembly, and at least one drive, held by a support structure the at least one drive configured to rotate the first structural element relative to the second structural element, wherein the support structure is plate-shaped and arranged at one of the first or second flange connections, wherein the support structure comprises a plurality of segment parts that each extend coaxially over part of the circumference, wherein the plurality of segment parts includes a first segment part and a second segment part, wherein the first segment part has at least one mount for the at least one drive.

2. The wind power plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein a gearwheel is assigned to one of the structural elements, and wherein the drive has at least one driving pinion that is operatively connected to the gearwheel.

3. The wind power plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support structure has a plurality of openings in a predetermined pattern, and wherein the bearing assembly of the flange connection corresponding to the support structure has corresponding openings in a same pattern, wherein the plurality of openings configured to receive connectors configured to couple the support structure to the flange connection.

4. The wind power plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bearing assembly comprises a bearing ring, and wherein the plurality of openings of the bearing assembly are formed on the bearing ring.

5. The wind power plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support structure has a first number of installation mounts, and wherein a second number of drives is mounted in the installation mounts, respectively, wherein the first number is greater than the second number.

6. The wind power plant as claimed in claim 2, wherein the support structure is arranged adjacent to the gearwheel.

7. The wind power plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support structure is made of plastic comprising fibers chosen from glass-fibers and carbon-fibers.

8. The wind power plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support structure is made of a metallic material.

9. The wind power plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support structure has a thickness of 100 millimeters or less.

10. The wind power plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support structure is a single integral piece.

11. (canceled)

12. The wind power plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one mount includes metallic material.

13. The wind power plant as claimed in claim 1, comprising a nacelle and a tower, wherein the first structural element is a main carrier, arranged in the nacelle, wherein the second structural element is the tower, wherein the bearing assembly is a yaw bearing assembly, and wherein the drive is a yaw drive.

14. The wind power plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first structural element is a rotor blade, wherein the second structural element is a rotor hub arranged on the nacelle, wherein the bearing assembly is a pitch bearing assembly, and wherein the drive is a pitch drive.

15. The wind power plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support structure has a substantially cylindrical opening that is coaxial with at least one of the bearing ring and the gearwheel.

16. The wind power plant as claimed in claim 5, wherein the installation mounts or the plurality of openings are reinforced with metal.

17. The wind power plant as claimed in claim 6, wherein the support structure is between the gearwheel and the flange connection assigned to the gearwheel.

18. The wind power plant as claimed in claim 9, wherein the support structure has a thickness from between 10 mm to 100 mm.

19. The wind power plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mounts are made of a hardened metallic material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The invention is explained in greater detail in the following on the basis of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the appended figures. There are shown:

[0031] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a wind power plant,

[0032] FIG. 2 is an embodiment of the support structure for receiving a yaw drive, in a perspective view,

[0033] FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the support structure for receiving a yaw drive, in an exploded representation,

[0034] FIG. 4 is an embodiment of the support structure for receiving a pitch drive, in an exploded view, and

[0035] FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the support structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a wind power plant 100 having a tower 102 and a nacelle 104. Arranged on the nacelle 104 there is a rotor 106 that has three rotor blades 108 and a spinner. When in operation, the rotor 106 is put into a rotating motion by the wind, and thereby drives a generator (not shown) in the nacelle 104.

[0037] The rotor blades 108 are operatively connected to a rotor hub 112. The rotor hub 112 is rotatably mounted on the nacelle 104. The nacelle 104 is rotatably mounted on the tower 102 by means of a yaw drive 122. The rotor blades 108 are rotatably mounted on the rotor hub 110 at their rotor blade root by means of a pitch drive 122′.

[0038] FIGS. 2 and 3 show an embodiment of the wind power plant 100 comprising a first structural element 134, in this case the nacelle 104, a second structural element 136, in this case the tower 102 (FIG. 1) and a yaw bearing assembly 138. By means of the yaw bearing assembly 138, the first structural element 134 is rotatably mounted on the second structural element 136 and can be driven by means of a yaw drive 122.

[0039] There is a first flange connection 130 formed between the nacelle 104, in particular the main carrier 112 arranged in the nacelle 104, and the bearing assembly 138. There is a second flange connection 132 formed between the tower 102 and the bearing assembly 138. There is a support structure 10, formed as a plate, arranged at the first flange connection 130. The drives 122 are mounted on a support structure 10.

[0040] The bearing assembly 138 has a bearing ring 138 (FIG. 3). There is a gearwheel 114 mounted in a rotatable manner on the bearing ring 138. The gearwheel 114 is mechanically connected to the tower 102 of the wind power plant 100.

[0041] The yaw drives 122 are attached to the support structure 10 in such a manner that a driving pinion 124, formed on the tower side of the respective yaw drive 122, is operatively connected to the gearwheel 114. The driving pinion 124 is driven by means of the yaw drives 122.

[0042] As shown by the exploded representation according to FIG. 3, the support structure 10 is segmented. The segment parts 10a, 10b have mounts 12 for the yaw drives 122. In the exemplary embodiment shown, there is a recess 12 provided for each drive motor. In an alternative, not shown, it is envisaged to provide more mounts 12 than motors 122 in the support structure 10. This would allow the motors 122 to be replaced after reaching a predetermined service life and would allow the bearing ring 138 to have a longer service life.

[0043] The bearing ring 138 has, along its circumference, a plurality of corresponding openings 118, through which connection means can be led in order to connect the bearing ring 138 to the main carrier 112. The support structure 10 arranged at the first flange connection 130 between the bearing ring 138 and the main carrier 112 has a plurality of corresponding openings 14 through which connecting means can also be led in order to connect the bearing ring 138, the support structure 10 and the main carrier 112 to each other. The pattern of the openings 118 corresponds to the pattern of the corresponding openings 14 of the support structure 10.

[0044] The support structure 10 has a cylindrical recess 16 that is coaxial with the bearing ring 138 and the gearwheel 114.

[0045] The drives 122a, 122b and 122c, 122d are arranged adjacent to each other on a first segment part 10a of the support structure 10 and mounted on the mounts 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d. The yaw drives 122e, 122f, as well as 122g, 122h, are arranged opposite each other on a further first segment part 10a of the support structure 10 and are mounted on the mounts 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d at a distance from each other. The second segment parts 10b of the support structure 10 are arranged opposite each other and are narrower than the first segment parts 10a, and they do not have mounts for yaw drives 122. The segment parts 10a, 10b are arranged adjacent to each other and realize a recess 16 that is coaxial with the bearing ring 138 and the gearwheel 114.

[0046] FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the wind power plant 100 according to the invention, having a first structural element 134′, here respectively a rotor blade or an intermediate piece for attaching a rotor blade, a second structural element 136′, in this case the rotor hub, and a pitch bearing assembly 138′. By means of the pitch bearing assembly 138′, the first structural element 134′ is rotatably mounted on the second structural element 136′ and can be driven by means of one or more pitch drives 122′a, 122′b, 122′c, 122′d, 122′e, 122′f The drives 122′a, 122′b, 122′c, 122′d, 122′e, 122′f are mounted on a support structure 10′a, 10′b.

[0047] The support structure 10′a, 10′b is preferably attached to the first structural element 134′. The bearing assembly 138′ has a bearing ring. There is a gearwheel 114′ mounted in a rotatable manner on the bearing ring. The gearwheel 114′ is preferably mechanically connected to the hub 136′ of the wind power plant. The pitch drives 122′ are attached to the support structure 10′ in such a manner that a driving pinion 124′, formed on the rotor-blade side of the respective pitch drive 122′, is operatively connected to the gearwheel 114′. The driving pinion 124′ is preferably driven by means of the pitch drives 122′.

[0048] With regard to the basic mode of operation, reference is made to FIGS. 1 to 3, which show the same functional principle.

[0049] The drives 122′a, 122′b and 122′c, 122′d are arranged adjacent to each other on a first segment part 10′a of the support structure 10′ and mounted on the mounts 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d. The pitch drives 122′e, 122′f, as well as 122′g, 122′h, are arranged opposite each other on a further first segment part 10′a of the support structure 10′ and are mounted on the mounts 12′a, 12′b, 12′c, 12′d at a distance from each other. The second segment parts 10′b of the support structure 10′ are arranged opposite each other and are narrower than the first segment parts 10′a, and they do not have mounts for pitch drives 122′. The segment parts 10′a, 10′b are arranged adjacent to each other along an inner circumference that is coaxial with the bearing ring 138′ and the gearwheel 114′.

[0050] As shown by FIG. 5, the segment parts 10a, 10b, 10′a, 10′b of the support structure 10, 10′ can be stored and stacked in a space-saving manner due to the segmentation. Preferably, a first pair of congruent segment parts 10a, 10′a and a second pair of congruent segment parts 10b, 10′b are respectively provided in order to reduce the variety of parts.

REFERENCES

[0051] 10, 10′ support structure [0052] 10a, 10b, 10′a, 10′b segment parts [0053] 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12′a, 12′b, 12′c, 12′d mounts [0054] 14, 14′ opening [0055] 16, 16′ recess [0056] 100 wind power plant [0057] 102 tower [0058] 104 nacelle [0059] 106 rotor [0060] 108 rotor blades [0061] 110 rotor hub [0062] 112 main carrier [0063] 114, 114′ gearwheel [0064] 118, 118′ openings [0065] 122a, 122b, 122c, 122d, 122e, 122f yaw drives [0066] 122′a, 122′b, 122′c, 122′d, 122′e, 122′f pitch drives [0067] 124, 124′ driving pinion [0068] 130, 130′ first flange connection [0069] 132, 132′ second flange connection [0070] 134, 134′ first structural element [0071] 136, 136′ second structural element [0072] 138, 138′ bearing assembly, bearing ring