HYDROGEN MANIFOLD FOR WIND TURBINES

Abstract

A wind farm is provided including a plurality of wind turbines, each wind turbine including a generator, a nacelle, and a tower supporting the nacelle. Each of at least two of the wind turbines further includes an electrolytic unit electrically coupled to the generator of the wind turbine for producing hydrogen and a hydrogen output for transporting the produced hydrogen out of the wind turbine. Each hydrogen output is connected to a manifold by a manifold input, wherein the manifold is arranged above sea level and includes a first manifold output configured to be connected to a first hydrogen pipeline for transporting the hydrogen produced by the wind farm out of the wind farm.

Claims

1. A wind farm comprising: a plurality of wind turbines, each wind turbine comprising a generator, a nacelle, and a tower supporting the nacelle, wherein each of at least two of the wind turbines further comprises: an electrolytic unit electrically coupled to the generator of the wind turbine for producing hydrogen, and a hydrogen output) for transporting the produced hydrogen out of the wind turbine, wherein the hydrogen output is connected to a manifold by a manifold input, the manifold being arranged above sea level and comprises a first manifold output configured to be connected to a first hydrogen pipeline for transporting the hydrogen produced by the wind farm out of the wind farm.

2. The wind farm according to claim 1, wherein the manifold is arranged at one of the wind turbines.

3. The wind farm according to claim 2, wherein the manifold is arranged at a platform of the wind turbine.

4. The wind farm according to claim 2, wherein the manifold is arranged inside the tower of the wind turbine.

5. The wind farm according to claim 2, wherein the manifold is arranged at the nacelle of the wind turbine.

6. The wind farm according to claim 2, wherein the manifold is arranged at a foundation of the wind turbine.

7. The wind farm according to claim 1, wherein the manifold is housed in a housing.

8. The wind farm according to claim 1, wherein the manifold comprises a valve at least at one of the manifold inputs.

9. The wind farm according to claim 1, wherein the manifold comprises a valve at the first manifold output.

10. The wind farm according to claim 8, wherein the valve is a check valve.

11. The wind farm according to claim 1, wherein the wind farm further comprises a control system for monitoring a hydrogen flow.

12. The wind farm according to claim 1, wherein the manifold comprises a second manifold output configured to be connected to a second hydrogen pipeline for transporting the hydrogen produced by the wind farm out of the wind farm.

13. The wind farm according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of wind turbines are arranged in at least two wind turbine arrays comprising at least one manifold per wind turbine array, further wherein the manifold of each wind turbine array is coupled to the manifold of at least another wind turbine array by a hydrogen connection.

14. The wind farm according to claim 13, wherein the manifold of each wind turbine array is directly connected to the first hydrogen pipeline and/or to any further hydrogen pipeline for transporting the hydrogen produced by the wind farm out of the wind farm.

15. A plurality of wind farms according to claim 1, wherein the manifold of each wind farm is coupled to the manifold of at least another wind farm by a hydrogen connection.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0055] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0056] FIG. 1 shows a wind farm comprising a plurality of wind turbines connected to a manifold according to a first embodiment of the invention;

[0057] FIG. 2 shows another wind farm comprising a plurality of wind turbines connected to a manifold according to a second embodiment of the invention;

[0058] FIG. 3 shows another wind farm comprising a plurality of wind turbines connected to a manifold according to another embodiment of the invention;

[0059] FIG. 4 shows the manifold arranged at the platform of a wind turbine;

[0060] FIG. 5 shows a plurality of inter-connected wind turbine arrays according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0061] FIG. 6 shows a plurality of inter-connected wind turbine arrays according to another embodiment of the invention; and

[0062] FIG. 7 shows a plurality of inter-connected wind turbine arrays according to another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0063] FIG. 1 shows a wind farm 20 comprising a plurality of wind turbines 1. The wind turbines comprise each a generator 2, a nacelle 6, and a tower 4 supporting the nacelle 6, as well as an electrolytic unit 3 electrically coupled to the generator 2 for producing hydrogen and a hydrogen output 8 for transporting the produced hydrogen out of the wind turbine.

[0064] Each hydrogen output 8 is connected to a manifold 10 by a manifold input 11, wherein the manifold 10 is arranged above sea level 30 and comprises a first manifold output 12 configured to be connected to a first hydrogen pipeline 21 for transporting the hydrogen produced by the wind farm 20 out of the wind farm 20.

[0065] FIG. 2 shows another wind farm 20 comprising a plurality of wind turbines 1 connected to a manifold 10 according to a second embodiment of the invention. In addition to the features of the first embodiment of the invention, the second embodiment shown in this figure comprises a second manifold output 13 configured to be connected to a second hydrogen pipeline 22 for transporting the hydrogen produced by the wind farm 20 out of the wind farm 20.

[0066] FIG. 3 shows another wind farm 20 comprising a plurality of wind turbines 1 connected to a manifold 11 according to another embodiment of the invention. This manifold 11 comprises a first manifold output 12 configured to be connected to a first hydrogen pipeline 21.

[0067] FIG. 4 shows the manifold 10 arranged at the platform 7 of a wind turbine 1 comprising a plurality of manifold inputs 11 and a first manifold output 12.

[0068] FIGS. 5 to 7 show a plurality of inter-connected wind turbine arrays 23 in different configurations. The first and second manifold outputs 12, 13 of each wind turbine array 23 are connected to either a neighboring wind turbine array 23 or to a first or second hydrogen pipeline 21, 22.

[0069] A similar connection as the one shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 can be done with a plurality of wind farms 20 by having the manifold 10 of each wind farm 20 coupled to the manifold 10 of at least another wind farm 20 by a hydrogen connection.

[0070] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0071] For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0072] 1 Wind turbine [0073] 2 Generator [0074] 3 Electrolytic unit [0075] 4 Tower [0076] 6 Nacelle [0077] 7 Platform [0078] 8 Hydrogen output [0079] 10 Manifold [0080] 11 Manifold input [0081] 12 First manifold output [0082] 13 Second manifold output [0083] 20 Wind farm [0084] 21 First hydrogen pipeline [0085] 22 Second hydrogen pipeline [0086] 23 Wind turbine array [0087] 30 Sea level