PLATFORM FOR A TOWER OF A WIND TURBINE AND WIND TURBINE

Abstract

A platform for a tower of a wind turbine is provided, wherein the platform is adapted for a hanging arrangement inside the tower and includes at least one support for supporting the platform in a horizontal direction against a tower wall, wherein the support includes a foot section for contacting the tower wall, an abutment section attached to the platform, and a pretensioner, wherein the pretensioner preloads the foot section against the abutment section with a pretension force directed towards the tower wall, wherein the foot section is moveable at least sectionally towards the platform when a force directed towards the platform and acting on the foot section exceeds the pretension force.

Claims

1. A platform for a tower of a wind turbine, wherein the platform is configured for a hanging arrangement inside the tower and comprises the at least one support for supporting the platform in a horizontal direction against a tower wall, wherein the support comprises a foot section for contacting the tower wall, an abutment section attached to the platform, and a pretensioner, wherein the pretensioner preloads the foot section against the abutment section with a pretension force directed towards the tower wall, wherein the foot section is moveable at least sectionally towards the platform when a force directed towards the platform and acting on the foot section exceeds the pretension force.

2. The platform according to claim 1, wherein the platform comprises a plurality of support, wherein the support are arranged around the circumference of the platform.

3. The platform according to claim 1, wherein the abutment section comprises a U-shaped bracket encompassing at least partly the pretensioner and a part of the foot section, wherein the pretensioner presses a plate section of the foot section against the U-shaped bracket.

4. The platform according to claim 3, wherein the foot section comprises a rod which extends at least between the plate section and a base of the foot section for contacting the tower wall.

5. The platform according to claim 4, wherein the rod extends through an orifice in the plate section, wherein the length of a portion of the foot section protruding from the abutment section towards the tower wall is adjustable.

6. The platform according to claim 1, wherein the pretensioner comprises a spring, in particular a coil spring, a leaf spring, a disk spring, or a gas spring, and/or a compressed elastic member.

7. The platform according to claim 1, wherein the pretensioner is adjustable, wherein the pretension force depends on the adjustment of the pretensioner.

8. The platform according to claim 1, wherein the support comprises the at least one guide for guiding the movement of the foot section towards the platform.

9. The platform according to claim 8, wherein the guide is a slot in the abutment section, wherein a protrusion of the foot section engages in the slot.

10. The platform according to claim 1, wherein the platform comprises a plurality of attachments, wherein the attachments are arranged around the circumference of the platform.

11. A wind turbine comprising the at least one platform according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0028] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0029] FIG. 1 an embodiment of a wind turbine according to the invention;

[0030] FIG. 2 an embodiment of a platform according to the invention;

[0031] FIG. 3 a perspective view of a first embodiment of a supporting a platform according to the invention;

[0032] FIG. 4 a top view on the first embodiment of the supporting a platform according to the invention; and

[0033] FIG. 5 a top view on a second embodiment of a supporting a platform according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In FIG. 1, an embodiment of a wind turbine 1 is shown. The wind turbine 1 comprises a tower 2, which supports a nacelle 3 of the wind turbine 1. The nacelle 3 bears a hub 4, to which a plurality of rotor blades 5 of the wind turbine 1 is attached. In the interior of the tower 2, a plurality of platforms 6 is arranged. The platforms 6 are arranged hanging inside the tower 2, wherein the platforms 6 are attached to an inner tower wall 7 by a plurality of attachment means or attachment 8. The attachment between the attachment means 8 and the inner wall 7 of the tower 2 occurs at the ends of the attachment means 8 distanced from the surface of the platforms 6, so that the platforms 6 are arranged each in a hanging arrangement in the interior of the tower 2.

[0035] In FIG. 2, an embodiment of a platform 6 is shown. The platform 6 comprises a plurality of attachment means 8, which are arranged around the outer circumference of the circular platform 6. The attachment means 8 are provided as attachment struts, which are arranged pairwise equidistantly around the outer circumference of the circular platform 6. It is possible that the platform 6 comprises a different shape, a different number of attachment means 8 and/or a different arrangement of the attachment means 8 on the platform 6.

[0036] To allow for supporting the platform 6 in horizontal direction against the inner tower wall 7, the platform 6 comprises a plurality of supporting means or support 9. Each of the supporting means 9 comprises a foot section 10 which contacts the tower wall 7 in a portion directly adjacent to the supporting means 9. By the supporting means 9, a horizontal support of the platform 6 inside the tower is obtained.

[0037] The supporting means 9 are arranged around the outer circumference of the platform 6. The supporting means 9 may be arranged equidistantly around the circumference. Also, another distribution of the supporting means 9 around the circumference is possible. In this embodiment, the platform 6 comprises three supporting means, which are each arranged offset by 120° of the circular circumference of the platform 6.

[0038] In FIG. 3, a first embodiment of a supporting means 9 is shown in a perspective view. The supporting means 9 comprises the foot section 10 for contacting the tower wall 7, an abutment section 11, which is attached to the platform 6, and a pretension means or pretensioner 12, which preloads the foot section 10 against the abutment section 11. In this embodiment, the pretension means is provided as a helical coil spring. The pretension means 12 preloads the foot section 10 against the abutment section 11 with a pretension force F.sub.p directed towards the tower wall 7, or directed towards a base 13 of the foot section 10, respectively.

[0039] The abutment section 11 comprises a U-shaped bracket 14, which encompasses the pretension means 12 and a part of the foot section 10. The U-shaped bracket 14 comprises two legs 15, 16, wherein the pretension means 12 and a portion of the foot section 10 are arranged in between the legs 15, 16. The pretension means 12 presses a plate section 17 of the foot section 10 against a middle portion 18 of the U-shaped bracket 14. The plate section 17 is attached to a rod 19 of the foot section 10, wherein the rod 19 extends through an orifice 20 in the abutment section 14, in particular in the middle section 18 of U-shaped bracket 14. In this embodiment, the abutment section 14 is attached to the platform 6 by a plurality of screws 21. The foot section 10 forms an inner bracket to the U-shaped bracket 14.

[0040] The pretension force F.sub.p presses the plate section 17 of the foot section 10 against the middle portion 18 of U-shaped bracket 14, or the abutment section 11, respectively. When a load force F.sub.l from the tower wall 2 is acting on the foot section 10, first the pretension force F.sub.p has to be exceeded before a further compression of the pretension means 12 and hence a movement of the foot section 10 occurs. This provides a stiff support of the platform 6 on the inner wall 7 of the tower 2 for forces F.sub.l below the pretension force F.sub.p.

[0041] For loads F.sub.l exceeding the pretension force F.sub.p, a compliant support of the platform 6 is obtained. The portion of the higher loads F.sub.l, which exceed the pretension force F.sub.p, may be absorbed at least partly by a further compression of the pretension means 12 and the corresponding movement of the foot section 10. The compression of the pretension means 12 causes a retraction of the moveable foot section 10 towards the edge of the platform 6, or towards a center portion of the platform 6, respectively.

[0042] For guiding of this retraction movement, the supporting means 9 comprises two guiding means or guide 22. The guiding means 22 each comprise a slot 23, 24 arranged in one of the legs 15, 16 of the U-shaped bracket 14. The plate section 17 of the foot section 10 comprises two protrusions 25, 26, which each engage in one of the slots 23, 24.

[0043] In FIG. 4, a top view of the supporting means 9 is shown. The rod section 19 of the foot section 12 comprises a threaded section 27, which extends through an orifice 28 in the plate section 17. To the threaded section 27, two nuts 29, 30 are attached to allow for adjusting the length of the foot section 10. In particular, the length of the portion of the foot section 10 which protrudes from the edge of the platform 6 towards the inner tower wall 7 may be adjusted. This allows for bridging differently sized gaps between the tower wall 7 and the platform 6. The foot section 10 may be adjustable for instance to protrude between 1 cm and 20 cm from the middle section 18 of the U-shaped bracket 14 towards the inner tower wall 7.

[0044] The U-shaped bracket 14 of the attachment portion 11 may be attached directly to the platform 6. It is possible that on the top surface and/or on the bottom surface of the platform 6 attachment structures are provided, to which the attachment portion 11, or the U-shaped bracket 14, respectively, are attached.

[0045] In FIG. 5, a second embodiment of a supporting means 9 is shown. In this embodiment, the attachment portion 11 comprises a base plate 31, which is attached to the platform 6. The base plate 31 is connected to the U-shaped bracket 14 by the screws 21.

[0046] The base plate 31 comprises an orifice 32 with an inner thread, through which an adjustment means 33 of the supporting means 9 extends. The adjustment means or adjustment 33 comprises a plate section 34, which is in direct contact with the pretension means 12. Furthermore, the adjustment means 33 comprises a threaded portion 35, which protrudes through the orifice 32 and which engages in the inner thread of the orifice 32. The adjustment means 33 allows for adjusting the pretension force F.sub.p of the pretension means 12 by moving the base plate 31 closer to the middle section 18 of the U-shaped bracket 14. This increases the initial compression of the pretension means 12 and therefore the force F.sub.p in the unloaded state of the supporting means 9. For further fixating the position of the adjustment means 33, one or more nuts 36 may be attached to the threaded portion 35.

[0047] In addition, or as an alternative to the coil spring, also other types of pretension means 12 may be used. It is also possible to use a pretension means which comprises a leaf spring, a disk spring, a gas spring, or a combination of these types of springs. Additionally, or alternatively, also the usage of a compressed elastic member as pretension means 12 is possible. An adjustment of the pretension force F.sub.p may also occur by other types of pretension means 12 as discussed in relation to the second embodiment. When a gas spring is used, also an adjustment by adjusting the gas pressure in the gas spring is possible.

[0048] By the pretension means 12, in particular a pretension force between 1 kN and 100 kN, in particular between 5 kN and 25 kN, for instance a force of 10 kN, is applied. This allows for a stiff arrangement of the platform 6 in the interior of the tower 2 under normal load conditions of the wind turbine 1.

[0049] When higher loads occur, for instance due to increased wind-induced movement of the tower 2, the pretension force F.sub.p is exceeded, so that the pretension means 12 is partly compressed and the foot section 10 moves at least sectionally towards in the direction of the platform 6. In an embodiment, the absorbance of high load peaks by the supporting means 9 allows for reducing the amount of material and/or supporting structures of the platform 6, so that the weight and the material required by the platforms 6 in the wind turbine 1 may be reduced.

[0050] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred 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.

[0051] 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.