GENERATOR AND METHOD FOR DISASSEMBLING A GENERATOR OF A DIRECTLY DRIVEN WIND TURBINE

Abstract

A generator for a direct driven wind turbine configured to convert kinetic energy of a main shaft of the wind turbine into electrical energy. The generator includes a generator rotor connectable to the main shaft of the wind turbine and a generator stator, the generator includes a generator housing on which the generator stator is arranged. The generator housing includes a front side facing towards a rotor head of the wind turbine in an installed state of the generator and a rear side facing away from the rotor head in the installed state of the generator. The generator includes at least one front generator bearing arranged at the front of the generator housing and a rear generator bearing arranged at the rear of the generator housing.

Claims

1-20. (canceled)

21. A generator for a direct driven wind turbine configured to convert kinetic energy of a main shaft of the wind turbine into electrical energy, wherein the generator comprises a generator rotor connectable to the main shaft of the wind turbine and a generator stator, wherein the generator comprises a generator housing on which the generator stator is arranged, wherein the generator housing comprises a front side facing towards a rotor head of the wind turbine in an installed state of the generator and a rear side facing away from the rotor head in the installed state of the generator, wherein the generator further comprises at least one front generator bearing arranged at the front of the generator housing and a rear generator bearing arranged at the rear of the generator housing, wherein the front and the rear generator bearings are configured to support the main shaft on the generator housing in the installed state of the generator, wherein the generator comprises at least one support device which is configured to support the generator housing on a housing of the wind turbine in the installed state.

22. The generator according to claim 21, wherein the front and rear generator bearings are configured as floating bearings.

23. The generator according to claim 21, wherein the generator rotor comprises a hollow cylindrical base portion comprising an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface.

24. The generator according to claim 23, wherein the generator rotor is formed in one piece with the hollow cylindrical base portion.

25. The generator according to claim 23, wherein an inner peripheral surface of the front generator bearing and an inner peripheral surface of the rear generator bearing come into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the hollow cylindrical base portion.

26. The generator according to claim 23, wherein the generator further comprises a front generator rotor fastening device and a rear generator rotor fastening device which are arranged at axial end portions of the hollow cylindrical base portion.

27. The generator according to claim 26, wherein the front generator rotor fastening device and the rear generator rotor fastening device are configured as clamping devices.

28. The generator according to claim 21, wherein the at least one support device is an elastomeric bearing

29. The generator according to claim 21, wherein a front support device is arranged at the frontside of the generator housing and a rear support device is arranged at the rearside of the generator housing.

30. The generator according to claim 29, wherein the front support device is connected to the frontside of the generator housing via a front generator housing fastening device, and wherein the rear support device is connected to the rearside of the generator housing via a rear generator housing fastening device.

31. A direct driven wind turbine comprising: a generator according to claim 21; a main shaft which transmits rotation of a rotor head to the generator; and a housing on which the main shaft and the generator are supported.

32. The direct driven wind turbine according to claim 31, further comprising a forward main shaft bearing which is arranged adjacent to the rotor head and which is configured to support the main shaft on the housing.

33. The direct driven wind turbine according to claim 32, wherein the front main shaft bearing is configured as a fixed bearing.

34. The direct driven wind turbine according to claim 32, wherein the front and the rear generator bearing together form a rear main shaft bearing.

35. The direct driven wind turbine according to claim 31, wherein the wind turbine further comprises a main shaft holder configured to hold the main shaft in its position when the generator is disassembled.

36. The direct driven wind turbine according to claim 31, wherein the main shaft is configured as a hollow shaft.

37. The direct driven wind turbine according to claim 31, wherein the wind turbine comprises a pitch device.

38. The direct driven wind turbine according to claim 36, wherein the pitch device comprises a pitch cylinder, a pitch rod and a pitch adjustment, wherein the pitch adjustment is arranged adjacent to the rotor head and can be controlled by the pitch cylinder, and wherein the pitch rod connects the pitch cylinder with the pitch adjustment through the main shaft, which is configured as a hollow shaft.

39. A method for disassembling a generator from a main shaft of a direct driven wind turbine comprising: loosening a front generator rotor fastening device and a rear generator rotor fastening device; loosening at least one support device, preferably several support devices; and sliding down the generator from the main shaft.

40. The method for disassembling a generator according to claim 39, further comprising: activating a main shaft holder.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0081] The drawings used to illustrate the embodiments show:

[0082] FIG. 1 a schematic cross-sectional view of a wind turbine according to the present invention;

[0083] FIG. 2 a side view of a wind turbine according to the present invention;

[0084] FIG. 3 a view of the wind turbine according to the present invention from a frontside; and

[0085] FIG. 4 a view of the wind turbine according to the present invention from a rearside.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0086] In the following, reference is first made to FIG. 1, which shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a wind turbine 1000 according to the present invention. The tower and the nacelle of the wind turbine 1000 are not shown in the figures.

[0087] For descriptive purposes, a front area (frontside 10) and a rear area (rearside 20) are defined in FIG. 1. These directions are used throughout the description and also to describe individual components whose overall arrangement is shown in FIG. 1. The front area (frontside 10) is on the right in FIG. 1 and the rear area (rearside 20) is on the left in FIG. 1. Accordingly, an upper region is defined as upper in FIG. 1 and a lower region is defined as lower in FIG. 1. The axial direction is defined as the direction of the axis of rotation of the wind turbine 1000. The axial direction in FIG. 1 is a horizontal direction.

[0088] In the front section, the wind turbine 1000 comprises a rotor head 150. The rotor head 150 carries the rotor blades 151. The rotor head 150 carries the rotor blades 151. Typically, three rotor blades 151 are arranged on the rotor head 150. The rotor head 150 is formed as a hub such that it can be pushed or placed onto a shaft.

[0089] Here, the rotor head 150 is pushed resp. set onto a main shaft 140. Accordingly, a rotation of the rotor head 150, which is set in motion by means of the rotor blades 151, can be transmitted to the main shaft 140. The main shaft 140 extends in axial direction resp. in horizontal direction.

[0090] Since the main shaft 140 rotates relative to other components of the wind turbine 1000 (housing, nacelle, . . . ), the main shaft 140 must be supported accordingly. For this purpose, the wind turbine 1000 initially has a front main shaft bearing 141 as the first bearing point. The front main shaft bearing 141 is formed near the rotor head 150. That is, the main shaft bearing 141 is arranged in the front area, i.e. close to the frontside 10.

[0091] The main shaft bearing 141 is designed as a fixed bearing and can therefore absorb radial forces and axial forces. Here, the main shaft bearing 141 is shown and designed as a self-aligning bearing.

[0092] As can also be seen in FIG. 1, the wind turbine 1000 further comprises a generator 100. As already mentioned, the second bearing position of the main shaft 140 is thereby implemented together with the bearing of the generator 100.

[0093] The generator 100 comprises a generator rotor 110 and a generator stator 120. The generator rotor 110 is arranged on the main shaft 140. The generator rotor 110 is arranged on the main shaft 140. More specifically, the generator rotor 110 comprises a base portion 111 arranged on the main shaft 140.

[0094] The base portion 111 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape and has an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface. With the inner peripheral surface, the base area 111 is arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the main shaft 140. The inner peripheral surface of the base portion 111 and the outer peripheral surface of the main shaft 140 are configured relative to each other in such a way that rotation of the main shaft 140 can be transmitted to the base portion 111 and thus to the generator rotor 110. This shaft-hub connection for transmitting the rotation can be of a non-positive type (for example by means of clamping elements; clamping elements; cones) or of a form-fit type (for example by means of feather keys; dowel pins; polygonal profiles; toothing).

[0095] As shown in FIG. 1, the generator 100 further comprises a front generator rotor fastening device 112 and a rear generator rotor fastening device 113. Both generator rotor fastening devices 112 and 113 serve to securely fasten the generator rotor 110 to the main shaft 140. Preferably, the generator rotor fastening devices 112 and 113 are clamping rings. These have the particular advantage of enabling quick and easy assembly and disassembly.

[0096] The front generator rotor fastening device 112 is arranged at a front axial end portion of the base portion 111, i.e. towards the frontside 10. The rear generator rotor fastening device 113 is arranged at an opposite end region, i.e. a rear axial end region of the base portion 111, i.e. towards the rearside 20.

[0097] The generator rotor 110 extends radially outwardly from the base portion 111. In particular, the generator rotor 110 extends radially outwards at a region which, viewed in the axial direction (axis of rotation), is arranged between the rear generator rotor fastening device 113 and the front generator rotor fastening device 112. Preferably, this area is arranged centrally on the base portion 111 as seen in the axial direction.

[0098] Preferably, the generator rotor 110 and the base portion 111 are formed in one piece. The radially outwardly extending part of the generator rotor 110 is surrounded by a generator housing 130, as shown in FIG. 1. The generator stator 120 is also arranged on the generator housing 130. This means that the generator housing 130 first serves to support the generator stator 120. Even though the generator stator 120 and generator housing 130 are described here as two different components, they can also be formed in one piece.

[0099] The generator housing 130 may have a plurality of cooling fins on an outer side (side facing outwards) which serve to cool the generator 100. However, these are not shown in the figures.

[0100] The generator housing 130 has a frontside 131 and a rearside 132. The front 131 of the generator housing 130 faces the front 10. The rearside 132 of the generator housing 130 faces the rearside 20. A front generator bearing 135 is disposed on the frontside 131 of the generator housing 130. A rear generator bearing 136 is arranged at the rearside 132 of the generator housing 130. This means that the generator housing 130 is supported by means of two generator bearings 135 and 136. As indicated in FIG. 1, the generator bearings 135 and 136 are designed as floating bearings. The generator bearings 135 and 136 are at least substantially ring-shaped.

[0101] As also shown in FIG. 1, the generator bearings 135 and 136 are seated on the hollow cylindrical base portion 111 of the generator rotor 110. This means that an inner peripheral surface of the generator bearings 135 and 136 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the hollow cylindrical base portion 111.

[0102] Further, an outer peripheral surface of the generator bearings 135 and 136 is in contact with the generator housing 130. More specifically, the front generator bearing 135 is seated in the frontside 131 of the generator housing 130 and the rear generator bearing 136 is seated in the rearside 132 of the generator housing 130.

[0103] The main shaft 140 is therefore mounted on the generator housing 130 via the generator rotor 110. This means that the main shaft 140 is not mounted directly via the generator bearings 135 and 136, but indirectly via the generator rotor 110.

[0104] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the base portion 111 of the generator rotor 110 is longer in the axial direction than the axial distance between the front generator bearing 135 and the rear generator bearing 136.

[0105] Viewed from the frontside 10 to the rearside 20, first the front generator rotor fastening device 112, then the front generator bearing 135, then the radially outwardly extending portion of the generator rotor 110, then the rear generator bearing 136, and then the rear generator rotor fastening device 113 are arranged on the base portion 111.

[0106] This means that all of the aforementioned elements are not arranged directly on the main shaft 140. Rather, the aforementioned elements are arranged on the generator rotor 110, more precisely on the base portion 111 thereof.

[0107] Accordingly, these can be pulled off the main shaft 140 together with the generator rotor 110 and do not have to be dismounted individually.

[0108] As better seen in FIG. 2, the generator 100 further comprises a front generator housing fastening device 133 and a rear generator housing fastening device 134. The front generator housing fastening device 133 can be seen particularly well in FIG. 3. The rear generator housing fastening device 134 can be seen particularly well in FIG. 4.

[0109] The generator housing fastening devices 133 and 134 connect the generator housing 130 to a housing 170 of the wind turbine 1000. As can be seen in particular in FIGS. 2 to 4, the housing 170 has a cage structure. In this case, the housing 170 is constructed from several bars in a cage-like resp. scaffold-like manner. The housing 170 also serves to arrange the main shaft 140 and the generator 110 in a composite component, which can then in turn be attached to a nacelle of the wind turbine 1000.

[0110] Thus, the housing 170 has the purpose of arranging the individual components (for example, generator 110, front main shaft bearing 141 and main shaft 140) relative to each other. For this, as can be seen in particular below the front main shaft bearing 141 in FIG. 4., the housing 170 may further comprise one or more base plates on which the components are arranged (in this case the front main shaft bearing 141).

[0111] In particular, the generator housing fastening devices 133 and 134 connect the generator housing 130 to the housing 170 of the wind turbine 1000 via support devices 137 and 138. The support devices 137 and 138 are thus arranged between the housing 170 and the generator housing fastening devices 133 and 134. More generally, the support devices 137 and 138 are arranged between the housing 170 and the generator housing 130 (see schematic diagram in FIG. 1). The support devices 137 and 138 are preferably configured as elastomeric bearings.

[0112] As shown in the figures, a front support device 137 and a rear support device 138 are provided. The front support device 137 is connected to the front generator housing fastening device 133 and the rear support device 138 is connected to the rear generator housing fastening device 134. This also means that the front support device 137 can be arranged in front of (i.e. towards the frontside 10) the generator housing 130, as seen in the axial direction. Correspondingly, the rear support device 138 can also be arranged behind (i.e. towards the rearside 20) the generator housing 130, as seen in the axial direction. This enables a particularly reliable holding of the generator 100. In addition, a balanced force flow can be achieved.

[0113] Basically, the force flow is from the main shaft 140 to the base portion 111 of the generator rotor 100, to the front or rear generator bearing 135 or 136, to the generator housing 130 resp. a frontside 131 or a rearside 132 thereof. Further, the force flow extends to the front resp. rear generator housing fastening device 133 resp. 134 and then further to the front resp. rear support device 137 resp. 138. From here, the force flow then extends to the housing 170.

[0114] As can be seen in particular in FIG. 4, the rear generator housing fastening device 134 is configured to extend outwardly when viewed from the generator housing 130. In other words, it extends towards the two long sides of the housing 170. Thereby, the long sides are understood to be the long sides of the housing 170 extending from the frontside 10 to the rearside 20. The fastening device 134 thus extends towards a first long side and a second long side of the housing 170 (to the left and to the right in FIG. 4).

[0115] Thus, more than one rear support devices 138 can also be arranged. Preferably, at least one rear support device 138 is arranged on each longitudinal side of the housing 170.

[0116] The same applies to the front generator housing fastening device 133, so that more than one front support device 137 can be arranged. In particular, two front support devices 137 can be provided, which are arranged on the two longitudinal sides of the housing 170.

[0117] Particularly preferably, four support devices 137, 138 are arranged around the generator housing 130. Thereby, two front support devices 137 (left and right) are arranged in front of the generator housing 130 and two rear support devices 138 (left and right) are arranged behind the generator housing 130.

[0118] As can be seen in the figures, the wind turbine 1000 further comprises a pitch device 160. As can be seen in FIG. 3, the pitch device 160 comprises a pitch adjustment 164, which is arranged at the frontside 10 of the wind turbine 1000. This is used to adjust the pitch of the rotor blades 151. The pitch adjustment 164 is connected to a pitch cylinder 161 via a pitch rod 162. The pitch cylinder 161 is used to control the pitch adjustment 164.

[0119] The pitch cylinder 161 is arranged on the rearside 20 of the wind turbine 1000 together with a rotary guide 163, as can be seen in particular in FIG. 4.

[0120] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the pitch rod 162 extends through the main shaft 140. Therefore, the main shaft 140 is configured as a hollow shaft. The pitch rod 162 is also configured to be strong enough to support the rotor head 150 and the main shaft 140 in case the main shaft 140 breaks.

[0121] The disassembly of the generator 110 can be seen particularly well in FIG. 4. First, the pitch cylinder 161 (and the rotation guide 163) are removed. Then the front generator rotor fastening device 112, the rear generator rotor fastening device 113, the at least one front support device 137 and the at least one rear support device 138 are loosened.

[0122] Then, a main shaft holder 142 indicated in FIG. 1 is activated. If the generator 110 is disassembled from the main shaft 140 without activating the main shaft holder 142, a rear portion (towards the rearside 20) of the main shaft 140 will no longer be held. Due to the weight of the rotor head 150 and the rotor blades 151, the main shaft 140 would then tilt forward. To prevent this, the main shaft holder 142 is provided.

[0123] When the main shaft holder 142 is activated and holds the main shaft 140 in position, the generator 110 can be pushed or pulled off from the main shaft 140. To facilitate this operation, the housing 170 comprises a housing rail 171 (see for example FIG. 4) on which the generator 110 can be pulled from the main shaft 140. The generator 110 is therefore still supported and can be moved in a controlled manner.

[0124] Overall, the illustrated generator 110 and the illustrated wind turbine 1000 provide improvements that have a positive impact on manufacturing, assembly, maintenance and servicing.