AN EQUIPMENT COMPARTMENT FRAME OF A POWER CONTROL MODULE OF A WIND POWER TURBINE AND METHODS RELATED THERETO

Abstract

The invention relates to an equipment compartment frame of a power control module of a wind turbine. The frame includes a polygonal beam structure (17) in one plane and a plurality of standing beams (18) attached to the polygonal beam structure (17) at at least some of the corners of the polygonal beam structure (17). According to the invention, each standing beam (18) is attached to the polygonal beam structure (17) by means of a releasable joint (26, 27, 28). The invention also relates to methods for transporting and assembling such frames.

Claims

1. An equipment compartment frame of a power control module of a wind turbine, comprising: a polygonal beam structure in one plane, and a plurality of standing beams attached to the polygonal beam structure at at least some of the corners of the polygonal beam structure, wherein each standing beam is attached to the polygonal beam structure by means of a releasable joint.

2. The frame according to claim 1, wherein the polygonal beam structure is a quadrangle having a standing beam at each corner.

3. The frame according to claim 1, wherein the releasable joint is a bolt joint.

4. The frame according to claim 1, wherein the standing beams have a length that exceeds the length required for one equipment compartment frame and is attached to more than one polygonal beam structure.

5. A method for transporting at least one equipment compartment frame of a power control module of a wind turbine, which frame when assembled includes a polygonal beam structure and a plurality of standing beams attached to the polygonal beam structure at at least some of the corners of the polygonal beam structure, the method comprising transporting the equipment compartment frame in an unassembled state in which the standing beams are separated from the polygonal beam structure.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising transporting a plurality of polygonal beam structures, wherein the standing beams have a length adapted for the formation of a plurality of equipment compartment frames.

7. A method for assembling at least one equipment compartment frame of a power control module of a wind power turbine, comprising: providing at least one polygonal beam structure in one plane, wherein the at least one polygonal beam structure is manufactured at a manufacturing site, providing a plurality of beams intended to be standing beams of the equipment compartment frame, wherein the plurality of beams are manufactured at said manufacturing site or at a second manufacturing site, transporting the at least one polygonal beam structure and the beams (18, 18a) to an assembly site in an unassembled state in which the beams are separated from the polygonal beam structure, and at the assembly site, attaching the beams to corners of the at least one polygonal beam structure in standing positions relative to the plane of the polygonal beam structure.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising attaching each beam to the at least one polygonal beam structure by a releasable joint.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the releasable joint is a bolt joint.

10. A method for transportation of a frame of a power control module of a wind turbine, said frame of the power control module including a plurality of equipment compartment frames, each equipment compartment frame having a plurality of vertical and substantially open sides, each side being an orthogonal quadrangle and being limited by rigid structural elements, the method comprising latching at least one of said sides of at least one equipment compartment frame by at least one diagonally extending rigid bar, or by two crossing, diagonally extending wires.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising latching at least one side by two crossing rigid bars.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising latching more than one side of said at least one equipment compartment frame.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein more than one of said equipment compartment frames have at least on side latched.

14. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] FIG. 1 is a side view of a PCM installed in a wind turbine tower

[0049] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first part of a PCM frame according to a first example of the invention.

[0050] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a set of second parts of the PCM frame according to the first example.

[0051] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the parts in figs.2 and 3 assembled.

[0052] FIG. 5 is a side view of a PCM frame according to a second example of the invention.

[0053] FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating the transport and assembly according to a further example of the invention.

[0054] FIGS. 7-9 are views corresponding to those of FIGS. 2-4 and illustrate an alternative example to that of these figures.

[0055] FIGS. 10 and 11 are views corresponding to that of FIG. 5 and illustrate alternative examples to the one of that figure.

[0056] The drawings are schematically in order to elucidate only those aspects that are important for understanding the principles of the invention. It is thus to be understood that the illustrated devices in practice include a lot more components and details.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES

[0057] FIG. 1 shows a typical PCM together with its framework installed in a wind turbine tower and has mainly the purpose to provide a contextual background of the invention. The PCM 1 is mounted in the bottom of the wind turbine tower 2, which is secured to a foundation 3. The PCM 1 is supported in the tower 2 by consoles 4 attached to the tower. Alternatively the PCM may hang suspended in the tower.

[0058] The PCM 1 includes the equipment required for controlling and operating the wind turbine. The equipment is mounted within a PCM frame 10. The PCM 1 is divided into three compartments arranged above each other. Each compartment includes a part of the PCM frame 10, in this application such part is called equipment compartment frame. The lowermost equipment compartment frame 11 houses a transformer 14, the intermediate equipment compartment frame 12 houses a converter 15 and the uppermost equipment compartment frame 13 houses internal power supply devices 16. A plurality of other kinds of equipment is normally also present in the compartments.

[0059] The lowermost equipment compartment frame 11 consists of a rectangular or square beam structure 17 in the bottom plane of the compartment. To this beam structure 17 a standing beam 18 is attached at each corner. These standing beams 18 are connected to the bottom beam structure 19 of the intermediate equipment compartment frame 12. The other two equipment compartment frames 12, 13 have similar construction with standing beams 20, 22. The equipment components rest on a respective platform 23, 24, 25 supported by the respective bottom beam structure 17, 19, 21. The height of the PCM is typically in the order of 10 meters or above.

[0060] FIGS. 2-4 illustrate how an equipment compartment frame is transported and assembled. FIG. 2 shows the bottom beam structure 17 consisting of four beams attached together to form a square. At each corner bolt holes 26 are provided. The beam structure 17 is delivered in this shape from the manufacturing site. A platform may be attached to the beam structure when transported.

[0061] FIG. 3 illustrates the four beams 18 that are to be used as vertical standing beams of the equipment compartment frame. Each beam 18 has bolt holes 27 at one end thereof. Bolt holes may be provided also at the other end. The beams 18 are transported as they are from the manufacturing site.

[0062] FIG. 4 illustrates assembling of an equipment compartment frame 11. Each of the beams 18 are attached to the beam structure 17 by means of bolts 28. This takes place at an assembly site remote from the manufacturing site(s) of the beam structure and the set of beams. The assembly site may be the erection site of the wind turbine or be a separate assembly site, for example where a change of transportation means takes place.

[0063] FIG. 5 illustrates a PCM frame 110 in which the PCM (not shown) is mounted and which is arranged for shipping. The lowermost equipment compartment frame 111 forms on each side an open rectangular side limited by two standing beams 118, a part of the bottom beam structure 117 and a part of the top beam structure 119 i.e. the bottom beam structure of the intermediate equipment compartment frame. The lowermost equipment compartment frame 111 is latched by two crossing steel bars 130, 131 connecting respective opposite corners to each other. Thereby the shape stability of the rectangle is secured. Also the other two equipment compartment frames 112, 113 are similarly latched and having additional standing beams 120, 122 and beam structure 121 to limit the compartments as seen in FIG. 5. Other sides (not visible) of the PCM frame 110 may be correspondingly latched.

[0064] FIG. 6 illustrates a transporting and manufacturing sequence according to the invention. By the text in the boxes and in the context of the above description the figure is supposed to be understood without further explanation.

[0065] FIG. 7 illustrates three quadrangle beam structures 17a. FIG. 8 illustrates beams 18a that have a length sufficient to be joint to the three quadrangle beam structures 17a shown in FIG. 7. The beams 18a have bolt holes 27 at each end and somewhere there between in the middle region.

[0066] FIG. 9 illustrates the frame of a complete PCM with three equipment compartments frames 11a. The PCM is assembled by the parts of FIGS. 7 and 8 by bolting each beam structure 17a to each of the standing beams 18a. Each standing beam 18a thus is common to all three compartments.

[0067] FIG. 10 illustrates an alternative latching where a first bar 130b connects diagonally located corners of two adjacent equipment compartment frames, and a second bar 131b connects diagonally located corners of the uppermost and lowermost equipment compartment frames. A further example is illustrated by FIG. 11 comprising the two bars 130a, 131a.