Methods and apparatus for cooling wind turbine generators

• US 20070024132A1
• Filed: 07/29/2005
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bagepalli, Bharat, Gadre, Aniruddha, Jansen, Patrick, Garg, Jivtesh, Carl, Ralph, Salamah, Samir
• Granted Patent: US 7,443,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/64
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/06 Rotors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/60 Cooling or heating of wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/7066 via a direct connection, i.e. a gearless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2220/7068 equipped with permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1838 Generators mounted in a nacelle or similar structure of a horizontal axis wind turbine
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/225 Heat pipes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A wind turbine generator includes a stator having a core and a plurality of stator windings circumferentially spaced about a generator longitudinal axis. A rotor is rotatable about the generator longitudinal axis, and the rotor includes a plurality of magnetic elements coupled to the rotor and cooperating with the stator windings. The magnetic elements are configured to generate a magnetic field and the stator windings are configured to interact with the magnetic field to generate a voltage in the stator windings. A heat pipe assembly thermally engaging one of the stator and the rotor to dissipate heat generated in the stator or rotor.

Claims

1. A wind turbine generator comprising:

a stator comprising a core and a plurality of stator windings circumferentially spaced about a generator longitudinal axis;

a rotor rotatable about the generator longitudinal axis, said rotor comprising a plurality of magnetic elements coupled to said rotor and cooperating with said stator windings, said magnetic elements configured to generate a magnetic field, said stator windings configured to interact with the magnetic field to generate a voltage in said stator windings; and

a heat pipe assembly thermally engaging one of said stator and said rotor to dissipate heat generated in said one of said stator and said rotor.

2. A wind turbine generator in accordance with claim 1 wherein said wind turbine generator is a double sided generator.

3. A wind turbine generator in accordance with claim 1 wherein said heat pipe assembly thermally engages said stator, said core includes a yoke section circumferentially spaced about the generator longitudinal axis, said heat pipe assembly comprising a plurality of heat pipes extending axially through said yoke section.

4. A wind turbine generator in accordance with claim 1 wherein said heat pipe assembly thermally engages said stator, said core includes a yoke section circumferentially spaced about the generator longitudinal axis and stator teeth extending radially from the yoke section, said stator windings surrounding each of said stator teeth, said heat pipe assembly comprising a plurality of heat pipes extending between and engaging said yoke section and a corresponding stator winding.

5. A wind turbine generator in accordance with claim 1 wherein said heat pipe assembly thermally engages said stator, said core includes a yoke section circumferentially spaced about the generator longitudinal axis and stator teeth extending radially from the yoke section, said stator windings surrounding each of said stator teeth, said heat pipe assembly comprising a plurality of heat pipes, each heat pipe positioned between adjacent stator windings for dissipating the heat generated in said stator windings.

6. A wind turbine generator in accordance with claim 1 wherein said heat pipe assembly thermally engages said stator, said heat pipe assembly comprises a plurality of heat pipes, each said heat pipe comprising an evaporator section and a condenser section, said evaporator section engaging said core and said condenser section extending outward from said core.

7. A wind turbine generator in accordance with claim 6 wherein said condenser section extends axially outward from said core.

8. A wind turbine generator in accordance with claim 6 wherein said condenser section extends one of radially outward and radially inward from said evaporator section.

9. A wind turbine generator in accordance with claim 6 wherein said condenser section extends vertically upward from said evaporator section.

10. A wind turbine generator in accordance with claim 1 wherein said heat pipe assembly comprises a fin structure.

11. A wind turbine generator in accordance with claim 1 wherein said heat pipe assembly is cooled by a ventilation system.

13. A generator in accordance with claim 1 wherein said core includes a yoke section circumferentially spaced about a generator longitudinal axis, said heat pipe assembly comprising a plurality of heat pipes extending axially through said yoke section.

14. A generator in accordance with claim 13 wherein said core further comprises stator teeth extending radially from the yoke section, said plurality of coils surrounding said stator teeth, said heat pipe assembly engaging each said coil.

15. A generator in accordance with claim 13 wherein said heat pipe assembly comprises a plurality of heat pipes, each said heat pipe comprising an evaporator section and a condenser section, said evaporator section engaging said core and said condenser section extending outward from said core.

16. A generator in accordance with claim 15 wherein said condenser section extends one of an axially outward direction, a radially outward direction, a radially inward direction, and a vertically upward direction with respect to said evaporator section.

17. A generator in accordance with claim 13 wherein said heat pipe assembly comprises a fin structure.

12. A generator for a wind turbine, said generator comprising:

a stator core;

a plurality of coils coupled to said core, said coils configured to generate an electrical output of the generator; and

a heat pipe assembly thermally engaging at least one of said core and said plurality of coils, said heat pipe assembly configured to dissipate heat generated in said core and said plurality of coils.

18. A method of assembling a wind turbine generator, said method comprising:

coupling a stator core to a stator, the stator core including a plurality of stator windings being spaced circumferentially about a longitudinal axis of the generator;

coupling a rotor to the stator such that the rotor is rotatable about the generator longitudinal axis, the rotor including a plurality of magnetic elements configured to interact with the stator windings to generate an electrical output of the generator; and

coupling a heat pipe assembly to one of the stator and the rotor to dissipate the heat generated in the heat pipe assembly.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18 wherein the heat pipe assembly includes a plurality of heat pipes, said coupling a heat pipe assembly comprises coupling each heat pipe to a corresponding stator winding.

20. A method in accordance with claim 18 wherein the heat pipe assembly includes a plurality of heat pipes, each heat pipe has an evaporator section and a condenser section, said coupling a heat pipe assembly comprises:

coupling the evaporator section to the stator core;

extending the condenser section outward from the evaporator section in one of an axially outward direction, a radially outward direction, a radially inward direction, and a vertically upward direction with respect to the evaporator section.