WIND TURBINE GENERATOR

• US 20100329869A1
• Filed: 10/17/2008
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Okano, Yasushi
• Granted Patent: US 8,672,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 416/174
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/70 Bearing or lubricating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/98 Lubrication
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A wind turbine generator that is capable of completely eliminating heater heating of lubricating-oil piping or that is capable of reducing the number of heater heating locations to the minimum requirement is provided. A wind turbine generator is provided with a lubricating system that circulates lubricating oil (L) in a lubricating-oil storage tank through lubricating-oil piping connected to a lubricating-oil pump, to lubricate a main bearing connected to the lubricating-oil piping by supplying the lubricating oil (L) thereto. This lubricating system is provided with a lubricating-oil recovery line that is formed when the lubricating-oil pump is stopped and in which the lubricating oil (L) falls naturally and is recovered in the lubricating-oil storage tank.

Claims

1. A wind turbine generator comprising a lubricating system that circulates lubricating oil in a lubricating-oil storage space through a lubricating-oil flow path connected to a lubricating-oil pump, to lubricate a sliding part connected to the lubricating-oil flow path by supplying the lubricating oil thereto,

wherein the lubricating system is provided with a lubricating-oil recovery line that is formed when the lubricating-oil pump is stopped and in which the lubricating oil falls naturally and is recovered in the lubricating-oil storage space.

2. The wind turbine generator according to claim 1, wherein the lubricating-oil recovery line comprises:

a check valve disposed at a low position at a discharge side of the lubricating-oil flow path;

a lubricating-oil return flow path branched off from the vicinity of a downstream side of the check valve and connected to the lubricating-oil storage space; and

an automatic opening/closing valve that is disposed in the lubricating-oil return flow path and that is closed during normal operation and opened at the time of lubricating-oil recovery.

3. The wind turbine generator according to claim 2, wherein an air vent that communicates with the atmosphere at the time of lubricating-oil recovery is disposed at the highest position in the lubricating-oil flow path.