SHAFT BRAKE MECHANISM OF WIND POWER GENERATOR

• US 20110169268A1
• Filed: 01/13/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hiwin Mikrosystem Corp.
• Original Assignee: Hiwin Mikrosystem Corp.
• Inventors: Chen, En-Feng, Tsai, Kuo-Yuan, Huang, Tzu-Yao, WEI, Jhen-You
• Granted Patent: US 8,269,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/55
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0248 by mechanical means acting on the power train
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/902 using frictional mechanical forces
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2125/64 Levers
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2125/66 Wedges
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2127/002 speed-responsive
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 51/40 all extending in the same direction from their pivots
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 55/2245 in which the common actuating member acts on two levers carrying the braking members, e.g. tong-type brakes similar brakes for rail vehicles B61H5/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A shaft brake mechanism of wind power generator, including a first brake assembly and a second brake assembly independent from each other. The first brake assembly serves to provide braking effect for the shaft of the wind power generator against rotation. The second brake assembly serves to naturally restrain the rotational speed of the shaft from exceeding a nominal upper limit of rotational speed. Accordingly, the wind power generator can still safely operate in a situation that the wind speed exceeds a nominal upper limit of wind speed. Therefore, the wind speed range for the operation of the wind power generator is widened to increase the total power generation capacity thereof.

Claims

1. A shaft brake mechanism of wind power generator, comprising:

a shaft;

an annular disc coaxially fixedly fitted around the shaft and synchronously rotatable with the shaft;

a clamping section having two first fulcrums and two elongated rock arms each having a first end, a middle section and a second end, the middle sections of the rock arms being respectively pivotally connected with the first fulcrums, the clamping section further having two clamping members respectively pivotally connected with the first ends of the rock arms and rotatable between a clamping position and a releasing position, when positioned in the clamping position, the clamping members tightly abutting against two faces of the disc to brake the disc against rotation, when positioned in the releasing position, the clamping members moving away from the two faces of the disc, a resilient member being bridged between the second ends of the rock arms for resiliently keeping the clamping members in the releasing position;

a link section having a second fulcrum and a bar member having a first end, a middle section and a second end, the first end of the bar member being pivotally connected with the second fulcrum, whereby the bar member is rotatable about the second fulcrum between a first position and a second position, the link section further having a push block with a substantially trapezoidal cross section, the push block having two lateral slopes respectively adjacent to the second ends of the rock arms, a middle section of the push block being pivotally connected with the middle section of the bar member, when the bar member is moved to the first position, the push block being urged to move toward the first ends of the rock arms and interpose between the second ends thereof, whereby the two lateral slopes push the second ends of the rock arms away from each other to make the clamping members move to the clamping position, when the bar member is moved to the second position, the push block being moved from between the second ends of the rock arms, whereby the resilient member applies a resilient force to the rock arms to restore the clamping members to the releasing position; and

a drive section for supplying power to drive and reciprocally move the bar member between the first position and the second position.

2. The shaft brake mechanism of wind power generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the clamping section includes a U-shaped support, the U-shaped support having two free ends serving as the first fulcrums respectively.

3. The shaft brake mechanism of wind power generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein each clamping member has a clamping plate, a lining attached to one face of the clamping plate and a pivot block disposed on the other face of the clamping plate, the pivot blocks of the clamping members being pivotally connected with the first ends of the rock arms respectively.

4. The shaft brake mechanism of wind power generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the push block is board-shaped.

5. The shaft brake mechanism of wind power generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein a slide slot is formed at the second end of the bar member, the drive section including a linear actuator and a connection rod, one end of the connection rod being connected with a power output shaft of the linear actuator, the other end of the connection rod extending into the slide slot and being slidable within the slide slot.

6. A shaft brake mechanism of wind power generator, comprising:

a shaft;

a pier having a seat body, a shaft hole being formed through the seat body, the shaft being coaxially rotatably fitted through the shaft hole;

a hoof section having an annular base coaxially fitted around and fixedly connected with the shaft, the hoof section further having at least two hoofs each having a pivot shaft, the hoofs being respectively pivotally mounted on the base via the pivot shafts and positioned around the shaft at equal angular intervals, the hoofs being arranged in a pattern centered at an axis of the shaft with the pivot shafts parallel to the axis of the shaft, whereby the hoofs can be pivotally rotated about the pivot shafts between a braking position and a releasing position, at least one resilient member being bridged between the hoofs for resiliently restoring the hoofs from the braking position to the releasing position; and

a ring-shaped drum fixedly mounted on the seat body of the pier, the shaft coaxially passing through the drum with the hoofs facing an inner circumference of the drum, the hoofs being synchronously rotated with the shaft, when a centrifugal force applied to the hoofs overcomes resilient force of the resilient member, the hoofs moving from the releasing position to the braking position where the hoofs abut against the inner circumference of the drum, whereby under frictional force between the hoofs and the drum, the shaft is restrained against rotation to prevent rotational speed of the shaft from unlimitedly increasing.

7. The shaft brake mechanism of wind power generator as claimed in claim 6, wherein each hoof has a substantially arc-shaped hoof plate and a lining attached to a face of the hoof plate that faces the inner circumference of the drum.

8. The shaft brake mechanism of wind power generator as claimed in claim 6, wherein the resilient member is an extension spring.

9. The shaft brake mechanism of wind power generator as claimed in claim 6, wherein the number of the hoofs of the hoof section is three and the number of the resilient members is also three, the pivot shafts of the hoofs being positioned at 120-degree intervals, the resilient members being respectively bridged between the hoofs.