POWER GENERATING APPARATUS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TYPE AND METHOD OF ATTACHING AND DETACHING BLADE

• US 20130076042A1
• Filed: 01/25/2012
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: AMANO, Yoshiyuki, TSUTSUMI, Kazuhisa, ICHIRYUU, Taku, KAMEDA, Takuro
• Granted Patent: US 8,710,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/55
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/10 Assembly of wind motors; Arrangements for erecting wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 15/00 Transmission of mechanical power
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 15/20 Gearless transmission, i.e. direct-drive
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0244 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0248 by mechanical means acting on the power train
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/70 Bearing or lubricating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/88 of mechanical components
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/17 storing energy in pressurised fluids
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/28 the apparatus being a pump or a compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2230/60 Assembly methods
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2230/61 using auxiliary equipment for lifting or holding
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/50 Bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/60 Shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/31 Locking rotor in position
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/406 through hydraulic systems
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/902 using frictional mechanical forces
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/28 with two or more rows of rollers
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/386 in O-arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/54 Systems consisting of a plurality of bearings with rolling friction spindle bearings F16C35/08
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 23/08 : self-adjusting
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2360/31 : Wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/042 : Housings for rolling element bearings for rotary movement
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 : Hydro energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/30 : Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 : Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/16 : Mechanical energy storage, e.g. flywheels or pressurised fluids
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 70/30 : Systems combining energy storage with energy generation of non-fossil origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 : Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49316 : Impeller making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49318 : Repairing or disassembling

Abstract

It is intended to provide a power generating apparatus of renewable energy type in which a braking mechanism is attached to a rotor arranged upstream of a hydraulic transmission while saving space, and a method of attaching and detaching a blade for the apparatus. The power generating apparatus of renewable energy type is provided with: a rotor having a hub and a main shaft, the hub having at least one blade mounted thereon, the main shaft being coupled to the hub; a generator which generates power by torque inputted from the rotor; and a hydraulic transmission which transmits the torque from the rotor to the generator. A brake disc is fixed to the rotor by tightening together with the hub and the main shaft. A brake caliper is provided to force a brake pad against the brake disc to apply a braking force to the rotor.

Claims

1. A power generating apparatus of renewable energy type, comprising:

a rotor which comprises a hub and a main shaft, the hub having at least one blade mounted thereon, the main shaft being coupled to the hub;

a generator which generates power by torque inputted from the rotor;

a hydraulic transmission which transmits the torque from the rotor to the generator;

a brake disc which is fixed to the rotor by tightening together with the hub and the main shaft; and

a brake caliper which forces a brake pad against the brake disc to apply a braking force to the rotor.

2. The power generating apparatus of renewable energy type according to claim 1,

wherein the brake caliper comprises a plurality of outer calipers which are arranged on an outer circumferential side of the brake disc and a plurality of inner calipers which are arranged on an inner circumferential side of the brake disc.

3. The power generating apparatus of renewable energy type according to claim 2, further comprising:

a nacelle which houses at least the main shaft;

a main shaft bearing which supports the main shaft rotatably on a nacelle side; and

a bearing housing which houses the main shaft bearing,

wherein the brake disc extends toward the bearing housing from a position where the brake disc is tightened together with the hub and the main shaft, and

wherein at least one of the brake caliper is mounted on the bearing housing.

4. The power generating apparatus of renewable energy type according to claim 2, further comprising:

a tower; and

a nacelle which is supported by the tower and which houses at least the main shaft,

wherein the nacelle comprises a nacelle baseplate which is rotatably mounted on the tower, and a nacelle cover which covers the nacelle baseplate, and

wherein at least one of the brake caliper is fixed to an end of the nacelle baseplate which is on a side closer to the hub.

5. The power generating apparatus of renewable energy type according to claim 1,

wherein the main shaft includes a flange which is tightened with the hub and the brake disc,

wherein the brake disc spreads outward in a radial direction of the main shaft from a position where the brake disc is tightened with the flange and the hub.

6. The power generating apparatus of renewable energy type according to claim 1, further comprising:

a nacelle which houses at least the main shaft; and

a hydraulic cylinder which has one end fixed to the nacelle side and other end fixed to the brake disc,

wherein the rotor is rotated with the brake disc by changing a stroke of the hydraulic cylinder.

7. The power generating apparatus of renewable energy type according to claim 6,

wherein the nacelle comprises a nacelle baseplate which is rotatably mounted on the tower, and a nacelle cover which covers the nacelle baseplate,

wherein a pair of the hydraulic cylinders are arranged on both sides of the brake disc respectively, and

where each of the pair of the hydraulic cylinders is arranged upright on the nacelle baseplate and fixed to the brake disc via a bracket.

8. The power generating apparatus of renewable energy type according to claim 1, further comprising:

a locking mechanism which locks the rotor at a desired angular position,

wherein the brake disc is formed with a plurality of first holes in a circumferential direction, and

wherein the locking mechanism is a lock pin which is inserted in one of the first holes and a second hole formed on the nacelle side.

9. The power generating apparatus of renewable energy type according to claim 1,

wherein the power generating apparatus of renewable energy type is a wind turbine generator which rotates the rotor by renewable energy in form of wind and inputs the torque from the rotor to the generator via the hydraulic transmission.

10. A method of attaching and detaching a blade for a power generating apparatus of renewable energy type which comprises:

a rotor which includes a hub having at least one blade mounted thereon and a main shaft coupled to the hub;

a generator which generates power by torque inputted from the rotor;

a hydraulic transmission which transmits the torque from the rotor to the generator;

a brake disc which is fixed to the rotor by tightening together with the hub and the main shaft; and

a brake caliper which forces a brake pad against the brake disc to apply a braking force to the rotor, the method comprising the steps of;

rotating the rotor to a desired angular position by a hydraulic actuator;

stopping the rotor at the desired angular position by the brake disc and the brake caliper;

locking the rotor at the desired angular position; and

attaching or detaching the blade with respect to the hub in such a state that the rotor is locked.

11. The method of attaching and detaching the blade for the power generating apparatus of renewable energy type according to claim 10,

wherein the power generating apparatus of renewable energy type further comprises a nacelle which houses at least the main shaft,

wherein the hydraulic actuator is a hydraulic cylinder having one end fixed to the nacelle side and other end fixed to the brake disc, and

wherein, in the step of rotating the rotor, the rotor is rotated to the desired angular position by rotating the brake disc using the hydraulic cylinder.

12. The method of attaching and detaching the blade for the power generating apparatus of renewable energy type according to claim 11,

wherein, in the step of rotating the rotor, the rotor is intermittently rotated by repeating:

changing a stroke of the hydraulic cylinder while attaching the other end of the cylinder to the brake disc; and

then returning the stroke of the hydraulic cylinder to an original stroke while disconnecting the other end of the hydraulic cylinder from the brake disc.

13. The method of attaching and detaching the blade for the power generating apparatus of renewable energy type according to claim 11,

wherein, in the step of locking the rotor, the rotor is locked by fixing a stroke of the hydraulic cylinder.

14. The method of attaching and detaching the blade for the power generating apparatus of renewable energy type according to claim 10,

wherein the power generating apparatus of renewable energy type further comprises a nacelle which houses at least the main shaft,

wherein the brake disc is formed with a plurality of first holes in a circumferential direction, and

wherein, in the step of locking the rotor, the rotor is locked by inserting a lock pin in one of the first holes and a second hole formed on the nacelle side.

15. The method of attaching and detaching the blade for the power generating apparatus of renewable energy type according to claim 14,

wherein the desired angular position is defined for each of the blades, and

wherein the second hole formed on the nacelle side coincides with one of the first holes formed in the brake disc when the rotor is stopped at the desired angular position defined for each of the blades.

16. The method of attaching and detaching the blade for the power generating apparatus of renewable energy type according to claim 10,

wherein the hydraulic transmission includes a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic motor, the hydraulic pump being driven with rotation of the main shaft to generate pressurized oil, the hydraulic motor driving the generator by the pressurized oil supplied from the hydraulic pump, and

wherein, in the step of rotating the rotor, the rotor is rotated to the desired angular position by driving the hydraulic pump as the hydraulic actuator with pressurized oil supplied from a pressurized-oil source.

17. The method of attaching and detaching the blade for the power generating apparatus of renewable energy type according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

before the step of rotating the rotor, attaching a dummy blade to the hub,

wherein, in the step of rotating the rotor, the rotor is rotated in such a state that the dummy blade is attached to the hub.

18. The method of attaching and detaching the blade for the power generating apparatus of renewable energy type according to claim 17,

wherein the dummy blade comprises a tubular member which is fixed to the hub and a movable weight which is supported inside the tubular member, and

wherein the method further comprises the step of:

before the step of attaching the dummy blade, adjusting a position of the movable weight to reduce a moment around a center axis of the rotor.