UPWIND WIND TURBINE

• US 20170022973A1
• Filed: 05/01/2014
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Kawasaki Heavy Industries Limited)
• Inventors: MORIMOTO, Masafumi
• Granted Patent: US 10,443,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/0658 Arrangements for fixing wind-engaging parts to a hub
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/0675 of the blades
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/0691 of the hub
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 7/0224 Adjusting blade pitch
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/2022 by means of teetering or coning blades
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/313 with adjustable flow intercepting area F05B2240/312 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/507 using servos, independent actuators, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

An upwind wind turbine includes: a hub provided so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis; a plurality of blades configured to rotate together with the hub; a tilting mechanism configured to couple the hub and the blades such that the blades are tiltable relative to a rotational plane around the rotation axis; a driving device configured to drive the tilting mechanism to switch between a standing state where the blades stand and a tilted state where the blades are tilted; and a fixing/supporting mechanism provided independently from the tilting mechanism and the driving device and configured to be switched between a locked state where the blades in the standing state are prevented from tilting and an unlocked state where the blades are allowed to tilt to become the tilted state.

Claims

1. An upwind wind turbine comprising:

a hub provided so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis;

a plurality of blades configured to rotate together with the hub;

a tilting mechanism configured to couple the hub and the blades such that the blades are tiltable relative to a rotational plane around the rotation axis;

a driving device configured to drive the tilting mechanism to switch between a standing state where the blades stand and a tilted state where the blades are tilted; and

a fixing/supporting mechanism provided independently from the tilting mechanism and the driving device and configured to be switched between a locked state where the blades in the standing state are prevented from tilting and an unlocked state where the blades are allowed to tilt to become the tilted state.

2. The upwind wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein:

the tilting mechanism includes a plurality of blade coupling portions that are coupled to the hub so as to be swingable and also coupled to the respective blades; and

in the standing state, the fixing/supporting mechanism contacts the blade coupling portions to fix coning angles of the blades.

3. The upwind wind turbine according to claim 2, wherein:

coupled portions where the blades are coupled to the respective blade coupling portions at the hub are arranged around the rotation axis;

each of the blade coupling portions includes a triangular lever structure extending from the coupled portion to the rotation axis; and

the fixing/supporting mechanism is provided close to the rotation axis such that a distance between the fixing/supporting mechanism and the rotation axis is shorter than a distance between the coupled portion and the rotation axis.

4. The upwind wind turbine according to claim 2, wherein:

the fixing/supporting mechanism includes

frame portions each extending from the hub toward a front side and

contact portions each provided at the frame portion to be allowed to contact the blade coupling portion in the standing state; and

the coning angles of the blades in the standing state are fixed by bringing the blade coupling portions into contact with the respective contact portions.

5. The upwind wind turbine according to claim 4, wherein:

the blades become the standing state by bringing the blade coupling portions into contact with the respective contact portions; and

the blades become the tilted state by canceling the contacts between the blade coupling portions and the contact portions.

6. The upwind wind turbine according to claim 4, wherein:

the fixing/supporting mechanism includes lock cylinders; and

the contact portions are rods of the lock cylinders.

7. The upwind wind turbine according to claim 2, wherein:

the driving device includes tilt cylinders; and

the tilt cylinders are coupled to the hub and the respective blade coupling portions.

8. An upwind wind turbine comprising:

a hub provided so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis;

a plurality of blades configured to rotate together with the hub;

a tilting mechanism configured to couple the hub and the blades such that the blades are tiltable relative to a rotational plane around the rotation axis; and

a driving device configured to drive the tilting mechanism to switch between a standing state where the blades stand and a tilted state where the blades are tilted, wherein the tilting mechanism includes;

a plurality of blade coupling portions that are coupled to the hub so as to be swingable and also coupled to the respective blades;

a screw mechanism including a screw shaft provided on the rotation axis; and

a link mechanism configured to couple a nut portion of the screw mechanism to the blade coupling portions and swing the blade coupling portions in accordance with a movement of the nut portion.

9. The upwind wind turbine according to claim 8, wherein the link mechanism couples the nut portion to the blade coupling portions through a sleeve configured to rotatably hold the nut portion.

10. The upwind wind turbine according to claim 8, wherein coupled portions where the blades are coupled to the respective blade coupling portions at the hub are arranged around the rotation axis.