Wind driven electrical power generating apparatus

• US 6,720,670 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Original Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Inventors: Makino, Tomoaki, Nozaki, Takashi, Takaki, Masuo, Tanigaki, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Ponomarenko, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US10/442,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20030201647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 327 Days
• Field of Search: 290/44, 290/55, 310/75.R, 747/85
• US Class Current: 290/55
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/00 Wind motors with rotation axis substantially parallel to the air flow entering the rotor controlling thereof F03D7/02
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 15/00 Transmission of mechanical power
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 15/10 using gearing not limited to rotary motion, e.g. with oscillating or reciprocating members
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/70 Bearing or lubricating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 9/25 the apparatus being an electrical generator F03D9/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/40311 of the epicyclic, planetary or differential type
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/1014 to keep rotational speed constant
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2270/1033 Power (if explicitly mentioned)
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 13/06 with members having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 15/22 the axes of the members being parallel or approximately parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 15/38 with two members B having hollow toroid surfaces opposite to each other, the member or members A being adjustably mounted between the surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A wind driven electrical power generating apparatus includes a rotor rotating by receiving wind force, a gear assembly having an input shaft connected to the rotor, a generator connected to an output shaft of the gear assembly, a sensor for detecting generating capacity of the generator and a controller for varying gear ratio of the gear assembly based on a signal from the sensor. In this construction, the controller controls so that the generator keeps rotating at around the lowest rotational speed within a range of rotational speed, the range being determined so as to include a maximum power operation region of the generator. Alternatively, the controller controls so that rotational speed of the output shaft of the gear assembly is adjusted to at around the lowest rotational speed within a range of rotational speed, the range being determined so as to include a rated power region as an upper operational limit.

Claims

1. A gear assembly for a wind driven electrical power generating apparatus, comprising:

a casing;

an input shaft rotatably supported in the casing;

an output shaft rotatably supported in the casing;

a sun roller rotating with said output shaft;

an outer ring disposed coaxially with said outer ring; and

a plurality of kinds of roller groups disposed in a radial direction in a space formed between the sun roller and the outer ring, and being frictionally engaged with the sun roller and the outer ring,

wherein each of the roller groups is rotatably disposed at equal intervals in a circumferential direction, the roller groups are disposed being stacked one above another in a radial direction in a multi-stage fashion, and each roller belonging to at least one roller group selected from the roller groups has rollers constructed of a plurality of cylinders to have two raceway surfaces having different rotational radiuses.

2. The gear assembly for a wind driven electrical power generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said outer ring rotates with said input shaft and each roller belonging to said roller group being frictionally engaged with said outer ring is rotatably supported on a pin fixed to said casing.

3. The gear assembly for a wind driven electrical power generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said outer ring is made not to rotate, and each roller belonging to said roller group being frictionally engaged with said outer ring is rotatably mounted on a carrier provided on said input shaft.

4. The gear assembly for a wind driven electrical power generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said outer ring is made not to rotate, and said input shaft and each roller belonging to said roller group being frictionally engaged with said outer ring constitute a toothed-wheel transmission mechanism.

5. A wind driven electrical power generating apparatus comprising:

a rotor rotating by receiving wind force;

a gear assembly having an output shaft and an input shaft, the input shaft being connected to said rotor; and

a generator connected to the output shaft of said gear assembly,

wherein said gear assembly is the gear assembly for a wind driven electrical power generating apparatus, configured in any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The wind driven electrical power generating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said gear assembly and said generator are made to be of one-piece structure to be integrally connected with each other.