Cooling arrangement for an offshore wind energy installation

• US 7,111,668 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rittal GmbH & Company KG (Friedhelm Loh, PhD)
• Original Assignee: Rittal GmbH & Company KG (Friedhelm Loh, PhD)
• Inventors: Rürup, Jörn
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanigan, Allen J.
• Application Number:
  US10/854,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20050006905A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 165/97, 165/134.1
• US Class Current: 165/134.1
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/60 Cooling or heating of wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/95 offshore
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/727 Offshore wind turbines

Abstract

A cooling arrangement for an offshore wind energy installation, having a heat-absorbing device for absorbing heat generated by the electronic devices and/or the mechanical devices of the offshore energy installation, which is to be removed, and a coupled heat-dissipating device for dissipating heat to the surrounding water. The heat-absorbing device has a first cooling circuit operated by a fluid coolant which, in a heat exchanger device, transfers the absorbed heat to the heat-dissipating device having an open second cooling circuit operated with the ambient water as the coolant. A plurality of electrodes are arranged on the inner walls of the conduits of the second cooling circuit, which are spaced apart from each other in its extension direction, each of which is connected with a voltage supply device for generating an alternating high voltage between at least two of the electrodes.

Claims

1. A cooling arrangement for an offshore wind energy installation, having a heat-absorbing device (10) for absorbing heat generated by at least one of electronic devices and mechanical devices (11) of the offshore energy installation, and a heat-dissipating device (12) coupled with the at least one of the electronic devices and the mechanical devices (11) for dissipating the heat to the surrounding ambient water (14), wherein the heat-absorbing device (10) has a first cooling circuit (18) operated by a fluid coolant (16) which in a heat exchanger device (20) transfers absorbed heat to the heat-dissipating device (12) having an open second cooling circuit (22) operated with the ambient water (14) as the coolant, the cooling arrangement comprising:

a first opening (24) formed in the second cooling circuit (22) of the heat-dissipating device (12) as an inlet for the ambient water (14) and a second opening (26) as an outlet for the ambient water (14) heated by the heat to be removed, wherein the ambient water (14) flows through the first opening (24) to the heat exchanger device (20) and following absorotion of heat from the heat exchanger device (20) flows back into the ambient water (14) through the second opening (26); and

a plurality of electrodes (36a, 36b, 36c, 36d, 36e, 36f) arranged on inner walls of conduits (30) of the second cooling circuit (22) and spaced apart from each other in an extension direction, each of the electrodes (36a, 36b, 36c, 36d, 36e, 36f) connected with a voltage supply device (38) for generating an alternating high voltage and a weak current between at least two of the electrodes (36a, 36b, 36c, 36d, 36e, 36f, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of electrodes are arranged in an area of the first opening (24) and a corresponding portion of the plurality of electrodes are arranged in an area of the second opening (26).

2. The cooling arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of a first electrode (36a) of the electrodes is arranged at least at the first opening (24) of the cooling circuit (22) and a second electrode (36f) of the electrodes is arranged at least at the second opening (26) of the cooling circuit (22), and the first electrode (36a) and the second electrode (36f) have a same polarity within one alternating cycle.

3. The cooling arrangement in accordance with claim 2, wherein the first electrode (36a) and the second electrode (36f) are arranged at the first and the second openings (24, 26) of the cooling circuit (22) and are connected with each other.

4. The cooling arrangement in accordance with claim 3, wherein a pump (28, 29) is arranged inside the cooling circuit (22) of the heat-dissipating device (12) for conveying the ambient water (14) through the conduits of the cooling circuit (22).

5. The cooling arrangement in accordance with claim 4, wherein a conveying direction of the pump (28, 29) is reversible so that the ambient water (14) flows through the conduits in an opposite direction, wherein the ambient water (14) flows through the second opening (26) to the heat exchanger device (20) and. following absorption of heat from the heat exchanger device (20) flows back into the ambient water (14) through the first opening (24).

6. The cooling arrangement in accordance with claim 5, wherein the second cooling circuit (22) of the heat-dissipating device (12) has a controllable valve arrangement which, depending on a desired flow direction of the cooling water, opens one of the first and the second openings (24, 26) for an inflow of the ambient water (14), and opens an other of the second and the first opening (26 or 24) for an outflow of the ambient water heated by the heat to be dissipated.

7. The cooling arrangement in accordance with claim 6, wherein one of the conveying direction of the pump (28, 29) and a flow direction of the cooling water is alternatingly reversible.

8. The cooling arrangement in accordance wit claim. 7, wherein the cooling circuit (22) of the heat-dissipating device (12) has the conduits (30) made of a plastic material.

9. The cooling arrangement in accordance wit claim 7, wherein one of a screen (32, 34), a rake, and a filter device prevents entry of particles into the cooling circuit (22), is arranged near at least one of the first opening (24) and the second opening (26) of the cooling circuit (22) of the heat-dissipating device (12).

10. The cooling arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein a first electrode (36a) and a second electrode (36f) of the electrodes are arranged at the first and the second openings (24, 26) of the cooling circuit (22) and are connected with each other.

11. The cooling arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein a pump (28, 29) is arranged inside the cooling circuit (22) of the heat-dissipating device (12) for conveying the ambient water (14) through the conduits of the cooling circuit (22).

12. The cooling arrangement in accordance with claim 11, wherein a conveying direction of the pump (28, 29) is reversible so tat the ambient water (14) flows through the conduits in an opposite direction, wherein the ambient water (14) flows through the second opening (26) to the heat exchanger device (20) and following absorption of heat from the heat exchanger device (20) flows back into the ambient water (14) through the first opening (24).

13. The cooling arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the second cooling circuit (22) of the heat-dissipating device (12) has a controllable valve arrangement which, depending on a desired flow direction of the cooling water, opens one of the first and the second openings (24, 26) fox an inflow of the ambient water (14), and opens an other of the second and the first opening (26 or 24) for an outflow of the ambient water heated by the heat to be dissipated.

14. The cooling arrangement in accordance with claim 5, wherein one of the conveying direction of the pump (28, 29) and a flow direction of the cooling water is alternatingly reversible.

15. The cooling arrangement in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cooling circuit (22) of the heat-dissipating device (12) has the conduits (30) made of a plastic material.

16. The cooling arrangement in:

accordance with claim 1, wherein one of a screen (32, 34), a rake, and a filter device prevents entry of particles into the cooling circuit (22), is arranged near at least one of the first opening (24) and the second opening (26) of the cooling circuit (22) of the heat-dissipating device (12).

17. A cooling arrangement for an offshore wind energy installation, having a heat-absorbing device (10) for absorbing heat generated by at least one of electronic devices and mechanical devices (11) of the offshore energy installation, and a heat-dissipating device (12) coupled with the at least one of the electronic devices and the mechanical devices (11) for dissipating the heat to the surrounding ambient water (14), wherein the heat-absorbing device (10) has a first cooling circuit (18) operated by a fluid coolant (16) which in a heat exchanger device (20) transfers absorbed heat to the heat-dissipating device (12) having an open second cooling circuit (22) operated with the ambient water (14) as the coolant, the cooling arrangement comprising:

a first opening (24) formed in the second cooling circuit (22) of the heat-dissipating device (12) as an inlet for the ambient water (14) and a second opening (26) as an outlet for the ambient water (14) heated by the heat to be removed, wherein the ambient water (14) flows Through the first opening (24) to the heat exchanger device (20) and following absorption of heat from the heat exchanger device (20) flows back into the ambient water (14) through the second opening (26);

a plurality of electrodes (36a, 36b, 36c, 36d, 36e, 36f) arranged on inner walls of conduits (30) of the second cooling circuit (22) and spaced apart from each other in an extension direction, each of the electrodes (36a, 36b, 36c, 36d, 36e, 36f) connected with a voltage supply device (38) for generating an alternating high voltage between at least two of the electrodes (36a, 36b, 36c, 36d, 36e, 36f), wherein three electrodes (36a, 36b, 36c) are arranged in an area of the first opening (24) and a corresponding three electrodes (36d, 36e, 36f) are arranged in an area of the second opening (26); and

a pump (28, 29) arranged inside the cooling circuit (22) of the heat-dissipating device (12) for conveying the ambient water (14) through the conduits of the cooling circuit (22), wherein a conveying direction of the pump (28, 29) is reversible so that the ambient water (14) flows through the conduits in an opposite direction, wherein the ambient water (14) flows through the second opening (26) to the heat exchanger device (20) and following absorption of heat from the heat exchanger device (20) flows back into the ambient water (14) through the first opening (24).

18. The cooling arrangement in accordance with claim 17, wherein at least one of a first electrode (36a) of the electrodes is arranged at least at the first opening (24) of the cooling circuit (22) and a second electrode (36f) of the electrodes is arranged at least at the second opening (26) of the cooling circuit (22), and the first electrode (36a) and the second electrode (36f) have a same polarity within one alternating cycle.

19. The cooling arrangement in accordance with claim 18, wherein the first electrode (36a) and the second electrode (36f) are arranged at the first and the second openings (24, 26) of the cooling circuit (22) and are connected with each other.