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Rotor for a wind energy turbine and method for controlling the temperature inside a rotor hub

  • US 8,029,239 B2
  • Filed: 11/18/2005
  • Issued: 10/04/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A rotor for a wind energy turbine comprising:

  • a hub defining an inner space and configured to contain at least a portion of one or more wind turbine components;

    at least one rotor blade coupled to said hub, an inner space defined by said at least one rotor blade in flow communication with the inner space of said hub for exchanging air between the inner space of said hub and the inner space of said at least one rotor blade, said at least one rotor blade having a tip and a root attached to said hub, said at least one rotor blade comprising an outer shell and an inner supporting wall extending longitudinally through said at least one rotor blade from said root to said tip and separating the inner space of said at least one rotor blade into a first portion and a second portion that is in fluid communication with the first portion at said tip, said root defining a first opening and a second opening, wherein the inner space of said hub is in fluid communication with the first portion through said first opening and with the second portion through said second opening;

    at least one fan positioned within the inner space of said hub, said at least one fan in flow communication with said hub inner space and configured to channel a flow of heated air from the hub inner space, through one of said first opening and said second opening, and into said at least one rotor blade to facilitate cooling the heated air, said fan further configured to channel the cooled air from the rotor blade to the hub inner space to facilitate cooling the wind turbine components positioned within said hub inner space;

    a plurality of sensors configured to sense a temperature difference between a blade inner air temperature and a hub inner air temperature, at least a first sensor is positioned within the blade inner space for sensing the blade inner air temperature and at least a second sensor is positioned within the hub inner space for sensing the hub inner air temperature; and

    a controller operatively coupled to said fan, said controller configured to operate said fan based on a difference between the sensed blade inner air temperature and the sensed hub inner air temperature.

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