Cooling system for a wind turbine

• US 8,206,112 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2010
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
• Original Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
• Inventors: Tietze, Poul T., Nyvad, Jesper, Bahuguni, Anand, Kandasamy, Ravi, Sivalingam, Krishnamoorthi
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): KNOPP, ANDREW COLEMAN
• Application Number:
  US12/914,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20110095539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 607 Days
• Field of Search: 415/1, 415/4.3, 415/115, 415/175, 415/177, 415/180, 415/905
• US Class Current: 416/175
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/60 Cooling or heating of wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/88 of mechanical components
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/205 Cooling fluid recirculation, i.e. after having cooled one or more components the cooling fluid is recovered and used elsewhere for other purposes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/10 Efficient use of energy, e.g. using compressed air or pressurized fluid as energy carrier

Abstract

A wind turbine having a cooling system, which wind turbine includes a nacelle in connection with which one or more wind turbine components are arranged, is disclosed. The cooling system includes at least one cooling circuit arranged to lead a heat transfer medium to and from one or more of the wind turbine components, at least one cooling device arranged to cool the heat transfer medium, at least one pump arranged in connection with the at least one cooling circuit to circulate the heat transfer medium in the cooling circuit, and at least one medium tank arranged in connection with the cooling circuit. The at least one medium tank is arranged inside the nacelle.

Claims

1. A wind turbine having a cooling system, the wind turbine comprising a nacelle in connection with which one or more wind turbine components are arranged, the cooling system comprising:

at least one cooling circuit arranged to lead a heat transfer medium to and from one or more of the wind turbine components,

a least one cooling device arranged to cool the heat transfer medium,

at least one pump arranged in connection with the at least one cooling circuit to circulate the heat transfer medium in the cooling circuit, and

at least one medium tank arranged in connection with the cooling circuit,

wherein the at least one medium tank is arranged inside the nacelle and is divided into at least a first compartment and a second compartment having at least one passage between them, the first compartment being situated below the second compartment.

2. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the first compartment comprises an inlet and an outlet to the cooling circuit, and the at least one passage between the two compartments is positioned below a level of the heat transfer medium in the medium tank.

3. The wind turbine according to claim 2, wherein the inlet and the outlet taper from the medium tank towards the cooling circuit.

4. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein guides or obstructions are arranged inside the first compartment to decrease a flow of the heat transfer medium when entering the first compartment and to guide the heat transfer medium up into the second compartment through the at least one passage.

5. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein a first passage between the first compartment and the second compartment is arranged in the vicinity of the inlet and a second passage between the first compartment and the second compartment is arranged in the vicinity of the outlet.

6. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the passage between the first compartment and the second compartment is H-shaped.

7. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein an additional inlet to the cooling circuit is arranged in connection with the second compartment of the medium tank.

8. The wind turbine according to claim 7, wherein a valve is arranged in connection with the additional inlet.

9. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the medium tank is made of blow moulded plastic.

10. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the cooling device is arranged outside the nacelle.

11. The wind turbine according to claim 10, wherein the cooling device projects upwards from and substantially perpendicular to a top face of the nacelle.

12. The wind turbine according to claim 10, wherein the cooling device is a free flow cooling device.

13. A wind turbine comprising a plurality of cooling systems according to claim 1 arranged within a single nacelle.

14. The wind turbine according to claim 13, wherein a cooling device is connected to each cooling system.