Tower internal-equipment bracket structure and wind turbine generator

• US 8,573,950 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2012
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Hiroaki, Kawabata, Minoru, Itoh, Yoshisuke, Haraguchi, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): White, Dwayne J
• Application Number:
  US13/396,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20130115054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 416/244.R, 52/40, 526/510.1, 527/451.7, 527/451.8, 522/233, 522/234, 526/510.7, 528/34
• US Class Current: 416/244.R
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/085 Details of flanges for tubular masts
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/10 Assembly of wind motors; Arrangements for erecting wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/20 Arrangements for mounting or supporting wind motors; Masts or towers for wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2230/232 by welding
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/964 by damping means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 Onshore wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A tower-internal-equipment bracket structure with a welded structure that can ensure a fatigue strength classification equal to or greater than that of butt welding (BW) or that requires no welding and a wind turbine generator provided with this tower-internal-equipment bracket structure are provided. In a tower-internal-equipment bracket structure provided inside a pole-type steel tower, employing a cylindrical shell (11), to support tower internal equipment, a ring-shaped member (20) having a protruding portion (21) toward the tower interior is interposed, by means of butt welding (BW), between divided portions formed by dividing the cylindrical shell (11) at a desired position in an axial direction, and the protruding portion (21) serves as a bracket-member support portion for the tower internal equipment.

Claims

1. A tower-internal-equipment bracket structure provided inside a pole-type steel tower, employing a cylindrical shell, to support tower internal equipment,

wherein a cylindrical shell member having a protruding portion toward a tower interior is interposed, by means of butt welding, between divided portions formed by dividing said cylindrical shell at a desired position in an axial direction, and the protruding portion serves as a bracket-member support portion for the tower internal equipment.

2. A tower-internal-equipment bracket structure according to claim 1, wherein said cylindrical shell member is interposed, with an upper limit defined by a range from ⅓

to ½

at a base side in the axial direction.

3. A tower-internal-equipment bracket structure according to claim 1, wherein said cylindrical shell member has a substantially T-shaped cross-section.

4. A wind turbine generator in which a rotor head that is attached at an end of a nacelle and that is provided with turbine blades rotates by receiving wind force, thus driving a generator,

wherein the nacelle is installed on a tower provided with a tower-internal-equipment bracket structure according claim 1.

5. A tower-internal-equipment bracket structure according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical shell member includes an upper portion having a top surface and a lower portion having a bottom surface, the upper portion contacting one of the divided portions at the top surface thereof through the butt welding and the lower portion contacting another of the divided portions at the bottom surface thereof through the butt welding, and the protruding portion is arranged between the upper portion and the lower portion.

6. A tower-internal-equipment bracket structure according to claim 5, wherein the protruding portion annually protrudes toward the tower interior.

7. A tower-internal-equipment bracket structure provided inside a pole-type steel tower, employing a cylindrical shell, to support tower internal equipment,

wherein a bar-shaped member with a cross-sectional shape having a protruding portion toward a tower interior is interposed, by means of butt welding, in a divided portion of the shell in a circumferential direction to form a cylindrical shape, and the protruding portion serves as a bracket support portion for the tower internal equipment, and

wherein the bar-shaped member has a substantially T-shaped cross-section.

8. A wind turbine generator in which a rotor head that is attached at an end of a nacelle and that is provided with turbine blades rotates by receiving wind force, thus driving a generator,

wherein the nacelle is installed on a tower provided with a tower-internal-equipment bracket structure according claim 7.

9. A tower-internal-equipment bracket structure according to claim 7, wherein the cylindrical shell member includes one side portion and another side portion, the one side portion contacting a part of the cylindrical shell through the butt welding and the another side portion contacting another part of the cylindrical shell through the butt welding, and the bar-shaped member is arranged between the one side portion and the another side portion.

10. A tower-internal-equipment bracket structure provided inside a pole-type steel tower, employing a cylindrical shell, to support tower internal equipment comprising:

a ring-shaped bracket having a smaller diameter than an internal-wall surface of the shell; and

a plurality of tightening bolts that are threaded by passing through the ring-shaped bracket in a radiating pattern,

wherein the ring-shaped bracket is secured in a circumferentially compressed state by causing bolt ends to make close contact with the internal-wall surface by tightening the tightening bolts.

11. A tower-internal-equipment bracket structure according to claim 10, wherein elastic friction members are interposed between the bolt ends and the internal-wall surface.

12. A wind turbine generator in which a rotor head that is attached at an end of a nacelle and that is provided with turbine blades rotates by receiving wind force, thus driving a generator,

wherein the nacelle is installed on a tower provided with a tower-internal-equipment bracket structure according claim 10.

13. A tower-internal-equipment bracket structure provided inside a pole-type steel tower, employing a cylindrical shell, to support tower internal equipment,

wherein a plurality of bracket elements formed by dividing, in a circumferential direction, a ring-shaped bracket with a smaller diameter than an internal-wall surface of the shell are joined by threading joining bolts in which tightening portions are provided by forming reverse screws at both ends thereof;

the ring-shaped bracket is expanded in the circumferential direction by operating the joining bolts; and

the ring-shaped bracket is secured by causing an outer circumferential surface thereof to make close contact with the internal-wall surface.

14. A tower-internal-equipment bracket structure according to claim 13, wherein an elastic friction member is interposed between the outer circumferential surface of the ring-shaped bracket and the internal-wall surface.

15. A wind turbine generator in which a rotor head that is attached at an end of a nacelle and that is provided with turbine blades rotates by receiving wind force, thus driving a generator,

wherein the nacelle is installed on a tower provided with a tower-internal-equipment bracket structure according claim 13.

16. A tower-internal-equipment bracket structure provided inside a pole-type steel tower, employing a cylindrical shell, to support tower internal equipment,

wherein a step portion is formed at an internal-wall surface of the shell to serve as a bracket-member support portion for the tower internal equipment, and

wherein the step portion is formed at a reduced-diameter portion where the shell is deformed into a substantially conical shape.

17. A tower-internal-equipment bracket structure according to claim 16, wherein the step portion is formed by providing a difference in plate thickness at a butt-welded portion of the shell divided in an axial direction.

18. A tower-internal-equipment bracket structure according to claim 16, wherein the step portion is formed with a depression portion formed at the internal-wall surface of the shell.

19. A wind turbine generator in which a rotor head that is attached at an end of a nacelle and that is provided with turbine blades rotates by receiving wind force, thus driving a generator,

wherein the nacelle is installed on a tower provided with a tower-internal-equipment bracket structure according claim 16.