Dual temperature oil control system and method for a wind turbine gearbox

• US 8,869,940 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2012
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology, LLC (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Johnson, Stephen Bertram, Patel, Priyangu Chunilal
• Primary Examiner(s): Dondero, William E
• Assistant Examiner(s): RIEGELMAN, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US13/351,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20130183138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 184/6.12, 184/6.4, 184/6.22, 415/110
• US Class Current: 184/6.12
• 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 80/60 Cooling or heating of wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/70 Bearing or lubricating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2250/08 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 2270/20 Amount of lubricant
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 39/04 by heating heat-exchangers in general F28
• CPC Class Codes: F16N 7/40 in a closed circulation system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A system and method are provided for supplying oil at different temperatures to different locations within a wind turbine gearbox, wherein oil is pumped from a common oil sump to the different locations via a common header. The different gear box locations are divided into at least two groups, wherein each of said groups receives inlet oil at a respective inlet oil temperature. A first temperature control device is disposed between the common header and the first group, and a second temperature control device is disposed between the common header and the second group of gearbox locations.

Claims

1. A system for supplying oil at different temperatures to different locations within a wind turbine gearbox, comprising:

a common oil sump;

a supply pump disposed to draw oil from said sump and deliver the oil to said different gearbox locations via a common header;

said different gear box locations divided into at least two groups, wherein each of said groups receives inlet oil at a respective inlet oil temperature (T1 for first group and T2 for second group);

a first temperature control device disposed between said common header and said first group;

a second temperature control device disposed between said common header and said second group;

wherein said first and second temperature control devices are configured to independently control the inlet oil temperature to said respective groups within said wind turbine gearbox

an oil cooler disposed in said common header downstream of said supply pump, said first and second temperature control devices disposed downstream of said cooler and controlling a respective separate flow of oil from said cooler to the respective said first and second groups to independently control inlet oil temperatures T1 and T2;

said first group of gearbox locations comprising components in a first high speed gear stage and said second group of gearbox locations comprising components in a second low speed gear stage of said wind turbine gearbox; and

wherein said first temperature control device is configured to supply inlet oil to said first high speed gear stage at temperature T1 that is greater than temperature T2 of inlet oil supplied to said second low speed gear stage by said second temperature control device.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein said first and second temperature control devices are mixing valves having a first inlet from said cooler, and a second inlet from a cooler bypass line, wherein the inlet oil temperature is controlled by varying the degree of mixing of cooled oil from said cooler and uncooled oil from said bypass line.

3. The system as in claim 1., further comprising a first inlet oil temperature-based sensor configured with said first group, and a second inlet oil temperature-based sensor configured with said second group, said temperature control devices independently controlling oil temperature to said respective groups of gearbox locations as a function of sensed inlet oil temperatures from said oil temperature sensors.

4. The system as in claim 3, wherein said temperature-based sensors are in communication with a controller, said controller configured to vary the cooling rate of said cooler.

5. The system as in claim 4, wherein said controller is further configured to control flow rate of oil through said cooler.

6. The system as in claim 5, wherein said temperature control devices comprise mixing valves having a first inlet from said cooler, and a second inlet from a cooler bypass line.

7. The system as in claim 5, wherein said temperature control devices comprise flow control valves having an inlet from a cooler bypass line.

8. The system as in claim 1, wherein said first and second groups of gearbox locations comprise components within the same gear stage of said wind turbine gearbox.