Wind mill with a suspension for cables and the like, such suspension for cables and the like and a holder for such suspension

• US 6,713,891 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2001
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vestas Control Systems A/S (Vestas Wind Systems A/S)
• Original Assignee: Dan-Control Engineering A/S
• Inventors: Kristensen, Per, Kirkegaard, Karsten, Lindberg, Peder Wehner
• Primary Examiner(s): Dougherty, Thomas M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, LEDA T
• Application Number:
  US09/880,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20020012582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 290/44, 52/40
• US Class Current: 290/44
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 80/85 Cabling
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 7/00 Overhead installations of electric lines or cables installations of bus-bars H02G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

A wind turbine has a suspension and holders for such suspensions. Elongated members such as electrical power cables can be suspended from the nacelle of a wind turbine and down through the tower of the wind turbine. The suspension utilizes either a high friction between an inner rod and outer plates to hold the member by ensuring that the length of the inner rod and the supporting plates is at least four times the diameter of the members or a more mechanical holding of the members by providing beads in clamping portions constituting the suspension.

Claims

1. A wind turbine comprising a stationary part including a tower extending substantially vertically, a nacelle, a yawing system and a movable part being fixed to the nacelle, the nacelle comprising a wind rotor having at least one blade arranged on a main shaft having a substantially horizontal rotation axis and a power transmission system, the yawing system comprising a stationary part being fixed to an upper end of the tower and the movable part being fixed to the nacelle, the stationary part and the movable part being designed so that the nacelle is being supported vertically and horizontally by the tower and may pivot relatively to the tower about a substantially vertical yawing axis, and

a plurality of elongated members such as bendable electrical power cables for transferring electrical power from the generator system, the plurality of elongated members such as the power cables being fastened at an upper end to the nacelle and at a lower end to the stationary part of the wind turbine, and a passage being defined between the nacelle and the tower and being positioned so that the vertical yawing axis passes through the passage, the plurality of elongated members such as the electrical power cables passing through the passage, said wind turbine further comprising at least

a first suspension being suspended by the nacelle, the first suspension defining substantially vertically extending supporting surfaces, the outer surface of each of said elongated member such as the electrical power cables for a longitudinal length of at least four times the mean outer diameter of the item being in abutting contact with and squeezed between at least two of each supporting surfaces so that a substantial part of the weight of the member is supported by the first suspension.

2. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the first suspension is arranged at an upper part of the tower in the passage between the tower and the nacelle.

3. The suspension to be used in wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the supporting surfaces of the first suspension are formed from a resilient material.

4. The suspension according to claim 3, wherein said resilient material is plastic.

5. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of spacing devices are arranged between the elongated members such as the electrical power cables with a vertical spacing between neighbouring spacing devices, each spacing device being arranged so as to maintain the members such as the power cables in a constant position in a horizontal plane of the spacing device with a mutual spacing between the members.

6. The wind turbine according to claim 5, wherein the spacing devices are suspended from a vertically extending elongated, flexible supporting means of which an upper end is suspended from the nacelle.

7. The wind turbine according to claim 6, wherein the supporting means is secured to an upper end of the first suspension.

8. The wind turbine according to claim 1 and comprising a second suspension being arranged at a lower vertical position than the first suspension, the second suspension defining substantially vertically extending supporting surfaces, the outer surface of each of said members such as the electrical power cables for a vertical length of at least four times the mean outer diameter of the member being in abutting contact with and squeezed between at least two of each supporting surfaces so that a substantial part of the weight of the member is supported by the second suspension.

9. The wind turbine according to claim 8, wherein the second suspension is being suspended from the nacelle.

10. The wind turbine according to claim 8, wherein the second suspension is supported by a vertically extending elongated, flexible supporting means such as a wire, a rope or a chain.

11. The wind turbine according to claim 10, wherein the supporting means is fastened at an upper end to the first suspension.

12. The suspension to be used in a wind turbine according to claim 8, wherein the supporting surfaces of the second suspension are formed from a resilient material.

13. The suspension according to claim 12, wherein said resilient material is plastic.