# US 11,111,905 B2 · Wind turbine and a method for operating a wind turbine

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- Number: US 11,111,905 B2
- Document ID: US11111905B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/451,043
- Filed: 2019-06-25
- Published: 2020-01-09
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2018-07-03
- Assignees: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S
- Applicants: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S
- Inventors: Giovanni Airoldi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11111905B2

## CPC

- F03D 80/60: Cooling or heating of wind motors
- F03D 9/25: the apparatus being an electrical generator (F03D9/22 takes precedence)
- F03D 80/80: Arrangement of components within nacelles or towers
- F25B 25/005: {using primary and secondary systems}
- F25B 49/02: for compression type machines, plants or systems
- F05B 2240/14: Casings, housings, nacelles, gondels or the like, protecting or supporting assemblies there within
- F05B 2260/20: Heat transfer, e.g. cooling
- F05B 2270/1091: by limiting temperatures
- F05B 2270/303: Temperature
- Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
- F03D: WIND MOTORS
- F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

Provided is a wind turbine including a nacelle and a cooling circuit, wherein the cooling circuit includes at least one internal cooling device within the nacelle and at least one external cooling device outside of the nacelle, wherein a heat exchanging device coupling the cooling circuit with a second cooling circuit is provided, wherein the second cooling circuit includes a further external cooling device outside of the nacelle.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A wind turbine comprising:
a nacelle; and
a cooling circuit, wherein the cooling circuit comprises at least one internal cooling device within the nacelle and at least one external cooling device outside of the nacelle;
wherein a heat exchanging device coupling the cooling circuit with a second cooling circuit is provided; wherein the second cooling circuit is a closed circuit; and wherein the second cooling circuit comprises a further external cooling device outside of the nacelle.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the second cooling circuit comprises a compressor, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, wherein the evaporator is thermally coupled to or a part of the heat exchanging device, wherein the further external cooling device is a condenser.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the heat exchanging device is located upstream or downstream with respect to the at least one external cooling device in the cooling circuit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the at least one external cooling device and/or the further external cooling device is mounted on a canopy of the nacelle.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein a control device is provided, wherein the control device is configured to control an operation of the second cooling circuit with respect to a temperature information.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The wind turbine according to claim 5, wherein the temperature information describes a temperature of air inside and/or outside of the nacelle and/or a temperature of a cooling fluid of the cooling circuit and/or an operating temperature of at least one component of the cooling circuit and/or the wind turbine.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the at least one internal cooling device is configured to cool a generator of the wind turbine or a hub of the wind turbine.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the at least one internal cooling device is configured to cool a generator of the wind turbine and a second internal cooling device of the cooling circuit is configured to cool a hub of the wind turbine.

### Claim 9

A method for operating a wind turbine, comprising:
providing wind turbine comprising:
a nacelle; and
a cooling circuit, wherein the cooling circuit comprises at least one internal cooling device within the nacelle and at least one external cooling device outside of the nacelle;
wherein a heat exchanging device coupling the cooling circuit with a second cooling circuit is provided; wherein the second cooling circuit is a closed circuit; and wherein the second cooling circuit comprises a further external cooling device outside of the nacelle, and
controlling, by a control device, an operation of the second cooling circuit with respect to a temperature information.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method according to claim 9, wherein the temperature information describes a temperature of air inside and/or outside the nacelle and/or a temperature of a cooling fluid of the cooling circuit and/or an operating temperature of at least one component of the cooling circuit and/or the wind turbine.