Cooling system and method for wind turbine components
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorRongbo Wan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cooling system and method is provided for a wind turbine. The cooling system is used to cool at least one component in the wind turbine, and includes a filter system having at least one primary filter and at least one secondary filter. A switch selects between the primary filter and the secondary filter. A cooling circuit includes at least one conduit and a coolant medium. The filter system can switch from the primary filter to the secondary filter.
Claims22
A cooling system for a wind turbine, said cooling system used to cool at least one component in said wind turbine, said cooling system comprising:
- a filter system comprising at least one primary filter and at least one secondary filter, said filter system including a switch to select between said at least one primary filter and said at least one secondary filter;
- a cooling circuit comprised of at least one conduit and a coolant medium;
- a pressure sensing system to sense the pressure differential between an input of the filter system and an output of the filter system, wherein a signal can be sent to the filter system when the pressure differential exceeds a predetermined threshold value, thereby indicating that the at least one primary filter is experiencing reduced flow;
- and
- wherein said filter system switches from said at least one primary filter to said at least one secondary filter, the switch having a first configuration where the coolant medium is routed through the primary filter but not the secondary filter, and the switch having a second configuration where the coolant medium is routed through the secondary filter but not the primary filter.
(canceled)
(canceled)
A method for cooling at least one component in a wind turbine, said method comprising:
- providing a filter system, said filter system comprising at least one primary filter and at least one secondary filter, said filter system including a switch to select between said at least one primary filter and said at least one secondary filter;
- providing a cooling circuit comprised of at least one conduit and a coolant medium;
- providing a pressure sensing system to sense the pressure differential between an input of said filter system and an output of said filter system;
- transmitting a signal to said filter system when said pressure differential exceeds a predetermined threshold value, thereby indicating that said at least one primary filter is experiencing reduced flow, and
- switching from said at least one primary filter to said at least one secondary filter.
A wind turbine having a cooling system used to cool at least one component in the wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising:
- a tower;
- a nacelle;
- at least one component to be cooled housed within at least one of the tower and the nacelle;
- a filter system comprising a primary filter and a secondary filter, the filter system including a switch to select between the primary filter and the secondary filter;
- a cooling circuit comprised of at least one conduit and a coolant medium;
- wherein the filter system switches from the primary filter to the secondary filter, the switch having a first configuration where the coolant medium is routed through the primary filter but not the secondary filter, and the switch having a second configuration where the coolant medium is routed through the secondary filter but not the first filter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.