Electrical machines, wind turbines, and methods for operating an electrical machine
AssigneeVestas Wind Systems A/S
InventorJörg Wadehn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Electrical machines, wind turbines, and methods of operating an electrical machine. The electrical machine includes first and second rotatable members that are configured to convert mechanical energy received from the wind turbine rotor into electrical energy. The first rotatable member is coupled with the wind turbine rotor and the second rotatable member is coupled by a gear train with the wind turbine rotor. The gear train, which is driven by rotation of the wind turbine rotor, rotates the second rotatable member relative to the first rotatable member in a direction counter to a direction of rotation of the first rotatable member. The electrical machine may be a generator of the wind turbine.
Claims19
An electrical machine for use with a wind turbine, the electrical machine comprising:
- a first rotatable member coupled with the rotor of the wind turbine, the first rotatable member configured to be rotated in a first direction by the rotor of the wind turbine;
- a second rotatable member arranged relative to the first rotatable member;
- and
- a gear train mechanically coupling the rotor of the wind turbine with the second rotatable member, the gear train driven by the rotor of the wind turbine to rotate the second rotatable member relative to the first rotatable member in a second direction counter to the first direction,
- wherein the first and second rotatable members are configured to convert mechanical energy received from the rotor of the wind turbine into electrical energy.
A wind turbine comprising:
- a tower;
- a nacelle supported by the tower;
- a rotor supported by the nacelle, the rotor configured to convert wind energy into mechanical energy that rotates the rotor about a longitudinal axis;
- and
- a generator including a first rotatable member mechanically coupled with the rotor, a second rotatable member arranged relative to the first rotatable member, and a gear train mechanically coupling the rotor with the second rotatable member, the first rotatable member configured to be rotated in a first direction by the rotor, and the gear train driven by the rotor to rotate the second rotatable member relative to the first rotatable member in a second direction counter to the first direction,
- wherein the first and second rotatable members are configured to convert the mechanical energy received from the rotor into electrical energy.
A method of operating an electrical machine having first and second rotatable members configured to convert mechanical energy received from the rotor of a wind turbine into electrical energy, the method comprising:
- rotating a first rotatable member in a first direction using torque from the rotor of the wind turbine;
- driving a second rotatable member to rotate in a second direction counter to the first direction using the torque from the rotor of the wind turbine;
- and
- using the relative rotation of the first and second rotatable members to convert the mechanical energy received from the rotor into the electrical energy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.