US 2014/0367967 A1Published application

Wind turbine electric generator with torque limiting brake

AssigneeCooper Industries Holdings

InventorJean-Claude Ossyra

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A wind turbine system includes turbine blades (16) that turn a low speed shaft (18). A shrink disc coupling (24) radially connects the low speed shaft to a low speed gear box input shaft (22). A brake (26) for the gear box input shaft is operatively connected with the coupling. At least one circuit including a processor controls the brake to keep torsional force on the gear box input shaft below a threshold. The at least one circuit is associated with sensors that can sense conditions away from the gear box input shaft. The at least one circuit can determine when a current condition exists which can cause the threshold to soon be exceeded if preventive braking is not timely applied to the gear box input shaft. The current condition can include a sensed weather condition that is approaching the wind turbine system.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising:

a torque limiting brake,
wherein the torque limiting brake is configured to operatively connect with a low speed gear box input shaft of a gear box of a wind turbine system in which the low speed gear box input shaft is in operative connection with at least one rotatable wind turbine blade and a high speed gear box output shaft of the gear box is in operative connection with an electric generator,
wherein the torque limiting brake is configured to be in operative connection with at least one sensor that is configured to sense at least one property that corresponds to at least one of:
a current torsional force resulting from current movement of the at least one rotatable wind turbine blade, where the current torsional force is available to be applied to the low speed gear box input shaft, or
a future torsional force resulting from predictive future movement of the at least one rotatable wind turbine blade, where the future torsional force is not yet available to be applied to the low speed gear box input shaft;
wherein the torque limiting brake is operative to selectively apply variable drag force to maintain below a threshold, torsional force resulting from movement of the at least one rotatable wind turbine blade that is applied to the low speed gear box input shaft.

3 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

a torque limiting brake configured for operation in a wind turbine system which includes a low speed gear box input shaft that is in radially compressive connection with a low speed shaft that is operatively connected with at least one blade that is rotatable to cause torsional force to act on the low speed gear box input shaft,
wherein the brake includes a hollow brake shaft,
wherein the brake shaft is configured to operationally surround the low speed gear box input shaft,
wherein the brake is operable to provide through the brake shaft, drag force braking to the low speed gear box input shaft,
wherein the brake is processor-controllable to maintain the torsional force below a predetermined threshold by providing pre-threshold preventive braking to the low speed gear box input shaft, responsive at least in part to at least one sensor-based processor-prediction that the predetermined threshold will be exceeded without the preventive braking.

2 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

a wind turbine arrangement,
wherein the wind turbine arrangement includes a brake control system,
wherein the brake control system includes a torque limiting brake,
wherein the torque limiting brake is configured to operatively apply during a braking operation by the brake control system, braking to a low speed input shaft of a gear box of the wind turbine arrangement,
wherein the braking operation causes a speed reduction in shaft speed of a shaft associated with the gear box,
wherein the wind turbine arrangement includes a pitch control system,
wherein the pitch control system is configured to operatively change pitch of blades of the wind turbine arrangement,
wherein the pitch control system is operable to receive speed data indicative of the shaft speed,
wherein the pitch control system is operable responsive at least in part to receiving speed data indicative of a reduction in the shaft speed, to adjust blade pitch to counteract the reduction,
wherein the wind turbine arrangement includes a synchronization controller,
wherein the synchronization controller is configured to receive from the brake control system, information associated with the braking operation,
wherein the synchronization controller is operable responsive at least in part to the information, to cause the pitch control system to receive speed data which corresponds to an estimated shaft speed,
wherein the estimated shaft speed prevents the pitch control system from adjusting blade pitch in a manner that fully counteracts the speed reduction,
wherein the estimated shaft speed is higher than actual shaft speed.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/222,420Filed 21 Mar 2014
Priority: 13 Jun 2013
Published: 18 Dec 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

F03D 7/0248
For braking: by mechanical means acting on the power train
F03D 7/0224
Adjusting aerodynamic properties of the blades: adjusting blade pitch
F03D 7/0296
The wind motors having rotation axis substantially parallel to the air flow entering the rotor: to prevent, counteract or reduce noise emissions
F05B 2260/821
Forecasts: parameter estimation or prediction