Hub 104 includes a plurality of blade support sleeves 112 disposed substantially equidistantly circumferentially about hub 104. In the exemplary embodiment, wind turbine 100 has three blade support sleeves 112. Alternatively, rotor 108 may have more or less than three blade support tubes 112. Also, in the exemplary embodiment, sleeves 112 are substantially cylindrical tubes 112. Alternatively, sleeves 112 may be of any configuration that facilitates predetermined operational parameters of wind turbine 100. Hub 104 also includes a nose element 114 that facilitates an aerodynamic efficiency of wind turbine 100. Hub 104 is coupled to shell 106 via a hub face plate 116 and a frame mating surface 118. A substantially annular interior surface portion 117 of shell 106 and plate 116 at least partially define a cavity 120 when plate 116 and surface 118 are coupled. A main bearing 122 and a support member 123 are positioned within cavity 120. Bearing 122 facilitates radial support and alignment of hub 104 and includes a radially outermost surface 121. Member 123 facilitates support and alignment of bearing 122 within wind turbine 100 and includes a radially inner surface 119 and a radially outer surface 125. Surface 119 is coupled to surface 121 via a friction fit prior to bearing 122 and member 123 positioning within cavity 120. Surface 125 is coupled to surface 117 via a friction fit upon positioning bearing 122 and member 123 within cavity 120.
Wind turbine generator 100 further includes a generator 124 that facilitates converting wind energy as captured by hub assembly 104 and generating electrical energy for subsequent transmission to an electrical distribution system (not shown in
In the exemplary embodiment, a hub-to-gearbox/hub-to-direct-drive generator connector 126 is also disposed within cavity 120. Connector 126 facilitates radial support and alignment of the rotor from hub 104 to generator 124 (in the exemplary embodiment) or to a gear box (in an alternative embodiment). Connector 126 includes a plurality of passages 128 that facilitate personnel and material transport between hub 104 and the portions of wind turbine 100 defined within shell 106 and cover 108. Some alternative embodiments of wind turbine 100 exclude connector 126.
Blade support tubes 112 are each configured to receive a blade (not shown in
Wind turbine 100 also includes a yaw adjustment mechanism 130 that may be used to rotate wind turbine 100 on an axis (not shown in
In some configurations, one or more microcontrollers in a control system (not shown in
Hub 104 further includes a plurality of support plates 152. In the exemplary embodiment, six plates 152 are positioned within cavity 142, i.e., three of plates 152 are positioned on the nose 114 end of hub 104 and three plates 152 are positioned on the generator 124 end of hub 104. Each of plates 152 is polygonal with at least four circumferential sides. With respect to the three plates 152 that are positioned on the nose 114 end of hub 104, one end of each plate 152 is coupled to a radially inner portion of plate 146. An opposing side of each plate 152 is coupled to wall 140. The remaining two sides of plate 152 are coupled to each of two adjacent flange plates 144 such that a cavity 154 is defined by each of plates 152, wall 140, plates 144 and plate 146. Similarly, for the three plates 152 positioned on the generator 124 end of hub 104, one end of plates 152 are coupled to a radially inner portion of rear flange plate 116. An opposing side of each plate 152 is coupled to wall 140. The remaining two sides of plate 152 are coupled to each of two adjacent flange plates 144 such that a cavity 154 is defined by each of plates 152, wall 140, plates 144 and plate 116. In the exemplary embodiment, plates 152 are formed via methods that include, but are not limited to, casting and forging and are welded to wall 140, flange plates 144, and/or plates 146 and 116. Alternatively, plates 152 are coupled to wall 140, flange plates 144, and/or plates 146 and 116 via methods that include, but are not limited to, retention hardware, such as bolts and nuts, and sealing methods and apparatus known in the art. Further, alternatively, plates 152 are formed integrally with hub 104 via methods that include, but are not limited to, casting and forging.
In the exemplary embodiment, support tubes 112 are formed via methods that include, but are not limited to, casting and forging and are welded to wall 140 and flange plates 144. Alternatively, support tubes 112 are coupled to wall 140 via methods that include, but are not limited to, retention hardware, such as bolts and nuts, and sealing methods and apparatus known in the art. Further, alternatively, tubes 112 are formed integrally with hub 104 via methods that include, but are not limited to, casting and forging. Support tubes 112 facilitate support and alignment of the blades. Support tubes 112, wall 140 and plates 144 define a plurality of cavities 156.
Such methods and apparatus for assembling hub assembly 104 as described above, sometimes referred to as double-wall construction, facilitates increased load bearing and load transfer characteristics of hub 104 due to the reinforcing characteristics of tubes 112, wall 140, and plates 144, 146, 116, and 152. Moreover, in the exemplary embodiment, lightweight materials that include, but are not limited to, aluminum alloys and ceramic composites, are used to fabricate many of the hub 104 components as described herein. Therefore, such methods and apparatus for assembling hub assembly 104 as described above, including defining cavities 154 and 156, facilitate decreasing the weight of hub 104.
Each of blade flange plates 144 define a substantially annular passage 158 that is configured to receive a blade pitch bearing 160 and a blade (not shown). Support tubes 112 facilitate support and alignment of the blades within passage 158. At least one pitch drive mechanism 162 modulates the pitch of the blades along a pitch axis (not shown). Generally, each blade receives one mechanism 162. As such, the blades may deflect and/or rotate from a neutral, or non-deflected, position to a deflected position and facilitate increasing or decreasing the blades rotational speed by adjusting the surface area of the blades exposed to the wind force vectors. In the exemplary embodiment, the pitches of the blades are controlled individually. However, in some embodiments the pitch of two or more blades may be controlled as a group. Bearing 160 facilitates pitch movements of the blades as well as supports and aligns the blades within passage 158.
Bearings 160 include a stationary, radially inner hub portion 164 and a rotating, radially outer blade portion 166. In the exemplary embodiment, portion 164 is coupled to flange plate 144 via methods that include, but are not limited to, retention hardware such as bolts and nuts (not shown). Alternatively, portion 164 is coupled to flange plate 144 via methods that include, but are not limited to, welding. Portion 166 is slidingly coupled to portion 164 and support tube 112 and the blade is coupled to portion 166 via methods that include, but are not limited to, retention hardware such as bolts and nuts. Each of bearings 160 also include a bearing blocking device (not shown) that is positioned within a bearing blocking device passage 167. The blocking device facilitates maintaining the associated blade substantially stationary during activities that include, but are not limited to, maintenance outages.
In order to facilitate access to the retention hardware from within hub cavity 142, a plurality of hardware passages 168 is formed within flange plates 144, inner portion 164 and outer portion 166 and configured to permit such access. Moreover, positioning bearing 160 within passage 158 to permit access from within hub cavity 142 facilitates a reduction of potential for release of lubricating materials external to hub 104.
The methods and apparatus for a wind turbine generator hub assembly described herein facilitate operation of a wind turbine generator. More specifically, the wind turbine generator hub assembly as described above facilitates an efficient and effective energy conversion scheme. Also, the robust hub assembly facilitates increased load bearing and load transfer characteristics. Moreover, the hub assembly facilitates decreasing the weight of the wind turbine generator. Such hub assembly also facilitates wind turbine generator reliability, and reduced maintenance costs and wind turbine generator outages.
Exemplary embodiments of wind turbine hub assemblies as associated with wind turbine generators are described above in detail. The methods, apparatus and systems are not limited to the specific embodiments described herein nor to the specific illustrated wind turbine generators.
While the invention has been described in terms of various specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the claims.