GB2529158A - Turbine blade coupling - Google Patents

Turbine blade coupling Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2529158A
GB2529158A GB1414166.7A GB201414166A GB2529158A GB 2529158 A GB2529158 A GB 2529158A GB 201414166 A GB201414166 A GB 201414166A GB 2529158 A GB2529158 A GB 2529158A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
hub
root
adapter plate
bolts
connector region
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB1414166.7A
Other versions
GB201414166D0 (en
Inventor
Brett Rowlandson
Peter Coppock
Frank Ibach
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Marine Current Turbines Ltd
Original Assignee
Marine Current Turbines Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Marine Current Turbines Ltd filed Critical Marine Current Turbines Ltd
Priority to GB1414166.7A priority Critical patent/GB2529158A/en
Publication of GB201414166D0 publication Critical patent/GB201414166D0/en
Publication of GB2529158A publication Critical patent/GB2529158A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03B—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS
    • F03B13/00—Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus; Power stations or aggregates
    • F03B13/12—Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus; Power stations or aggregates characterised by using wave or tide energy
    • F03B13/26—Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus; Power stations or aggregates characterised by using wave or tide energy using tide energy
    • F03B13/264—Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of machines or engines with driving or driven apparatus; Power stations or aggregates characterised by using wave or tide energy using tide energy using the horizontal flow of water resulting from tide movement
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F03B—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS
    • F03B3/00—Machines or engines of reaction type; Parts or details peculiar thereto
    • F03B3/12—Blades; Blade-carrying rotors
    • F03B3/128—Mounting, demounting
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
    • 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
    • F05B2230/00—Manufacture
    • F05B2230/60—Assembly methods
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
    • 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
    • F05B2240/00—Components
    • F05B2240/20—Rotors
    • F05B2240/30—Characteristics of rotor blades, i.e. of any element transforming dynamic fluid energy to or from rotational energy and being attached to a rotor
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
    • 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
    • F05B2260/00—Function
    • F05B2260/30—Retaining components in desired mutual position
    • F05B2260/301—Retaining bolts or nuts
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
    • Y02E10/30—Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
    • Y02P70/50—Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Oceanography (AREA)
  • Standing Axle, Rod, Or Tube Structures Coupled By Welding, Adhesion, Or Deposition (AREA)

Abstract

A turbine blade root to hub coupling comprising an adapter plate 11 with two distinct regions, a root connector region 13 and a hub connector region 12, the root connector region being radially outward of the hub connector region. The blade root (7, fig. 4) and/or the hub interface may have a circular cross-section, the latter preferably comprising a pitch bearing (14, fig. 4) or a plain hub (2, fig. 4). The adapter plate may be made of metal or a composite material, its thickness preferably being 40-1000 mm. Optionally, the adapter plate has a circular cross-section, i.e. it is shaped like a ring or disc, in which case it may have circumferentially spaced openings in both regions, matching the spacing of bolts (10, fig. 4) in the root and hub interface. T-bolts or bolts mounted in adhesive-bonded bushes may be used to fasten the plate to the root and/or the hub. In addition, adhesive may be used for fixing the plate to the blade root.

Description

TURBINE BLADE COUPLING
This invention relates to a coupling for a turbine blade, in particular for a tidal, or water curent, turbine blade.
In horizontal axis tidal turbines the connection of rotor blades to the rotating hub is an extremely stressed area. On the blade side, it is not uncommon for the composite materials from which the blade is made and the connectors by which the blade is joined to the hub to suffer stmctural failures and other problems. The connection is from a root end of the blade to the hub, typically using via bolts or adhesives. In order to achieve low stress levels on the connected parts in the blade root, some designs increase the diameter of the blade root, over and above what is required for the bearing. However, this has the effect of increasing the cost on the hub side because the bearings or hub structure to which the blade root is connected must be increased correspondingly. Another option is to use a metal root casting, rather than simply connecting the composite root directly to the hub. The casting is fitted to the inside of the blade using adhesives, or bolts and then the metal root casting is bolted to the hub. Bolts in a metal casting are less prone to stress and the greater surface area of the connection between the inside surface of the composite root and the metal root casting helps reduce the incidence of failure. However, this is an expensive option, due to the cost and complexity of the metal casting and the additional steps in the manufacturing process to join the casting to the blade root and attachment by adhesives is difficult because of cathodic disbondment which can occur in immersed assemblies.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention a turbine blade root to hub coupling comprises one or more root connectors on a turbine blade root; one or more hub connectors on a turbine hub interface; and an adapter plate; wherein the adapter plate comprises a root connector region; and a hub connector region; wherein the root connector region covers an area distinct from and radially outward of the hub connector region.
Preferably, the turbine blade root has a substantially circular cross section.
Preferably, the turbine hub interface has a substantially circular cross section.
Preferably, the turbine hub interface comprises a pitch bearing or plain hub.
Preferably, the adapter plate comprises a metal plate or composite moulding.
Preferably, the adapter plate has a thickness in the range of 40mm to 1000 mm, Preferably, the adapter plate has a substantially circular cross section.
Preferably, the adapter plate comprises a plurality of openings spaced about a circle in each of the root connector region and the hub connector region.
Preferably, the spacing of the openings in the adapter plate matches a spacing of bolts in the root and hub interface respectively.
Preferably, the root connectors comprise at least one oft-bolts, bolts mounted in adhesive bonded bushes, or adhesive.
Preferably, the hub connectors comprise t-bolts, or bolts mounted in adhesive bonded bushes.
An example of a turbine blade coupling according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompany drawings in which: Figure 1 shows an example of a powertrain of a horizontal axis water current turbine in which the coupling of the present invention may be used; Figure 2 is an example of a prior art method of connecting a turbine root to the hub; Figure 3 is perspective view of one example of a coupling for the turbine blade of Fig. 1; Figure 4 is a side view of the example of Fig.3; Figure 5 is a section B-B through the example ofFig.4; Figure 6 is a section c-c through the example of FigS; Figure 7 shows are D of Fig.6 in more detail.
A typical powertrain for a horizontal axis water current turbine is illustrated in Fig. 1. The powertrain comprises a turbine hub 2, including pitch systems, turbine blades 3, and a gearbox, generator and control systems in a housing 4. The turbine typically has two or three blades, Each blade is joined to the hub via its root, As explained above, the problems of high stress in the blade root require a relatively large circumference root 7 and for example, as illustrated in Fig.2, a metal casting S may be bolted 6 onto the inside of the root 7 and the connection of the root to the pitch system 8 in the hub made by bolts 9 spaced around the circumference of the metal casting 5, rather than directly bolting the composite root itself Alternatively, the casting is on the outer blade root surface. The casting adds additional cost in terms of material for producing the casting and additional steps are required in the assembly process to drill and fit the bolts to join the casting to the root.
An example of a coupling according to the present invention is illustrated in Figs.3 and 4. A blade root, having a substantially circular cross section is joined to a turbine hub interface, which may be a plain hub, or more typically part of the pitch assembly, such as a pitch bearing, also having a substantially circular cross section.
However, the coupling of the present invention enables articles with different cross-sections to be joined together, if required. In this situation, typically, the bearing in the pitch assembly has a circular cross-section, but the blade root cross-sections may be non-circular, although a circular cross-section is preferred.
The blade root 7 may be joined to the coupling using t-bolts, in which case, the blade root has openings 17 for cross pieces of each t-bolt to be inserted. Another option is to use adhesive bonded bushes in the root, for threaded bolts, or for composites, adhesive bonding. The coupling comprises an adapter plate t t, fitted to the blade root 7 by threaded bolts 0 which are inserted at right angles to the cross pieces and thread into the cross pieces, or into the adhesive bonded bushes, if these are used. The adaptor plate may be made of metal, or a composite moulding. An interface for the pitch bearing 14 in the hub 2 connects to the adapter plate 12 via bolts 18, which may be t-bolts, or bolts in adhesive bonded bushes, as for the root connection.
From FigS, the adapter plate 11 can be seen more clearly. The bolts 10 from the root 7 pass through openings arrayed around a circle in the first section 13, the root connector region, which has larger inner and outer diameters than a second section 12, the hub connector region, of the adapter plate to which the pitch bearing, or plain hub, is connected by bolts 18 through openings in the hub connector region. Preferably, the adaptor plate thickness is between 40mm to 1000mm. Figs. 6 and 7 show more detail of the t-bolt connection of the root to the adapter plate. Cross piece 16 provides a thread for the bolt 10 to screw into, holding the adapter plate 11 securely to the root.
The present invention is able to use conventional methods of fitting bolts to the composite structure, such as T-bolt connections, yet addresses the problem of the stress failures in the composite where the T-Bolts are fitted by using an adapter plate between the root and the hub. The adapter plate may be connected with bolts to the hub side interface, such as a pitch, or slew bearing, or plain hub, as well as being bolted to the root, However, the bolting is separated, allowing a larger root diameter on the root side of the blade and a smaller diameter of the interface on the hub side. This arrangement reduces the stress in the root and improves the mechanical strength of the root connection of the blade, as well as reducing the cost of the bearing, or connection interface, on the hub side by reducing the required diameter. The present invention simplifies manufacture over other methods of addressing the problem of structural failure of the root.
The example has been described with respect to T-Bolt connections for connecting the end surface of the blade root to the adapter plate. However, this is not the only type of mechanical connection that is possible between the root and the adapter blade. Other options include using adhesive to glue the larger diameter section of the adapter plate to the blade root.

Claims (11)

  1. CLAIMSL A turbine blade root to hub coupling, the coupling comprising one or more root connectors on a turbine blade root; one or more hub connectors on a turbine hub interface; and an adapter plate; wherein the adapter plate comprises a root connector region; and a hub connector region; wherein the root connector region covers an area distinct from and radially outward of the hub connector region.
  2. 2. A coupling according to claim 1, wherein the turbine blade root has a substantially circular cross section,
  3. 3. A coupling according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the turbine hub interface has a substantially circular cross section.
  4. 4. A coupling according to any preceding claim, wherein the turbine hub interface comprises a pitch bearing or plain hub
  5. 5. A coupling according to any preceding claim, wherein the adapter plate comprises a metal plate or composite moulding
  6. 6. A coupling according to any preceding claim, wherein the adapter plate has a thickness in the range of 40mm to 1000mm
  7. 7. A coupling according to any preceding claim, wherein the adapter plate has a substantially circular cross section,
  8. S. A coupling according to claim 7, wherein the adapter plate comprises a plurality of openings spaced about a circle in each of the root connector region and the hub connector region.
  9. 9. A coupling according to claim 8, wherein the spacing of the openings in the adapter plate matches a spacing of bolts in the root and hub interface respectively.
  10. 10. A coupling according to preceding claim, wherein the root connectors comprise at least one oft-bolts, bolts mounted in adhesive bonded bushes, or adhesive.
  11. 11. A coupling according to any preceding claim, wherein the hub connectors comprise t-bolts, or bolts mounted in adhesive bonded bushes.
GB1414166.7A 2014-08-11 2014-08-11 Turbine blade coupling Withdrawn GB2529158A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1414166.7A GB2529158A (en) 2014-08-11 2014-08-11 Turbine blade coupling

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1414166.7A GB2529158A (en) 2014-08-11 2014-08-11 Turbine blade coupling

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB201414166D0 GB201414166D0 (en) 2014-09-24
GB2529158A true GB2529158A (en) 2016-02-17

Family

ID=51629574

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB1414166.7A Withdrawn GB2529158A (en) 2014-08-11 2014-08-11 Turbine blade coupling

Country Status (1)

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Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2029911A (en) * 1978-09-20 1980-03-26 United Technologies Corp Wind turbine blade tetention device
US4260332A (en) * 1979-03-22 1981-04-07 Structural Composite Industries, Inc. Composite spar structure having integral fitting for rotational hub mounting
US5660527A (en) * 1995-10-05 1997-08-26 The Wind Turbine Company Wind turbine rotor blade root end
WO2011050806A2 (en) * 2009-10-27 2011-05-05 Vestas Wind Systems A/S Blade hub adaptor

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2029911A (en) * 1978-09-20 1980-03-26 United Technologies Corp Wind turbine blade tetention device
US4260332A (en) * 1979-03-22 1981-04-07 Structural Composite Industries, Inc. Composite spar structure having integral fitting for rotational hub mounting
US5660527A (en) * 1995-10-05 1997-08-26 The Wind Turbine Company Wind turbine rotor blade root end
WO2011050806A2 (en) * 2009-10-27 2011-05-05 Vestas Wind Systems A/S Blade hub adaptor

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB201414166D0 (en) 2014-09-24

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WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)