JP2013181499A - Wind power generation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To secure safety and reliability during electric power failure by continuously supplying power via an auxiliary power generator even when the power can not be received from a commercial power supply.SOLUTION: A wind power generation apparatus has a rotor 102 having a hub 112 and a plurality of blades 114 extending from the hub in a radial direction, a nacelle 104 having a main power generator 124 converting rotational energy of the rotor to electric energy, a bladed wheel 142 rotatably supported by the nacell, and an auxiliary power generator 146 converting rotational energy of the bladed wheel to electric energy without receiving excitation power from another machine, an auxiliary power generating unit 140 having an auxiliary power supply 148 for storing electric energy and for supplying at least power for suppressing natural rotation of the rotor during electric power failure, and a tower 106 for supporting the nacell.

Description

  The present invention relates to a wind turbine generator that converts wind energy into electrical energy.

  Development of so-called wind power generators that convert wind energy into electrical energy using wind power that can be obtained indefinitely in nature has been underway. Since the wind power generator is a relatively large three-dimensional object and the installation location is limited, it is desired to increase the power generation amount per unit so that the desired power generation amount can be provided with a small number. A generator responsible for such a large amount of power generation requires supply of an excitation current from another power source, for example, a commercial power source.

  However, if the supply of power from the commercial power supply is interrupted due to a power failure or the like, the exciting current is not supplied to the generator, and power generation becomes impossible. Therefore, a technique for supplying excitation power to the generator separately at the time of a power failure is disclosed (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-60575

  However, since the commercial power supply is stopped at the time of a power failure, it is not necessary to generate power in the sense that it is added to the commercial power supply by the same amount system. However, when the commercial power supply is not supplied, the wind turbine generator must not only stop power generation but also ensure the safety of the wind turbine generator itself.

  For this reason, wind power generators are often provided with energy storage devices such as UPS (uninterruptible power supply). However, in an energy storage device with a finite amount of stored energy, there is a possibility that the electric power necessary to maintain the posture for a long time cannot be sufficiently supplied without naturally rotating the rotor or nacelle.

  Therefore, in view of such problems, the present invention continuously supplies power through an auxiliary generator even when power cannot be received from a commercial power source, and ensures safety and reliability in the event of a power failure or the like. It aims at providing the wind power generator which can be.

  In order to solve the above problems, a wind turbine generator according to the present invention includes a rotor having a hub, a plurality of blades extending radially from the hub, and a main generator that converts rotational energy of the rotor into electrical energy. A nacelle, an impeller rotatably supported by the nacelle, an auxiliary generator that converts the rotational energy of the impeller into electric energy without receiving excitation power from others, and accumulates electric energy, An auxiliary power generation unit having a standby power supply for supplying electric power for suppressing the natural rotation of the rotor, and a tower for supporting the nacelle are provided.

  The impeller may be a drag type.

  The impeller may be rotatably supported at both ends of the rotation shaft by a nacelle frame including a nacelle frame.

  The impeller may be provided in the vertical lower portion of the nacelle, and the vertical upper portion may be covered by the nacelle cover.

  The wind power generator may be a downwind rotor type in which the tower rotatably supports the nacelle about the vertical axis so that the rotor is located leeward.

  According to the present invention, even when power cannot be received from a commercial power supply, it is possible to continuously supply power through an auxiliary generator and to ensure safety and reliability during a power failure or the like.

It is an external view which shows the external appearance of a downwind rotor type | mold wind power generator. It is a functional block diagram for demonstrating the schematic function of a downwind rotor type wind power generator. It is the perspective view which looked at the nacelle from the perpendicular downward direction. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating arrangement | positioning of an impeller. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the power generation efficiency of an auxiliary generator.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating the understanding of the invention, and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In the present specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not illustrated. To do.

(Downwind rotor type wind power generator 100)
FIG. 1 is an external view showing an external appearance of a downwind rotor type wind power generator 100, and FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram for explaining a schematic function of the downwind rotor type wind power generator 100. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the downwind rotor type wind power generator 100 includes a rotor 102, a nacelle 104, and a tower 106.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the rotor 102 includes a hub 112, a plurality of blades 114 extending radially from the hub 112, and a rotor connected to the hub 112 and extending perpendicularly to a plane formed by the plurality of blades 114. And a shaft 116. When wind hits the plurality of blades 114, the rotor 102 rotates about the rotor shaft 116 by the lift force.

  The nacelle 104 includes a nacelle frame 120, a speed increaser 122, a main generator 124, and a control panel 126. The nacelle frame 120 includes a frame and a structure for withstanding a load applied to the nacelle 104. The speed increaser 122 supports the rotor shaft 116 and increases the rotational speed of the rotor shaft 116 to rotate the other rotating shaft 122a. In this manner, the rotor 102 is rotatably supported by the speed increaser 122 and the nacelle frame 120. The main generator 124 is connected to the rotating shaft 122a that has been accelerated by the speed increaser 122, and converts the rotational energy of the rotor 102 into electrical energy. The control panel 126 performs pitch control of the rotor 102 and power control of the main generator 124.

  Thus, in the downwind rotor type wind power generator 100, wind energy is converted into electric energy. In the process, the energy loss of the main generator 124 and the speed increaser 122 becomes heat. In particular, in recent years, an increase in the amount of power generation is desired, and the amount of generated heat is also increasing. Therefore, the cooling unit 130 is necessary so that the power generation efficiency does not decrease due to heat generation.

  In the cooling unit 130, the cooling medium (gas or liquid) is boosted by the circulation pump 132 and guided to the main generator 124 and the speed increaser 122, and the heat generated in the main generator 124 and the speed increaser 122 is recovered. , And sent to a heat exchanger 134 such as a radiator. In the heat exchanger 134, heat exchange between the high-temperature cooling medium and the outside air is performed, and the low-temperature cooling medium after the heat exchange returns to the circulation pump 132. Due to such circulation of the cooling medium, heat generation of the main generator 124 and the speed increaser 122 is suppressed.

  The nacelle 104 is provided with an auxiliary power generation unit 140 that supplies a minimum amount of power to the control system in order to operate a control system such as a brake that avoids natural rotation of the rotor 102 and the nacelle 104 in the event of a power failure. Yes. The auxiliary power generation unit 140 includes an impeller 142, a speed increaser 144, an auxiliary power generator (PMG) 146, and a standby power source 148.

  The impeller 142 is rotatably supported by the nacelle 104. The step-up gear 144 increases the rotation speed of the impeller 142 and rotates the other rotation shaft. The auxiliary generator 146 is connected to the rotating shaft accelerated by the speed increaser 144 and converts the rotational energy of the impeller 142 into electric energy. The standby power supply 148 stores the converted electrical energy and supplies control power to the rotor 102, the brake of the nacelle 104, and the like in an emergency such as a power failure.

  Here, since the auxiliary generator 146 has a smaller amount of power generation than the main generator 124 (for example, when the main generator 124 is 1000 kW, the auxiliary generator is about 10 kW), the excitation power is supplied from the other. Self-contained power generation without receiving it. The auxiliary power generation unit 140 will be described in detail later.

  Furthermore, an anemometer 152 for measuring the direction and speed of the wind is provided on the nacelle cover 150 corresponding to the exterior of the nacelle 104.

  The tower 106 is connected to the position of the center of gravity of the rotor 102 and the nacelle 104, and rotatably supports the nacelle 104 about the vertical axis 160. The rotor 102 is connected to the nacelle 104, and when the blades 114 of the rotor 102 receive wind, the nacelle 104 rotates so that the rotor 102 is positioned leeward than the tower 106. In this way, in the downwind rotor type wind power generator 100, the energy of the wind itself is used and the virtual plane formed by the blades 114 of the rotor 102 is perpendicular to the direction of the wind in accordance with the wind direction. Energy can be acquired efficiently.

(Auxiliary power generation unit 140)
In general, a wind power generator does not need to generate power by the same amount system at the time of a power failure. However, since wind power generators are often operated unattended, in the event that the main system loses power or some kind of accident occurs and commercial power is not supplied, not only power generation is stopped, The safety of the power generator itself must be ensured.

  For this reason, wind power generators are often provided with energy storage devices such as UPS (uninterruptible power supply), batteries, accumulators and capacitors. However, in the above-described finite energy storage device, there is a possibility that the electric power necessary to maintain the posture for a long time cannot be sufficiently supplied without naturally rotating the rotor 102 or the nacelle 104.

  On the other hand, in recent years, wind power generators are sometimes installed in places where people cannot easily access them, such as offshore wind power generators. Things can happen.

  In the present embodiment, by providing the nacelle 104 with the auxiliary power generation unit 140 that can supply power infinitely as long as there is wind, even when power cannot be received from a commercial power supply, excitation power can be supplied from other sources. The auxiliary generator 146 can generate and supply power. Therefore, electric power can be continuously supplied to a control system such as a brake that suppresses the natural rotation of the rotor 102 and the nacelle 104, and safety and reliability at the time of a power failure or the like can be ensured.

  As described with reference to FIG. 2, the auxiliary power generation unit 140 includes the impeller 142, the speed increaser 144, the auxiliary power generator 146, and the standby power supply 148.

(Impeller 142)
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the nacelle 104 viewed from vertically below. As shown in FIG. 3, the impeller 142 according to the present embodiment is provided at a vertically lower portion of the tip portion of the nacelle 104 and leeward from the heat exchanger 134. For example, in an upwind rotor type wind power generator, even if an impeller is installed, the impeller is located downstream of the rotor, so the impeller is, for example, 50% of the wind energy received by the rotor due to the interference of the rotor. The wind was attenuated to such a degree that sufficient power generation efficiency could not be obtained. On the other hand, in the downwind rotor type wind power generator 100, since the impeller 142 can receive wind energy on the windward side of the nacelle 104, the wind energy is not attenuated and the power generation efficiency is improved. Is possible.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the arrangement of the impellers 142. Since the nacelle frame 120 is arranged on the vertically lower side of the nacelle 104 as shown in FIG. 4, the impeller 142 can be rotatably supported without requiring a separate fixing member. Therefore, the nacelle 104 itself can be configured at low cost and light weight. Here, it is conceivable that the impeller 142 is provided not on the vertical lower portion of the nacelle 104 but on the side portion. In this case, depending on the direction (rotation angle) of the nacelle 104, the side portion of the nacelle 104 becomes a barrier, and the impeller 142 The amount of wind (wind) that can be received changes. Further, if the impeller 142 is provided vertically above the nacelle 104, the wind flow generated vertically above the nacelle 104 may be disturbed, and the measurement accuracy of the anemometer 152 may be reduced. In addition, if the wind direction anemometer 152 is installed on the lee side, wind energy may be attenuated due to the interference of the wind direction anemometer 152, and sufficient power generation efficiency may not be obtained. Therefore, it is desirable to arrange the impeller 142 in the vertically lower part of the nacelle 104.

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the power generation efficiency of the auxiliary generator 146. In the present embodiment, a drag type impeller 142 is used. It is known that the power generation efficiency 210 with respect to the rotational speed when the drag type impeller 142 is used can obtain a certain level of power generation efficiency from the low speed rotation as compared with the power generation efficiency 212 of the lift type impeller. Therefore, a desired power generation efficiency can be obtained even with a weak wind.

  Further, the drag type impeller 142 cannot obtain a high speed rotation higher than the wind speed due to its principle, and if the wind energy exceeds a predetermined wind energy, an increase in the rotation speed is suppressed. Here, the impeller 142 is used even in the case of strong winds such as typhoons without using a separate mechanism for suppressing the rotational speed by deliberately utilizing a drag-type characteristic that does not increase the rotational speed even when wind energy is high. Therefore, stable power generation can be performed while ensuring safety without applying an excessive load to the power source.

  In the present embodiment, in order to use the drag type impeller 142 described above, a vertical axis windmill (such as a Savonius type or a cross flow type) whose rotation axis is perpendicular to the wind direction is employed. Here, the rotating shaft of the impeller 142 is arranged so as to be positioned in the horizontal plane width direction of the nacelle 104. Therefore, the rotation shaft of the impeller 142 is orthogonal to the rotor shaft 116.

  Normally, if the impeller 142 whose rotational axis is perpendicular to the wind direction, such as a vertical axis wind turbine, is arranged so that the rotational axis is horizontal, characteristics that do not depend on the wind direction, which is a merit of the vertical axis wind turbine, are lost. . However, in the downwind rotor type wind power generator 100, when the blades 114 of the rotor 102 receive wind, the rotor 102 rotates so as to be located leeward than the tower 106, so that the nacelle 104 responds to a change in wind direction and the impeller. 142 can supply sufficient wind power.

  In the present embodiment, since the rotation shaft of the impeller 142 is horizontally mounted in the width direction of the nacelle 104, both ends of the rotation shaft are supported rotatably on the nacelle frame 120 as shown in FIG. Can do. Therefore, the impeller 142 can be firmly fixed, and the auxiliary power generation unit 140 with high reliability and stability can be constructed.

  When the both ends of the rotating shaft of the impeller 142 are supported as described above, the upper half of the impeller 142 is covered with the nacelle cover 150. With this configuration, when the impeller 142 rotates, the wind does not hit the half of the vertical upper portion of the impeller 142 that returns to the windward direction. That is, the wind hits only the portion where the rotation direction coincides with the forward direction of the wind, and the wind does not hit the portion where the rotation direction is the reverse direction of the wind. In this way, highly efficient power generation can be realized.

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, since the heat exchanger 134 is arranged with an inclination, it is easy to guide the wind to the impeller 142, and the power generation efficiency is further improved.

  As described above, according to the described downwind rotor type wind power generator 100, even when power cannot be received from a commercial power source, power can be continuously supplied to a control system such as a brake for a long time, It becomes possible to ensure the safety and reliability of the downwind rotor type wind power generator 100 itself at the time of a power failure or the like.

  As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to this embodiment. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. Is done.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the auxiliary power generation unit 140 is applied to the downwind rotor type wind power generator 100 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this case, and is applied to an upwind rotor type wind power generator. You can also.

  Further, the impeller 142 of the auxiliary power generation unit 140 is not limited to the drag type, and may be a lift type, or is not limited to the vertical type windmill, and may be a parallel type windmill whose rotation axis is parallel to the wind direction.

  Moreover, although the example which has arrange | positioned the gearbox 144 in the impeller 142 was given and demonstrated, it is not restricted to this case but the gearbox 144 does not need to be arrange | positioned.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the speed increaser 122 is disposed has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this case, and the form in which the speed increaser 122 is not disposed or the hydraulic pressure without the speed increaser 122 is disposed. A mode in which a transmission is provided, or a mode in which both the speed increaser 122 and a hydraulic transmission are provided may be used.

  The present invention can be used for a wind power generator that converts wind energy into electric energy.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Downwind rotor type wind power generator 102 ... Rotor 104 ... Nacelle 106 ... Tower 112 ... Hub 114 ... Blade 116 ... Rotor shaft 120 ... Nacelle frame 122 ... Booster 124 ... Main generator 134 ... Heat exchanger 140 ... Auxiliary Power generation unit 142 ... impeller 146 ... auxiliary generator 150 ... nacelle cover

Claims (5)

A rotor having a hub and a plurality of blades extending radially from the hub;
A nacelle having a main generator for converting rotational energy of the rotor into electrical energy;
An impeller rotatably supported by the nacelle, an auxiliary generator that converts rotational energy of the impeller into electric energy without receiving excitation power from the other, and accumulating electric energy, An auxiliary power generation unit having a standby power supply for supplying electric power for suppressing the natural rotation of the rotor;
A tower that supports the nacelle;
A wind turbine generator comprising:   The wind turbine generator according to claim 1, wherein the impeller is a drag type.   The wind turbine generator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein both ends of the rotating shaft of the impeller are rotatably supported by a nacelle frame including the nacelle frame.   The wind turbine generator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the impeller is provided in a vertical lower portion of the nacelle, and a vertical upper portion is covered with a nacelle cover.   5. The wind power generation according to claim 1, wherein the tower is of a downwind rotor type that rotatably supports the nacelle about a vertical axis so that the rotor is positioned leeward. apparatus.

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