KR101434443B1 - Apparatus for nacelle air cooling using by heat exchanger - Google Patents

Abstract

A first heat exchanger disposed inside the nacelle and absorbing heat generated in the nacelle; a second heat exchanger disposed outside the nacelle so as to correspond to the first heat exchanger, And a cover portion surrounding the second heat exchanger. The air cooling type nacelle cooling apparatus includes a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an air cooling type nacelle cooling apparatus using a heat exchanger,

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a nacelle cooling apparatus for a wind power generation system, and more particularly, to a nacelle cooling apparatus for a nacelle cooling system in a wind power generation system, Type nacelle cooling apparatus using a heat exchanger.

The wind power generation system is considered as the most environmentally friendly energy source as a system that converts kinetic energy by wind into electric energy. The wind turbine system comprises a tower, a nacelle rotatably supported on the tower, a gearbox and a generator housed in the nacelle, and a blade.

In this wind turbine system, the tower is first erected and the nacelle is placed thereon. A gear box and a generator are provided in the nacelle. The gearbox rotates the generator by increasing the rotational force generated by the blades to a rotational speed required by the generator. Further, the generator converts the mechanical energy generated in the blade into electric energy.

As such, wind power systems include several mechanical and electrical components that generate heat energy losses during operation. These components typically refer to gearboxes and generators housed in nacelles. Devices housed in a nacelle will heat up when the wind power system is started, which not only raises the internal temperature of the nacelle but also reduces the overall heat generation capacity of the wind power system by 5%. This is equivalent to about 350 KW when operated at 7 MW, the rated power of offshore wind power system. Considering that Korea's average monthly electricity consumption is 101.9KW per household, this is a very large amount of electricity.

Accordingly, the nacelle is provided with a ventilation device for cooling the temperature inside the nacelle due to the heat generated by the devices, thereby preventing damage to the device.

According to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0126765, the ventilation fan installed in the nacelle is driven to discharge the outside air introduced from the inlet port provided in the front of the nacelle to the outlet port communicating with the fan outlet, And a wind power generator for performing ventilation cooling.

However, the above-mentioned patent application may not be able to obtain sufficient cooling capacity depending on the installation environment of the wind power generator or the season.

When the installation place of the wind power generator is warm, there is a possibility that the flow rate necessary for cooling the internal equipment of the nacelle can not be secured sufficiently by only the intake port provided on the front surface of the nacelle. In such a place, damage to all parts of the wind power generation system may occur due to the temperature rise of the nacelle internal equipment.

If the installation site of the wind power generation system is cold, the temperature of the internal equipment of the nacelle may be lowered due to the wind which is introduced through the intake port and the exhaust port even when the wind power generation system is stopped. This may increase the load when the equipment is restarted, and may cause damage to the equipment.

Thus, in the case of an offshore wind turbine system, which is increasing in recent years, it uses a separate cooling system, such as an air conditioning system with a heat exchanger, without relying on outside air due to the high salinity and humidity of the air in general.

On the other hand, according to Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-113548, a shielding film is provided to improve the heat radiation characteristic of the heat exchanger.

Wind power systems are also always exposed to the atmosphere and absorb large amounts of solar radiation. For example, based on Texas Lubbock (Lubbock, TX, latitude: 33˚ 34'12˝ N, Longitude: 101˚ 51'7˝ W), one of the regions where wind power systems are most installed, The maximum solar radiation heat absorbed by a nacelle surface is roughly half of the heat energy generated by equipment housed in a nacelle.

As such, the external temperature becomes a significant limitation of the cooling method available to the wind power system.

Therefore, there is a need for a method of cooling the nacelle by adapting to a wide range of installation environments regardless of the installation location or season of the wind power generation system.

Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0126765 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. P2006-113548

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems occurring in the prior art, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a system for efficiently cooling the inside of a nacelle while shielding the inside of the nacelle from outside, To provide an air cooling type nacelle cooling device that cuts off radiant heat to increase the efficiency of the wind power generation system.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heat exchanger comprising: a nacelle; a first heat exchanger disposed inside the nacelle to absorb heat generated in the nacelle; a second heat exchanger disposed outside the nacelle to correspond to the first heat exchanger, A second heat exchanger for discharging the heat absorbed by the first heat exchanger to the outside of the nacelle, and a cover portion surrounding the second heat exchanger.

Further, the distance from one surface of the nacelle to one surface of the cover portion may be reduced in the longitudinal direction of the nacelle nacelle.

In addition, the first and second heat exchangers may each include a base and a plurality of fins extending in the vertical direction from the base.

Further, the plurality of fins may be arranged at a predetermined distance from each other, and the plurality of fins may be aligned and extended in the longitudinal direction of the nacelle.

The heat exchanger may further include connecting means for connecting the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to transfer the heat absorbed by the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger.

Further, the nacelle may have a closed shape in which no external air is introduced.

Further, the cover portion can be fixed to the surface of the nacelle through the support.

In addition, a fan may be provided inside the nacelle, and the fan may cause forced convection inside the nacelle.

The embodiment of the present invention has an effect that the nacelle internal air can be cooled by using a heat exchanger while the nacelle is shielded from the outside.

Further, the heat exchanger that absorbs the heat inside the nacelle can be quickly cooled through the cover portion that is tapered outside the nacelle.

In addition, the cover portion is composed of a light shielding member to block the solar radiation heat absorbed by the heat exchanger and the surface of the nacelle, thereby enhancing the efficiency of the wind power generation system.

In addition, the surface area of the heat exchanger can be increased through the plurality of fins, thereby enhancing the heat radiation effect.

1 is a side view showing an air cooling type nacelle cooling apparatus equipped with a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a front view for explaining a structure of an air cooling type nacelle cooling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a schematic view for explaining a structure of a cover unit and an air cooling type nacelle cooling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a side view for explaining the function of the cover unit in the air cooling type nacelle cooling apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a diagram illustrating a wind turbine system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. It will be easy to know if you have the knowledge of.

In describing the embodiments of the present invention, it is to be noted that components having the same function are denoted by the same names and the same symbols, but substantially not identical to those of the conventional nacelle cooling apparatus.

Furthermore, the terms used in the embodiments of the present invention are used only to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Furthermore, in the embodiments of the present invention, terms such as "comprises" or "having ", etc. are intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof, Steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations of elements, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

1 is a side view showing an air cooling type nacelle cooling apparatus equipped with a heat exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, an air cooling type nacelle cooling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a nacelle 100, a first heat exchanger 301, a second heat exchanger 302, a connecting means 303, 500, a fan 700, and an opening 900.

The nacelle 100 includes mechanical parts such as a gear box 101 and a generator 103 and these mechanical parts are used to convert the rotational force generated in the blade 10 of the wind power generator into electricity Energy conversion into energy.

The blade 10 is mechanically connected to a gearbox 101 inside the nacelle 100 to transfer the kinetic energy generated in the blade 10.

The blade 10 rotating by the wind generates kinetic energy at a high speed of 1500 rpm or higher through a gearbox 101 and a generator 103 converts the kinetic energy into electric energy.

As described above, during the operation of the wind power generation system, heat is generated due to friction due to the operation of the mechanical parts, which causes the internal temperature of the nacelle 100 to rise. Therefore, the nacelle 100 may include an intake port (not shown) and an exhaust port (not shown) on the front surface of the nacelle 100 to cool the elevated temperature inside the nacelle 100.

The air cooling type nacelle cooling apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention may further include a heat exchanger 300 for exchanging heat generated inside the nacelle 100 without external air being introduced into the nacelle 100, Cooling system.

The first heat exchanger 301 is irrelevant if it has a good thermal conductivity. The first heat exchanger may be disposed inside the nacelle 100 to absorb heat generated in the nacelle 100.

The outer shape of the first heat exchanger 301 is not limited to a specific shape and can be configured to absorb heat generated within the nacelle 100 as a whole. The first heat exchanger 301 may have a pin shape extending in the longitudinal direction C of the nacelle to increase the heat absorbing rate and rust-proofed.

The detailed shape and operation method of the heat exchanger 300 will be described later.

As such, the first heat exchanger 301 can be coupled to the inner side of the nacelle, for example, by welding.

The second heat exchanger 302 is disposed outside the nacelle 100 at a position corresponding to the first heat exchanger 302 and discharges the heat absorbed by the first heat exchanger 302 to the outside of the nacelle 100 .

The second heat exchanger 302 is similar in structure to the first heat exchanger 301 already described. Therefore, description of the same structure and function will be omitted.

The second heat exchanger 302 can minimize the heat transfer path by minimizing the separation distance from the first heat exchanger 302 in order to rapidly discharge the heat absorbed by the first heat exchanger 302 to the outside of the nacelle 100 .

As described above, by minimizing the heat transfer path, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering the fluid during the process of discharging the heat generated in the nacelle 100 to the outside of the nacelle 100.

As described above, the plurality of heat exchangers 300 composed of the first and second heat exchangers 301 and 302 are made of a material having a high heat transfer coefficient, such as aluminum or copper, so that the heat radiation effect inside the nacelle can be further enhanced.

The connecting means 303 connects the first heat exchanger 301 and the second heat exchanger 302 in a material similar to that of the heat exchanger 300.

The outer shape of the connecting means 303 is not limited to a specific shape and may be any material as long as the heat that has passed through the first heat exchanger 301 can be moved to the second heat exchanger 302 through the connecting means 303.

Each of the connecting means 303 connecting the first and second heat exchangers 301 and 302 has at least one or more of the sizes of the first and second heat exchangers 301 and 302 and the heat generated inside the nacelle 100 The area of the connecting means 303 connecting the first and second heat exchangers 301 and 302 can be adjusted according to the amount of the heat.

The first heat exchanger 301, the second heat exchanger 302 and the connecting means 303 can be formed into a single shape by extrusion molding, And one heat exchanger 300.

Thus, the nacelle 100, which is connected to the first heat exchanger 301, the second heat exchanger 302 and the connecting means 303, can cool the inside of the nacelle 100 in a closed system.

Meanwhile, a fan 700 may be provided inside the nacelle for forced convection of heat generated inside the nacelle.

In general, heat transfer is divided into natural convection and forced convection. The heat transfer rate of natural convection is 5 ~ 25 (W / m ^ 2K) and the heat transfer rate of forced convection is 10 ~ 200 (W / m ^ 2K). The above-mentioned heat transfer rate shows a difference of at least 2 times and at most 8 times.

That is, the fan 700 forcibly moves inside the nacelle 100 to increase the heat transfer rate, and it can be used as an auxiliary means for cooling the inside of the nacelle 100 in addition to the heat exchanger 300.

The fan 700 may be provided at one end of the first heat exchanger 301 to force the hot air inside the nacelle 100 into the first heat exchanger 301.

The cover unit 500 surrounds the second heat exchanger 302 and is fixed and spaced apart via a support base 501 provided on the surface of the nacelle 100.

The separation distance from one surface of the nacelle 100 to one surface of the cover portion 500 has a shape gradually changing in the longitudinal direction C of the nacelle.

For example, the distance from one surface of the nacelle 100 to one surface of the cover unit 500 may be reduced toward the longitudinal direction C of the nacelle 100.

The tapered cover part 500 can control the flow rate of the outside air flowing into and out of the lower end of the cover part 500.

That is, the outside air introduced through one side of the lower end of the cover part 500 is converged to the other side having a smaller cross-sectional area than the one side, thereby causing a venturi effect in which the wind speed increases. Therefore, the flow rate of the outside air flowing through one side of the lower end of the cover unit 500 through the second heat exchanger 302 is increased, and the flow rate passing through the second heat exchanger 302 is increased have.

The cover part 500 forms a flow guide so that the outside air introduced through one side of the lower end of the cover part 500 passes through the second heat exchanger 302. Therefore, the second heat exchanger 302 can be quickly cooled while the entire outside air passes through the second heat exchanger 302.

In addition, the material of the cover part 500 may be made of a light shielding member to block solar radiation heat absorbed by the surface of the second heat exchanger or the nacelle 100.

The installed wind power system inevitably absorbs the solar radiation heat, and absorbs heat corresponding to half of the heat energy generated in the nacelle (100). This causes the cooling efficiency inside the nacelle 100 to be significantly lowered.

Therefore, the solar radiation heat in the atmosphere can be blocked by constructing the cover portion 500 with a material having excellent light shielding effect, thereby improving the efficiency of the entire wind power generation system and improving the heat radiation characteristics of the heat exchanger 300 .

At least one opening 900 such as a hatch cover may be provided on the surface of the nacelle 100 to maintain and repair the interior of the nacelle 100. Although the hatch cover has been described as an example, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it is irrelevant if it has the shape of the opening portion 900.

In addition, an opening portion 900 may be provided on the surface of the cover portion 500 to remove salt and foreign matter that can be loaded in the space between the nacelle surface 100 and the cover portion 500.

2 is a front view for explaining a structure of an air cooling type nacelle cooling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, when two objects having different temperatures are brought into contact with each other, heat is transferred from a higher temperature object to a lower temperature object.

When the heat inside the nacelle 100 is transferred to the first heat exchanger, the temperature inside the nacelle decreases and the temperature of the first heat exchanger rises. Subsequently, the heat is transferred to the second heat exchanger 302 having a low temperature along the connecting means 303, and the temperature of the first heat exchanger 301 is lowered.

Thereafter, the heat transferred to the second heat exchanger 302 is cooled through the air circulation, discharged to the outside of the nacelle, and then the temperature of the second heat exchanger 302 is lowered again.

Thus, the first heat exchanger 301 and the second heat exchanger 302 reach a thermal equilibrium state.

The first and second heat exchangers 301 and 302 are disposed to correspond to the inside and the outside of the nacelle and include a base portion 300a and a plurality of pins 300b extending in the vertical direction from the base portion 300a, .

The base portion 300a may be made of a metal such as aluminum or copper having a high heat transfer coefficient, but is not limited thereto.

Further, as the area of the base 300a increases, a large amount of heat can be absorbed and discharged. Accordingly, in order to maximize the efficiency of the heat exchanger 300 by enlarging the surface area of the heat exchanger 300, a plurality of pins 300b extending in the vertical direction may be added to the base portion 300a.

The fin 300b is spaced apart from the heat exchanger 300 to widen the surface area of the heat exchanger 300.

Further, the base part 300a may be made of the same or similar material.

On the other hand, the distance between the respective pins can be variously adjusted according to the installation site or the size of the wind power generation system.

The connecting means 303 connecting the first and second heat exchangers 301 and 302 is made of a material having a heat transfer coefficient equal to or higher than that of the first heat exchanger 301 and the second heat exchanger 302, The heat absorbed in the first heat exchanger 301 in the heat exchanger 100 is transferred to the second heat exchanger 302 without being released.

As described above, the first and second heat exchangers 301 and 302 are connected to each other by the connecting means 303 or may have a single shape to cool the inside of the nacelle 100.

3 is a schematic view for explaining a structure of a cover unit and an air cooling type nacelle cooling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, a second heat exchanger 302 is disposed outside the nacelle 100. The plurality of fins 300b constituting the second heat exchanger 302 extend along the longitudinal direction C of the nacelle and are respectively aligned.

Each of the fins forms a flow guide to allow the outside air flowing through the blades 10 of the wind power generation system to move along the pin 300b.

The outside air introduced through the one side of the lower end of the cover portion 500 is discharged to the other side of the nacelle 100 while riding on the respective pins extending in the longitudinal direction C of the nacelle, The pin 300b can be cooled.

 In addition, the cover portion 500 surrounding the second heat exchanger 302 is tapered in the longitudinal direction C of the nacelle.

4 is a side view for explaining the function of the cover unit in the air cooling type nacelle cooling apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The cover portion 500 shown in Figure 4 has a shape in which the distance from one surface of the nacelle 100 to one surface of the cover portion 500 gradually decreases in the longitudinal direction C of the nacelle, Respectively.

This may cause a venturi effect to increase the flow rate of the outside air flowing through one side of the lower end of the cover part 500 through the second heat exchanger 302. [

The description of the structure and function of the cover part 500 is the same as that of the above-

It is assumed to be omitted.

As described above, the air cooling type nacelle cooling apparatus can efficiently cool the inside of the nacelle 100 by using the plurality of heat exchangers 300.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims, It is obvious.

10: Blade
100: nacelle
101: Gearbox
103: Generator
300: Heat exchanger
300a: Base portion
300b: pin
301: first heat exchanger
302: second heat exchanger
303: Connection means
500: cover part
501: Support
700: Fan
900: opening

Claims (8)

A nacelle which is sealed to prevent external air from entering;
A first heat exchanger disposed inside the nacelle and absorbing heat generated in the nacelle;
A second heat exchanger disposed outside the nacelle so as to correspond to the first heat exchanger and discharging the heat absorbed by the first heat exchanger to the outside of the nacelle; And
And a cover portion surrounding the second heat exchanger, wherein the cover portion is spaced apart from the surface of the nacelle and covers the top and side surfaces of the nacelle to block direct sunlight irradiated to the surface of the nacelle, Device. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein a distance from the one surface of the nacelle to the one surface of the cover portion decreases in the longitudinal direction of the nacelle. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first and second heat exchangers each include a base and a plurality of fins extending in the vertical direction from the base. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the plurality of fins are arranged at a predetermined interval from each other, and the plurality of fins extend in a longitudinal direction of the nacelle. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising connecting means for connecting the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger to transfer the heat absorbed by the first heat exchanger to the second heat exchanger. delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the cover is fixed to the surface of the nacelle through a support. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the nacelle is provided with a fan, and the fan causes forced convection inside the nacelle.

Images