Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
  • H05K5/00—Casings, cabinets or drawers for electric apparatus
  • H05K5/02—Details
  • H05K5/0213—Venting apertures; Constructional details thereof
• • 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
  • F03D—WIND MOTORS
  • F03D80/00—Details, components or accessories not provided for in groups F03D1/00 - F03D17/00
  • F03D80/60—Cooling or heating of wind motors
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
  • H05K5/00—Casings, cabinets or drawers for electric apparatus
  • H05K5/02—Details
  • H05K5/0212—Condensation eliminators
• • 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
  • Y02E10/70—Wind energy
  • Y02E10/72—Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a switch cabinet for a wind turbine with at least one circuit element accomodated in said switch cabinet and a drying arrangement for preventing water deposition onto said at least one circuit element as well as to a method for operating a wind turbine using such a switch cabinet.
• the operating parameters of modern wind turbines like e.g. blade angle, total orientation of the rotor and/or adjustments of the generator used for power generation, are electronically controlled.
• the electric or electronic circuit elements utilized therefor are usually accomodated in a switch cabinet mounted to the machine nacelle, which is disposed in a height of up to 100 m. This switch cabinet is subject to atmospheric influences. To guarantee reliable operation of the wind turbine, water should not be deposited onto the electric or electronic circuit elements during any atmospheric condition.
• the drying arrangement includes a device for generating air flow in the region of the at least one circuit element.
• the drying arrangement further includes at least one heater for heating the air in the region of the at least one circuit element, because then the water vapor absorption capacity of the air is increased in the region of the at least one circuit element and, thus, the risk of condensation on the circuit element is reduced.
• the drying arrangement includes a cooling element for separating water from the passing air, said cooling element being spaced from said at least one circuit element, and a drain element for draining the separated water out of the switch cabinet.
• the reduction of air humidity within the switch cabinet can be achieved in a particularly effective manner when the flow generating device is operable to generate an air flow, which circulates within said switch board and moves past the at least one circuit element as well as said cooling element, so that the air circulating within the switch board continously absorbs humidity which is then separated at the cooling element and is drained out of the switch cabinet through a drain opening.
• Peltier element mounted in the switch cabinet.
• an effective circulation of the air flow can be caused when the flow generating device includes a plate-like flow guidance element which is interspersed by the Peltier element, wherein the at least one circuit element is disposed at that side of the flow guidance element that faces the part of the Peltier element that is warmer during operation.
• Different atmospheric conditions can be accounted for when a control device is provided which controls the drying arrangement depending on temperature and/or air humidity within and/or outside the switch cabinet.
• a method for operating a wind turbine wherein at least one operating parameter of the wind turbine is controlled by at least one circuit element accomodated in a switch cabinet and deposition of condensation water onto the at least one circuit element is counteracted, said method being basically characterized in that an air flow in the region of the at least one circuit element is generated for preventing the deposition of water onto the at least one circuit element, wherein the air can be heated in the region of the at least one circuit element.
• condensation water is separated at a cooling element, which is spaced from the circuit element, and is drained out of the switch cabinet.
• Peltier element as an active cooling element while simultaneously heating the air in the region of the at least one circuit element, wherein the generation of the air flow and/or the activation of the cooling element can be controlled depending on temperature and/or air humidity within and/or outside the switch cabinet.
• Fig. 2 shows a schematic drawing of a switch cabinet according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
• a switch cabinet for a wind turbine can be realized as a fully enclosed switch cabinet having a cabinet door which is closed during operation.
• a number of electric and/or electronic circuit elements is situated within the switch cabinet, wherein said circuit elements can be disposed on one or more circuit boards 20 as is exemplarily shown in Fig. 1.
• a drying arrangement is also accomodated in switch cabinet 10, wherein, according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig.
• said drying arrangement includes a fan 30 disposed below the circuit board, a heater 32 disposed upstream with respect to the air flow generated by said fan 30 and behind the fan 30, a flow guide plate 34 serving as a support for circuit board 20, and a cooling element 36 disposed upstream said circuit board and at that side of the flow guide plate 34 that does not face the circuit board.
• An air flow directed towards the circuit board 20 is generated by the fan 30, which is disposed in close proximity to the circuit board below thereof, and on that side of the flow guide plate 34 that faces the circuit board, wherein the air flow is heated by means of a heater 32 implemented as a heating coil so that the heated air can absorb a large amount of air humidity and no condensation of air humidity occurs on the circuit board.
• a heater 32 implemented as a heating coil
• cooling element 36 is implemented as a passive cooling element and consists basically of a body made of heat conducting material, e.g. copper or aluminum, which is in contact with the ambient air outside of humidity contained in the passing air occurs if the ambient temperature drops to a value blow the dew point, i.e. to a vlaue of about 5°C or below.
• the water separated at the cooling element 36 is drained out of the switch cabinet 10 by means of a drain conduit 38, wherein the condensation water is collected by a hopper 40 disposed at the upper end of the drain conduit 38.
• the drying arrangement shown in Fig. 1 is appropriately controlled by a corresponding control device, which can also be accomodated in switch cabinet 10, so that the operation of fan 30 and heater 32 are not started until the ambient temperature has dropped to a value of 5°C or below and/or the air humidity within and/or outside the switch cabinet exceeds a value of 80%.
• the operation of the drying arrangement may be stopped when the air humidity attained a value of less than 70%.
• the second embodiment according to the present invention shown in Fig. 2 differs from the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 mainly in that a heater in the form of a Peltier element 130 is used instead of the heater in the form of a heating coil.
• the Peltier element 130 is arranged so that its warmer side 132, in an operating condition, is disposed on the same side of flow guide plate 34 as circuit board 20.
• the air heated by the warmer side 132 of Peltier element 130 moves past circuit board 20 and is deflected by a flow conduit 35 so that it moves past the cooler side 136, in an operating condition, of Peltier element 130 at the side of flow guide plate 34 not facing circuit board 20.
• the Peltier element is used as an active cooling element, wherein the water contained in the air circulating within the switch cabinet condenses at its cooler side and is collected by means of a hopper 40 and is subsequently drained out of the switch cabinet via a drain conduit 38.
• T e arrangement shown in Fig. 2 allows the drying of the air contained in the switch cabinet even at ambient temperature when the air humidity within the switch cabinet exceeds a predetermined limit value of, e.g., 80%.
• Peltier element 130 and fan 30 may be automatically stopped by a respective control device when the air humidity attains a value of 70% or less. Also, a combination of temperature and air humidity measurements are possible for controlling the operation of the drying arrangement.

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=31984146

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Cited By (5)

Families Citing this family (21)

Citations (6)

Family Cites Families (33)

• 2002
  • 2002-09-27 DE DE10245103A patent/DE10245103A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2003
  • 2003-09-25 US US10/529,123 patent/US20060137214A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-09-25 WO PCT/EP2003/010674 patent/WO2004029450A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-09-25 CN CNB038231034A patent/CN100385112C/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2003-09-25 AU AU2003270267A patent/AU2003270267A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-09-25 ES ES03750628T patent/ES2270073T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-09-25 DK DK03750628T patent/DK1546553T3/da active
  • 2003-09-25 EP EP03750628A patent/EP1546553B1/en not_active Revoked

Patent Citations (6)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events