Abstract:
A wind turbine generator includes an outer housing, a drive shaft rotatably mounted within the outer housing, stator and rotor assemblies positioned within the outer housing and movable relative to each other, a heat exchanger, and a blower having a rotating plate for generating a fluid flow circuit within the generator for transporting heat from the stator and rotor assemblies to the heat exchanger. An eddy current brake having a rotating member is located within the outer housing and is positioned in the fluid flow circuit such that fluid moving in the flow circuit cools the first rotating member. The blower and the eddy current brake may be integrated, such as by having the rotating plate of the blower serve as the rotating member of the eddy current brake. A wind turbine having such a generator, as well as a method of operating a wind turbine generator is also disclosed.
Abstract:
A power transmission system for a wind turbine comprises a gearbox and generator. The gearbox includes a gearbox housing and gearbox output member. The generator includes: a generator housing having a drive-end side and non-drive-end side, the drive-end side being coupled to the gearbox housing; a stator supported by the generator housing; a rotor having a rotor shaft coupled to the gearbox output member and a rotor body coupled to the rotor shaft; a non-drive-end shield coupled to the non-drive-end side;a spindle extending from the non-drive- end shield in the axial direction; and at least one generator bearing positioned between the rotor shaft and spindle. The generator bearing(s) support the gearbox output member and rotor shaft. A method of assembling or servicing such a power transmission system is also provided.
Abstract:
A wind turbine (1) includes a generator (12) with a stator (93) and a rotor (92) mounted for providing electrical power to an electric grid (104). The wind turbine (1) includes a stator having a core (150, 250) with a plurality of individual adjacent segments (152, 202, 260) coupled together for forming a segmented core. A concentrated winding element (156, 204, 262) is wound around each stator core segment (152, 202, 260) for generating flux in the core segment. An insulation element (205, 264, 304) is positioned between adjacent core segments (152, 202, 260) for electrically isolating adjacent core segments from each other, the stator core (150, 250) is coupled with a stator support element (201) that is coupled to a generator housing, wherein the stator support element (201) is an electrically insulative element or wherein the stator support element (201) and each stator core segment (152, 202, 260) are electrically isolated from each other.
Abstract:
Systems, methods, and computer program products for virtual machine testing of an electric machine (8). A test signature including parameter values measured during one or more static tests of the electric machine (8) is compared to a reference signature generated by performing a similar series of static tests on a reference machine (42). The reference machine (42) is then validated by subjecting the reference machine to full-load dynamic testing. The test and reference signatures may include a plurality of parameters each characterizing a physical property of the respective machines (8, 42) in one or more physical domains. The parameters are selected so that the electric machine (8) can be qualified for operation in the field by comparing the test signature to the reference signature, thereby avoiding the need for full-load dynamic testing of the electric machine (8).
Abstract:
The present invention relates a device for magnetizing and assembling an electrical machine comprising a stator and a rotor with at least one permanent magnet, the device comprising a magnetizer unit for magnetizing the at least one permanent magnet of the rotor, a rotor load unit and a translation unit for translating the rotor from the magnetizer unit to a rotor load unit for inserting the rotor into the stator. The invention also relates to a method for magnetizing and assembling an electrical machine comprising a stator and a rotor with at least one permanent magnet at a magnetizing unit.
Abstract:
A power transmission system for a wind turbine comprises a gearbox and generator. The gearbox includes a gearbox housing and gearbox output member. The generator includes: a generator housing having a drive-end side and non-drive-end side, the drive-end side being coupled to the gearbox housing; a stator supported by the generator housing; a rotor coupled to thegearbox output memberso as to be driven thereby; a non-drive-end shield coupled to the non-drive-end side of the generator housing;and at least one auxiliary drive mounted to the non-drive-end shield. The at least one auxiliary drive is configured to rotate the turning gear. A corresponding method of installing a wind farm including such a power transmission system is also provided.
Abstract:
A method of determining a dimension of an air gap in an electrical power generator for a wind turbine. The generator comprises a stator with a rotor mounted within the stator such that an air gap is defined between a radially outward rotor surface and a radially inward stator surface. The stator has a stator aperture that penetrates the stator radially from a radially outward stator surface to the radially inward stator surface. The air gap is measured by inserting an air gap measurement tool through the stator aperture so that a measurement head of the measurement tool protrudes into the air gap. The measurement tool is used to determine the radial dimension of the air gap at the respective stator aperture position. An apparatus for determining an air gap in an electrical generator, and a wind turbine comprising the apparatus is also disclosed.
Abstract:
A stator mount and a tool for adjusting the position of a stator mount of a stator of a generator of a wind turbine. The stator mount comprises a support member having a plurality of elongate both holes which provide adjustability between the stator mount and the frame of a generator housing, or between separate components of the stator mount itself. The stator mount may comprise one or more adjustment devices for adjusting the position of the stator mount in use. A tool is provided which may be used to adjust the position of the stator mounts. The tool attaches to the frame of the generator and comprises one or more adjustment devices for adjusting the position of the stator in use.
Abstract:
A generator (24) for a wind turbine (1) comprises a rotor (32) with an axis of rotation, a stator and a radial and/or axial locking mechanism. The radial locking mechanism comprises a plurality of radial locks (60) with a fixed portion (70) coupled to the stator and a movable elongate portion (72) configured to move relative to the fixed portion (70) and radially with respect to the axis of the rotation to lock the stator in a radial direction. The rotor (32) may comprise at least one lock engagement feature (86) arranged at its end surface and an end shield (90) located axially outward and at least partially adjacent the end surface. The end shield (90) comprises at least one opening enabling access to the end surface of the rotor (32). The axial locking mechanism may comprise at least one axial lock (80) comprising a removable block (82) configured to partly cover the at least one opening of the end shield (90) and a rotor engagement tool (84) for engaging the removable block (82) with the at least one lock engagement feature (86).
Abstract:
In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a generator for a wind turbine defining a central generator axis. The generator comprises a stator support frame and an environmental conditioning module removably attached to the stator support frame. The environmental conditioning module comprises a heat exchanger and an air mover supported by a module housing. The environmental conditioning module further comprises fluid interface connections associated with the heat exchanger, the fluid interface connections being releaseably connectable to a fluid supply system associated with the heat exchanger, and electrical interface connections associated with the air blower, the electrical interface connections being releaseably connectable to an electrical supply system associated with the air mover.