DK178152B1

DK178152B1 - Wind turbine rotor lock system

Info

Publication number: DK178152B1
Application number: DK201470534A
Authority: DK
Inventors: Thomas Krag Nielsen
Original assignee: Envision Energy Denmark Aps
Priority date: 2014-09-02
Filing date: 2014-09-02
Publication date: 2015-07-06
Also published as: CN105386941B; CN105386941A

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wind turbine rotor lock system for a wind turbine and to a method for operating a wind turbine rotor lock system for a wind turbine comprising a tower, a nacelle and a rotor, where said rotor comprises wind turbine blades and a hub installed at said nacelle at an interface between the rotor and the nacelle, where said interface comprises at least one bearing arrangement - a moment bearing - comprising an inner and an outer bearing part, where the bearing is rigidly connected to a mainframe structure at said nacelle, and to said wind rotor hub for rotatable support of said wind rotor and for transfer of loads from the weight of the wind rotor and from the wind load on the wind rotor, where said wind rotor further comprises a main shaft for transferring rotational torque, generated by the wind on said wind rotor, to a generator, where said wind turbine rotor lock system further comprises one or more locking means.

Description

Wind turbine rotor lock system

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a wind turbine rotor lock system for a wind turbine, where said wind turbine comprises at least a tower, a nacelle at said tower and a rotor installed at said nacelle, where said rotor comprises at least two wind turbine blades and a rotor hub, where said rotor hub is rotatably installed at said nacelle at an interface between the rotor and the nacelle, where said interface comprises at least one bearing arrangement comprising an inner and an outer bearing part, where at least one bearing part is rigidly connected to a mainframe structure at said nacelle, and where at least one further bearing part is rigidly connected to said wind rotor hub for rotatable support of said wind rotor and for transfer of loads from the weight of the wind rotor and from the wind load on the wind rotor, where said wind rotor further comprises a main shaft for transferring rotational torque, generated by the wind on said wind rotor, to a generator, where said wind turbine rotor lock system further comprises one or more locking means.

The invention further relates to a method for operating a wind turbine rotor lock system for a wind turbine by using a wind turbine rotor lock system as described above, where said wind turbine comprises at least a tower, a nacelle at said tower and a rotor installed at said nacelle, where said rotor comprises at least two wind turbine blades and a rotor hub, where said rotor hub is rotatably installed at said nacelle at an interface between the rotor and the nacelle, where said interface comprises at least one bearing arrangement comprising an inner and an outer bearing part, where at least one bearing part is rigidly connected to a mainframe structure at said nacelle, and where at least one further bearing part is rigidly connected to said wind rotor hub for rotatable support of said wind rotor and for transfer of loads from the weight of the wind rotor and from the wind load on the wind rotor, where said wind rotor further comprises a main shaft for transferring rotational torque, generated by the wind on said wind rotor, to a generator, where said wind turbine rotor lock system further comprises one or more locking means.

Background of the Invention

It is well known that wind turbines have some kind of brake or lock system for braking and/or locking the wind rotor of the wind turbine, preferably in a specific position during repair work or other situations where there is a need for a secure stand still of the rotor. Likewise, systems for locking the individual blades of a wind turbine in specific pitch positions are known. The present invention relates to braking and locking of the wind rotor in relation to the nacelle/mainframe of the wind turbine. The above-mentioned wind rotor is to be understood as a rotor comprising a hub and a number of wind turbine blades intended for converting the wind into rotational energy. The reason for explaining this is that a wind turbine typically also comprises another rotor, namely the rotor of the generator, also known as the generator rotor that rotates in close relation to the fixed stator of the generator, and thus generates electricity.

On a large number of wind turbines gearboxes are used to transform the rather slow rotation of the wind rotor into a faster rotation of the generator rotor. Such wind turbines often comprise a disc brake system arranged between the gearbox and the generator in order to only have to address a lower torque. Other wind turbines have the brake system arranged in front of the gearbox and thus have to deal with a higher torque but then with less revolutions per minute. Due to at least some slack in the gearbox between the wind rotor and the generator such a brake and lock system has a number of disadvantages. On so-called direct drive wind turbines, which have become more and more common, there is no gearbox as the wind rotor is directly coupled to the generator rotor.

The mentioned solutions having the brake system arranged at the main shaft either in front of a gearbox, after a gearbox, or on a main shaft for a direct drive wind turbine, need the main shaft to be stiff and rigid in order to be able to take up the forces acting during braking and locking.

A wind rotor can for instance have a diameter of 100 metres and weigh up to e.g. 50 metric ton. Further, the generator rotor also has a rather large mass of up to 20 metric ton. In order to stop and hold such large masses by activating the brake and lock system, very large demands need to be fulfilled. If the complete drive train, comprising the hub, the main shaft and the generator, has any slack or a too large elasticity, the system will wear at a too fast rate and eventually break, causing severe problems and costs, and such slack and elasticity will inevitable be present in some amount. In order to save weight - which always is an issue in the wind turbine industry - the known brake and lock systems are somewhat problematic as they demand a rigid system that comprises rigid and massive steel shafts having a high weight in order to be rigid and stiff enough to have an acceptable low elasticity.

From the document US 2010/0232978 Ala locking system for a wind rotor is known, where a number of radially arranged conical locking mandrels are operated to engage complementary shaped conical holes along the periphery of the hub. This system is arranged between a hub and a mainframe of a wind turbine, where the hub is connected to a load and torque carrying, and thus very rigid, main shaft, where said main shaft further is connected to a gearbox. One rather large disadvantage with this solution is that it is only possible to lock the rotor in as many different positions as said complementary shaped holes allow. In this situation only twelve positions are possible, meaning that the rotor may only be locked in intervals of 360/12 = 30 degrees. Further, a mandrel as seen in this document has a rather problematic tendency to - when engaged - block/lock itself in the complementary shaped holes. This will of course create problems after having performed the operation needed, and the wind rotor has to be released again.

From document EP 2 381 092 A2 another solution is known where a number of locking mandrels are operated in an axial direction in relation to the main shaft of the wind turbine. Here it is possible to lock the rotor in eight positions, meaning that the rotor may only be locked in intervals of 360/8 = 45 degrees. The same problems with blocking/locking mandrels apply for this solution.

Both solutions, as mentioned above, have only a limited number of possible positions and thus need to be braked to a standstill and thus to be rotated slowly into a locking position, which normally will be up to 30/2 = 15 degrees or 45/2 = 22,5 degrees taken that the rotor can be rotated in any direction. Otherwise, the needed angular adjustment may actually be between 30 to 45 degrees. No matter if it is the lower or higher degree, the rotor has to be rotated and it can be very difficult to perform this if the gearbox, bearings, main shaft for rotational torque, main shaft for carrying the wind rotor, generator or other vital components are damaged and need to be repaired or exchanged.

EP 1167755 A2 discloses a locking system comprising a toothed wheel provided on the rotor shaft where a locking device having a complementary shaped outer surface is manually operated in a radial direction for engaging the toothed rim of the wheel. A motorised drive wheel is used to rotate the rotor shaft so that the teeth of the locking device and the wheel are correctly aligned. This can be difficult if one or more components of the drive train are damaged. Also the braking loads are concentrated at a very limited number of teeth, thereby increasing the risk of the locking system failing.

Object of the Invention

It is an object of the invention to provide a wind turbine rotor lock system for a wind turbine, where the wind rotor can be locked in a large variety of positions, which is especially preferred in situations where only rather small angular rotations are wanted or are possible after the wind rotor has been braked to a standstill.

Further, it is an object of the invention to provide a wind turbine rotor lock system that is especially suited for wind turbines, where said wind turbine comprises a main shaft extending from a hub to a gear or to a generator, where said main shaft is designed to only transfer rotational forces, i.e. only torque and no bending moments, from the weight of the wind rotor or from the generator rotor. Such a main shaft could e.g. comprise at least one section of fibre reinforced composite or be manufactured from any suitable metal or any suitable material.

Description of the Invention

As mentioned above, the invention relates to a wind turbine rotor lock system for a wind turbine, where said wind turbine comprises at least a tower, a nacelle at said tower and a rotor installed at said nacelle, where said rotor comprises at least two wind turbine blades and a rotor hub, where said rotor hub is rotatably installed at said nacelle at an interface between the rotor and the nacelle, where said interface comprises at least one bearing arrangement comprising an inner and an outer bearing part, where at least one bearing part is rigidly connected to a mainframe structure at said nacelle, and where at least one further bearing part is rigidly connected to said wind rotor hub for rotatable support of said wind rotor and for transfer of loads from the weight of the wind rotor and from the wind load on the wind rotor, where said wind rotor further comprises a main shaft for transferring rotational torque, generated by the wind on said wind rotor, to a generator, and where said wind turbine rotor lock system further comprises one or more locking means.

The type of bearing construction mentioned above is well known in the industry as a “moment bearing” where all loads from the weight and the wind are transferred to the main frame via said moment bearing, and where a separate main shaft only carry the rotational load from the wind turbine rotor to the generator e.g. via a gearbox.

The novel and inventive features of this invention are that said wind turbine rotor lock system comprises at least one locking segment, where said locking segment comprises a first set of interacting locking means for engagement with a first set of complementary shaped locking means connected to the mainframe, and further comprises a second set of locking means for engagement with a second set of complementary shaped locking means connected to the rotor hub, where said locking segment comprises at least two sets of interacting locking means, where one set of interacting locking means is arranged at one surface of said locking segment, and where another set of interacting locking means is arranged at another surface of said locking segment.

Such a locking segment fits between the mainframe and the hub and “fills the gap” in a manner where the respective parts are locked in relation to each other, and the solution is suitable for locking and holding the hub (and rotor) in position during exchange or service of e.g. the main shaft for rotational torque.

This is a very good solution as a small tolerance already is established between the mainframe and the hub as the main bearing is located between these parts relatively close to the lock system. The part of the rotor hub that is actively locked may advantageously be a rear stiffening plate which is installed at the rotor hub and which faces the mainframe or a part, e.g. a stiffening plate at the mainframe. A further advantage of a locking system according to the invention is that a very rigid locking of all the components in question is achieved at the beginning of the drive train, and a very small amount of slack - if any at all - will be present.

In an embodiment of a wind turbine rotor lock system according to the invention, the complementary shaped locking means may have a first e-modulus at at least one of the rotor hub and mainframe, and the locking means of the locking segments may be manufactured from one of: a metal alloy, a plastic material, a composite material - e.g. a fibre composite, where said material has a second e-modulus, where the second e-modulus is lower than the first e-modulus. A locking segment or at least the locking means of a locking segment may e.g. be made from aluminium, plastic or fibre composite and thus having an e-modulus lower than the complementary parts. Hereby, it is achieved that the locking segment more easily will take up loads in an even and distributed manner as small deformations are allowed to take place in the locking segments or at least in the locking means of the locking segments. It is also possible to arrange the complementary shaped locking means at the rotor hub and/or at the mainframe with an e-modulus lower than the e-modulus of the locking segments. It is however more convenient to have any deformations on the locking segments as they can easily be replaced after having been used a certain number of times. Comparing this method with the prior art of locking mandrels, a number of advantages become clear as not only a few locking mandrels will be engaged to carry the load, but a rather large number of locking means will support each other in performing a very robust and also simple locking of a rotor.

In yet an embodiment of a wind turbine rotor lock system according to the invention, said wind turbine rotor lock system comprises at least one, preferably a series of locking segments, where one locking segment comprises one set of interacting locking means for engaging complementary locking means at the mainframe and another set of interacting locking means for engaging complementary locking means at the rotor hub, where one locking segment has a relative length of: between 8 to 20 degrees, between 10 to 18 degrees, between 12 to 15 degrees of the full 360 degree circumference. The clearance between the locking means and the complementary shaped locking means after insertion can be e.g. 2 mm or less. The complementary shaped locking means in the stiffening plate at the hub can easily be manufactured, e.g. the same way as an ordinary toothed rim would be, or it could actually be made from an ordinary internally toothed rim that is installed at the stiffening plate. Also the complementary shaped parts at the mainframe may comprise a toothed rim. As an example, a locking segment of 12 degrees may e.g. comprise four sets of locking means having a notch and groove shape, meaning that every set of locking means comprising one notch and one groove equals 12/4 = 3 degrees which is a rather high resolution when it comes to locking a wind rotor in a given position prior to repair or service work. A simple 12 degree segment made out of e.g. aluminium eases handling quite drastically as it will weigh only approximately 4 kilogram. Aluminum is available in high strength qualities to suit the properties of steel. The low e-modulus (Young’s modulus) will improve the notch load sharing and allow an even distribution of the forces in the part or parts having the lower e-modulus. Such locking segments may as an example be manufactured by using water jet cutting or laser cutting and will be ready for use after cutting, as no further work on the locking segments will be required.

As an example, a locking segment may have locking means - notches - with a height in the radial direction of 14 mm, a thickness in the axial direction of 35 mm and length of 50 mm in the circumferential direction. Other sizes may also be found advantageous according to the material used and the loads that have to be taken up. One locking segment may thus be approximately 400 mm long and have a typically width between 80 and 150 mm.

A wind turbine rotor lock system according to the invention may comprise at least one locking segment with a length in the circumferential direction of the rotor hub and a thickness orthogonal to the length direction in an axial direction of the rotor hub, where the two opposing edge surfaces defined by the thickness and the length of the locking segment comprise interacting locking means having a toothed appearance, where the locking segment and thus the locking means are arranged to be installed in the axial direction in relation to the main frame and the rotor hub.

A wind turbine rotor lock system according to the invention may also comprise that said at least one locking segment has a length in the circumferential direction of the rotor hub and further has a thickness orthogonal to the length direction in a radial direction of the rotor hub, where the two opposing edge surfaces defined by the thickness and the length of the locking segment comprise interacting locking means having a toothed appearance, where the locking segment and thus the locking means are arranged to be installed in the radial direction in relation to the main frame and the rotor hub.

A locking segment according to the invention can thus be installed in axial direction as well as in radial direction, according to the specific design. It is however most common to have a clearance between the hub and the mainframe in the axial direction as will be seen by example in the drawings below.

In an embodiment of a wind turbine rotor lock system according to the invention, said locking means comprises notches/teeth with sharp edges.

In another embodiment of a wind turbine rotor lock system according to the invention, said locking means comprises notches/teeth with rounded edges.

The shape of the notches/teeth will be considered taking the potential risk of cracks from notch effect and the production costs into account. The shape of the locking means can, of cause, have many designs as long as the respective parts will “fill the gap” between the hub and the mainframe and perform a proper locking.

In a variant of a wind turbine rotor lock system according to the invention, said locking means may comprise notches/teeth where the teeth along an edge surface are conical shaped.

The teeth on a locking segment may be conical where the pitch of one tooth is larger at one side of the locking segment as on the opposite side. The teeth may also be conical in the width direction of the locking segment, meaning that the height of the teeth is larger on one side that on the other side of a locking segment. No matter how the conical shapes are oriented, it allows the individual locking segments to be installed with more ease as the conical teeth will act as a wedge and thus easier can compensate for a small misalignment of the respective parts during installation.

All locking segments may comprise conical shaped teeth/notches, but in practice it is only necessary that one locking segment has conical teeth, as when the first segment having conical shaped teeth are installed, any small misalignment between the rotor and the mainframe will be aligned. This will allow further locking segments to be installed without any conical shaped teeth.

In a further embodiment of a wind turbine rotor lock system according to the invention, the complementary shaped locking means at at least one of the rotor hub and mainframe may comprise conical shaped notches/teeth.

The teeth at the rotor hub and at the mainframe may also be conical in order to allow the locking segments to be guided by the conical parts when inserted. Both the mainframe and the rotor hub may have a conical design on the locking means, but also only one of them may have a conical design. The locking segments may also be conical on both sides, but also only one side surface may be conical. Any combination of one or more sets of locking means and complementary shaped locking means being conical or not is possible.

A wind turbine rotor lock system according to the invention may comprise that the rotor lock system further comprises fixation means for fixating one or more locking segments to at least one of the rotor hub and the mainframe when the locking segment is installed between the complementary shaped locking means at said rotor hub and at said mainframe, where said fixation means e.g. is constituted by one of: bolts, screws, brackets. Locking segments may be designed for being bolted onto the bearing inner ring by means of bolts, e.g. by three pieces of M16 bolts or by using any other suitable fasteners or fastening means.

The invention also comprises a method for operating a wind turbine rotor lock system for a wind turbine using a wind turbine rotor lock system according to the above description, where said wind turbine comprises at least a tower, a nacelle at said tower and a rotor installed at said nacelle, where said rotor comprises at least two wind turbine blades and a rotor hub, where said rotor hub is rotatably installed at said nacelle at an interface between the rotor and the nacelle, where said interface comprises at least one bearing arrangement comprising an inner and an outer bearing part, where at least one bearing part is rigidly connected to a mainframe structure at said nacelle, and where at least one further bearing part is rigidly connected to said wind rotor hub for rotatable support of said wind rotor and for transfer of loads from the weight of the wind rotor and from the wind load on the wind rotor, where said wind rotor further comprises a main shaft for transferring rotational torque, generated by the wind on said wind rotor, to a generator, where said wind turbine rotor lock system further comprises one or more locking means.

The method according to the invention may comprise at least the following steps: - stopping the rotor, - aligning a first set of complementary shaped locking means in relation to a second set of complementary shaped locking means, - providing at least one locking segment comprising a first and a second set of interacting locking means, - inserting the interacting locking means of said locking segment between the first and second set of complementary shaped locking means, - securing said locking segment to one of the mainframe and the rotor hub.

The locking segments can easily be inserted to interact with both the rotor hub, e.g. via a stiffening plate at the rotor hub, and to interact with the mainframe or any means in rigid contact with the mainframe. By means of a turning device and the brake disc at the rotor, the locking means can be aligned to allow insertion of a first locking segment. As mentioned above, any small misalignment can be coped with by using locking means or complementary shaped locking means having conical shaped notches or teeth.

A method for operating a wind turbine rotor lock system for a wind turbine according to the invention may further comprise the following steps: - inserting further locking segments between the first and second set of complementary shaped locking means, - securing said further locking segments to one of the mainframe and the rotor hub.

A solution according to the invention may at the circumference of the rotor hub and at the interface to the mainframe be locked by using locking segments that fill between 5 to 100 % of the circumference, but in a preferred embodiment of the invention less than 90%, 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, or 20 % of the circumference will be filled out by using locking segments.

A solution as mentioned above will be useful for all systems where the hub of a wind rotor is arranged in a rigid connection with the main frame of the nacelle. This can e.g. be by installing the hub at a rotor beam at the main frame via a single bearing system or via a double bearing system or by installing the hub directly at a bearing interface at the main frame. Such a design has been used previously, e.g. in connection with so called ring generators, where no main shaft is present, but also other types of wind turbines have been designed with such a shaft system, where the problem with the elasticity and slack, as mentioned earlier, do not occur.

Further, this solution has become more and more popular as vibrations, misalignment and bending moments do not get transferred from the rotor and/or main shaft to a gearbox and/or generator. By arranging the bearing or bearings more or less directly between the hub and the mainframe, there is established a very fine tolerance between the mentioned parts - namely the hub and the mainframe, which in turn makes it possible to lock the wind rotor by using locking elements according to the invention.

As mentioned above, the invention can be used in wind turbine constructions having the hub installed at the mainframe via a single or double bearing system. Until now, this solution has mainly been used for smaller wind turbines in the kW range, as when moving into the MW range the forces and the reactions become very large. A hub for a wind turbine will normally be manufactured from cast iron, and it will have to take up tremendous forces at MW turbines and it will deform quite drastically during oper ation. It is, however, possible to design a hub that can cope with the loads and that can be used together with a one or two bearing system.

Another design that can be used to deal with the high loads and deformation involves a so called rotor beam, as also mentioned above, where the hub can be supported by at least, but typically, two sets of bearings. The rotor beam is connected rigidly to the mainframe of the nacelle and typically projects through the hub, and it thus caries the load of the wind rotor and also takes up the forces acting on the wind rotor. Transfer of the rotational forces to the generator system can thus take place via a main shaft designed to transfer only rotational forces and not to carry the wind rotor or to take up bending moments from said wind rotor.

Description of the Drawing

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a three bladed wind turbine.

Fig. 2 shows a mainframe and a rotor hub of the moment bearing type.

Fig. 3 shows a cross section of a mainframe and rotor hub.

Fig. 4 shows parts of a locking system.

Fig. 5 shows a first locking segment.

Fig. 6 shows a second locking segment.

Fig. 7 shows a third locking segment.

In the following text, the figures will be described one by one and the different parts and positions seen in the figures will be numbered with the same numbers in the different figures. Not all parts and positions indicated in a specific figure will necessarily be discussed together with that specific figure.

Position number list 1. Wind turbine 2. Tower 3. Foundation 4. Nacelle 5. Wind rotor 6. Rotor hub 7. Blades 8. Yaw mechanism 9. Mainframe 10. Moment bearing 11. Inner bearing ring 12. Outer bearing ring 13. Rear stiffening plate 14. Main shaft 15. Narrow gap 16. Bolt holes 17. Locking segment 18. First set of locking means 19. Second set of locking means 20. First set of complementary shaped locking means 21. Second set of complementary shaped locking means

Detailed Description of the Invention

In fig. 1 a three bladed wind turbine 1 is seen, where the wind turbine 1 comprises a tower 2 extending from a foundation 3 at the ground to a nacelle 4 on top of said tower 2. At one end of the nacelle 4, the wind rotor 5 is arranged. The wind rotor 5 comprises a rotor hub 6 and three blades 7, and in this case the blades 7 are so called pitch blades. Between the tower 2 and the nacelle 4, a yaw mechanism 8 (not visible in this figure) is arranged which allows the nacelle 4 to be rotated in relation to the tower 2, in order to direct the wind rotor 5 in a specific direction according to the direction of the wind.

Fig. 2 shows a mainframe 9 of the nacelle 4, where the yaw mechanism 8 is seen at the lower edge of the mainframe 9, and where a rotor hub 6 is installed at a moment bearing 10. The moment bearing 10 is seen very simplified, in detail, as there will be a number of rollers installed between an inner bearing ring 11 and an outer bearing ring 12 - as well known for roller bearings of this type. Here, the inner bearing ring 11 is installed at the rotor hub 6 and the outer bearing ring 12 is installed at the mainframe 9. Further, there is installed a rear stiffening plate 13 at the inner bearing ring 11. In this case, said rear stiffening plate carries the main shaft 14 for transferring the rotational torque from the wind rotor 5. Between the main frame 9 and the rear stiffening plate 13 a rather narrow gap 15 is seen.

In fig. 3 a cross section of the mainframe 9 at the interface to the rotor hub 6 / rear stiffening plate 13 is seen. At the main frame 9, a number of bolt holes 16 are seen and also at the rear stiffening plate 13 a number of bolt holes 16 are seen. All these bolt holes 16 are intended for fastening the respective parts to the previously mentioned moment bearing 10. Between the main frame 9 and the rear stiffening plate 13, the rather narrow gap 15 is seen in which a number of locking segments 17 are installed. The locking segments 17 comprise a first set of locking means 18 and a second set of locking means 19, where each of said sets of locking means 18, 19 interacts with a first set of complementary shaped locking means 20 and with a second set of complementary shaped locking means 21. These locking segments 17 thus secure the rotational position of the rear stiffening plate 13 in relation to the mainframe 9. At the outer periphery of the rear stiffening plate 13, a number of locking means (notch-es/teeth) 20, 21 are seen which also is the case when looking at the inner periphery at the interface at the mainframe 9. As can be seen in this figure, the locking segments 17 fill the narrow gap 15 by approximately 40 % to 50 % of the circumference, which typically will be more than sufficient to obtain a safe locking.

Fig. 4 shows parts of a locking system as seen in fig. 3 but here in a different angle and only in part. Here, the locking segments 17 are seen in front of the narrow gap 15 prior to being installed or inserted into the gap 15. This figure shows very clearly that a large number of possible locking positions are available meaning that the system allows a large resolution compared to other locking systems, where e.g. two to eight possible positions are possible.

Fig. 5 shows a first locking segment 17, where the first and second set of locking means 18, 19 are seen having a sharp edge design.

Fig. 6 shows a second locking segment 17’, where the first and second set of locking means 18, 19 are seen having a rounded edge design.

Fig. 7 shows a third locking segment 17”, where the first and second set of locking means 18, 19 are seen having a conical and rounded edge design.

In the figures 5, 6 and 7, different designs are seen as examples. It is, however, clear to the skilled person, as also mentioned above, that the locking means 18, 19, 20, 21 may have any suitable shape and dimension in order to fulfil the demands for a specific situation.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein, and may be modified or adapted without departing from the scope of the present invention as described in the patent claims below.

Claims

1. Vindturbinerotorlåsesystem til en vindturbine (1), hvor vindturbinen (1) omfatter mindst et tårn (2), en maskinkabine (4) på tårnet (2) og en rotor (5) installeret ved maskinkabinen, hvor rotoren (5) omfatter mindst to vindturbinevinger (7) og et ro-tomav (6), hvor rotornavet (6) er roterbart installeret ved maskinkabinen (4) ved en grænseflade mellem rotoren (5) og maskinkabinen (4), hvor grænsefladen omfatter mindst et lejearrangement, der omfatter en indre og en ydre lejedel, hvor mindst en lejedel er stift forbundet med en hovedrammestruktur (9) ved maskinkabinen (4), og hvor mindst en yderligere lejedel er stift forbundet med rotornavet (6) for roterbar understøtning af vindrotoren (5) og for overføring af belastninger fra vindrotorens (5) vægt og fra vindbelastningen på vindrotoren (5), hvor vindrotoren (5) yderligere omfatter en hovedaksel (14) til overførsel af drejningsmoment, som genereres af vinden på vindrotoren (5), til en generator, hvor vindturbinerotorlåsesystemet yderligere omfatter et eller flere låseorganer, kendetegnet ved, at vindturbinerotorlåsesystemet omfatter mindst et låsesegment (17), hvor låsesegmentet (17) omfatter et første sæt samvirkende låseorganer (18) til indgreb med et første sæt komplementært udformede låseorganer (20) forbundet med hovedrammen (9) og yderligere omfatter et andet sæt samvirkende låseorganer (19) til indgreb med et andet sæt komplementært udformet låseorganer (21) forbundet med rotornavet (6), hvor låsesegmentet (17) omfatter mindst to sæt samvirkende låseorganer (18, 19), hvor et sæt samvirkende låseorganer (18) er arrangeret ved en overflade af låsesegmentet (17), og hvor et andet sæt samvirkende låseorganer (19) er arrangeret ved en anden overflade af låsesegmentet (17).A wind turbine rotor locking system for a wind turbine (1), wherein the wind turbine (1) comprises at least one tower (2), a machine cabin (4) on the tower (2) and a rotor (5) installed at the machine cabin, wherein the rotor (5) comprises at least two wind turbine blades (7) and a rotor hub (6), wherein the rotor hub (6) is rotatably installed at the machine cabin (4) at an interface between the rotor (5) and the machine cabin (4), the interface comprising at least one bearing arrangement comprising an inner and an outer bearing part, wherein at least one bearing part is rigidly connected to a main frame structure (9) at the machine cabin (4) and at least one additional bearing part is rigidly connected to the rotor hub (6) for rotatably supporting the wind rotor (5) and for transferring loads from the weight of the wind rotor (5) and from the wind load on the wind rotor (5), the wind rotor (5) further comprising a main shaft (14) for transferring torque generated by the wind on the wind rotor (5) to a generator where vindturbinerotorlå the locking system further comprises one or more locking means, characterized in that the wind turbine rotor locking system comprises at least one locking segment (17), the locking segment (17) comprising a first set of cooperating locking means (18) for engagement with a first set of complementary shaped locking means (20) connected to the main frame. (9) and further comprising a second set of cooperating locking means (19) for engagement with a second set of complementary shaped locking means (21) connected to the rotor hub (6), the locking segment (17) comprising at least two sets of cooperating locking means (18, 19), wherein a set of cooperating locking means (18) is arranged at one surface of the locking segment (17) and another set of cooperating locking means (19) is arranged at another surface of the locking segment (17).

2. Vindturbinerotorlåsesystem ifølge krav 1, kendetegnet ved, at de komplementært udformede låseorganer (20, 21) ved det mindst ene rotornav (6) og hovedrammen (9) har et første E-modul, og at låseorganeme (18, 19) ved låse segmenterne (17) er fremstillet af en af: en metallegering, et plastmateriale, et kompositmateriale, hvor materialet har et andet E-modul, hvor det andet E-modul er lavere end det første E-modul.Wind turbine rotor locking system according to claim 1, characterized in that the complementary shaped locking means (20, 21) at the at least one rotor hub (6) and the main frame (9) have a first E-module and the locking means (18, 19) at the locking the segments (17) are made of one of: a metal alloy, a plastic material, a composite material, the material having a second E-module, the second E-module being lower than the first E-module.

3. Vindturbinerotorlåsesystem ifølge ethvert af krav 1 til 2, kendetegnet ved, at vind-turbinelåsesystemet omfatter mindst et, fortrinsvis en række låsesegmenter (17), hvor et låsesegment (17) omfatter et sæt samvirkende låseorganer (18) til indgreb med komplementære låseorganer (20) ved hovedrammen (9) og et andet sæt samvirkende låseorganer (19) til indgreb med komplementære låseorganer (21) ved rotornavet (6), hvor et låsesegment (17) har en relativ længde på mellem 8 og 20 grader, mellem 10 og 18 grader, eller mellem 12 og 15 grader af hele omkredsen på 360 grader.Wind turbine rotor locking system according to any of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the wind turbine locking system comprises at least one, preferably a series of locking segments (17), a locking segment (17) comprising a set of cooperating locking means (18) for engagement with complementary locking means ( 20) at the main frame (9) and another set of cooperating locking means (19) for engagement with complementary locking means (21) at the rotor hub (6), wherein a locking segment (17) has a relative length of between 8 and 20 degrees, between 10 and 18 degrees, or between 12 and 15 degrees of the entire 360 degree circumference.

4. Vindturbinerotorlåsesystem ifølge ethvert af krav 1 til 3, kendetegnet ved, at det mindst ene låsesegment (17) har en længde i rotomavets (6) omkredsretning og endvidere har en tykkelse vinkelret på længderetningen i en aksialretning af rotomavet (6), hvor de to modstående kantflader defineret ved tykkelsen og længden af låsesegmentet (17) omfatter samvirkende låseorganer (18, 19) med et fortandet ydre, hvor låsesegmentet (17) og derfor låseorganerne (18, 19) er arrangeret til at installeres i aksialretningen i forhold til hovedrammen (9) og rotornavet (6).Wind turbine rotor locking system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the at least one locking segment (17) has a length in the circumferential direction of the rotomav (6) and furthermore a thickness perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in an axial direction of the rotomav (6). two opposed edge faces defined by the thickness and length of the locking segment (17) comprise cooperating locking means (18, 19) with a toothed outer, the locking segment (17) and therefore the locking means (18, 19) arranged to be installed in the axial direction relative to the main frame (9) and the rotor hub (6).

5. Vindturbinerotorlåsesystem ifølge ethvert af krav 1 til 3, kendetegnet ved, at det mindst ene låsesegment (17) har en længde i rotomavets (6) omkredsretning og endvidere har en tykkelse vinkelret på længderetningen i en aksialretning af rotomavet (6), hvor de to modstående kantflader defineret ved tykkelsen og længden af låsesegmentet (17) omfatter samvirkende låseorganer (18, 19) med fortandet ydre, hvor låsesegmentet (17) og derfor låseorganerne (18, 19) er arrangeret til at installeres i radialretningen i forhold til hovedrammen (9) og rotornavet (6).Wind turbine rotor locking system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the at least one locking segment (17) has a length in the circumferential direction of the rotomav (6) and furthermore a thickness perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in an axial direction of the rotomav (6). two opposing edge faces defined by the thickness and length of the locking segment (17) comprise cooperating locking means (18, 19) with the toothed outer, wherein the locking segment (17) and therefore the locking means (18, 19) are arranged to be installed in the radial direction relative to the main frame ( 9) and the rotor hub (6).

6. Vindturbinerotorlåsesystem ifølge ethvert af krav 1 til 5, kendetegnet ved, at låse-organerne (18, 19) omfatter indhak/tænder med skarpe kanter.Wind turbine rotor locking system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the locking means (18, 19) comprise notches / teeth with sharp edges.

7. Vindturbinerotorlåsesystem ifølge ethvert af krav 1 til 5, kendetegnet ved, at låse-organerne (18, 19) omfatter indhak/tænder med afmndede kanter.Wind turbine rotor locking system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the locking means (18, 19) comprise notches / teeth with cut edges.

8. Vindturbinerotorlåsesystem ifølge ethvert af krav 1 til 7, kendetegnet ved, at låse-organerne (18, 19) omfatter indhak/tænder, hvor tænderne langs en kantflade er udformet koniske.Wind turbine rotor locking system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the locking means (18, 19) comprise notches / teeth, in which the teeth along a rim surface are conical.

9. Vindturbinerotorlåsesystem ifølge ethvert af krav 1 til 8, kendetegnet ved, at de komplementært udformede låseorganer (20, 21) ved mindst en af rotornavet (6) og hovedrammen (9) omfatter koniske udformede indhak/tænder.A wind turbine rotor locking system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the complementary shaped locking means (20, 21) comprise at least one of the rotor hub (6) and the main frame (9) conical shaped notches / teeth.

10. Vindturbinerotorlåsesystem ifølge ethvert af krav 1 til 9, kendetegnet ved, at vindturbinerotorlåsesystemet yderligere omfatter fikseringsmidler til fiksering af et eller flere låsesegmenter (17) til mindst en af rotornavet (6) og hovedrammen (9), når låsesegmentet (17) er installeret mellem de komplementære låseorganer (20, 21) ved rotornavet (6) og ved hovedrammen (9), hvor fikseringsmidlerne f.eks. udgøres af en af bolte, skruer, bøjler.Wind turbine rotor locking system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the wind turbine rotor locking system further comprises fixing means for fixing one or more locking segments (17) to at least one of the rotor hub (6) and the main frame (9) when the locking segment (17) is installed. between the complementary locking means (20, 21) at the rotor hub (6) and at the main frame (9), where the fixing means e.g. is made of one of bolts, screws, shackles.

11. Fremgangsmåde til drift af et vindturbinerotorlåsesystem til en vindturbine (1) ved anvendelse af et vindturbinerotorlåsesystem ifølge ethvert af krav 1 til 10, hvor vindturbinen (1) omfatter mindst et tårn (2), en maskinkabine (4) på tårnet (2) og en rotor (5) installeret ved maskinkabinen, hvor rotoren (5) omfatter mindst to vindturbinevin-ger (7) og et rotornav (6), hvor rotornavet (6) er roterbart installeret ved maskinkabinen (4) ved en grænseflade mellem rotoren (5) og maskinkabinen (4), hvor grænsefladen omfatter mindst et lejearrangement, der omfatter en indre og en ydre lejedel, hvor mindst en lejedel er stift forbundet med en hovedrammestruktur (9) ved maskinkabinen (4), og hvor mindst en yderligere lejedel er stift forbundet med rotornavet (6) for roterbar understøtning af vindrotoren (5) og for overføring af belastninger fra vindrotorens (5) vægt og fra vindbelastningen på vindrotoren (5), hvor vindrotoren (5) yderligere omfatter en hovedaksel (14) til overførsel af drejningsmoment, som genereres af vinden på vindrotoren (5), til en generator, hvor vindturbinerotorlåsesystemet yderligere omfatter et eller flere låseorganer, kendetegnet ved, at fremgangsmåden omfatter mindst følgende trin: - standsning af rotoren (5), - opretning af et første sæt komplementært udformede låseorganer (20) i forhold et andet sæt komplementært udformede låseorganer (21), - tilvejebringelse af mindst et låsesegment (17) omfattende et første og et andet sæt samvirkende låseorganer (18, 19), - indføring af låsesegmentets (17) samvirkende låseorganer (18, 19) mellem det første og det andet sæt komplementært udformede låseorganer (20, 21), - fastgørelse af låsesegmentet (17) til en af hovedrammen (9) og rotomavet (6).A method of operating a wind turbine rotor locking system for a wind turbine (1) using a wind turbine rotor locking system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the wind turbine (1) comprises at least one tower (2), a machine cabin (4) on the tower (2). and a rotor (5) installed at the machine cabin, wherein the rotor (5) comprises at least two wind turbine blades (7) and a rotor hub (6), wherein the rotor hub (6) is rotatably installed at the machine cabin (4) at an interface between the rotor ( 5) and the machine cabin (4), wherein the interface comprises at least one bearing arrangement comprising an inner and an outer bearing part, wherein at least one bearing part is rigidly connected to a main frame structure (9) at the machine cabin (4) and at least one additional bearing part is rigidly connected to the rotor hub (6) for rotatably supporting the wind rotor (5) and for transferring loads from the weight of the wind rotor (5) and from the wind load on the wind rotor (5), the wind rotor (5) further comprising a main shaft (14) above supply of torque generated by the wind on the wind rotor (5) to a generator wherein the wind turbine rotor locking system further comprises one or more locking means, characterized in that the method comprises at least the following steps: - stopping the rotor (5), - aligning a first set of complementary locking members (20) relative to a second set of complementary locking members (21), - providing at least one locking segment (17) comprising a first and second set of cooperating locking means (18, 19), - introducing the locking segment (17) cooperating locking means (18, 19) between the first and second sets of complementary locking means (20, 21), - securing the locking segment (17) to one of the main frame (9) and the rotomav (6).

12. Fremgangsmåde til drift af et vindturbinerotorlåsesystem til en vindturbine ifølge krav 11, kendetegnet ved at fremgangsmåden yderligere omfatter følgende trin: - indføring af yderligere låsesegmenter (17) mellem det første og andet sæt komplementært udformede låseorganer (20, 21), - fastgørelse af yderligere låsesegmenter (17) til en af hovedrammen (9) og rotomavet (6).Method for operating a wind turbine rotor locking system for a wind turbine according to claim 11, characterized in that the method further comprises the following steps: - insertion of additional locking segments (17) between the first and second sets of complementary shaped locking means (20, 21), - fastening of further locking segments (17) for one of the main frame (9) and the rotomav (6).