WO2008002035A1

WO2008002035A1 - Triangular octahedral support structure for wind rotor of wind turbine

Info

Publication number: WO2008002035A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/003008
Authority: WO
Inventors: Byung-Sue Ryu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-06-26
Filing date: 2007-06-21
Publication date: 2008-01-03
Anticipated expiration: 2008-12-26
Also published as: KR100744992B1; CA2656232A1

Abstract

A triangular octahedral support structure for the wind rotor of a wind turbine is provided in order to minimize the number of members thereof. The triangular octahedral support structure comprises: an upper end support, which is disposed above the wind rotor, rotatably supports the upper end of a rotary shaft installed vertically so as to pass through the center of the wind rotor, and has a triangular plane structure; a lower end support, which is disposed below the wind rotor, rotatably supports the lower end of the rotary shaft, installed vertically so as to pass through the center of the wind rotor, and has an inverse triangular plane structure located directly below the upper end support; and a set of connectors that interconnect respective apexes of the upper and lower end supports to form six triangular faces such that one of the apexes of one of the upper and lower end supports is connected to two of the apexes of the other support.

Description

TRIANGULAR OCTAHEDRAL SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR WIND ROTOR OF WIND TURBINE

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates, in general, to a support structure for supporting a wind rotor rotated by wind force, and more particularly, to a triangular octahedral support structure for the wind rotor of a wind turbine, capable of securing sufficient space in which the wind rotor is mounted and supported using a small number of members and providing a firm structure. Background Art

[2] In general, as resources such as petroleum, coal, natural gas, etc. are exhausted by industrial development and population growth, wind turbines, which generate electricity using wind force, are being thoroughly studied as an alternative energy source.

[3] FIG. 1 illustrates a general wind turbine. Referring to FIG. 1, the general wind turbine comprises a wind rotor 10 having a plurality of blades generating a rotational force caused by wind force, a generator 20 producing electric power using the rotational force of the wind rotor 10, and a support structure 30 supporting the wind rotor 10 and the generator 20.

[4] However, in order to stably maintain conditions for electric power generation, the wind rotor must be located at a high altitude, where a constant flow is maintained. This requires that the wind rotor be located at a very high position. Thus, high installation expenses are required, and the danger of collapse is high. In addition, there is great difficulty in the maintenance/repair of various main parts. Further, in light of the structure of the wind rotor, the minimum speed of wind must range from about 5 m/sec to about 6 m/sec in order to smoothly generate electricity. In areas where the wind is relatively weak and the direction of the wind frequently changes, it is difficult to expect electricity to be generated with satisfactory efficiency. Moreover, when a typhoon or windstorm occurs, the operation of the wind rotor must be stopped in order to prevent the parts from being damaged.

[5] Subsequently, a vertical wind turbine, capable of generating electricity in an area where the pressure of wind is low and the direction of the wind frequently changes, has been devised. FIG. 2 illustrates a vertical wind turbine. Referring to FIG. 2, the vertical wind turbine is designed so that a wind rotor is vertically installed on the support structure 30. This wind turbine has an advantage in that electricity can be generated in topographical conditions unfavorable for the generation of electricity, compared to the wind turbine described with reference to FIG.l.

[6] However, in order to smoothly rotate the vertical wind turbine, the wind rotor must be supported at upper and lower portions thereof by the support structure. The support structure is structurally complicated, and various materials and a large installation space are required in order to maintain sufficient rigidity. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[7] Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the problems occurring in the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a triangular octahedral support structure for the wind rotor of a wind turbine, the configuration of which is simplified by minimizing the number of constituent members, which uses space with increased efficiency, and which has a firm structure.

[8] Another object of the present invention is to provide a triangular octahedral support structure for the wind rotor of a wind turbine, which supports a plurality of wind rotors in an easier manner when the wind rotors are installed adjacent to each other. Technical Solution

[9] In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a triangular octahedral support structure for the wind rotor of a wind turbine, which comprises:

[10] an upper end support, which is disposed above the wind rotor, rotatably supports an upper end of a rotary shaft, installed vertically so as to pass through the center of the wind rotor, and has a triangular plane structure;

[11] a lower end support, which is disposed below the wind rotor, rotatably supports a lower end of the rotary shaft, installed vertically so as to pass through the center of the wind rotor, and has an inverse triangular plane structure directly below the upper end support; and

[12] a set of connectors, which interconnect respective apexes of the upper and lower end supports to form six triangular faces such that one of the apexes of either one of the upper and lower end supports is connected to two of the apexes of the other support.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[13] FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating an ordinary wind turbine in the related art;

[14] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a vertical wind turbine in the related art;

[15] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a support structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; [16] FIG. 4 is a front view of FIG. 3 ;

[17] FIG. 5 is a plan view of FIG. 3; [18] FIG. 6 is a view illustrating the state in which a wind rotor is supported by a support structure;

[19] FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating an upper end support of the present invention;

[20] FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating another example of an upper end support of the present invention;

[21] FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a lower end support of the present invention;

[22] FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating a used state of support structures of the present invention; and

[23] FIG. 11 is a side view illustrating another used state of support structures of the present invention.

[24] <Description of symbols of the main parts in the drawings>

[25] 100: support structure 110: upper end support

[26] 111: first frame 112: first joint block

[27] 113: first bearing block 114: first auxiliary frame

[28] 115: first fastening block 120: lower end support

[29] 121: second frame 122: second joint block

[30] 123: second bearing block 124: second auxiliary frame

[31] 125: second fastening block

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[32] Reference will now be made in greater detail to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. If detailed descriptions of known function and construction are determined to unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, they will not be given.

[33] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a support structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a front view of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a plan view of FIG. 3. Referring to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the support structure 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention composes an upper end support 110, a lower end support 120, and a set of connectors 130. This support structure 100 is provided with two triangular faces, which are formed by the upper end support 110 and the lower end support 120, and six other triangular faces, which are formed by the connector set 130 connecting the upper end support 110 and the lower end support 120, thereby having eight triangular faces. In this manner, because each face has a triangular structure, the support structure 100 has a firm structure using a small number of members, and has a structure in which it is easy to secure space in which to mount a wind rotor 200. [34] FIG. 6 illustrates the state in which a wind rotor is supported by a support structure.

Referring to FIG. 6, the wind rotor 200, supported by the support structure 100, is provided with a plurality of blades 220 outside a cylinder 210. This cylinder 210 has the shape of a changgu (an hourglass-shaped drum), the center of which is recessed. The blades 220 are made of cloth, and thus are designed to passively unfold according to the wind direction or to be brought into close contact with the cylinder 210. This wind rotor 200 produces electric power by rotating the cylinder 210 using the blades 220, to which the wind force is applied, and by transmitting the resultant rotational force to a generator (not shown) through a rotary shaft 230.

[35] FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating an upper end support. Referring to FIG. 7, the upper end support 110 is disposed at the upper end of the wind rotor 200, thereby supporting the upper end of the rotary shaft 230. The upper end support 110 comprises first frames 111, first joint blocks 112, a first bearing block 113, first auxiliary frames 114, and first fastening blocks 115. The number of first frames 111 is three, and the three first frames 111 are disposed to have an equilateral triangular structure. The number of first joint blocks 112 is three, and the three first joint blocks 112 are disposed at the apexes of a triangle formed by the first frames 111. Thus, each of the first joint blocks 112 connects two of the first frames 111 that intersect each other. At this time, the connection between the first joint blocks 112 and the first frames 111 can be achieved through typical welding. The first bearing block 113 is disposed at the center of gravity of the triangle formed by the first frames 111, and is provided therein with a bearing for rotatably supporting the upper end of the rotary shaft 230. The first auxiliary frames 114 extend from the first joint blocks 112 to the first bearing block 113 so as to support the first bearing block 113. The first fastening blocks 115 are installed on the first auxiliary frames 114, and are provided with fastening holes 151-1, each of which vertically passes through each of the first auxiliary frames 114. In the case in which two or more support structures 100 are stacked, the fastening holes 151-1, which vertically pass through the first auxiliary frames 114, allow the two or more support structures 100, located at upper and lower positions, to be fastened with bolts.

[36] Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the upper end support 110 has a structure in which the upper and lower portions thereof are opened by coupling beam-like members. However, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the upper end support 110 has a structure in which the upper and lower portions thereof are closed by coupling triangular flat plates.

[37] FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a lower end support. Referring to FIG. 9, the lower end support 120 comprises second frames 121, second joint blocks 122, a second bearing block 123, second auxiliary frames 124, and second fastening blocks 125. Meanwhile, the configurations of the second frames 121, the second joint blocks 122, the second bearing block 123, the second auxiliary frames 124, and the second fastening blocks 125 are the same as those of the upper end support 110, described with reference to FIG. 7, and so a detailed description thereof will be omitted. However, a triangle formed by the lower end support 120 is oriented opposite to that formed by the upper end support 110 having the same size. More specifically, the center of the triangle formed by the upper end support 110 is vertically located above that of the triangle formed by the lower end support 120. However, the triangle formed by the upper end support 110 has point symmetry with respect to the triangle formed by the lower end support 120. Accordingly, when the upper end support 110 and the lower end support 120 are viewed from the top in the state where the upper end support 110 overlaps the lower end support 120, they form a star shape, as seen in FIG. 3.

[38] Referring to FIG. 3 again, the connector set 130 serves to connect the upper end support 110 and the lower end support 120, and consists of six rods so as to connect the upper end support 110 and the lower end support 120. Meanwhile, the six rods are constructed so that two rods extending from any apex of any one of the upper and lower end supports 110 and 120 are connected to two apexes of the other support. As one example, first ends of the two rods are fixed to any one apex of the upper end support 110, and the second ends of the two rods are fixed to two apexes of the lower end support 120. Due to this connector set 130, the support structure 100 has six triangular faces formed by a combination of the six rods constituting the connector 130, the first frames 111 of the upper end support 110, and the second frames 121 of the lower end support 120.

[39] The operation of the present invention, as described above, will be described below.

[40] In the support structure 100 of the present invention, the upper and lower ends of the rotary shaft 230, which vertically passes through the center of the wind rotor 200, are supported by the upper end support 110 and the lower end support 120. At this time, the rotary shaft 230 is connected with the generator (not shown), so that it is supplied with the rotational force of the wind rotor, thereby producing the electric power.

[41] Meanwhile, the support structure 100 is composed of eight triangular faces, and thus has a firm structure that is highly resistant to buckling and twisting. The space in which the wind rotor 200 is mounted can have a greater volume, compared to the space formed by an ordinary quadrilateral structure.

[42] FIG. 10 illustrates a structure in which wind rotors are disposed using support structures. Referring to FIG. 10, the support structures 100 can be installed to be vertically stacked at upper and lower positions. At this time, support structures 100 that are disposed adjacent to each other can be firmly fixed by bolts inserted through the fastening holes 115-1 of the first and second fastening blocks 115 and 125 and by nuts N fastened on the bolts. Meanwhile, each wind rotor 200, supported by a corresponding support structure 100, is connected to one rotary shaft 230. Thus, the rotational force generated from the plurality of wind rotors 200 is collected and transmitted to the generator, so that efficiency with which electricity is generated can be increased.

[43] FIG. 11 illustrates another structure in which wind rotors are disposed using support structures. Referring to FIG. 11, the support structures 100 are installed adjacent to each other on the same horizontal plane by joint frames 140, so that a wind force power generation complex can be created. At this time, the joint frames 140 extend from the first and second frames of the upper and lower end supports 110 and 120 of the support structure 100, and are thereby connected with the upper and lower end supports 110 and 120 of the support structure 100. Further, the joint frames 140 extend parallel to the upper and lower end supports 110 and 120, and thereby connect two of the support structures 100 that are adjacent to each other. Thus, the plurality of support structures 100 have a regular arrangement, and are interconnected by the joint frames 140, so that they can maintain a more firmly supported state.

[44] In the drawings and the specification, typical exemplary embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for the purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims. As described above, the support structure for the wind rotor of the present invention has a simple structure that comprises the triangular upper and lower end supports, and the connectors interconnecting the apexes of the two supports, so that it can provide high rigidity and spatial utility using the minimum amount of materials. Furthermore, a plurality of support structures can be installed in a stacked structure or in a regularly arranged structure when interconnected adjacent to each other, so that a wind force power generation complex can be easily created.

Claims

[1] A triangular octahedral support structure for a wind rotor of a wind turbine, comprising: an upper end support (110), which is disposed above the wind rotor (200), rotatably supports an upper end of a rotary shaft (230), installed vertically so as to pass through a center of the wind rotor (200), and has a triangular plane structure; a lower end support (120), which is disposed below the wind rotor (200), rotatably supports a lower end of the rotary shaft (230), installed vertically so as to pass through a center of the wind rotor (200), and has an inverse triangular plane structure directly below the upper end support (110); and a set of connectors (130), which interconnect respective apexes of the upper end support (110) and the lower end support (120) to form six triangular faces such that one of the apexes of either one of the upper and lower end supports is connected to two of the apexes of the other support.

[2] The triangular octahedral support structure for a wind rotor as set forth in claim

1, wherein the upper end support (110) has a center of gravity located directly above a center of gravity of the lower end support (120).

[3] The triangular octahedral support structure for a wind rotor as set forth in claim

1, wherein the upper end support (110) and the lower end support (120) have a shape of an equilateral triangle, three sides of which are equal in length.

[4] The triangular octahedral support structure for a wind rotor as set forth in claim

1, wherein the upper end support (110) comprises: three first frames (111), which are disposed to have an equal length and a triangular structure; three first joint blocks (112), which are disposed at the respective apexes of the upper end support so as to interconnect the first frames (111); a first bearing block (113), which is disposed at a center of gravity of a triangle formed by the first frames (111); three first auxiliary frames (114), which extend from the first joint blocks (112) to the first bearing block (113); and three first fastening blocks (115), which are installed on the first auxiliary frames (114) and include fastening holes (115-1) that pass vertically through the first auxiliary frames (114).

[5] The triangular octahedral support structure for a wind rotor as set forth in claim

1, wherein the lower end support (120) comprises: three second frames (121), which are disposed to have an equal length and a triangular structure; three second joint blocks (122), which are disposed at the respective apexes of the lower end support so as to interconnect the second frames (121); a second bearing block (123), which is disposed at a center of gravity of a triangle formed by the second frames (121); three second auxiliary frames (124) that extend from the second joint blocks (122) to the second bearing block (123); and three second fastening blocks (125), which are installed on the second auxiliary frames (124) and include fastening holes (115-1) that pass vertically through the second auxiliary frames (124).

[6] The triangular octahedral support structure for a wind rotor as set forth in claim

1, further comprising joint frames (140), which extend from the upper end support (110) and the lower end support (120) to the upper end support (110) and the lower end support (120) of another adjacent support structure (100), so as to be parallel to any one of sides of the upper end support (110) and the lower end support (120).