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EP-4526564-B1 - MOUNTING EQUIPMENT ON WIND TURBINE STRUCTURES

EP4526564B1EP 4526564 B1EP4526564 B1EP 4526564B1EP-4526564-B1

Inventors

  • PLISZKA, Dominic

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20230517

Claims (20)

  1. An external equipment support system for a wind turbine, the system comprising: a hub (10) encircling or coextensive with a tower (60) or transition piece of the wind turbine and surrounding a central axis (14) of the tower or transition piece, the hub defining at least one docking bay; and at least one support module that is releasably engageable with mounting formations (26, 28, 30) of the or each docking bay and is thereby cantilevered from the hub characterized in that the hub is configured to rotate relative to the tower or transition piece about the central axis.
  2. The system of Claim 1, wherein the hub comprises a plurality of docking bays that are spaced apart angularly around the central axis and a plurality of support modules are releasably engageable with the mounting formations of the respective docking bays.
  3. The system of Claim 2, wherein the hub has a polygonal outline shape in plan view, each of the docking bays corresponding with a respective side of the polygonal shape.
  4. The system of Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein the support modules surround the hub in a petaloid arrangement.
  5. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the hub comprises a tubular wall surrounding the central axis.
  6. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the or each support module comprises a platform and the hub comprises a horizontal flange, the platform and the flange being on substantially the same horizontal level when the support module is cantilevered from the hub.
  7. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the mounting formations of the or each docking bay are spaced from, and symmetrical about, a plane containing the central axis.
  8. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the or each docking bay and support module have complementary mounting formations, those mounting formations including seats for receiving respective trunnions.
  9. The system of Claim 8, wherein the mounting formations of the or each docking bay comprise the seats and the mounting formations of the or each support module comprise the trunnions.
  10. The system of Claim 8 or Claim 9, further comprising elongate guides that extend from the seats and are open at their outer ends.
  11. The system of Claim 10, wherein the guides extend upwardly and outwardly from the seats to the open outer ends.
  12. The system of any of Claims 8 to 11, wherein the mounting formations of the or each docking bay further comprise at least one pivot stop disposed at a level beneath the seats or the trunnions, the or each pivot stop being opposed to a pivot stop of a support module engaged with the hub.
  13. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the mounting formations of the or each docking bay further comprise at least one lock formation disposed at a level beneath the seats or the trunnions, the or each lock formation being engageable with a complementary lock formation of a support module engaged with the hub upon pivotal movement of that support module about the trunnions engaged with the seats.
  14. The system of Claim 13, wherein the lock formations of the or each docking bay and support module overlap with each other upon said pivotal movement.
  15. The system of Claim 13 or Claim 14, further comprising at least one lock element acting between the lock formations.
  16. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the or each support module is elongate in a radially outward direction extending from the central axis.
  17. The system of any preceding claim, wherein the hub is in parts that, when assembled together, form a continuous loop around the central axis.
  18. The system of any preceding claim, further comprising an onboard drive acting between the hub and the tower or transition piece to rotate the hub.
  19. The system of any of Claims 1 to 17, further comprising an external drive acting on the hub to rotate the hub.
  20. The system of any preceding claim, wherein at least one support module supports electrolyser equipment.

Description

This invention relates to the use of wind turbine structures to support external ancillary equipment, such as solar panels and/or electrolysers for producing hydrogen from seawater. The invention is particularly concerned with the challenges of mounting equipment externally onto the upright columnar structure of a wind turbine, that structure being its mast or tower or a supporting transition piece between the tower and a foundation. As generation of electricity from wind turbines is variable or intermittent, additional generation capacity may be required to ensure a continuous supply of green electrical power. In this respect, excess power generated from renewable sources can be used to produce hydrogen, known in that context as 'green hydrogen', when the supply of electricity exceeds other demands. The principle of converting surplus electrical energy into hydrogen or other gas fuel is known as power-to-gas or P2G. Once electrical energy is converted into gas, it can be used for various purposes. For example, hydrogen produced from renewable energy can be used for power generation, such as powering a fuel cell to generate electricity when demand for electricity would otherwise exceed supply from other green sources. Hydrogen can be produced by a carbon-free electrolysis process in an electrolyser, in which an electric current splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. Seawater can be subjected to electrolysis if using an anode adapted to counteract the formation of chlorine gas from dissolved salt. Electrical energy for electrolysis can be generated by a wind turbine or by ancillary generating apparatus, such as an array of solar panels, that may conveniently be supported by the structure of a wind turbine. Where a wind turbine is situated offshore, either fixed relative to the seabed or floating at the surface, its structure can also support ancillary generating apparatus below or at the surface, such as a tidal turbine or a wave energy generator, in addition to solar panels above the surface. Thus, offshore wind turbines represent a substantial opportunity to use wind energy and solar, tidal and/or wave energy for the generation of green hydrogen at scale. In principle, electrolysers can also be supported by a wind turbine structure. Offshore, this avoids the need for standalone platforms or for dedicated or adapted surface vessels. However, electrolysers of useful capacity are bulky and so must be mounted externally to the wind turbine structure, especially if they are retrofitted to an existing wind turbine. Necessarily, ancillary generating apparatus such as a solar panel array also requires external mounting. Consequently, there is a need for an external mount or platform for a wind turbine to support ancillary equipment such as electrolysers and solar panels. Such a platform must be capable of supporting a heavy load if used to support electrolysers and must define a usefully large surface area if used to support solar panels. Despite necessarily being large and robust for these purposes, a platform must also be easy to install and to remove, especially in an offshore environment, either when constructing or dismantling a wind turbine or when retrofitting an existing wind turbine. Ease of installation and removal applies especially if the platform is designed to be interchangeable or modular and therefore to be removable and replaceable for repair or maintenance of the equipment it supports. The platform must also complement the structure of the wind turbine without compromising the integrity or the balance of that structure. This applies especially in offshore applications and more especially when used on a floating wind turbine. It is, of course, well known in general terms to mount a platform on a wind turbine. For example, platforms are commonly mounted on a wind turbine tower to provide access to the interior of the tower and to electrical equipment for maintenance. An example is shown in WO 2016/055067, which reflects that platforms like these are typically cantilevered and ring-shaped to encircle the circular cross-section of the tower that supports them. In offshore applications, such a platform may be connected to a ladder or stairway that allows personnel to transfer from a boat alongside. A similar platform may also be situated close to the nacelle of the wind turbine for maintenance of its main moving parts. Known wind turbine platforms like that shown in WO 2016/055067 do not extend far from the tower in a radial direction, being more in the nature of a walkway around the tower. Even though a portion of the platform may be cantilevered further from the tower to support a small crane or hoist, that part of the platform cannot support heavy and bulky equipment. Indeed, if a heavy load is placed on an asymmetric platform, the platform would exert significant bending stresses on the tower and could unbalance the wind turbine, especially if floating offshore. In addition, a conventional platfor