Piecewise variable displacement power transmission

The present application relates to a power transmission system. More particularly, the present application relates to a hydraulic power transmission system.

In known hydraulic transmission systems, a prime mover drives a pump which converts power into hydraulic pressure. The hydraulic pressure is then transmitted to a hydraulic motor which converts the pressure back into power, which may then be used to power a load. In a closed loop circuit, the hydraulic fluid returns directly to the pump through a return line. In an open loop circuit, the hydraulic fluid returns to a reservoir, which feeds the pump. The pump may be a variable displacement pump and the motor may be a variable displacement motor.

In the context of prior art wind turbines, a rotor is the prime mover and the load is an electrical generator.

In one embodiment, a hydraulic circuit has an input shaft, at least one positive displacement hydraulic pump, a plurality of positive displacement hydraulic motors, and at least one fluid line operatively connecting the at least one positive displacement hydraulic pump to the positive displacement hydraulic motors. In operation, the at least one positive displacement hydraulic pump is placed in an operative condition. At least one of the positive displacement hydraulic motors is also placed in an operative condition. A flow rate of fluid in the fluid line is measured, and the remaining positive displacement hydraulic motors are switched between an operative condition and a bypass condition according to the measured flow rate of the fluid.

In the accompanying drawings, structures are illustrated that, together with the detailed description provided below, describe exemplary embodiments of the claimed invention.

In the drawings and description that follows, like elements are identified with the same reference numerals. The drawings are not to scale and the proportion of certain elements may be exaggerated for the purpose of illustration.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of a power transmission system 100 having multiple pumps and multiple motors;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of an alternative embodiment of a power transmission system 200 having multiple pumps and multiple motors;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of another alternative embodiment of a power transmission system 300 having multiple pumps and multiple motors;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of a power transmission system 400 having a single pump and multiple motors; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of a power transmission system 500 having multiple pumps and a single motor.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of a power transmission system 100 . The power transmission system 100 is shown as being employed with a wind turbine 105 having a rotor 110 and a nacelle 115 . The power transmission system 100 is operatively connected to a generator 120 . The rotor 110 and nacelle 115 may be of any design.

While FIG. 1 shows a horizontal axis wind turbine, one skilled in the art would understand that the power transmission system 100 may be employed with a vertical axis wind turbine. Moreover, it should be understood that the power transmission system 100 may be employed with hydroelectric turbines or in construction equipment, vehicles, aircraft, spacecraft, injection molding machinery, material handling machinery, or other machinery. In all cases, the power transmission system 100 may be employed in a work circuit of a device. Additionally, in vehicles, the power transmission system 100 may be employed on a driveline to allow a vehicle to switch between 2-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive.

The rotor 110 is operatively connected to a first shaft 125 , such that rotation of the rotor 110 causes the first shaft 125 to rotate. In turn, a plurality of positive displacement hydraulic pumps 130 a - d are connected serially along the first shaft 125 , such that rotation of the first shaft 125 causes the pumps 130 a - d to operate. The pumps 130 a - d are also fluidly connected in parallel to a high pressure fluid line 135 and a low pressure return line 140 .

The pumps 130 a - d are sized such that, collectively, they can maximize the fluid flow in the high pressure fluid line 135 , and that their combined displacement is proportional to the maximum output of the generator 120 . The pumps 130 a - d may be any combination of piston pumps, axial flow pumps, radial flow pumps, vane pumps, gear pumps, gear pumps, centrifugal pumps, roller pumps, or other know pumps. In the illustrated embodiment, pump 130 a is a variable displacement pump and the remaining pumps 130 b - d are fixed displacement pumps. In alternative embodiments, any combination of fixed and variable pumps may be employed, including all fixed or all variable pumps.

In one embodiment, one or more of the pumps 130 a - d may be full authority pumps, i.e. reversible pumps/motors with full and partial cylinder deactivation. Examples of full authority machines are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,292 issued to Kinder and NCFP 105-10.1 “Design of a Virtually Variable Displacement Pump/Motor”: Michael Nieling, Frank J. Fronczak, and Norman H. Beachley, from IFPE—International Fluid Power Symposium, Mar. 15-19, 2005, Las Vegas.

While FIG. 1 shows four pumps 130 a - d connected to the rotor 110 by a first shaft 125 , it should be understood that any number of pumps and any number of shafts may be employed. For example, in one embodiment, the power transmission system 100 employs 75 pumps, each pump having 100 horsepower.

Each of the pumps 130 a - d is fluidly connected to the high pressure fluid line 135 through an associated valve 145 a - d . In the illustrated embodiment, the associated valves 145 a - d are check valves that prevent fluid in the high pressure fluid line 135 from flowing in a reverse direction. In alternative embodiments (not shown), the associated valves may be two position directional valves, electro-hydraulic valves, ball valves, 3-way valves or other valves.

In the illustrated embodiment, each of the pumps 130 a - d is also fluidly connected to an associated pump bypass line 150 a - d . Each pump bypass line 150 a - d is fluidly connected to an associated pump control valve 155 a - d , which may be switched between an open state and a closed state.

As shown in FIG. 1 , each pump control valves 155 a - d is shown as a normally open directional control valve with two ports and two finite conditions. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the control valves may be normally closed directional control valves with two ports and two finite conditions. In other alternative embodiments (not shown), electro-hydraulic servo valves, proportional directional control valves, or other control valves may be employed. In yet another alternative embodiment (not shown), digital hydraulic valves may be employed. In such an embodiment, pulses created by the digital hydraulic valves would modulate the flow, efficiently varying the flow from the pumping portion to the motor portion of the transmission system. The digital valves may be operated in conjunction with an accumulator to smooth the flow created by the pulses.

In one embodiment, the pump control valves 155 a - d are operatively connected to and controlled by an electronic control system (not shown). The electronic control system may include various sensors (not shown) to monitor the rotation speed and torque of the rotor 110 and first shaft 125 , the flow rate and pressure of fluid in the high pressure fluid line 135 and low pressure return line 140 , and the usage and wear of various other components of the power transmission system 100 . The electronic control system may also include logic configured to switch the pump control valves 155 a - d between an open state and a closed state according to data received from the sensors. Where variable displacement pumps are employed, the electronic control system may also include logic configured to control the displacement of the pumps.

In an alternative embodiment, the control valves 155 a - d can be operatively connected to and controlled by a hydraulic control system (not shown). For example, the control valves 155 a - d may be controlled hydraulically and switched between an open and a closed state based on the pressure of fluid in the high pressure fluid line 135 and low pressure return line 140 . Similarly, where variable displacement pumps are employed, they may also be controlled hydraulically. In such an embodiment, an electronic control system may be omitted.

In accordance with hydrodynamic principles, fluid will flow from a high pressure location towards a low pressure location. Therefore, when a pump control valve 155 a - d is in its open state, fluid will be pumped from its associated pump 130 a - d through its associated pump bypass line 150 a - d and associated control valve 155 a - d to the low pressure return line 140 . Therefore, when a pump control valve 155 a - d is in its open state, its associated pump 130 a - d may be described as being in a “bypass state” or a “bypass condition.” When a pump 130 a - d is in a bypass state or bypass condition, it does not pump fluid to the high pressure line 135 and thus does not increase the flow rate or pressure of the fluid in the high pressure line 135 .

When a pump control valve 155 a - d is in its closed state, fluid will be pumped from its associated pump 130 a - d through its associated valve 145 a - d to the high pressure fluid line 135 . Therefore, when a pump control valve 155 a - d is in its closed state, its associated pump 130 a - d may be described as being in an “operatively connected state” or an “operative condition.” When a pump 130 a - d is in the operatively connected state or operative condition, it pumps fluid to the high pressure line 135 and thus increases the flow rate of the fluid in the high pressure line 135 . As more pumps are put in their operatively connected states, the fluid flow rate through the high pressure line 135 increases.

Additionally, where variable displacement pumps are employed, the displacement of the pump may be lowered to 0% (or near 0%) displacement. A variable displacement pump at or near 0% displacement may be described as being in an “idle state” or “idle condition.” In one embodiment, when a pump control valve 155 a - d is in its open state and its associated pump 130 a - d is a variable displacement pump, the pump 130 a - d is put in an idle state.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), where the pumps are variable displacement hydraulic pumps, the associated bypass line and control valve can be omitted. Instead of being bypassed, the pump may be simply put in an idle state. Because putting a pump in an idle state may have the same effect as putting a pump in a bypass state, a pump in an idle state may also be described as being in a “bypass state” or “bypass condition.” Likewise, a pump that is not in an idle state and not otherwise in a bypass state may be described as being in an “operatively connected state” or an “operative condition.”

With continued reference to FIG. 1 , the power transmission system 100 further includes a plurality of positive displacement hydraulic motors 160 a - d connected serially along a second shaft 165 . The second shaft 165 is operably connected to the generator 120 , such that rotation of the second shaft 165 powers the generator 120 . The motors 160 a - d are also fluidly connected in parallel to the high pressure fluid line 135 and the low pressure return line 140 .

The motors 160 a - d are sized such that, collectively, they can maximize the output to the generator 120 , and that their combined displacement is proportional to the maximum output of the generator 120 . The motors 160 a - d may be a combination of gerotor motors, roller motors, radial piston motors, axial plunger motors, gear motors, vane motors, or other motors.

In one embodiment, one or more of the motors 160 a - d may be full authority motors, i.e. reversible pumps/motors with full and partial cylinder deactivation. Examples of full authority machines are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,292 issued to Kinder and NCFP 105-10.1 “Design of a Virtually Variable Displacement Pump/Motor”: Michael Nieling, Frank J. Fronczak, and Norman H. Beachley, from IFPE—International Fluid Power Symposium, Mar. 15-19, 2005, Las Vegas.

While FIG. 1 shows four motors 160 a - d connected to a single second shaft 165 , it should be understood that any number of motors and any number of shafts may be employed. For example, in one embodiment, the power transmission system 100 employs 75 motors, each motor having 100 horsepower. While the number of pumps in the illustrated embodiment is equal to the number of motors, it should be understood that this is not a requirement. In one alternative embodiment, the power transmission system may include more pumps than motors. In another alternative embodiment, the power transmission system may include more motors than pumps.

In the illustrated embodiment, each motor 160 a - d is fluidly connected to an associated motor bypass line 170 a - d and an associated motor control valve 175 a - d . Each motor control valve 175 a - d may be switched between an open state and a closed state.

As shown in FIG. 1 , each motor control valve 175 a - d is shown as a normally open directional control valve with three ports and two finite conditions. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the control valves may be normally closed directional control valves with three ports and two finite conditions. In other alternative embodiments (not shown), electro-hydraulic servo valves, proportional directional control valves, or other control valves may be employed. In yet another alternative embodiment (not shown), digital hydraulic valves may be employed.

In one embodiment, the motor control valves 175 a - d are operatively connected to and controlled by an electronic control system (not shown) in the same manner described above with respect to the pump control valves 155 a - d . Alternatively, the motor control valves 175 a - d may be controlled hydraulically and switched between an open and closed state based on the pressure of fluid in the high pressure fluid line 135 and low pressure return line 140 . In such an embodiment, an electronic control system may be omitted.

When a motor control valve 175 a - d is in its open state, fluid will flow from the high pressure fluid line 135 through its associated motor bypass line 170 a - d and motor control valve 175 a - d to the low pressure return line 140 , in accordance with hydrodynamic principles. Therefore, when a motor control valve 175 a - d is in its open state, its associated motor 160 a - d may be described as being in a “bypass state” or a “bypass condition.” When a motor 160 a - d is in a bypass state or bypass condition, it will not apply torque to the second shaft 165 , and therefore will not contribute to the output of the generator 120 .

When a motor control valve 175 a - d is in its closed state, fluid is forced to flow through an entry port in the associated motor 160 a - d , causing it to turn the second shaft 165 and thereby power the generator 120 . The fluid will then exit the motor 160 a - d and flow to the low pressure return line 140 . Therefore, when a motor control valve 175 a - d is in its closed state, its associated motor 160 a - d may be described as being in an “operatively connected state” or an “operative condition.” When a motor 160 a - d is put in an operatively connected state or operative condition, fluid from the high pressure line 135 will flow through the motor causing the second shaft 165 to rotate and increasing the torque applied to the second shaft 165 . As more motors are put in their operatively connected states, the torque on the second shaft 165 increases, which increases the power produced by the generator 120 .

Additionally, where variable displacement motors are employed, the displacement of the motor may be lowered to 0% (or near 0%) displacement. A variable displacement motor at or near 0% displacement may be described as being in an “idle state” or “idle condition.” In one embodiment, when a control valve 175 a - d is its open state and its associated motor 160 a - d is a variable displacement motor, the motor 160 a - d is put in an idle state.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), where the motors are variable displacement hydraulic motors, the associated bypass line and control valve may be omitted. Instead of bypassing the motor, the motor may be simply put in an idle state. Because putting a motor in an idle state may have the same effect as putting a motor in a bypass state, a motor in an idle state may also be described as being in a “bypass state” or “bypass condition.” Likewise, a motor that is not in an idle state and not otherwise in a bypass state may be described as being in an “operatively connected state” or an “operative condition.”

With continued reference to FIG. 1 , the transmission system 100 also includes an accumulator 180 fluidly connected in parallel to the motors 160 a - d . The accumulator allows energy to be stored during wind gusts, and provides a smoothing function. The accumulator 180 may be particularly useful in a digital implementation to smooth the pulse width modulation of the digital valves. The accumulator 180 is fluidly connected to the high pressure fluid line 135 through an accumulator control valve 185 . In the illustrated embodiment, the accumulator control valve 185 is a normally open directional control valve with two ports and two finite positions. However, it should be understood that any type of control valve may be employed. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the transmission system 100 may not include an accumulator.

Together, the pumps 130 a - d , the high pressure fluid line 135 , the motors 160 a - d , the low pressure return line 140 , and the bypass lines form a hydraulic circuit. In the illustrated embodiment, the low pressure return line 140 is directly connected to the motors 160 and the pumps 130 , thus forming a closed loop hydraulic circuit. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the power transmission system further includes a tank or reservoir as part of an open loop hydraulic circuit.

In the illustrated embodiment, the pumps 130 a - d are all located in the nacelle 115 of the wind turbine 105 , while the motors 160 a - d , the accumulator 180 , and the generator 120 are located externally from the nacelle 115 . For example, the motors 160 a - d , the accumulator 175 , and the generator 120 may be located at ground level, providing easy access for maintenance or replacement. In an alternative embodiment, the entire transmission system may be located in the nacelle. In another alternative embodiment (not shown), none of the components of the transmission system are located in a nacelle. For example, with a vertical axis wind turbine the entire transmission system may be located at ground level.

The nacelle 115 may include at least one access port (not shown) proximal to at least one of the plurality of pumps 130 a - d . The access port may have dimensions larger than dimensions of the pumps, thereby allowing the pumps to be removed from the nacelle for repair or replacement. In one embodiment, the pumps 130 a - d are sufficiently lightweight to be removed and replaced from the nacelle 115 without the use of a crane.

If one or more of the pumps 130 a - d malfunctions, the power transmission system 100 may be configured to put the malfunctioning pumps in a non-operational state, while at least one of the plurality of pumps remain in an operational state. Similarly, if one or more of the motors 160 a - d malfunctions, the power transmission system 100 may be configured to place the malfunctioning motors in a non-operational state, while at least one of the plurality of motors remain in an operational state. These functions may be performed by an electronic control system (not shown), such as the electronic control system described above that is configured to operate the pump control valves 145 a - d . To the extent a pump or motor is placed in a non-operational state, the power transmission system 100 may experience a soft degradation of performance, but will remain operable when one or more components fail.

In operation of the power transmission system 100 , wind causes the rotor 110 to rotate, which causes the first shaft 125 to rotate at a certain speed and torque. The rotation of the first shaft 125 will cause the pumps 130 a - d to pump fluid through the hydraulic circuit. Each pump in an operatively connected condition will pump fluid through its associated check valve 145 a - d to the high pressure fluid line 135 , while each pump in a bypass condition will pump fluid through its associated pump bypass line 150 a - d and pump control valve 155 a - d to the low pressure return line 140 .

An increase in wind speed will increase the torque on the rotor 110 and the first shaft 125 , while a decrease in wind speed will decrease the torque on the rotor 110 and first shaft 125 . To a lesser extent, an increase in wind speed may also increase the speed at which the rotor 110 and the first shaft 125 rotate.

An electronic control system (such as the electronic control system described above) may be employed to activate or deactivate the pumps. One or more torque sensors (not shown) in communication with the electronic control system may be employed to monitor the torque produced by the first shaft 125 . Alternatively, one or more pressure sensors (not shown) in communication with the electronic control system may be employed to monitor the pressure of the high pressure fluid line 135 . Because the torque on the first shaft 125 may be inferred from the pressure of the high pressure fluid line 135 , either measurement may be used.

Based on the received measurements, the pumps 130 a - d may be selectively activated or switched between their bypass conditions and operatively connected conditions. For example, if the torque of the first shaft increases to a predetermined level, then one or more pumps may be activated to use the mechanical advantage provided by the torque increase. Similarly, if the torque of the first shaft decreases to a predetermined level, then one or more pumps may be deactivated to accommodate the torque decrease.

By selectively switching pumps between their bypass and operatively connected conditions and/or varying the displacement of a pump based on a change in torque applied to the first shaft 125 , the fluid flow rate through the high pressure fluid line 135 will change. For example, if one or more pumps are activated to use the mechanical advantage provided by the torque increase, then the fluid flow rate through the high pressure fluid line 135 is increased. Similarly, if one or more pumps are deactivated to accommodate the torque decrease, then the fluid flow rate through the high pressure fluid line 135 is decreased.

To accommodate the changes to the fluid flow rate through the high pressure fluid line 135 , the motors 160 a - d may also be selectively activated or switched between their bypass and operatively connected conditions. The electronic control system described above may be employed to activate or deactivate the motors 160 a - d . One or more fluid flow sensors (not shown) in communication with the electronic control system may be employed to monitor the flow rate of the fluid in the high pressure fluid line 135 . For example, if the fluid flow rate through the high pressure fluid line 135 increases to a predetermined level, then one or more motors may be activated to accommodate the fluid flow rate increase. Similarly, if the fluid flow rate through the high pressure fluid line 135 decreases to a predetermined level, then one or more motors may be deactivated to accommodate the fluid flow rate decrease. Alternatively, the electronic control system may activate or deactivate motors according to the number of pumps that have been activated or deactivated.

By selectively switching motors between their bypass and operatively connected conditions and/or varying the displacement of a motor based on a change in fluid flow rate through the high pressure line 135 , the torque applied to the second shaft 165 will change. An increase in torque applied to the second shaft 165 will increase the power output of the generator 120 , while a decrease in torque applied to the second shaft 165 will decrease the power output of the generator 120 . Where the generator 120 is a fixed speed generator, it is desirable to rotate the second shaft 165 at a constant speed. In this case, the motors 160 a - d may be selectively activated or deactivated based on the fluid flow rate to maintain a constant rotation speed of the second shaft 165 , while maximizing the torque on the second shaft 165 . Alternatively, a variable speed generator may be employed, in which case, the motors 160 a - d may be selectively activated or deactivated based on the fluid flow rate to vary both the rotation speed and torque on the second shaft 165 . In such an embodiment, peak efficiency points may be identified, and the electronic control system may select the torque and rotation speed to maximize efficiency.

By having the capability to selectively activate the pumps and motors based on the torque applied to the first shaft 125 by the rotating rotor 110 , the power transmission system 100 is capable of operating at an optimum overall efficiency. The optimum overall efficiency may be achieved by maximizing the number of pumps 130 a - d and the number of motors 160 a - d that are operating at full displacement.

One pump may be added or subtracted (or “activated or deactivated”) from the hydraulic circuit at a time to accommodate changes to the torque of the first shaft 125 . Alternatively, multiple pumps may be added or subtracted from the hydraulic circuit at the same time. Likewise, one motor may be added or subtracted (or “activated or deactivated”) from the hydraulic circuit one by one to accommodate changes to the rate of the fluid flow in the high pressure fluid line 135 , or multiple motors may be activated or deactivated at the same time. Switching multiple motors and pumps at the same time, or switching one pump or one motor at a time may both be referred to as switching the pumps and motors in a “piecewise manner.” Switching in a piecewise manner may be done to control the overall efficiency of the transmission system 100 .

The following examples are offered to describe the operation of the power transmission system 100 under certain conditions. In these examples, the power transmission system 100 includes the four pumps 130 a - d shown in FIG. 1 . Pump 130 a is a variable displacement pump and is designated as the first pump. As such, it will be the first pump placed in an operatively connected state. The remaining pumps 130 b - d are fixed displacement hydraulic pumps. While the first pump in this example is the pump closest to the rotor, it should be understood that any of the pumps 130 a - d may be designated as the first pump.

Because there are four pumps 130 a - d in the power transmission system 100 each having the same maximum displacement, each pump is configured to provide 25% of the maximum fluid flow when operated at 100% displacement. The fluid flow through the pumps 130 a - d can be shown as a percentage of maximum fluid flow, according to the following equation:

0.25( PD a )+0.25( PD b )+0.25( PD c )+0.25( PD d )= F   (Equation 1)

where PD a-d is the percentage of full displacement of operation of pumps 130 a - d and F is the percentage of maximum fluid flow. Each pump operates at its optimum efficiency when it operates at full displacement. Therefore, to optimize the efficiency of the entire system, the number of pumps operating at full displacement should be maximized, and no more than one pump should be operated at less than full displacement.

Similarly, in these examples the power transmission system 100 includes the four motors 160 a - d shown in FIG. 1 . Motor 160 a is a variable displacement motor and is designated as the first motor. As such, it will be the first motor placed in an operatively connected state. The remaining motors 160 b - d are fixed displacement motors. While the first motor in this example is the motor furthest from the generator 120 , it should be understood that any of the motors 160 a - d may be designated as the first motor.

Because there are four motors 160 a - d in the power transmission system 100 each having the same maximum displacement, each motor is configured to provide 25% of the maximum fluid flow when operated at 100% displacement. The fluid flow can also be calculated as a percentage of maximum fluid flow according the following equation:

0.25( MD a )+0.25( MD b )+0.25( MD c )+0.25( MD d )= F   (Equation 2)

where MD a-d is the percentage of full displacement of operation of motors 160 a - d and F is the percentage of maximum fluid flow. Each motor operates at its optimum efficiency when it operates at full displacement. Therefore, to optimize the efficiency of the entire system, the number of motors operating at full displacement should be maximized, and no more than one motor should be operated at less than full displacement