Passive Liquid Cooling System for Inverters Utilized for Wind Turbine Applications

Abstract

A wind turbine with a thermal siphoning system is disclosed. The wind turbine comprises a tower of a wind turbine, the tower having a top and a base, and a thermal siphoning system for cooling heat generating components. The thermal siphoning system is located within the wind turbine tower and comprises a liquid coolant and at least one heat generating component located near the base of the tower. The heat generating component is adapted to receive the coolant through a coolant inlet port and adapted to discharge the coolant through a coolant outlet port. The thermal siphoning system further comprises a hot coolant tube connected to the coolant outlet port of the heat generating component.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wind turbine comprising:
 a tower of a wind turbine, the tower having a top and a base; and   a thermal siphoning system for cooling heat generating components, the thermal siphoning system located within the wind turbine tower and comprising:
 a liquid coolant; 
 at least one heat generating component located near the base of the tower, the heat generating component adapted to receive the coolant through a coolant inlet port and adapted to discharge the coolant through a coolant outlet port; 
 a hot coolant tube connected to the coolant outlet port of the heat generating component, the hot tube mounted in direct thermal contact with the inner surface of the tower and extending up from near the base of the tower to near the top of the tower; and 
 a return coolant tube connected to the hot tube at the top of the tower and extending down to near the base of the tower, the return tube parallel to the hot tube and connected to the coolant inlet port of the heat generating component. 
   
     
     
         2 . The wind turbine of  claim 1 , wherein, the thermal siphoning system further comprises at least one filter. 
     
     
         3 . The wind turbine of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal siphoning system further comprises at least one reservoir. 
     
     
         4 . The wind turbine of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal siphoning system further comprises a thermal control valve. 
     
     
         5 . The wind turbine of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal siphoning system further comprises a bypass loop which connects the return tube to the hot tube near the base of the tower. 
     
     
         6 . The wind turbine of  claim 1 , wherein the heat generating component comprises a liquid cooled inverter. 
     
     
         7 . The wind turbine of  claim 1 , wherein the return coolant tube is mounted in direct thermal contact with the inner surface of the tower. 
     
     
         8 . The wind turbine of  claim 7 , wherein a third tube connects the hot coolant tube to the return coolant tube, the third tube perpendicularly oriented to the hot and return tubes and located near the top of the tower. 
     
     
         9 . The wind turbine of  claim 1 , wherein the thermal siphoning system utilizes the liquid coolant's change in density and the height of the tower to create a siphon effect through the hot and return coolant tubes. 
     
     
         10 . The wind turbine of  claim 1 , wherein the heat generated by the heat generating component is transferred to the liquid coolant, which is discharged from the coolant outlet port of the heat generating component and into the hot tube, where the heat is transferred from the coolant to the inner surface of the tower as the coolant rises up the hot tube to near the top of the tower. 
     
     
         11 . The wind turbine of  claim 10 , wherein heat transferred from the coolant to the inner surface of the tower is dissipated to the atmosphere. 
     
     
         12 . The wind turbine of  claim 11 , wherein the coolant in the hot tube near the top of the tower flows down the return tube and back into the heat generating component through the coolant inlet port. 
     
     
         13 . A thermal siphoning system for cooling heat generating components in a wind turbine comprising:
 a liquid coolant;   at least one heat generating component located near a base of a tower of a wind turbine, the heat generating component adapted to receive the coolant through a coolant inlet port and adapted to discharge the coolant through a coolant outlet port;   a hot coolant tube connected to the coolant outlet port of the heat generating component, the hot tube mounted in direct thermal contact with the inner surface of the tower and extending up from near the base of the tower to near a top of the tower; and   a return coolant tube connected to the hot tube at the top of the tower and extending down to near the base of the tower, the return tube parallel to the hot tube and connected to the coolant inlet port of the heat generating component.   
     
     
         14 . The thermal siphoning system of  claim 13 , wherein a siphon effect is created through the hot and return coolant tubes by utilizing the liquid coolant's change in density and the height of the tower. 
     
     
         15 . The thermal siphoning system of  claim 14 , wherein the heat generated by the heat generating component is transferred to the liquid coolant, which is discharged from the coolant outlet port of the heat generating component and into the hot tube, where the heat is transferred from the coolant to the inner surface of the tower as the coolant rises up the hot tube to near the top of the tower. 
     
     
         16 . The thermal siphoning system of  claim 15 , wherein heat transferred from the coolant to the inner surface of the tower is dissipated to the atmosphere. 
     
     
         17 . The thermal siphoning system of  claim 16 , wherein the coolant in the hot tube near the top of the tower flows down the return tube and back into the heat generating component through the coolant inlet port. 
     
     
         18 . A method for cooling heat generating components in a wind turbine comprising:
 providing a wind turbine with a tower having a top and a base, and a thermal siphoning system located within the tower, the thermal siphoning system comprising a liquid coolant, at least one heat generating component located near the base of the tower, the heat generating component having a coolant inlet port and a coolant outlet port, a hot coolant tube connected to the coolant outlet port of the heat generating component and mounted in direct thermal contact with the inner surface of the tower, the hot coolant tube extending up to near the top of the tower, and a return coolant tube connected between the hot tube at the top of the tower and the coolant inlet port of the heat generating component near the base of the tower;   transferring the heat generated by the heat generating component to the liquid coolant;   discharging the liquid coolant out of the heat generating component through the coolant outlet port and into the hot tube;   transferring the heat from the coolant within the hot tube to the inner surface of the tower as the coolant rises up the hot tube to near the top of the tower; and   dissipating the heat from the inner surface of the tower to the atmosphere.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising utilizing the liquid coolant's change in density and the tower's height to create a siphon effect through the hot and return coolant tubes. 
     
     
         20 . A thermal siphoning system for cooling heat generating components in a wind turbine comprising:
 at least one heat generating component located within a nacelle of a wind turbine;   an air to water heat exchanger operatively connected to the heat generating component, the air to water heat exchanger located outside of the wind turbine at a height above the nacelle of the wind turbine; and   a liquid coolant running throughout the heat generating component and the air to water heat exchanger.