Wind energy system and method for avoiding equipment corrosion due to penetration of humid ambient air

摘要

Wind turbine, method, and system to prevent corrosion in an offshore wind turbine by minimizing the humid ambient air entry into the turbine. The system helps augmenting the sealing of the joints between the nacelle and tower, rotor and blade, and nacelle and rotor so that the humid ambient air entry into the turbine or the clean air leakage out of the turbine is minimized. The proposed method uses the fact that the ambient air entry into or the inside air leakage out of the turbine can be minimized by lowering the air pressure difference across the outside and inside faces of the seals. The proposed system includes a slotted, streamlined plenum over each of these joints that helps moderate the air pressure on the outside of the seals. On the inside, the air pressure over the seals is controlled by a variable air flow resistance system that consists of two circular, coaxial perforated plates that can rotate relative to each other.