Abstract:
An apparatus for aligning a wind turbine generator is disclosed. Preferably, the apparatus includes at least, but is not limited to, a support flange engaging a securement stud via a securement aperture, and a force displacement plate contacting the support flange. The preferred apparatus further includes an indexing means attached to the securement stud and force displacement plate, the indexing means configured to translate a rotational force to linear force capable of moving the support flange in relation to the securement stud.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/493,868 filed Jun. 11, 2012 which claims the benefit of priority to and is a Patent Application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/566,422 filed Sep. 9, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,196,304 issued on Jun. 12, 2012, which claims the benefit of priority to and is a Patent Application of U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/095,520, entitled “Method For Aligning A Wind Turbine Generator,” filed Sep. 9, 2008. The aforementioned provisional patent application has not been assigned and the ownership resides solely with the inventor, and the entirety of the aforementioned patent application is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to new and useful improvements in wind turbine generator maintenance. In particular, but not by way of limitation, those improvements relate to an apparatus for aligning an input shaft of a wind turbine generator with a corresponding output shaft of a wind turbine. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Wind turbine generators for generating electric power using wind power, which is a natural form of energy, are known. Such a wind turbine generator includes a nacelle disposed on a tower. The nacelle includes a rotor head equipped with blades, a main shaft connected to the rotor head so as to integrally rotate with the rotor head, a gearbox connected to the main shaft that rotates upon receiving the wind power supplied to the blades, and a generator driven by a shaft output from the gearbox. According to the wind turbine generator having this structure, the rotor head is equipped with the blades which convert wind power into a rotational force, and the main shaft rotates to generate a shaft output. The rotational speed is increased via the gearbox connected to the main shaft and the resulting shaft output is transmitted to the generator. Consequently, the shaft output obtained by converting the wind power into the rotational force is used as a driving source of the generator, and thus power generation can be performed using the wind power as motive power for the generator. 
     Since recent wind turbine generators tend to increase their output by increasing the size thereof, the sizes of components such as the rotor head, the main shaft, the gearbox, and the generator also increase, resulting in an increase in weight, and an increase in the need to assure alignment between the gearbox shaft and the generator main shaft. Misalignment can lead to premature and costly failures of the system, as well as loss in income due to the inability to generate energy. 
     Accordingly, as market pressures continue to demand wind turbine systems that provide lower cost, greater reliability, and longer service lives, challenges remain and a need persists for improvements in methods and apparatuses for use in the maintenance of wind turbine systems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with an embodiment, an apparatus for aligning a wind turbine generator is provided. Preferably, the apparatus includes at least, but is not limited to, a support flange engaging a securement stud via a securement aperture, and a force displacement plate contacting the support flange. The preferred apparatus further includes an indexing means attached to the securement stud and force displacement plate, the indexing means configured to translate a rotational force to linear force capable of moving the support flange in relation to the securement stud. 
     These and various other features and advantages that characterize the claimed invention will be apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon review of the associated drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a front perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the inventive wind turbine generator alignment tool. 
         FIG. 2  shows a top plan view of an end effector of the inventive wind turbine generator alignment tool of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  shows a bottom plan view of the end effector of the inventive wind turbine generator alignment tool of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  shows an end view in elevation of the end effector of the inventive wind turbine generator alignment tool of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  shows a cross section view in elevation of the end effector of the inventive wind turbine generator alignment tool of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  shows a cross-section side elevation view in partial cutaway of an alignment mechanism that includes an alignment link communicating with an indexing means adjacent a force distribution means of the inventive wind turbine generator alignment tool of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  shows an end view in elevation of the indexing means of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  shows an end view in elevation of the force distribution means of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  shows a side elevation view in partial cutaway of a preferred embodiment wind turbine generator with a misalignment measurement device attached thereto. 
         FIG. 10  shows a side elevation view of the inventive wind turbine generator alignment tool of  FIG. 1  mounted in an operative position adjacent a wind turbine generator. 
         FIG. 11  shows a flowchart of a method of using the inventive wind turbine generator alignment tool of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to one or more examples of the invention depicted in the figures. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not meant as a limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used with another embodiment to yield still a different embodiment. Other modifications and variations to the described embodiments are also contemplated within the scope and spirit of the invention. 
     Referring to the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows a preferred embodiment of an inventive wind turbine generator alignment tool  100 ) that includes a push plate  102  formed by a pair of push rails  104  secured to a force displacement plate  106 , an end effector  108  interacting with a link member  110 , which passes through an engagement aperture  112  of the force displacement plate  106 . The preferred embodiment of the wind turbine generator alignment tool  100 , when the end effector  108  is secured in its operative position, an indexing means  114  is threaded onto the link member  110 , a force displacement means  116  is passed over the link member  110  and into adjacency with the indexing means  114 , and the link member  110  is passed through the engagement aperture  112  and threaded into the end effector  108 . 
       FIGS. 2 ,  3 ,  4 , and  5  collectively show a plurality of views of the preferred end effector  108 , and are best viewed collectively for an enhanced understanding of the end effector  108 . Shown in dotted lines by  FIG. 2  are a securement stud attachment aperture  118  and a link member attachment aperture  120  provided by the end effector  108 .  FIG. 3  shows an end view of the link member aperture  120 , while  FIG. 4  shows a bottom view of the securement stud attachment aperture  118 . 
       FIG. 5  shows a cross-section of the end effector  108  revealing that both the securement stud attachment aperture  118 , and the link member aperture  120  are preferably threaded to accommodate engagement of the end effector onto a securement stud  122  (see  FIG. 9 ), and the engagement of the link member  110 . It will be noted that in a preferred embodiment of the end effector  108 , the link member aperture  120  may be used to interact with the securement stud  122 , while the securement stud attachment aperture  118  may be used to interact with the link member  110 . 
       FIG. 6  shows a preferred alignment mechanism  123  in cross-section that includes the alignment link  110  communicating with the indexing means  114 , which is adjacent the force distribution means  116  of the inventive wind turbine generator alignment tool  100  of  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 7  shows the indexing means  114  in side elevational view, and  FIG. 8  shows the force distribution means  116  in side elevational view. 
     Moving to  FIG. 9 , illustrated therein is a preferred wind powered electric generating system  125 , which includes a wind turbine output shaft  124  secured to a wind turbine generator input shaft  126  by a flexible coupling  128 . In a preferred embodiment, a wind turbine generator  130  supporting the wind turbine generator input shaft  126  is secured to a generator platform  132  by a plurality of securement studs  122 . Preferably, a plurality of support flanges  134 , corresponding to each of the plurality of securement studs  122  are attached to the generator  130 . Each support flange  134  is preferably isolated from the generator platform  132  by a corresponding isolation pad  136 , and held under a compressive load adjacent its associated isolation pad  136  by a flange retainer  138 . 
     During operation of the wind powered electric generating system  125 , misalignment between the wind turbine output shaft  124  and the wind turbine generator input shaft  126  may occur, necessitating a realignment of the wind turbine output shall  124  with the wind turbine generator input shaft  126 . To determine the presence and severity of such a misalignment, a misalignment measurement device  140  is preferably used. In a preferred embodiment, the misalignment measurement device  140  includes a first sensor  142 , linked to a processor  144  by a first communication cable  146 , and a second sensor  148  linked to the processor  144  by a second communication cable  150 . However, those skilled in the art will understand that the communication cables  146  and  150  are provided as one form of communication linkage between the sensors  142  and  148 , wireless communication between the sensors  142  and  148  and the processor  144  is also contemplated by the present invention. 
     Use of the preferred misalignment measurement device  140 , entails a determination of particular distances such as  152 , taken between the first sensor  142  and the second sensor  148 ;  154 , taken between the second sensor  148  and a first securement stud  122 ; and  156 , taken between the first securement stud  122  and the second securement stud  122 ′. The angular relationship between the first and second sensors  142 ,  148 , as the sensors are rotated about the path of rotation of the flexible coupling  128 , and relative to the determined distances  152 ,  154 , and  156 , are used by the processor  144  to calculate the amount of operative misalignment when an operative misalignment is present between the wind turbine output shaft  124  and the wind turbine generator input shaft  126 . 
       FIG. 10  depicts the flange retainer  138 , backed off from the support flange  134  in preparation for realignment of the generator  130  by the inventive wind turbine generator alignment tool  100 . With the push plate  102  in abutting adjacency with the flange  134 , advancement of the indexing means  114  along the link member  110  translates an applied rotational force  158  into a linear force  160 , which shifts the position of the support flange  134  relative to the securement stud  122  to align the wind turbine generator input shaft  126  with the wind turbine output shaft  124  (each of  FIG. 6 ). 
     Turning to  FIG. 11 , shown therein is a flow chart  200 , which depicts a method of utilizing an inventive wind turbine generator alignment tool (such as  100 ). The method commences at start process step  202  and proceeds to process step  204  with a placement of a push plate (such as  102 ) in abutting adjacency with a predetermined generator support flange (such as  134 ). At process step  206 , the method continues with determining an amount of generator misalignment, and at process step  208 , an alignment force (such as  160 ) to align a generator (such as  130 ) is applied to the predetermined support flange via an application of a rotational force (such as  158 ) to an index means (such as  114 ) to align an input shaft (such as  126 ) of a wind turbine generator (such as  130 ) with an output shaft (such as  124 ) of a wind turbine (such as  162  of  FIG. 9 ). 
     At process step  210 , alignment between the generator and the wind turbine is re-checked to assure alignment between the wind turbine and the generator has been attained, relative to the support flange being acted upon. At process step  212 , the push plate is secured in abutting adjacency with an alternate predetermined support flange. When the inventive wind turbine generator alignment tool is securely in position adjacent the alternate predetermined support flange, a second alignment force (such as  160 ), to align the generator is applied to the alternate predetermined support flange via an application of a second rotational force (such as  158 ) to the index means to align the input shaft of the wind turbine generator with the output shaft of the wind turbine, and the process concludes at end process step  216 . 
     With respect to the above description, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
     It will be clear that the present invention is well adapted to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as those inherent therein. While presently preferred embodiments have been described for purposes of this disclosure, numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are encompassed by the appended claims.