Cooler for a wind turbine having pivotable cooling panels

1. A wind turbine, comprising:

a tower;

a nacelle coupled to the tower and housing one or more heat generating components;

a rotor having at least one wind turbine blade coupled to the nacelle; and

a cooler mounted to the nacelle and configured to cool the one or more heat generating components in the nacelle through a circulation of a working fluid, the cooler comprising:

a support frame coupled to the nacelle; and

a heat exchanger coupled to the support frame and configured to cool the working fluid by a passage of air over the heat exchanger,

wherein the heat exchanger includes more than two cooling panels arranged in a zig-zag shaped pattern, arranged substantially vertically relative to each other, and each of the more than two cooling panels defines a confronting edge that extends in a generally horizontal direction.

2. The wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein the more than two cooling panels are each substantially planar.

3. The wind turbine of claim 2 , wherein adjacent cooling panels of the more than two cooling panels are angled relative to each other between 60 degrees and 120 degrees.

4. The wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein adjacent cooling panels of the more than two cooling panels are pivotally coupled to each other.

5. The wind turbine of claim 4 , wherein the adjacent cooling panels of the more than two cooling panels are coupled to each other by a hinge.

6. The wind turbine of claim 5 , wherein the hinge is a double hinge allowing the adjacent cooling panels of the more than two cooling panels to pivot relative to each other in multiple directions.

7. The wind turbine of claim 5 , wherein the hinge is a lockable hinge.

8. The wind turbine of claim 1 , wherein the support frame of the cooler is mounted to the nacelle adjacent a rear end of the nacelle.

9. A cooler for a wind turbine having a nacelle, comprising:

a support frame configured to be mounted to the nacelle; and

a heat exchanger configured to be coupled to the support frame, the heat exchanger including more than two cooling panels pivotally connected to each other and movable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration,

wherein in the expanded configuration, the more than two cooling panels are arranged in a zig-zag shaped pattern, arranged substantially vertically relative to each other, and each of the more than two cooling panels defines a confronting edge that extends in a generally horizontal direction, and

wherein a volume occupied by the heat exchanger in the collapsed configuration is less than the volume occupied by the heat exchanger in the expanded configuration.

10. The cooler of claim 9 , wherein the collapsed configuration includes a stacked arrangement of the more than two cooling panels with each cooling panel positioned immediately adjacent another cooling panel.

11. The cooler of claim 10 , wherein each of the more than two cooling panels is generally planar and the collapsed configuration includes a generally rectangular stacked arrangement of the more than two cooling panels.

12. The cooler of claim 9 , wherein adjacent cooling panels of the more than two cooling panels are connected to each other by a hinge.

13. The cooler of claim 12 , wherein the hinge is a double hinge.

14. The cooler of claim 12 , wherein the hinge is a lockable hinge.

15. A method of assembling a cooler for a wind turbine having a nacelle, comprising:

mounting a support frame to the nacelle of the wind turbine;

providing a heat exchanger having more than two cooling panels pivotally connected to each other and movable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, wherein in the expanded configuration, the more than two cooling panels are arranged in a zig-zag shaped pattern, arranged substantially vertically relative to each other, and each of the more than two cooling panels defines a confronting edge that extends in a generally horizontal direction;

positioning the heat exchanger adjacent the support frame in the collapsed configuration;

connecting one end of the heat exchanger to the support frame;

moving the heat exchanger from the collapsed configuration to the expanded configuration; and

connecting a second end of the heat exchanger to the support frame to secure the heat exchanger to the support frame.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the collapsed configuration is a vertically stacked arrangement of the more than two cooling panels, and the moving step further comprises moving the stacked arrangement in a substantially vertical direction.

17. A method of handling a nacelle of a wind turbine configured to have a cooler, comprising:

providing a nacelle at a first location;

providing a heat exchanger at the first location, the heat exchanger having more than two cooling panels pivotally connected to each other and movable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, wherein in the expanded configuration, the more than two cooling panels are arranged in a zig-zag shaped pattern, arranged substantially vertically relative to each other, and each of the more than two cooling panels defines a confronting edge that extends in a generally horizontal direction;

coupling the heat exchanger to the nacelle and positioning the heat exchanger in the collapsed configuration; and

transporting the nacelle to a second location separate from the first location with the heat exchanger coupled thereto.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the collapsed configuration is a vertically stacked arrangement of the more than two cooling panels.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising hoisting the nacelle to a top of a wind turbine tower with the heat exchanger coupled thereto.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

mounting a support frame to the nacelle;

moving the heat exchanger from the collapsed configuration to the expanded configuration; and

coupling the heat exchanger to the support frame.