IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,215,675
Granted Patent B2
US 12,215,675 · App. 17/796,697 · Granted Feb 4, 2025

Self-clamping cable guard for clamping power cables of a power cable bundle of a cable support arrangement in a wind turbine, cable support arrangement and wind turbine

Inventors: Thomas F. Quinn (Oviedo, FL); Nicholas VanDam (Sanford, FL)
Assignee: SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY A/S
F03D80/85F16L3/223
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,215,675
App. No.
17/796,697
Granted
Feb 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A self-clamping cable guard for clamping power cables of a power cable bundle of a cable support arrangement in a wind turbine, whereby the self-clamping cable guard includes three recesses arranged about a central longitudinal axis of the self-clamping cable guard for positively clamping a power cable of the power cable bundle inside of each of the three recesses, and whereby the self-clamping cable guard includes three wear protection plates arranged about the central longitudinal axis, whereby each of the three recesses includes an open side for insertion of a respective power cable of the power cable bundle therein, each of the open sides of one of the three recesses being respectively limited by two of the three wear protection plates to protect the power cables clamped inside the recesses from wear. A cable support arrangement for a wind turbine and a wind turbine is also provided.

Claims (17)

1. A cable support arrangement for a wind turbine comprising:

a plurality of self-clamping cable guards for clamping power cables of a power cable bundle of the cable support arrangement in the wind turbine, each self clamping guard comprising:

three recesses arranged about a central longitudinal axis of the self-clamping cable guard for positively clamping a power cable of the power cable bundle inside of each of the three recesses, and

three wear protection plates arranged about the central longitudinal axis, whereby each of the three recesses comprises an open side for insertion of a respective power cable of the power cable bundle therein, each of the open sides of one of the three recesses being respectively limited by two of the three wear protection plates to protect the power cables clamped inside the recesses from wear; and

at least one cable bundle guide and multiple power cable bundles, each power cable bundle consisting of three power cables, and whereby each of the multiple self-clamping cable guards clamps in every one of the three recesses one of the three power cables of each of the multiple power cable bundles, and whereby each one of the multiple plurality of self-clamping cable guards with the power cables clamped inside thereof is arranged in one of multiple through-openings inside of the at least one cable bundle guide;

wherein the at least one cable bundle guide comprises a tilting mechanism for tilting the cable bundle guide around a tilting axis perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the plurality of self-clamping cable guards.

2. The cable support arrangement according to claim 1 ,

wherein the multiple through-openings inside of the at least one cable bundle guide have a triangular shape with straight edges and the wear protection plates of the self-clamping cable guards are arranged parallel to the straight edges of the triangular shape of the through-openings.

3. The cable support arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one cable bundle guide is a circular plate and the multiple through-openings are arranged about a center point of the circular flat plate.

4. A wind turbine comprising a nacelle mounted on top of a tower of the wind turbine, a generator arranged inside the nacelle for generating electricity, and a cable support arrangement according to claim 1 .

5. The cable support arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the self-clamping cable guard is made from an elastic and/or flexible material such that the three recesses can be elastically widened for receiving the power cables and elastically reset to clamp the power cables.

6. The cable support arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the self-clamping guard further comprises a center portion, whereby the center portion has a center point congruent with the central longitudinal axis and the center portion has a shape of a circular triangle with concave circular arc edges.

7. The cable support arrangement according to claim 6 , further comprising three outer portions extending outwards from the center portion, whereby each of the three outer portions is attached to a vertex part of the circular triangle shape of the center portion.

8. The cable support arrangement according to claim 7 , wherein each of the outer portions has a shape of a circular triangle with two concave circular arc edges and one straight edge, wherein the straight edge is a wear protection surface of one of the three wear protection plates.

9. The cable support arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the wear protection plates are congruent with an imaginary triangle, the imaginary triangle having a center point congruent with the central longitudinal axis and circumscribing the self-clamping cable guard.

10. The cable support arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the self-clamping cable guard is monolithically designed.

11. The cable support arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the self-clamping cable guard is injection molded.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 27, 2023
From: QUINN, THOMAS F.; VANDAM, NICHOLAS
To: SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 065369/0623 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 27, 2023
From: SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY, INC.
To: SIEMENS GAMESA RENEWABLE ENERGY A/S
Reel/Frame 065369/0713 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 20157253 · Feb 13, 2020 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230340946A1 · Oct 26, 2023
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