Intelligent cleaning system for radiator of wind turbine generator

Abstract

The invention discloses an intelligent cleaning system for a wind turbine generator radiator, which comprises a finned radiator mounted at the top of a cabin of a wind turbine generator; the radiator turbofan can rotate in the forward and reverse directions, and switching between the heat dissipation function and the cleaning function is achieved; the intelligent self-cleaning control system is electrically connected with the radiator turbofan and used for controlling the radiator turbofan to rotate forwards and backwards, rotate speed and work time; the automatic spraying device is arranged at the bottom of the radiator turbofan shell and used for spraying a cleaning agent to the fins; the fin monitoring system is used for monitoring the fin blocking state in real time and feeding back the fin blocking state to the intelligent self-cleaning control system; the foreign matter collecting system is used for collecting flocculent foreign matters falling off in the cleaning process; the intelligent self-cleaning system can intelligently execute self-cleaning operation, operation of the wind turbine generator is not affected, power generation loss is avoided, self-cleaning operation can be automatically executed according to a program, and a radiator can be effectively kept clean. Flocculent foreign matters in the environment and cleaned foreign matters can be intelligently collected, and secondary blockage of the radiator can be effectively avoided in the environment with much flocculent foreign matters.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the technical field of wind turbine cleaning and maintenance, and particularly relates to an intelligent cleaning system for a wind turbine radiator. BACKGROUND

[0002] The main heat generating components of a wind turbine are the gearbox and the generator, as well as the inverter and transformer, which are usually located in the tower base or the nacelle. These components generate a large amount of heat during operation. This heat is carried away by circulating cooling medium, and the high-temperature cooling medium that has absorbed the heat is pumped through pipes to the radiator (finned tube) located at the top of the nacelle. The radiator is composed of many pipes with dense metal fins that greatly increase the surface area in contact with the air. A high-power axial fan is usually installed on the radiator, which forcibly draws in ambient air from the side / bottom of the nacelle. The cold air drawn in is forced to blow through the finned pipes of the radiator. When the cold air flows through the hot pipes and fins, heat is efficiently transferred from the high-temperature cooling medium to the flowing air. The heated air is discharged from the top or side of the radiator to the atmosphere outside the nacelle.

[0003] The radiator fins at the top of the nacelle of a wind turbine are a large air-liquid (or air) heat exchanger, which realizes efficient and reliable heat management, ensuring that the key equipment inside the unit operates at an appropriate temperature. This is crucial for the long-term stable operation and power generation efficiency of the wind turbine. If the heat dissipation is insufficient, it may lead to overheating protection shutdown or even damage to the equipment.

[0004] However, the external environment of the wind turbine is full of fluff and other foreign matter. During the spring and summer seasons, many fluffs are generated during the growth and reproduction of plants and float in the high sky, often mixed with dust and other foreign matter. The radiator fan draws air from the inside to the outside, and the fluff enters the nacelle and adheres to the radiator fins, deeply and firmly attaching to the fin gaps, causing a serious lack of air volume entering the gaps, resulting in poor heat exchange capacity and severely reducing the heat dissipation efficiency of the radiator.

[0005] Cleaning the radiator fins of a wind turbine is a high-risk and high-technical requirement operation. Professional personnel generally use high-pressure water guns, long-handled soft brushes, and special cleaning agents for operation, which requires the unit to be shut down and locked, using a high-pressure water gun with adjustable pressure for high-pressure washing to ensure no cleaning agent residue, and then natural air drying.

[0006] However, the above technical solutions have the following technical problems: 1. Wind turbine generator sets cannot achieve online automatic cleaning without shutting down the turbines. The degree of automation is low, the efficiency is low, the operation time is approximately 2-3 hours, and the power generation loss is significant. 2. It involves off-float operations, using high-pressure water guns and water as the material. The tools and materials are bulky, difficult to hoist and transport, the environmental quality is poor, the operation is arduous, the safety risks are high, and the labor intensity is high. 3. During the operation, the pressure of the high-pressure water gun is very high and difficult to control, which can easily deform the radiator fins, causing irreversible equipment damage. 4. Judging the cleaning effect based on experience cannot guarantee the quality of the cleaning operation. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention provides an intelligent cleaning system for wind turbine radiators. The intelligent self-cleaning system can intelligently perform self-cleaning operations without affecting the operation of the wind turbine, without any loss of power generation, and can automatically perform the operation according to the program, effectively keeping the radiator clean. It can intelligently collect lint and foreign matter from the environment and cleaned up, and can effectively prevent secondary clogging of the radiator in environments with a lot of lint, thus solving the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: an intelligent cleaning system for wind turbine radiators, characterized in that it includes a finned radiator installed on the top of the wind turbine nacelle for dissipating heat from the cooling medium; The radiator turbo fan is installed above the finned radiator and can rotate in both directions to switch between heat dissipation and cleaning functions. An intelligent self-cleaning control system is electrically connected to the radiator turbine fan and is used to control its forward and reverse rotation, speed and working time. The fin monitoring system is used to monitor the fin blockage status in real time and feed it back to the intelligent self-cleaning control system.

[0009] Preferably, the radiator turbofan is a paddle-type turbofan driven by a servo motor, supporting forward and reverse rotation control.

[0010] Preferably, the system also includes an automatic spraying device located at the bottom of the radiator turbine housing for spraying cleaning agent onto the fins; The automatic spraying device includes a peristaltic pump, a storage tank, a hose, and a nozzle, and is controlled by a PLC to achieve timed or sensor-triggered spraying.

[0011] Preferably, the fin monitoring system includes a current sensor for monitoring changes in the radiator motor current and determining the degree of fin blockage.

[0012] Preferably, the fin monitoring system further includes a visual monitoring mechanism that uses image recognition technology to compare the fin status and assist in determining the blockage situation.

[0013] Preferably, the intelligent self-cleaning control system supports remote control and cloud data management, and enables remote operation and data uploading through 5G communication.

[0014] Preferably, the system is equipped with a mechanical bypass switch and a manual test button to support rapid switching and on-site testing in case of system failure.

[0015] Preferably, the system also includes a foreign matter collection system for collecting lint and other foreign matter that falls off during the cleaning process; the foreign matter collection system is a vacuum cleaner device that can be automatically activated during the cleaning process to prevent secondary blockage.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. The intelligent self-cleaning system can intelligently perform self-cleaning operations without affecting the operation of the wind turbine, without any loss of power generation, and can be carried out automatically according to the program, effectively keeping the radiator clean.

[0017] 2. It can intelligently collect lint and foreign matter from the environment and cleaned up, which can effectively prevent secondary blockage of the radiator in environments with a lot of lint.

[0018] 3. The system operates automatically based on the environment and unit conditions, requiring no manual intervention and posing no safety risks.

[0019] 4. The heat sink is cleaned using a variable-speed strong airflow, eliminating the risk of damage to the fins.

[0020] 5. It operates automatically according to procedures, frequently and automatically performing cleaning operations, resulting in high cleaning frequency and excellent cleaning effect.

[0021] 6. The system has remote monitoring and data management functions, supports cloud data analysis and fault early warning, and improves the level of intelligent operation and maintenance.

[0022] 7. The system has multiple safety protection mechanisms, such as mechanical bypass, independent power supply, and interlock buttons, to ensure system reliability and personnel safety.

[0023] 8. The system can adapt to various environmental conditions, has strong versatility and scalability, and is suitable for cleaning various wind turbine radiator scenarios. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the system structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the radiator turbine fan and automatic spraying device of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the operation of the radiator turbine fan of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the radiator motor current change monitoring of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the foreign object collection system of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0026] Example 1, please refer to Figure 1 This invention provides an intelligent cleaning system for wind turbine radiators, including a wind turbine generator set 1, such as a 3MW doubly-fed wind turbine generator set. The wind turbine generator set 1 is connected to an oil-cooled circulation system. The main heat-generating components of the wind turbine generator set are the gearbox and generator, as well as the converter and transformer, which are usually located in the tower base or nacelle. These components generate a large amount of heat during operation, which is carried away by a circulating cooling medium. The high-temperature cooling medium that has absorbed the heat is pumped through pipes to the radiator fins located on the top of the nacelle for cooling.

[0027] The finned radiator 2 is installed on top of the wind turbine generator 1 using conventional methods such as nacelle fixing. The finned radiator 2 consists of many pipes with dense metal fins. The fins greatly increase the surface area in contact with the air. The inlet and outlet of the radiator pipes are connected to the wind turbine generator oil cooling circulation system. The oil cooling circulation system supplies cooling lubricating oil into the wind turbine generator. The high-temperature cooling lubricating oil that absorbs heat from the wind turbine generator is pumped through pipes to the radiator finned tubes located on top of the nacelle for cooling.

[0028] The radiator turbofan 3 is fixed above the finned radiator 2 in the engine compartment. The radiator turbofan powerfully draws in ambient air from the side / bottom of the finned radiator 2 through the designed air inlet. The drawn-in cold air is forced to blow or suck through the finned pipes of the radiator. When the cold air flows through the hot pipes and fins, heat is efficiently transferred from the high-temperature cooling medium to the flowing air. The heated air is exhausted from the top or side of the radiator into the atmosphere outside the engine compartment.

[0029] The intelligent self-cleaning control system 4 includes a control module that controls the forward and reverse blowing of the radiator turbofan 3. The forward blowing of the radiator turbofan 3 is used to draw in ambient air from the side / bottom of the nacelle to dissipate heat from the radiator fins. When it blows in reverse, it generates a strong surging airflow that directly acts on foreign objects attached to the fins. The radiator turbofan 3 is a paddle-type turbofan with multiple blades. When the turbofan reverses, the airflow flows in the opposite direction. The impact force of the airflow peels off and blows away foreign objects without additional manual intervention. With an efficient and intelligent airflow switching mechanism, it achieves instant cleaning of the radiator, ensures unobstructed heat dissipation channels, and guarantees the normal operation of the heat dissipation system.

[0030] Please see Figure 2 As an embodiment of the present invention, it also includes an automatic spraying device 5, which is installed at the bottom of the housing of the radiator fan 3. Multiple automatic spraying devices 5 can be installed to automatically spray cleaning agent to fully clean the dense metal fin pipes of the finned radiator 2.

[0031] If the system is powered on and in standby mode, it waits for a preset time point to be reached; or if it continuously monitors the environment through an inductive sensor and triggers startup, the controller sends a startup signal to the pump, and the controller then starts the pump. After receiving the startup signal, the pump (such as a peristaltic pump) begins to work. The motor drives the roller to rotate, squeezing the hose and generating negative pressure to draw the cleaning agent in the storage tank into the hose and push it forward along the pipeline. The cleaning agent is pumped to the nozzle, and under pressure, the liquid is sprayed out at high speed from the tiny nozzle orifice. After colliding with the air, it is broken into countless tiny droplets, forming a mist spray that evenly covers the target surface. When the preset spraying time (such as 15 seconds) is reached, the controller cuts off the power to the pump, and the pump stops working.

[0032] For induction sprayers, spraying continues for a few seconds after the trigger signal disappears, then stops. After completing one work cycle, the system re-enters standby mode, waiting for the next trigger signal.

[0033] Please see Figure 1 As an embodiment of the present invention, the intelligent self-cleaning control system 4 includes an intelligent control and data recording module. The human-machine interaction of the system is realized through a touch screen. The PLC system can realize intelligent control of the self-cleaning system through the data of the unit and can store the system operation data to provide data support for the operation of the wind turbine.

[0034] It also includes remote control and cloud data management modules, which use 5G signals to remotely control the system via computers, mobile phones, etc., and upload data to the cloud server to ensure data security.

[0035] The independent main power supply design facilitates power outage of the entire system during maintenance, ensuring personal safety during maintenance operations. It supports power draw from the main circuit, and when the fan is out of power, the backup power supply can still be used to perform cleaning operations during shutdown.

[0036] Equipped with a mechanical bypass switch, the self-cleaning system can be disabled with one click in case of system failure, restoring the original working mode and avoiding affecting the normal operation of the fan.

[0037] It features a manual testing function with a forward / reverse test button (intermittent, stops when released), supporting on-site manual testing of fan rotation. The button has interlock protection and an N-second delay for switching, avoiding short circuits and mechanical shocks.

[0038] Please see Figure 3 As one embodiment of the present invention, the radiator turbofan 3 achieves forward and reverse blowing by rotating in both directions. For example, clockwise rotation blows for heat dissipation, and counterclockwise rotation blows for cleaning. The drive motor of the radiator turbofan is a servo motor, which is automatically controlled by the intelligent self-cleaning control system control module.

[0039] Please see Figure 4 As an embodiment of the present invention, it also includes a fin monitoring system 6, which is used to monitor the fin blockage and provide feedback to the intelligent self-cleaning control system 4. The intelligent self-cleaning control system 4 then determines whether to perform a cleaning operation based on the feedback.

[0040] Please see Figure 4 As one embodiment of the present invention, the fin monitoring system 6 monitors the current changes of the radiator motor. The core component is a current sensor, commonly including: a current transformer: fitted onto a phase of the motor's power line, inducing a small current signal proportional to the main circuit current; and a Hall effect current sensor: a non-contact measurement device with high accuracy, capable of measuring both AC and DC currents.

[0041] The radiator's motor drives the blades to rotate, pushing air smoothly through the clean fins. At this time, the fluid resistance is low, the motor operates near its rated load, and its operating current is stable within a normal range (e.g., 70%-90% of the rated current).

[0042] When the surface of the radiator fins is covered with dust or blocked by foreign objects, the flow channel narrows, the resistance to airflow increases significantly, and the fan needs greater torque to maintain the same speed and airflow.

[0043] According to the working principle of an electric motor, to output greater torque to overcome resistance, the motor must draw more current from the power grid. Therefore, the degree of fin blockage is positively correlated with the motor current. The more severe the blockage, the higher the current.

[0044] Specific workflow: The acquired raw current signal may have instantaneous fluctuations, such as power grid harmonics and start-stop interference. It needs to be smoothed by software algorithms, such as moving average filtering and low-pass filtering, to obtain a stable effective value.

[0045] The analog signals from the sensors are converted into digital signals for processing by the intelligent self-cleaning control system's 4PLC data acquisition module. When the current is too high, the PLC data acquisition module's data processing and logic judgment layer automatically increases the fan speed to barely maintain airflow, or automatically generates a work order for the maintenance management system. When the system triggers an alarm, it will light up the alarm light, emit an audible prompt, generate an alarm record in the monitoring software, and then control the cleaning system to work.

[0046] As an embodiment of the present invention, the fin monitoring system 6 includes a visual monitoring mechanism, which is used to take pictures of the fins and then transmit them to the cloud for analysis and processing. The system stores original pictures of fins that are not blocked. Through big data comparison and analysis, the blockage situation is then determined. Then, the intelligent self-cleaning control system performs corresponding operations based on the feedback.

[0047] Please see Figure 5 As an embodiment of the present invention, it also includes a foreign object collection system 7, such as a vacuum cleaner device. When there are many lint-like foreign objects in the environment, the foreign object collection system works automatically, and the vacuum cleaner device is turned on to collect the lint-like foreign objects in the environment or cleaned up, effectively avoiding secondary blockage of the radiator.

[0048] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An intelligent cleaning system for wind turbine radiators, characterized in that, This includes finned radiators, which are installed on top of the wind turbine nacelle to dissipate heat from the cooling medium; The radiator turbo fan is installed above the finned radiator and can rotate in both directions to switch between heat dissipation and cleaning functions. An intelligent self-cleaning control system is electrically connected to the radiator turbine fan and is used to control its forward and reverse rotation, speed and working time. The fin monitoring system is used to monitor the fin blockage status in real time and feed it back to the intelligent self-cleaning control system.

2. The intelligent cleaning system for wind turbine radiators according to claim 1, characterized in that, The radiator turbofan is a paddle-type turbofan driven by a servo motor, supporting forward and reverse rotation control.

3. The intelligent cleaning system for wind turbine radiators according to claim 2, characterized in that, The system also includes an automatic spraying device, located at the bottom of the radiator turbine housing, for spraying cleaning agent onto the fins; The automatic spraying device includes a peristaltic pump, a storage tank, a hose, and a nozzle, and is controlled by a PLC to achieve timed or sensor-triggered spraying.

4. The intelligent cleaning system for wind turbine radiators according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fin monitoring system includes a current sensor for monitoring changes in the radiator motor current and determining the degree of fin blockage.

5. The intelligent cleaning system for wind turbine radiators according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fin monitoring system also includes a visual monitoring mechanism, which uses image recognition technology to compare the fin status and assist in judging the blockage.

6. The intelligent cleaning system for wind turbine radiators according to claim 1, characterized in that, The intelligent self-cleaning control system supports remote control and cloud data management, and enables remote operation and data uploading through 5G communication.

7. The intelligent cleaning system for wind turbine radiators according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system is equipped with a mechanical bypass switch and a manual test button, which supports rapid switching and on-site testing in case of system failure.

8. The intelligent cleaning system for wind turbine radiators according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes a foreign matter collection system for collecting lint and other foreign matter that falls off during the cleaning process; the foreign matter collection system is a vacuum cleaner device that can be automatically activated during the cleaning process to prevent secondary blockage.

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