Wind Turbine Blade Air Channel for Parked-Rotor Vibration Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbine blades experience excessive vibrations during installation, commissioning, and maintenance due to varying wind conditions when the turbine is parked, leading to potential damage and reduced lifespan.
Innovation Solution
A device is removably mounted to the wind turbine blade, protruding beyond the leading and trailing edges to form air channels that divert airflow, reducing vortex and stall-induced vibrations by preventing the combination of air flows after leaving the edges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the wind turbine is parked during installation or maintenance, then the turbine structure remains stationary and vulnerable to wind loads, but vibrations occur due to airflow interaction with the blades
Solution Approach 1:
A vibration mitigation device is introduced as an intermediary component mounted on the blade. This device includes a protruding portion that forms an air channel, acting as a mediator between the airflow and the blade to reduce harmful vibrations during parked conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful airflow interaction is extracted and redirected through the air channel formed by the protruding portion of the vibration mitigation device, separating the direct airflow from the blade surface to reduce vortex-induced vibrations
2Productivity
If the wind turbine blades are made longer to capture more wind energy, then energy capture increases, but the blades become more flexible and prone to vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The vibration mitigation device is applied locally at the leading edge of the blade where airflow interaction causes the most harm. The protruding portion with its air channel provides localized airflow modification to reduce vibrations without affecting the overall blade length or energy capture capability
3Ease of operation
If the wind turbine is parked for extended periods, then installation or maintenance work can be performed, but the rotor remains exposed to varying wind conditions causing vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The vibration mitigation device is installed on the blade before the turbine is parked for extended periods. This preliminary action ensures that vibration protection is in place before the rotor is exposed to varying wind conditions during installation or maintenance work
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device effectively mitigates vibrations by diverting airflow, reducing the formation of vortices and stall-induced oscillations, thereby protecting the blades and turbine components from damage.
Implementation Method 1
The portion configured to protrude beyond the leading edge is configured to at least partially form an air channel in front of the leading edge
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3~4B
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to devices for wind turbine blades and methods for reducing vibrations in wind turbines with a rotor in standstill. A device comprises a portion configured to protrude beyond a leading edge of a wind turbine blade in a local chordwise direction. The portion configured to protrude beyond the leading edge is configured to at least partially form an air channel in front of the leading edge.