Wind Turbine Blade Oscillation Control Using UAV Airflow Disruption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbines experience uncontrolled oscillations of blades during shutdown, which can lead to damage, and existing solutions like blade socks are time-consuming and challenging to deploy, especially in offshore environments.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) that deploy automatically to interact with wind turbine blades or towers to control oscillations by disrupting airflow, using attachment means such as magnetic devices, suction cups, or grippers, and can operate in various orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If blade socks are attached to disrupt wind flow, then blade oscillation is reduced, but deployment time and manual intervention increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service operation through automatic detection of oscillation conditions and autonomous deployment of UAVs. The control system monitors blade oscillations and automatically dispatches UAVs without requiring manual intervention, allowing the wind turbine to service itself
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical attachment of blade socks with an automated system using UAVs. The mechanical process of manually installing oscillation control devices is substituted with automated aerial vehicles that can attach disruption elements to blades remotely and efficiently
2Reliability
If blade socks are attached to disrupt wind flow, then blade oscillation is reduced, but deployment complexity and manual intervention increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control system automatically detects oscillation conditions and triggers UAV deployment without human intervention. The system services itself by monitoring its own state and autonomously initiating the response action
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the manual operation component from the deployment process. By removing the need for human operators to physically attach blade socks, the system simplifies operation and reduces complexity of the deployment process
3Reliability
If maintenance personnel are deployed to install blade socks, then blade oscillation control is achieved, but cost and difficulty increase in offshore environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces human maintenance personnel with automated UAV systems. This substitution eliminates the need for dangerous offshore deployments of human workers, significantly improving productivity and reducing costs in offshore environments
Solution Approach 2:
The wind turbine system autonomously manages its own oscillation control needs through automatic detection and UAV deployment, eliminating dependence on external maintenance personnel and improving operational efficiency
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 UAV system efficiently reduces blade and tower oscillations with minimal human intervention, enhancing safety and reducing maintenance costs by automating the process, particularly in challenging environments like offshore locations.
Implementation Method 1
interacting with a blade of that wind turbine in order to control oscillation of the blade... interact with the blades in close proximity, in order to disrupt airflow around the blades thereby reducing oscillations
Implementation Method 2
The attachment means may comprise a magnetic device configured to couple to a magnetised portion of the blade
Implementation Method 3
The attachment means is a suction cup device for releasably attaching itself to the blade
Data Source
AI summary
A system for a wind park including: a control system in communication with a plurality of unmanned air vehicles, wherein the control system is configured to deploy one or more unmanned air vehicles during a triggering condition; and wherein the deployed unmanned air vehicles are guided towards an assigned wind turbine and to interact with a blade of that wind turbine in order to control oscillation of the blade. The invention also embraces a method for reducing blade oscillations of a wind turbine, comprising: monitoring for a triggering condition associated with the wind turbine; on detecting the triggering condition, deploying unmanned air vehicles towards a wind turbine and interacting with a blade of the wind turbine using the unmanned air to control oscillation of the blade. The invention therefore provides an efficient approach to controlling blade oscillations with minimal human operator involvement. Drones may be deployed automatically once suitable conditions are detected and may automatically engage with the blades, either by contacting those blades physically, or by interacting with the blades in close proximity, in order to disrupt airflow around the blades thereby reducing oscillations.