Conical Rotor Hub Extension for Wind Turbine Scaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wind turbine designs face logistical and technological constraints that limit the scalability of hub size, necessitating increased blade length and flange diameter, which existing technologies cannot adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A conical rotor hub extension with a larger diameter at the blade bearing end than at the rotor hub end allows for increased blade length without enlarging the rotor hub, enabling a smaller, lighter rotor hub with improved rigidity and cost-effectiveness, and allowing for direct or indirect connection of the rotor blade to the blade bearing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the blade length and flange diameter are increased to optimize energy yield, then the energy yield is improved, but the hub size reaches practical limits imposed by logistical and technological constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor hub is divided into two separate components: the rotor hub itself and the rotor hub extension. This segmentation allows the blade bearing to be scaled independently with increased blade length, while the rotor hub maintains a compact, standardized size that avoids logistical and technological constraints. The extension acts as an intermediary element that decouples the scaling requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor hub extension introduces an additional dimensional element between the rotor hub and the blade bearing. By adding this intermediate component with a specific conical geometry, the design achieves the necessary flange diameter for blade attachment without increasing the core rotor hub size, effectively solving the scaling problem in a new dimensional space.
2Strength
If the rotor hub flange diameter is enlarged to match increased blade flange diameter, then the connection strength is improved, but the rotor hub weight and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The connection function is segmented between the rotor hub extension and the rotor hub. The extension provides the large flange diameter needed for strong blade attachment, while the rotor hub maintains its original compact dimensions and weight. This separation allows the connection strength to be achieved without increasing the rotor hub mass.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor hub extension serves as an intermediary component that mediates between the compact rotor hub and the larger blade bearing. It provides the necessary mechanical interface for strong connections while keeping the main rotor hub structure lightweight and standardized.
3Reliability
If the rotor hub extension diameter is increased to support larger blade bearings, then the blade bearing capacity is improved, but the connection to the rotor hub becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor hub extension employs a conical geometry with specific dimensional parameters (larger diameter at the blade bearing end, smaller diameter at the rotor hub end) that optimize the connection. This parameter optimization allows for straightforward manufacturing and assembly while achieving the necessary bearing capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor hub extension is designed to be integrated with the blade bearing and rotor hub through standardized connection interfaces. By merging these components with proper alignment features and connection elements, the design achieves reliable power transmission without excessive complexity in the overall assembly.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a wind turbine, comprising a rotor hub, a blade bearing and a rotor blade, characterized in that a conical rotor hub extension is arranged between the rotor hub and the blade bearing, the rotor hub extension having a first diameter on the side of the rotor hub extension facing the blade bearing and a second diameter on the side of the rotor hub extension facing the rotor hub, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter, the rotor blade being indirectly or directly connected to the blade bearing.