Wind Turbine Generator Cooling Air Gap Noise Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbines face challenges in reducing noise emissions while maintaining efficient cooling, as larger turbines increase sound propagation and noise immission, and existing cooling designs fail to adequately dampen noise and protect against environmental contaminants.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an external rotor generator with an air supply duct and exhaust air chamber, thermally decoupled to route cooling air in a spatially separate manner, using air conveying devices to manage airflow through an air gap between the rotor and stator, and includes silencers and shut-off units to control noise and environmental exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling devices generate air flow to cool the generator, then cooling efficiency is improved, but noise emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The generator is divided into acoustically isolated segments using sound insulation elements that partition the interior space. This segmentation allows different zones to have different acoustic characteristics, containing noise within specific regions while maintaining effective cooling airflow paths through the rotor and stator components.
Solution Approach 2:
Sound insulation elements act as intermediary components between noise sources (cooling devices, air flow paths) and the external environment. These elements mediate the transmission of acoustic energy, absorbing and reflecting sound waves while permitting thermal energy transfer for cooling purposes, thus decoupling noise propagation from heat dissipation functions.
2Device complexity
If the generator is designed with an open structure to avoid additional cooling systems, then device complexity is reduced, but protection against water and dirt deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Sound insulation elements function as flexible barriers that seal gaps and openings in the generator structure. These elements form protective shells around sensitive internal components, preventing water and dirt ingress while maintaining the open design philosophy. The thin film nature of these insulators allows them to conform to complex geometries without adding significant structural complexity.
3Productivity
If larger wind turbines are used to improve efficiency, then energy production is improved, but noise propagation and immission increase
Solution Approach 1:
Sound insulation elements are nested within the existing generator structure, placing acoustic barriers inside the rotor and stator assemblies. This nested configuration allows the insulation system to be integrated into the compact space of large-scale generators without increasing external dimensions, thereby containing noise propagation while maintaining the high power density required for efficient energy production.
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
This configuration enables cost-effective and efficient cooling while reducing noise emissions and protecting the generator from environmental contaminants, allowing for adjustable noise compliance with site-specific limits and extended maintenance intervals.
Implementation Method 1
The air supply duct is designed to supply ambient air as cooling air from the vicinity of the generator for cooling the generator
Implementation Method 2
the exhaust air chamber is preferably designed to discharge the cooling air 'heated' by the generator in the direction of the surroundings of the generator in order to cool the generator
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Generator (10), in particular generator (10) for a wind turbine (100), the generator (10) comprising: an air supply duct (19) and a separate exhaust air chamber (27), in particular two or more exhaust air chambers (27) which is fluidly connected to the upstream air supply duct (19), a stator segment (20) with a stator active unit (25) and a rotor segment (30) rotatably arranged about an axis of rotation (D) relative to the stator segment (20) with a rotor active unit (36), wherein the rotor active unit (36) and stator active unit (25) are spaced apart from each other by an air gap (S) through which the exhaust air chamber (27) is fluidly connected to the upstream air supply duct (19), characterized in that an air conveying device (60) is arranged downstream of the exhaust air chamber (27), which is used to cool the rotor active unit (36) and the stator active unit (25) is designedwherein the air conveying device (60) supplies cooling air (C) to the air gap (S) through the air supply channel (19) for cooling the rotor active unit (36) and the stator active unit (25), and discharges cooling air (H) heated by the rotor active unit (36) and the stator active unit (25) from the air gap through the exhaust air chamber (27), wherein the exhaust air chamber (27) is configured to discharge the heated cooling air (H) in a radial direction (R) with respect to the axis of rotation (D).