Hydraulic Tower Dampening for Faster Wind Turbine Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing damping systems for wind turbine towers during installation are costly, require complex control systems, increase installation time, and are impractical for offshore applications, limiting the reduction of tower movement and alignment difficulties.
Innovation Solution
A damping system using a string attached to the tower with a hydraulic pulling device and controlling device to provide defined pulling forces, optimized by a sensing device, reduces tower movement efficiently and inexpensively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a passive anchoring system with string and anchor device is used, then the tower movement is reduced, but the damping effect is limited and the system is not suitable for offshore applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies hydraulic principles by using a hydraulic cylinder to actuate the pulling device, enabling active control of the damping force. The hydraulic system allows precise control of the pulling force applied to the tower during installation, significantly improving damping effectiveness compared to passive mechanical anchoring systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the static anchoring system into a dynamic one by introducing active control capabilities. The controlling device adjusts the pulling force in real-time based on tower movement, making the damping system adaptive and responsive to changing conditions during installation operations.
2Stability of the object's composition
If an active mass damper system is used, then the tower movement is dampened effectively, but the installation time increases due to extra lifting operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the mass damper function from the traditional active mass damper system and implements it through a pulling device that applies force directly to the tower. This eliminates the need for separate mass lifting operations while maintaining effective damping capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical mass damper system with a hydraulic actuation system. Instead of using gravitational force from dropped masses, the hydraulic cylinder provides controlled pulling forces, reducing installation time while maintaining damping effectiveness.
3Manufacturing precision
If an active mass damper system with advanced controllers is used, then the tower movement is controlled precisely, but the system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by using sensors to detect tower movement and feeding this information to the controlling device. The controller adjusts the pulling force in real-time based on actual tower position, achieving precise alignment control without requiring complex advanced controllers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the tower's own movement as the control input, eliminating the need for external complex control systems. The controlling device simply responds to sensor data from the tower's position, making the system self-regulating and cost-effective.
4Stability of the object's composition
If conventional damping systems are used, then tower movement is reduced, but the installation duration increases and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the damping system multi-functional by integrating the pulling device with both damping capabilities and alignment control functions. The same hydraulic system provides both tower stabilization during installation and precise alignment during component positioning, eliminating the need for separate systems and improving overall installation productivity.
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
Reduces installation time and costs by effectively damping tower movement, allowing faster component alignment and reducing the need for expensive auxiliary vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
The pulling device comprises a hydraulic pulling system for providing the pulling force
Implementation Method 2
the damping system comprises a sensing device for sensing a movement of the tower
Implementation Method 3
a controlling device for controlling the pulling device
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to a Dampening system (1) for dampening a movement of a tower (2) of a wind turbine (3), comprising a string (4) for being attached to the tower (2) for applying a pulling force to the tower (2). The dampening system (1) further comprises a pulling device (5) for providing a defined pulling force onto the string (4) and a controlling device (6) for controlling the pulling device (5). The invention further relates to a method for dampening a movement of a tower (2) of a wind turbine (3).