Mobile Control Unit for Wind Turbine Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind power plants face challenges in controlling components like rotor blades and azimuth angles when not connected to the energy supply network, particularly during assembly, maintenance, or when normal operation is disrupted.
Innovation Solution
A mobile control unit with a supply module, main control unit, and control modules that can be coupled to transmit voltage and control commands, allowing for remote operation of pitch motors, azimuth motors, and rotor brakes, even without a power grid connection, using a connection line and optionally a radio remote control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a mobile control unit is used to enable control during assembly and maintenance, then operational flexibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile control unit is designed as a universal control system that can control multiple different components of the wind turbine (pitch motors, azimuth motors, rotor brakes) through standardized control modules. The supply module with main control unit can interface with various components via connection lines, allowing one device to perform multiple control functions that would otherwise require separate control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit is divided into modular components: a supply module with main control unit, multiple control modules for different components, and connection lines. This segmentation allows the system to be configured flexibly for different control needs while maintaining manageable complexity through standardized interfaces between modules.
2Reliability
If control modules are provided for each component, then control reliability is improved, but quantity of parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single supply module with main control unit serves as a universal controller that can manage multiple components (pitch motors, azimuth motors, rotor brakes) through different control modules. This eliminates the need for separate dedicated control units for each component, reducing the total quantity of parts while maintaining reliable control through the centralized main control unit.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple control functions for different components are merged into a single mobile control unit system. The main control unit in the supply module consolidates control logic for pitch control, azimuth control, and brake control, reducing the number of separate control devices needed while ensuring reliable control through integrated monitoring and management.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple control modules are stored for different components, then adaptability is improved, but storage requirements and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile control unit provides universal control capability through a main control unit that can interface with various wind turbine components via standardized control modules and connection lines. This eliminates the need to store multiple specialized control modules for different components, as one universal system can control all components by connecting the appropriate control modules as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system is designed to be dynamically configurable - control modules can be connected or disconnected from the supply module based on which component needs control. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the same physical hardware to adapt to different control needs without requiring permanent storage of multiple specialized control systems.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Disclosed is a mobile control unit (200) for a wind turbine comprising a plurality of components (130-150). The mobile control unit (200) includes a supply module (210) that has a main control unit (211) and at least one control module (220-240), coupled to the supply module (210), for controlling the wind turbine components. The main control unit (211) is used for controlling the wind turbine components (130-150) by means of the control modules (220-240) that are connected to the supply module (210).