Modular Battery Retainer for Wind Turbine Pitch Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pitch-control batteries for wind turbines require the replacement of entire arrays when a single battery element fails, leading to material and labor wastage, as they are permanently affixed and not designed for independent element replacement.
Innovation Solution
A retention system with a housing member and sleeve member that can be configured to securely hold and independently replace individual battery elements, allowing for the retention of battery elements in a rotating frame and harsh environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If battery elements are permanently affixed to a base, then the battery array structure is simple and reliable, but the entire array must be replaced when a single element fails, causing material and labor waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the battery array into modular retention chambers, each capable of independently holding and securing individual battery elements. This segmentation allows any single element to be accessed, removed, or replaced without disturbing other elements in the array, eliminating the need to replace the entire array when one element fails.
2Reliability
If the entire battery array is replaced when one element fails, then system reliability is maintained, but labor costs and installation complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The retention system is divided into multiple independent retention chambers, each with its own movable wall or cover. This allows technicians to access and replace individual battery elements by opening only the specific chamber containing the failed element, rather than disassembling the entire battery array.
Solution Approach 2:
The retention chambers incorporate movable walls or covers that can be dynamically opened and closed. This dynamic design enables easy access to individual battery elements for replacement while maintaining secure retention during operation, significantly reducing repair time and labor costs compared to permanent fixed structures.
3Reliability
If heavy battery arrays are designed for reliability, then they can withstand rotating stresses, but they become too heavy for technicians to carry to elevated positions
Solution Approach 1:
The battery array is segmented into modular units with individual retention chambers. This allows the overall system to maintain the structural integrity needed to withstand centrifugal forces while enabling technicians to work with smaller, more manageable individual elements or subsets of elements rather than handling the entire heavy array at once.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable walls and covers of the retention chambers allow for dynamic access and adjustment during installation and maintenance. This dynamic design enables technicians to install or replace battery elements in a staged manner, reducing the weight that must be manually handled at any one time while maintaining reliable retention under operating conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
Retention systems are disclosed. In some embodiments, a retainer apparatus is configured to retain a battery of the type used to power a pitch-control drivetrain for adjusting a pitch angle of a wind-turbine rotor. In a working embodiment, the retainer apparatus has a separable housing member and sleeve member configured to matingly engage each other in an interlocking relationship and to define a retention chamber having an open interior region sized to receive the battery. Adjustable pitch rotors having one or more innovative retainer apparatus are also disclosed. Innovative principles disclosed herein can be adapted to retainers for a wide variety of retainable elements, other than batteries.