Modular Wind Turbine Rotor With Air Cooling Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbine electric generators face challenges in cooling their components effectively without increasing the width of the air gap between the stator and rotor, which would require larger and heavier components and higher costs.
Innovation Solution
The rotor is designed as a modular assembly with air cooling channels between the modules, allowing for direct heat absorption from the permanent magnets, eliminating the need for a wider air gap and enhancing cooling efficiency without additional structural modifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the air gap width is increased to enhance cooling effect, then the cooling efficiency is improved, but the mass of permanent magnets and stator windings increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor is divided into multiple modular segments, each containing permanent magnets and integrated cooling channels. This segmentation allows air to flow through multiple separate cooling paths within the rotor structure, increasing the effective cooling surface area without requiring an increased air gap width, thereby resolving the contradiction between cooling efficiency and component mass
2Loss of energy
If the air gap width is increased to guide more air through cooling, then the heat transfer is enhanced, but the generator size and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling channels are merged directly into the rotor module structure itself, rather than being separate external components. The module walls form the cooling channels, integrating the cooling function into the structural design. This eliminates the need for additional external cooling structures and maintains a compact generator size while achieving enhanced heat transfer
3Power
If larger permanent magnets are used to compensate for increased air gap, then the power output is maintained, but the component mass and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling channels are strategically positioned within the rotor modules to optimize heat removal from specific high-heat-generation regions. This localized cooling approach allows the permanent magnets to be sized appropriately for power output requirements without excessive mass, as the cooling system efficiently manages heat in critical areas rather than requiring uniform increases in magnet size throughout
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 modular design effectively increases heat transfer from the rotor components to the air, improving cooling without increasing the air gap width, thus reducing component mass and costs while maintaining high cooling efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the air is guided within the cooling channels such that the air gets in direct contact with the respective modules to absorb heat from these modules
Implementation Method 2
the air gets in thermal contact with the stator and/or rotor and transports heat away from these components
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Electric generator for a wind turbine (1), comprising an outer stator (11) and an inner rotor (10) with a plurality of permanent magnets (18), wherein the rotor (10) is rotatably mounted about a rotation axis (6), wherein the rotor (10) is realized by a modular assembly of several modules (17) each comprising at least one of the permanent magnets (18), wherein at least one of the modules (17) delimits at least one air cooling channel (24) of the rotor (10).