Offshore Wind Turbine Power Backup via Shared Sea Cable
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Solution Overview
Problem
Offshore wind turbines face challenges in providing auxiliary power during maintenance or repair, as conventional fuel-based generators are expensive and environmentally restricted, while battery systems are insufficient for high-power tools, leading to high costs and operational limitations.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a low voltage cable within the existing medium voltage sea cable, allowing adjacent wind turbines to share power through a low voltage distribution system, eliminating the need for additional generators or batteries, and utilizing existing sea cables to provide a reliable and cost-effective power backup.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If fuel-based mobile generators are used for auxiliary power during maintenance, then sufficient power is provided for tools and equipment, but operational costs increase and environmental restrictions are imposed
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables wind turbines to provide auxiliary power to each other during maintenance operations. A functioning turbine generates electricity that is transmitted through the existing medium voltage cable to a non-functioning turbine, eliminating the need for external fuel-based generators and reducing both environmental impact and operational costs
Solution Approach 2:
The existing medium voltage cable infrastructure is made multi-functional by enabling it to transport both medium voltage current for normal operation and low voltage current for auxiliary power during maintenance. This eliminates the need for separate auxiliary power equipment
2Object-affected harmful factors
If batteries are used as auxiliary power supplies, then environmental restrictions are avoided, but power capacity is insufficient for maintenance tools and replacement costs are high
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using batteries that require periodic replacement, the system uses the wind turbines themselves as the power source. The generated electricity is directly transmitted through the cable infrastructure, providing unlimited power capacity without environmental compliance issues or replacement costs
3Adaptability or versatility
If auxiliary generators are placed on boats for offshore maintenance, then power can be provided remotely, but connection difficulty increases under adverse weather conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and utilizes the existing underwater cable infrastructure that already connects the wind turbines to the grid. By repurposing this existing infrastructure to also carry auxiliary power, the system eliminates the need for boat-based generators and the associated connection difficulties
Data Source
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AI summary
Aspects of the invention concerns a cable 100 comprising a cable jacket 108 and at least two medium voltage wires 102 disposed within the cable jacket for transporting medium voltage current and at least two low voltage wires disposed within the cable jacket for transporting a low voltage current. Further, it concerns a wind turbine 10 having a generator 14 for generating electricity, wherein the generator being electrically connected to at least two medium voltage wires for feeding the generated electricity into a grid, the wind turbine having further a low voltage network for providing low voltage power to low voltage consumers, the low voltage network being electrically connected to a low voltage cable 104, wherein the low voltage cable and the medium voltage wires are accommodated in a common cable jacket.