Offshore Wind Turbine Vibration Control via Active Pitch and Yaw
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Offshore wind turbines face significant challenges due to vibrations induced by interactions with water, including wave momentum and vortex shedding, which can lead to structural damage and integrity issues.
Innovation Solution
A wind turbine system equipped with sensors to detect vibrations, a control system that analyzes data to identify periodic vibration components, and adaptive control mechanisms to adjust blade pitch, yaw angle, and generator torque to counteract water-induced vibrations, thereby reducing structural stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If offshore wind turbines are deployed to utilize available wind resources, then electricity generation capacity is improved, but structural integrity deteriorates due to water-induced vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanical vibration principles by using active vibration control through blade pitch adjustment and yaw angle modification to counteract water-induced vibrations. The control system generates opposing vibrations to cancel harmful resonant vibrations from wave momentum and vortex shedding, thereby protecting structural integrity while maintaining productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes operational parameters (blade pitch angle, yaw angle, generator torque) in real-time based on measured vibration characteristics. By dynamically adjusting these parameters, the system adapts to varying water conditions and wind conditions, maintaining optimal electricity generation while preventing structural damage from vibrations
2Reliability
If active vibration control systems are implemented to reduce water-induced vibrations, then structural integrity is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by continuously measuring vibrations with sensors, analyzing the spectral content to identify water-induced vibration components, and adjusting control parameters based on this feedback. This closed-loop feedback system automatically maintains structural integrity without requiring complex manual intervention or overly sophisticated control algorithms
Solution Approach 2:
The control system performs self-adjustment by autonomously identifying vibration sources through spectral analysis and automatically modifying blade pitch and yaw angles without external intervention. The system serves itself by using its own operational data to maintain structural integrity, reducing the need for external monitoring and complex control infrastructure
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
The system effectively dampens water-induced vibrations, preventing structural damage and ensuring the integrity of the wind turbine by actively controlling rotor blade pitch, yaw, and generator torque in response to measured vibrations.
Implementation Method 1
measured vibrations of the wind turbine; identifying a periodic vibration component from the measured vibrations; operating the control system to counteract the periodic vibration component
Implementation Method 2
vibrations induced by an interaction of the wind turbine and a body of water surrounding the wind turbine, in particular vibrations induced by wave momentum and/or vortex shedding
Implementation Method 3
vibrations induced by wave momentum and/or vortex shedding
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A method for operating a wind turbine 10 erected in a body of water 2, comprising: measuring a frequency spectrum of vibrations of the wind turbine during operation; identifying at least one periodic component of said measured frequency spectrum, wherein said periodic component is associated with interaction of said body of water 2 and said wind turbine 10; and, operating at least one controller 36 of said wind turbine 10 so that water-induced vibrations are reduced.