Pivoting Blade Rotor Control for Stable Flow Energy Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flow power plants with pivoting blades struggle to optimize energy yield automatically, particularly at higher rotational speeds where blades may pivot out of control or fail to achieve maximum energy extraction.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a flow power plant design featuring a rotor with multiple pivoting blades, each equipped with a separate electric machine capable of operating as both a motor and a generator. A controller adjusts the pivot angles and torques of the blades in real-time to optimize energy extraction, preventing uncontrolled pivoting and ensuring efficient operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If pivoting blades are used to extract energy from flow, then energy extraction efficiency is improved, but at higher rotational speeds the blades pivot out of control reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a control system that receives feedback signals from sensors detecting the pivot angle and rotational speed of the blades. The control unit processes this feedback and adjusts the pivot angle actuation accordingly to maintain stable operation at high rotational speeds, preventing uncontrolled blade pivoting while optimizing energy extraction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamically adjustable pivot angles for the blades, allowing the system to adapt blade orientation in real-time based on operational conditions. This dynamic control enables the blades to maintain optimal positioning for energy extraction across varying rotational speeds, resolving the contradiction between productivity and reliability.
2Reliability
If maximum opening angle is limited by control flap and control cables, then blade control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical control system (control flaps and control cables) with an actuator system directly mounted on the rotor. This substitution reduces mechanical complexity by eliminating external control cables and flaps, while maintaining precise blade angle control through direct actuation of each blade's pivot mechanism.
3Productivity
If separate electric machines are assigned to each pivoting blade, then energy optimization is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the energy conversion function into segmented electric machines, with each machine assigned to individual blades or blade groups. This segmentation enables independent control and optimization of each blade's energy extraction, maximizing overall energy yield while allowing modular configuration that manages system complexity through standardized repeating units.
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 design enables automatic optimization of energy yield, preventing uncontrolled pivoting and ensuring efficient energy extraction from the incoming flow, even at higher rotational speeds. The system can generate significant electric energy with a compact installation size.
Implementation Method 1
Each separate electric machine (7) is assigned to one pivoting blade (5) and is acting on the pivoting blade (5) with torques around the pivoting axis (6)
Implementation Method 2
the flow power plant converts the kinetic energy extracted from the flow into electric energy
Implementation Method 3
a main generator (13) connected to the rotor (4) for generating electric energy from the kinetic energy
Data Source
AI summary
A flow power plant comprises a rotor rotating about a rotation axis and having a plurality of pivoting blades. Each pivoting blade is mounted to the rotor for pivoting between a position pivoted-in towards and a position pivoted-out away from the rotation axis. One separate electric machine operable both as a motor and as a generator is assigned to each pivoting blade for applying torques between the rotor and the pivoting blade. A controller separately controls the separate electric machines during each revolution of the respective pivoting blade together with the rotor around the rotation axis in such a way that a predetermined course of a pivot angle of the respective pivoting blade results between the pivoted-in position and the pivoted-out position. The predetermined course of the pivot angle is predetermined for a maximum recovery of energy from a flow flowing against the rotor transversely to the rotation axis.