Porous Pendulum Damping for Wind Turbine Tower Oscillations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbine towers experience significant oscillations due to external forces like wind and waves, leading to potential damage, reduced lifetime, or failure, especially as towers become taller and more slender.
Innovation Solution
A damping system comprising a pendulum device with a mass having a porous structure submerged in a viscous medium, which interacts with the medium to create turbulence and dampen oscillations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If large and heavy dampers are used to counteract oscillations in tall wind turbine towers, then oscillation damping effectiveness is improved, but transportation and installation difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies porous materials by submerging a porous structure (such as a porous plate or porous sphere) in a viscous medium. The porous structure allows the viscous medium to flow through it, creating drag forces that dampen oscillations. This approach achieves effective oscillation damping without requiring large masses, as the damping effect comes from the interaction between the viscous medium and the porous structure rather than from inertial mass alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes hydraulic principles by employing a viscous medium (fluid) that interacts with the oscillating structure through a porous element. The viscous medium provides resistance to motion through viscosity, and the porous structure enhances this effect by forcing the fluid through complex flow paths. This hydraulic approach enables effective damping with reduced mass compared to traditional inertial dampers.
2Reliability
If large and heavy dampers are used to counteract oscillations in tall wind turbine towers, then oscillation damping effectiveness is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies porous materials by submerging a porous structure (such as a porous plate or porous sphere) in a viscous medium. The porous structure allows the viscous medium to flow through it, creating drag forces that dampen oscillations. This approach achieves effective oscillation damping without requiring large masses, as the damping effect comes from the interaction between the viscous medium and the porous structure rather than from inertial mass alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes physical parameters by using a viscous medium with specific viscosity characteristics and a porous structure with controlled porosity. By adjusting parameters such as viscosity, porous structure geometry, and submersion depth, the system achieves effective oscillation damping with significantly reduced mass compared to traditional dampers, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining reliability.
3Productivity
If towers are made taller and more slender to increase capacity, then energy generation capability is improved, but natural frequency decreases leading to resonance at common wind speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies porous materials by submerging a porous structure (such as a porous plate or porous sphere) in a viscous medium. The porous structure allows the viscous medium to flow through it, creating drag forces that dampen oscillations. This approach achieves effective oscillation damping without requiring large masses, as the damping effect comes from the interaction between the viscous medium and the porous structure rather than from inertial mass alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a viscous medium as an intermediary between the oscillating tower structure and the damping mechanism. The viscous medium, interacting with the porous structure, serves as a mediator that dissipates oscillation energy through viscous forces. This intermediary approach enables effective damping of resonance in tall, slender towers without requiring direct mechanical connections or large counterbalancing masses.
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 damping system effectively reduces oscillations in wind turbine towers without the need for large, heavy dampers, addressing installation and cost challenges while enhancing structural stability and durability.
Implementation Method 1
A damping system for counteracting oscillations in a construction, in particular a wind turbine tower, comprises a pendulum device and a container which contains a viscous medium. The pendulum device comprises a mass which comprises a porous structure. The porous structure is configured to allow the viscous medium to pass through it.
Implementation Method 2
The porous structure is configured to allow the viscous medium to pass through it. The porous structure is at least partially submerged in the viscous medium.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a damping system for counteracting oscillations in a construction. The damping system comprises a pendulum device and a container which contains a viscous medium. The pendulum device comprises a mass which comprises a porous structure. The porous structure is configured to allow the viscous medium to pass through it. The porous structure is at least partially submerged in the viscous medium.