Propeller-Mounted Hydraulic Pump for Faster Wind Turbine Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbines with hydraulic pumps face challenges in ease of construction, maintenance, and require prolonged downtime for servicing, especially when the hydraulic pump is integrated within the head or nacelle of the wind turbine.
Innovation Solution
The hydraulic pump is positioned substantially on or in the propeller, allowing it to rotate with the propeller, with a stationary part in the head or nacelle, enabling easy assembly, disassembly, and maintenance without prolonged downtime, using a crane for propeller replacement and a motion-compensating platform for offshore installations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the hydraulic pump is integrated within the head or nacelle of the wind turbine, then the system structure is compact, but maintenance requires prolonged downtime and is difficult to access
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic pump system is segmented into modular components that can be independently accessed and maintained. The pump is positioned on the propeller rather than fully integrated in the head, creating separable units that facilitate targeted maintenance without requiring complete system disassembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The hydraulic pump is extracted from the head/nacelle integration and relocated to the propeller. This extraction allows the pump to be accessed independently from the main head structure, enabling maintenance personnel to service the pump without prolonged downtime for the entire turbine system.
2Device complexity
If the hydraulic pump is positioned in the head or nacelle, then the design is conventional and structurally integrated, but replacement and maintenance require prolonged operational downtime
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic pump is pre-positioned on the propeller assembly during manufacturing, creating a pre-integrated unit that can be quickly installed as a complete assembly. This preliminary integration reduces on-site maintenance time while maintaining structural coherence.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static integration (pump fixed in head) to dynamic positioning (pump on rotatable propeller). This dynamic arrangement allows the pump to maintain functional integration while enabling rapid access for maintenance through propeller removal and replacement.
3Ease of repair
If the hydraulic pump is mounted on the propeller, then maintenance can be performed quickly with propeller replacement, but the pump must withstand rotational forces and vibrations
Solution Approach 1:
The hydraulic pump is merged with the propeller assembly into a single integrated unit. This combination ensures that the pump and propeller are designed to work together as one system, with the pump engineered to withstand the same rotational forces and vibrations as the propeller itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting interface and structural connections between the pump and propeller are specially designed with enhanced local quality. Reinforced mounting points and vibration-resistant connections are implemented at critical locations to ensure durability under rotational stress while maintaining overall system compactness.
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
Facilitates quick and efficient maintenance of wind turbines, reducing downtime and maintenance costs by allowing the hydraulic pump to be easily removed and replaced with the propeller, enhancing operational efficiency and practicality.
Implementation Method 1
a propeller driven by wind through at least one propeller
Implementation Method 2
a hydraulic pump provided substantially in or on the propeller, driven by the propeller
Data Source
AI summary
Wind turbine, comprising a tower and a head mounted at an upper end of said tower, rotational around a head axis, wherein a propeller is mounted to said head, rotatable around a propeller axis, wherein a hydraulic pump is provided, driven by said propeller, wherein the hydraulic pump is provided substantially in the propeller.