Rotor Connecting Ring with Segmented Arcs for Wind Turbine Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbine generators experience critical failures due to unstable electrical connections between the rotor and stator, leading to prolonged standstills, which are undesirable given the increasing importance of wind power in electrical production.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a rotor connecting ring with concentrical conductor assemblies in two planes, each comprising conductive arc segments forming a ring-like shape, providing stable electrical pathways from the central shaft to the rotor windings, enhancing thermal and rotational stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional bolted cable connections are used from the central shaft to the rotor windings, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of electrical connections deteriorates due to instability under prolonged operation and high rotational speed
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor connecting system is segmented into multiple conductive arc segments (at least three) arranged in different planes, each segment providing independent electrical pathways. This segmentation allows the system to maintain reliability through redundant pathways while managing complexity through modular arrangement of the segments around the central shaft.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from traditional single-plane cable connections to a three-dimensional arrangement of conductive arc segments distributed across multiple planes around the central shaft. This dimensional change creates more stable electrical pathways that better withstand the centrifugal and thermal stresses of high-speed rotation, improving reliability without excessive complexity increase.
2Temperature
If traditional electrical connections are used from the central shaft to the rotor windings, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the temperature stability deteriorates due to heating under high current and rotational speed
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical connection system is divided into multiple conductive arc segments arranged in different planes, creating distributed thermal pathways that reduce heat concentration at any single point. This segmentation improves thermal stability by dispersing the thermal load generated under high current and rotational speed conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor connecting system employs composite construction with conductive arc segments positioned within insulating structural elements. This composite approach provides both electrical conduction pathways and thermal management, while the insulating materials protect against thermal damage and electrical breakdown, improving ease of manufacture through integrated multi-functional components.
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 method significantly improves the stability of electrical connections, reducing temperatures by up to 20 degrees and preventing critical failures, thus ensuring more reliable operation of wind turbine generators.
Implementation Method 1
the first electrical connections, the intermediate rotor connecting ring, and the second electrical connections upon mounting in the generator, facilitate electrical pathways from the central shaft of the rotor to the corresponding multiple phases (K,L,M) on the rotor
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for repairing an electric generator, preferably in a wind turbine generator (WTG), the electric generator (10) having a stator and a rotor (30) rotatably mounted relative to the stator. The method of repairing the electric generator provides a rotor connecting ring (40) with a first conductor assembly and a second conductor assembly in two different planes, each assembly with a plurality of conductive arc segments. Each of the first and the second plurality of conductive arc segments form a ring-like shape in their respective plane, both ring-like shapes being concentrical to the central shaft (132) when the rotor connecting ring is mounted. First electrical connections (50) from the central shaft connect to the rotor connecting ring for the multiple phases (K,L,M). Second electrical connections (60) further connect from the rotor connecting ring to the respective windings of the multiple phases (K,L,M) on the exterior part of the rotor facing the stator. The rotor connecting ring enhances rotational and thermal stability of the electric generator.