Self-Clamping Cable Guard for Wind Turbine Cable Wear Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cable guide arrangements in wind turbines are cumbersome and prone to slippage, leading to uneven distribution of power cables and increased risk of wear and damage, especially during yawing motions.
Innovation Solution
A self-clamping cable guard with three recesses and wear protection plates, designed to clamp power cables securely without external clamping means, providing protection from wear and damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If cable guides are secured to power cables using cable ties, then the cable guides can be positioned at regular intervals, but the cable guides can slip downwards along the power cable loop due to insufficient clamping force
Solution Approach 1:
The cable guard is designed to clamp the power cables to itself, creating a self-service clamping mechanism. The U-shaped body with recesses on its inner surface directly engages with the power cables, eliminating the need for separate cable ties or external clamping mechanisms. This self-clamping action ensures reliable positioning without slippage.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable guide and cable clamping functions are merged into a single integrated component - the cable guard. By combining the positioning structure (U-shaped body with recesses) and the clamping mechanism (inner surface engagement) into one element, the patent eliminates the need for separate cable ties and ensures that the cable guide remains securely attached to the power cables throughout the loop.
2Stability of the object's composition
If cable guides are arranged at regular intervals to keep power cables apart, then the cables are properly distributed, but the overall power cable loop becomes very large and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The cable guard is segmented into a U-shaped body with multiple recesses on its inner surface, where each recess can accommodate a power cable. This segmentation allows the single cable guard component to manage multiple cables (e.g., three-phase cables) simultaneously, maintaining proper cable distribution without requiring multiple separate cable guides spaced at large intervals, thereby reducing the overall loop size.
3Adaptability or versatility
If cable guides are used to hold power cables apart during yaw motion, then the cables can twist relative to each other, but the cables are prone to wear and damage at the cable guide holes
Solution Approach 1:
The cable guard is designed with a U-shaped body that can flex and deform elastically. The inner surface of the U-shaped body features recesses that accommodate power cables, allowing the cable guard to flexibly adapt to cable movements during yaw motion. This flexible design eliminates rigid cable guide holes that cause wear, while maintaining the ability to keep cables apart and distribute twist evenly along the loop.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable guard's cross-sectional dimensions are designed to be slightly smaller than the power cable diameter, creating a tight fit that provides clamping force. This parameter change ensures the cable guard maintains sufficient friction and contact with the cables to prevent slippage, while the elastic material allows for the necessary flexibility during yaw motion without causing cable wear.
4Ease of manufacture
If cable ties are used to secure cable guides, then installation is simplified, but the cable ties must not be too tight to allow cable twisting motion
Solution Approach 1:
The cable guard clamps the power cables to itself through its own structure - the U-shaped body with recesses on the inner surface directly engages with the cables. This self-service clamping mechanism eliminates the need for external cable ties or clamping mechanisms, providing reliable clamping force without requiring separate fastening components that need to be carefully adjusted during installation.
Data Source
AI summary
A self-clamping cable guard for clamping power cables of a power cable bundle of a cable support arrangement in a wind turbine, whereby the self-clamping cable guard includes three recesses arranged about a central longitudinal axis of the self-clamping cable guard for positively clamping a power cable of the power cable bundle inside of each of the three recesses, and whereby the self-clamping cable guard includes three wear protection plates arranged about the central longitudinal axis, whereby each of the three recesses includes an open side for insertion of a respective power cable of the power cable bundle therein, each of the open sides of one of the three recesses being respectively limited by two of the three wear protection plates to protect the power cables clamped inside the recesses from wear. A cable support arrangement for a wind turbine and a wind turbine is also provided.