Wind Turbine Stator Segment Fixation for Adjustable Air Gap
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly and positioning of stator segments in directly driven wind turbines are hindered by the difficulty in maintaining precise tolerances and adjusting the air gap due to the large size of the components, leading to high manufacturing costs and inflexible radial positioning.
Innovation Solution
The stator segments are made adjustable by using intermediate pieces with off-center bores that fit into precisely machined recesses on the stator carrier, allowing for radial movement and precise alignment through rotation, with multiple fixation points and variously shaped intermediate pieces for exact positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If stator segments are fixed rigidly at both axial ends to maintain structural stability, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to inability to compensate for dimensional deviations
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing device transitions from a rigid fixed connection to a dynamically adjustable connection. The radial adjustment mechanism allows the stator segment to be positioned at different radial locations, enabling the system to adapt to manufacturing deviations while maintaining structural integrity through controlled flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the radial position parameter of the stator segment by providing multiple adjustment positions. This allows the radial position to be varied to compensate for manufacturing tolerances in the stator support or segment dimensions, thereby achieving the required assembly precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If precise manufacturing of stator supports and segments is performed to achieve required tolerances, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying solely on precise manufacturing, the invention introduces a radial adjustment mechanism that changes the radial position parameter. This allows standard manufacturing tolerances to be compensated through mechanical adjustment, reducing the need for high-precision manufacturing while maintaining assembly accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing device acts as an intermediary element between the stator support and stator segment. It mediates the dimensional deviations by providing adjustable positioning, thereby decoupling the manufacturing precision requirements from the final assembly tolerance requirements.
3Manufacturing precision
If the air gap is fixed during manufacturing to meet precision requirements, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The air gap is transformed from a fixed dimensional parameter to a dynamically adjustable parameter. The radial adjustment mechanism enables the air gap to be modified after assembly, providing adaptability for maintenance, optimization, or compensation of manufacturing variations while maintaining precision control.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing device is pre-configured with multiple radial adjustment positions that can be selected during assembly or maintenance. This preliminary preparation of adjustment options allows the air gap to be optimized without requiring complex real-time adjustment mechanisms.
4Reliability
If multiple fixing points are provided per stator segment to ensure stable fixation, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to increased assembly complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing device is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides multiple radial adjustment positions and multiple fixation points. This universal design allows a single device to achieve both stable multi-point fixation and radial adjustability, rather than requiring separate mechanisms for each function.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to a stator (4) of a direct-drive wind turbine generator, comprising stator segments (5) arranged around the circumference, each segment being positioned, in particular, on two parallel flanges (8) of a common stator support (6), wherein: each stator segment (5) is secured to the flanges (8) by securing devices; and each securing device has an intermediate part (14), a complementary cavity (11) on the segment support (7) of the stator segment (5), and an alignment pin (13).