Streamlined Body Assembly for Tower Hoisting Vibration Suppression

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Solution Overview

Problem

The installation of wind power generation equipment is restricted by regional wind conditions, leading to instability and safety concerns during the hoisting process, particularly at high-altitude and high-mountain regions, due to wind-induced vibrations and noise issues.

Innovation Solution

A streamlined body assembly is used to surround the tower, featuring a streamlined leading edge and annular shape with a gas-filled cavity, disrupting the raising force of the wind flow and creating a self-balancing effect, which reduces vortex-induced vibrations by altering the aerodynamic configuration and disrupting the correlation of vortex shedding frequencies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the tower is hoisted in segments under regional wind conditions, then the installation can be completed, but wind-induced vibrations cause instability and safety concerns

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehoisting safetyVSAvoidwind-induced vibrations
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A streamlined body assembly is introduced as an intermediary component surrounding the tower section being hoisted. This assembly acts as a mediator between the tower and the wind flow, disrupting vortex shedding patterns and reducing wind-induced vibrations through its aerodynamic design, thereby improving hoisting safety without compromising installation feasibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The tower is divided into segments for hoisting, and the streamlined body assembly is applied specifically to the segment being hoisted. This segmentation allows the vibration suppression mechanism to be targeted at the critical area during installation, addressing safety concerns during the hoisting process while maintaining overall installation capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If the tower is hoisted in high-altitude and high-mountain regions, then power generation can be achieved, but wind conditions restrict installation and cause noise issues

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation efficiencyVSAvoidwind-induced noise
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The streamlined body assembly serves as an intermediary structure that reduces wind-induced noise during hoisting operations in high-altitude regions. By modifying the aerodynamic interaction between wind and tower, it suppresses vortex shedding frequencies that generate noise, enabling installation to proceed with reduced acoustic disturbance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The streamlined body assembly changes the aerodynamic parameters of the tower-hoisting system by modifying flow patterns around the tower. This parameter change disrupts the correlation of vortex shedding frequencies, reducing both noise and vibrations, thereby improving installation efficiency in challenging wind environments

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If a streamlined body assembly is used to suppress vibrations, then hoisting safety is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevibration suppression effectivenessVSAvoidassembly structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The streamlined body assembly is designed as a multi-functional component that simultaneously suppresses vibrations, reduces noise, and improves aerodynamic performance during hoisting. This universal design consolidates multiple functions into a single assembly, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining vibration suppression effectiveness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The streamlined body assembly employs curved, aerodynamic surfaces to disrupt vortex shedding patterns. The streamlined geometry naturally reduces turbulence and vibrations without requiring complex internal mechanisms, achieving vibration suppression through form rather than complicated active systems

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

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 streamlined body assembly effectively reduces vortex-induced vibrations and noise, allowing for reliable hoisting and installation even in windy conditions, enhancing safety and efficiency while meeting ecological regulations, and reducing construction costs.

Implementation Method 1

the streamlined body has an annular shape and has an annular cavity filled with a gas, and the gas has a density less than the density of air

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectBuoyancy: Archimedes' Principle (Buoyancy)

Implementation Method 2

the streamlined body is configured to be raised relative to the enclosure under the action of the upwind incoming wind flow; the leading edge faces towards an upwind incoming wind flow, which allows the upwind incoming wind flow to form a positive attack angle and/or a negative attack angle

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAerodynamic force: Aerofoil

Data Source

PatentEP3480456B1Streamlined body assembly and method for using the sreamlined apparatus assembly for suppressing vibrations of an enclosure for hoisting a tower
Publication Date: 2023.04.26 BEIJING GOLDWIND SCI & CREATION WINDPOWER EQUIP CO LTD
  • EP3480456B1 patent drawingFigure 1-1
  • EP3480456B1 patent drawingFigure 1-2
  • EP3480456B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

A streamlined body, apparatus for suppressing vibrations of an enclosure, and a method for hoisting a tower are provided. The streamlined body surrounds the enclosure, and the streamlined body has a streamlined leading edge. The leading edge can faces towards the upwind incoming flow, to allow the upwind incoming flow to form a positive attack angle and/or a negative attack angle. In this solution, the enclosure is surrounded by the streamlined body, and when the upwind incoming flow flows around the enclosure to come into contact with the streamlined body, the aerodynamic configuration is changed, and the aerodynamic coefficient C becomes small, thus the vibrations are reduced. Moreover, the direction and path of the airflow are changed, which disrupts the correlation of the upwind incoming flow near the streamlined body, and disrupts the consistence of frequencies of vortex shedding of the airflow at the streamlined body and other positions, thus weakening their co-action, reducing or preventing the vortex-induced resonance response when bypass flow detachment occurs in the boundary layer at the outer surface of the enclosure, thereby preventing the vibrations induced by the vortexes at the enclosure.