Tilt Correction Device for Floating Wind Turbines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Floating-type wind power generators experience reduced power generation efficiency and increased downtime due to tilting caused by wind and waves, leading to structural instability and prolonged correction times using ballasting tanks.
Innovation Solution
A tilt correction device that includes a tilt adjustment portion with a support plate, rotation shaft, and hydraulic cylinder to rapidly adjust the blade's angle, combined with a yawing drive mechanism for simultaneous tilt and rotation correction, ensuring the blade faces wind direction and maintaining structural stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ballasting tank is used to correct tilt of floating body, then tilt correction is achieved, but excessive time is required and additional power is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional ballasting tank system with a mechanical tilt correction device consisting of a tilt correction table, hydraulic cylinders, and gear mechanisms. This mechanical system directly adjusts the orientation of the drive shaft and blade assembly to counteract floating body tilt, eliminating the need for time-consuming ballasting operations while reducing power consumption by avoiding continuous pump operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the tilt correction function from the ballasting tank system and implements it as a separate, dedicated mechanical device. The tilt correction table and hydraulic cylinder assembly are independently mounted on the floating body, allowing tilt compensation to occur independently of the ballasting operation, thus reducing both time and power requirements.
2Reliability
If ballasting tank is used to correct tilt of floating body, then tilt correction is achieved, but additional power is consumed to operate the ballasting tank
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the power-intensive ballasting tank system with a mechanical tilt correction device using hydraulic cylinders and gear mechanisms. This system requires significantly less power as it only needs to counteract the gravitational torque on the blade assembly rather than moving large volumes of water, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining tilt correction capability.
3Reliability
If tower is tilted due to floating body tilt, then wind power generator must stop operation, but utilization rate and availability rate are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The tilt correction device performs preliminary action by continuously or proactively adjusting the blade and drive shaft orientation to compensate for floating body tilt. This prevents the tower from reaching critical tilt angles that would require shutdown, thereby maintaining structural stability while keeping the wind generator operational and improving utilization rates.
4Ease of operation
If drive shaft is adjusted to tilt upward or downward, then blade can face wind, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tilt correction function with the existing yaw mechanism by integrating the tilt correction table into the nacelle assembly. The hydraulic cylinders and gear portions work in coordination with the yaw drive, allowing both pitch and yaw adjustments to be performed through a unified, compact mechanism rather than separate independent systems, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
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 device rapidly corrects tilts, enhances power generation efficiency, reduces downtime, and provides structural stability while allowing simultaneous yawing and tilt adjustments, thereby improving the utilization and availability rates of wind power generators.
Implementation Method 1
a first pressing portion provided on the other side of the support plate and configured to provide a force for the nacelle portion to rotate about a first rotation axis
Implementation Method 2
a blade rotated by wind power
Implementation Method 3
an electric generator connected to the drive shaft to generate electric power
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a tilt correction device for a wind power generator. The tilt correction device for the wind power generator includes a blade rotated by wind power, a nacelle portion configured to include a drive shaft connected to the blade and an electric generator connected to the drive shaft to generate electric power, a tower portion coupled to the nacelle portion, and a tilt adjustment portion configured to adjust the drive shaft that is horizontally placed to be tilted upward or downward, wherein a tilt of the blade is adjusted for the blade to face wind.