Hydraulic Liquid Damper for Wind Turbine Tower Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbine towers experience excessive vibration due to vortex-induced effects during installation and operation, leading to potential damage and instability, with existing spiral wire solutions being inefficient and environmentally noisy.
Innovation Solution
A damper system comprising a vibration energy buffer transmission unit with piston structures and a vibration energy dissipation unit using damping liquid and a mass body with tooth-shaped protrusions to absorb and dissipate kinetic energy, reducing vibration amplitude and frequency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If spiral wires are used to suppress vortex-induced vibration, then vibration suppression effect is improved, but wind-induced noise and air flow resistance increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the vibration suppression function from the external spiral wire structure and relocates it inside the tower through the damper system. The damper absorbs and dissipates vibration energy internally, separating the suppression mechanism from the tower's external surface, thereby eliminating noise generation while maintaining vibration control effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The damper acts as an intermediary device between the tower structure and the vibration energy. It receives vibration energy from the tower through the mass body and dissipates it through the damping liquid and tooth-shaped protrusions, serving as a mediator that controls vibration without requiring external spiral wires that generate noise.
2Reliability
If spiral wires are used to suppress vortex-induced vibration, then vibration suppression effect is improved, but manufacturing cost and maintenance cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The damper uses a damping liquid contained in a sealed container with a limited service life. Once the damping liquid is depleted or degraded, the entire damper unit can be replaced as a disposable component, eliminating the need for expensive spiral wire manufacturing and complex maintenance operations. This approach trades initial component cost for long-term operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The damper is designed to be self-contained with all necessary components (mass body, damping liquid, tooth-shaped protrusions) integrated into a single unit that requires no external power source or active control systems. The vibration suppression function is passive and automatic, eliminating maintenance costs associated with powered systems while providing effective vibration control.
3Adaptability or versatility
If spiral wires are extended upward to adapt to wind speed changes, then adaptability to varying wind conditions is improved, but device complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The damper adapts to varying wind conditions by utilizing the natural variation in vibration parameters (frequency, amplitude, energy) caused by different wind speeds. The damping liquid's viscosity and the mass body's response automatically adjust to match the incoming vibration characteristics, providing passive adaptation without requiring structural changes or complex control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The damper is designed as a universal vibration suppression device that can handle a wide range of vibration frequencies and amplitudes through its mass body and damping liquid configuration. The tooth-shaped protrusions and damping liquid work together to dissipate energy across multiple frequency ranges, making the single device adaptable to various wind conditions without requiring multiple specialized 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 damper system effectively suppresses tower vibrations, enhancing safety and structural stability during installation and operation, reducing the risk of damage and noise pollution, while allowing for adaptive damping adjustments to suit varying wind conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The vibration energy dissipation unit includes a damping liquid accommodating cavity and damping liquid contained in the damping liquid accommodating cavity
Implementation Method 2
The piston transmission structures each include a cylinder and a piston arranged in pairs. The multiple communication tubes connect the multiple cylinders to each other
Implementation Method 3
a mass body provided with tooth-shaped protrusions
Data Source
AI summary
A damper includes a vibration energy buffering transfer unit and a vibration energy dissipation unit. The vibration energy buffering transfer unit includes a plurality of piston transfer structures and connecting tubes, the piston transfer structures includes a cylinder and a piston arranged as a pair, the plurality of piston transfer structures surrounding the vibration energy dissipation unit, the connecting tubes inter-connecting the plurality of cylinders, the vibration energy dissipation unit includes a damping liquid accommodating cavity and damping liquid accommodated in the damping solution accommodating cavity, and one end of the cylinder or the piston being connected to the damping fluid accommodating cavity. The load-bearing enclosing structure provided with said damper can effectively suppress vibration.