Valve Tower Reinforcing Structure for Vibration-Stable HVDC Stacks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing valve towers face challenges in stability and safety during transportation and operation due to complex environmental loads such as wind, waves, currents, ice, and earthquakes, necessitating effective reinforcing solutions.

Innovation Solution

A reinforcing structure for valve towers utilizing connecting flanges and rods, allowing for horizontal, interleaving, and cross-layer connections between adjacent towers, enhancing stability and safety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If valve towers are made tall and large to meet high voltage and large capacitance requirements, then power transmission capability is improved, but structural stability and safety under environmental loads deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower transmission capabilityVSAvoidstructural stability
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple valve towers are connected together to form a unified stable structure. The connecting flanges and connecting rods merge individual towers into a collective system that resists environmental loads better than isolated towers, solving the stability issue of tall valve towers while maintaining their high power transmission capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The stability solution moves from individual tower vertical support to horizontal interconnection between towers. By adding the horizontal dimension of connection through connecting rods between adjacent towers, the system gains enhanced stability without compromising the vertical height and power transmission capability of individual towers

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If reinforcing structures are added to valve towers, then structural stability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The reinforcing structure is segmented into standardized components: connecting flanges attached to individual towers and connecting rods linking them. This segmentation allows the reinforcing system to be built from simple, repeatable elements rather than complex integrated structures, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining stability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The connecting flanges and connecting rods serve multiple functions: they reinforce structural stability, enable modular assembly, and provide adaptable connection configurations (horizontal, interleaved, cross-layer). This multi-functionality reduces the need for specialized components, simplifying the overall device complexity

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

Data Source

PatentEP3855594B1Valve tower reinforcing structure and reinforcing method
Publication Date: 2025.05.14 NR ENG CO LTD
  • EP3855594B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3855594B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3855594B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6

AI summary

The present invention provides a reinforcing structure and method for reinforcing valve towers, mainly aiming at valve towers with three or more layers, wherein the four corners of the side face of each layer of a valve section of the valve tower are provided with connecting flanges, and connecting rods are used for connecting the corresponding connecting flanges of adjacent valve towers of the same bridge arm to realize lateral reinforcing. The connection modes of lateral reinforcing mainly include horizontal connection, interleaving connection and cross-layer connection. The invention provides various reinforcing solutions for flexible DC valve towers in the environment of long-term turbulence and strong vibrations, the reinforcing structure is simple and effective, high in reliability and operability, and easy to disassemble, and the stability and safety of the valve towers during transportation and operation are enhanced.