Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Support Frame Rigidity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind power installations face challenges with low power generation due to insufficient structural rigidity and stability, which limits the use of large blade areas, and high material consumption requiring tall structures to optimize wind energy capture.
Innovation Solution
A wind power installation with a support frame mounted between three radially arranged structures, allowing for the use of large blade systems and reducing vibrational loads, combined with an air nacelle to redirect wind flows for enhanced energy capture, and multiple blade systems arranged vertically to optimize energy absorption across varying wind directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the housing structure is made lighter or simpler, then manufacturing cost decreases, but structural rigidity and stability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into a base and a rack-bracket assembly that can be manufactured separately and then connected. The rack-bracket includes a support plate and side brackets that are assembled together, allowing each component to be optimized independently for both manufacturing ease and structural strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing structure utilizes composite construction combining the base and rack-bracket components with reinforced connection elements. This composite approach allows the structure to achieve high rigidity through the assembly of multiple parts rather than requiring a single heavy monolithic structure.
2Productivity
If blade area is increased to capture more wind energy, then power generation increases, but structural stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The wind wheel is designed as a truncated cone rather than a traditional horizontal-axis turbine, utilizing vertical axis rotation. This dimensional change allows the blades to be arranged along the generatrixes of the cone, distributing the aerodynamic loads more evenly across the structure and enabling larger effective blade area without compromising stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack-bracket structure incorporates localized reinforcement elements at critical stress points where the working shaft connects to the support plate. This allows the structure to handle the increased loads from larger blades without requiring uniform thickening of the entire housing.
3Productivity
If working shaft is made freely rotating, then mechanical energy conversion efficiency increases, but structural reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Bearings are introduced as intermediary elements between the working shaft and the rack-bracket. These bearings enable the shaft to rotate freely with minimal friction for efficient energy conversion, while simultaneously providing support and constraint to maintain structural reliability during operation.
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
This configuration increases the operating efficiency and reliability of wind power generation by stabilizing the structure, reducing material consumption, and enhancing wind flow alignment for efficient energy conversion into electrical energy.
Implementation Method 1
converting the kinetic energy of the wind into the mechanical energy of rotation of a blade system
Implementation Method 2
conversion of the mechanical energy of rotation into the electrical energy
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a wind power installation for converting the kinetic energy of the wind into the mechanical energy of rotation of a rotor for subsequent conversion of the mechanical energy of rotation into the electrical energy. A wind power installation includes a support frame, a shaft disposed on the support frame, and a blade system mounted on the shaft. The shaft is configured to rotate about a vertical axis and is functionally connected to an electric generator. The support frame is configured to be mounted between at least three radially arranged structures. The wind power installation can include additional blade systems disposed one above another on the shaft. Mounting the support frame between three radially arranged structures results in greater rigidity and robustness of the wind power installation, thus enabling the use of blade systems having a larger blade area and the arrangement of several blade systems on the shaft.