Wind Generator Cooling Topology for Fault-Tolerant Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity and failure rate of wind power generator set cooling systems due to the growing number of components and complex layout in offshore installations necessitate a more efficient and fault-tolerant cooling solution.
Innovation Solution
A dual cooling subsystem system is designed, where two cooling subsystems are thermally coupled, each integrating multiple cooling circuits for different heating components, with a pump station unit acting as the core power unit, allowing for fault-tolerant operation and reduced failure rates by ensuring more than 75% cooling capacity is maintained even if one subsystem fails.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple independent cooling systems are used for different heating components, then each component can be cooled independently, but the system complexity and failure rate increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple independent cooling systems into an integrated cooling system where a single cooling circuit serves multiple heating components (generator, converter, transformer, nacelle) through a common pump station and heat dissipation unit. This integration reduces the number of independent systems from four to one, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining the ability to cool all components simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated cooling system is designed with multi-functionality to serve multiple heating components through a universal cooling circuit. The single pump station and heat dissipation unit can cool different components by routing the cooling medium through appropriate circuits, making the system versatile and reducing overall system complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If more cooling circuits are added to cool additional components, then cooling coverage increases, but the number of components and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple cooling circuits (first through fourth cooling circuits for different components) into a single integrated cooling system that shares common infrastructure (pump station, heat dissipation unit). This merging approach maintains comprehensive cooling coverage while reducing the number of independent systems and simplifying overall system architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated cooling system achieves universal cooling capability by designing a single system that can serve multiple heating components through configurable circuit paths. The system maintains adaptability to cool different components as needed while avoiding the complexity of multiple independent cooling systems
3Reliability
If independent cooling systems are used for each component, then cooling reliability is maintained, but space utilization and system compactness decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple cooling systems into a single integrated unit that consolidates space-consuming components (pump stations, heat dissipation units) into shared infrastructure. This integration significantly reduces the total volume occupied by cooling systems in the nacelle while maintaining reliable cooling functionality through the unified system
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 system simplifies line configurations, improves cooling capacity utilization, and reduces temperature rise, enabling fault-tolerant operation while maintaining efficient heat dissipation, thus reducing the overall failure rate and enhancing maintenance-free performance of large-capacity offshore wind power generator sets.
Implementation Method 1
a first cooling circuit for cooling a first heating component, a second cooling circuit for cooling a second heating component, a third cooling circuit for cooling a third heating component, a fourth cooling circuit for cooling a fourth heating component
Implementation Method 2
a heat dissipation unit; the first branch and the second branch are connected in parallel and are connected with the pump station unit and the heat dissipation unit
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling system and a wind power generating set. The cooling system comprises two cooling sub-systems thermally coupled to each other. Each cooling sub-system comprises: a first cooling circuit for cooling a first heat-generating component, a second cooling circuit for cooling a second heat-generating component, a third cooling circuit for cooling a third heat-generating component, a fourth cooling circuit for cooling a fourth heat-generating component, a pump station unit and a heat dissipation unit. The first cooling circuit and the fourth cooling circuit are connected in parallel to form a first branch, the second cooling circuit and the third cooling circuit are connected in parallel to form a second branch, and the first branch and the second branch are connected in parallel, and are connected to the pump station unit and the heat dissipation unit. The cooling system may achieve the fault-tolerant operation of two cooling sub-systems.