Wind Turbine Hub Damping Assembly for Strong-Wind Blade Coning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Small wind turbines face the challenge of withstanding sustained strong winds without damaging electrical and mechanical components, necessitating a passive safety system to ensure continuous operation and power generation.
Innovation Solution
A wind turbine hub assembly with radially arranged blade attachment members and a central hub assembly, featuring biasing structures that maintain blades in a neutral pitched position and resist movement to a coned position during high winds, using compressible gas springs to dampen forces and allow smooth operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a passive safety system with biasing structures is added to protect against strong winds, then the reliability of the wind turbine is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blade attachment members are hinged to allow dynamic movement between neutral and coned positions, enabling the system to adapt to varying wind conditions automatically without complex control systems
Solution Approach 2:
The biasing structures automatically apply restoring forces to return blades to neutral position after wind gusts, providing self-regulating protection without external control or intervention
2Reliability
If the blade attachment members are allowed to move to coned position during high winds, then the reliability is improved by preventing damage, but the manufacturing precision required for the hinge arrangements increases
Solution Approach 1:
The blade assembly is divided into separate movable blade attachment members connected by hinge arrangements, allowing controlled movement to coned position while maintaining structural integrity through modular design
3Reliability
If biasing structures are used to maintain neutral pitched position, then the reliability during strong winds is improved, but the device complexity and number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing structures function as counterbalancing elements that apply restoring forces opposite to wind-induced blade movement, automatically returning blades to neutral position without complex active control systems
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
Enables small wind turbines to operate continuously through strong winds, preventing damage and ensuring smooth power generation by adjusting blade pitch and diameter in response to wind pressure, maintaining system balance and reducing mechanical stress.
Implementation Method 1
one or more biasing structures operatively coupled with each blade attachment member wherein a first end of each said one or more biasing structures is attached to the central hub assembly and a second end of the one or more biasing structures is attached to a respective blade attachment member for applying a biasing force
Implementation Method 2
using compressible gas springs to dampen forces and allow smooth operation
Implementation Method 3
using compressible gas springs to dampen forces
Data Source
AI summary
A wind turbine hub assembly including: a plurality of radially arranged blade attachment members for attaching blades with a radially outer blade section with a leading edge and trailing edge wherein each blade extends outwardly from and about a central axis of rotation; a central hub assembly configured to rotate about the axis of rotation with the plurality of blade attachment members being radially arranged and hingedly connected relative to the central hub assembly by respective hinge arrangements to allow relative movement of the blade attachment members relative to the central hub assembly; one or more biasing structures operatively coupled with each blade attachment member wherein a first end of said each biasing structure is attached to the central hub assembly and a second end of the biasing structure is attached to a respective blade attachment member for applying a biasing force.