Wind Turbine Anchor System for Stability and Bird Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wind turbines face challenges in efficiently rotating their platforms to face the wind direction without rotating about submerged anchors, and they lack effective anchor support systems to prevent tilting and drifting, especially when installed over water, where they also pose a hazard to birds due to the lack of visual deterrents.
Innovation Solution
A wind turbine assembly featuring a floatable support with a lateral thruster to align the turbine with the wind, an anchor system that resists tipping forces, and visual deterrents such as UV-reflective streamers to reduce bird collisions, including a dual anchor system that centers the longitudinal support above the turbine wheel to minimize tower strength requirements and a design that allows for efficient rotation and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If wind turbines are placed over water to access stronger winds, then wind capture efficiency is improved, but the turbine becomes vulnerable to tipping forces and drifting without adequate anchor support
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies counterweight principles through the anchor support structure that provides opposing forces to balance the longitudinal tipping forces generated by wind acting on the blades. The anchor system acts as a counterbalancing mechanism that prevents the turbine from tipping over when subjected to strong winds over water.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor support structure serves as an intermediary element between the turbine and the water/sea floor. It mediates the forces transmitted by the wind to the turbine structure, distributing and managing the longitudinal and lateral forces to prevent tipping and drifting while allowing the turbine to operate effectively over water.
2Strength
If conventional rigid blades are used to withstand centrifugal and wind forces, then structural strength is improved, but the cost and weight of the blades increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs flexible blade structures that can bend and flex under load rather than relying on heavy rigid construction. The blades are designed with flexible materials and structures that maintain sufficient strength to withstand centrifugal and wind forces while significantly reducing weight compared to conventional rigid blades.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the blades by transitioning from rigid to flexible construction. This parameter change allows the blades to dynamically adjust their structural properties under different operating conditions, maintaining strength while reducing weight through material and design modifications.
3Reliability
If the tower is made very strong to resist longitudinal tipping forces, then stability is improved, but the manufacturing cost and structural complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor support structure acts as an intermediary that shares the load of resisting longitudinal tipping forces. Instead of requiring the tower alone to be extremely strong, the anchor system provides additional support, allowing the tower to be manufactured with reduced complexity and cost while maintaining overall stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the force-resisting function between the tower structure and the anchor support system. The tower handles vertical and some lateral loads, while the anchor system specifically addresses longitudinal tipping forces, dividing the structural requirements and reducing the manufacturing complexity of individual components.
4Power
If wind turbines are equipped with larger blades to capture more wind energy, then power generation is improved, but the blades become more susceptible to damage from high velocity and strong winds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible blade construction that allows larger blade surfaces to capture more wind energy while the flexibility provides damage resistance. The flexible materials and structures enable the blades to bend and absorb impact forces from high-velocity winds, preventing the catastrophic failures that would occur in rigid blades of similar size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamic principles by designing blades that can change their structural response based on operating conditions. The flexible blades dynamically adjust their shape and stiffness under different wind loads, allowing larger blades to capture more energy while automatically adapting to withstand extreme wind forces through controlled deformation rather than rigid resistance.
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 solution enables efficient wind capture and reduced bird collisions by ensuring the turbine faces the wind direction and remains stable, while minimizing the structural demands on the tower and providing visual cues for birds to avoid collisions.
Implementation Method 1
a floatable support with a lateral thruster to align the turbine with the wind
Implementation Method 2
an anchor system that resists tipping forces
Implementation Method 3
an anchor system that resists tipping forces
Implementation Method 4
visual deterrents such as UV-reflective streamers to reduce bird collisions
Data Source
AI summary
The wind turbine includes a wind driven turbine wheel rotatable about a central axis that has sail wings that catch the wind and rotate the turbine wheel. An anchor has its anchor line attached to the turbine wheel at its axis of rotation to prevent tilting the wind turbine in response to high wind conditions. A set of streamers attached to the spokes at one end and including a free end wherein the free end is disposed in a space defined between two adjacent spokes when the turbine wheel is rotating. A trolley removably and slidably attached to a main anchor line, a secondary anchor line attached to the trolley and a secondary anchor; and, a drop line removably attached to the secondary anchor configured to lower the anchor to the main anchor so that the trolley, secondary anchor line and secondary anchor is configured to provide an anchor support structure for the main anchor.