Wind Turbine Blade Azimuth Locking for Low-Load Maintenance

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Solution Overview

Problem

During maintenance of wind turbine generator plants, the residual load poses a safety risk to maintenance personnel due to unpredictable wind conditions, necessitating a method to safely reduce the load and ensure personal safety.

Innovation Solution

The method involves determining the failure type and corresponding maintenance wind speed, adjusting one blade to a predetermined azimuth angle, and locking the impeller to minimize load, using integral multiples of 30° angles for optimal safety.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the wind turbine generator plant is shut down for maintenance, then maintenance personnel can enter the plant for repairs, but residual load from wind still poses safety risks to personnel

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemaintenance accessibilityVSAvoidsafety risk from residual load
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by adjusting the blade azimuth angle to a predetermined position before locking the impeller. This pre-positioning of the blade reduces the residual load on the wind turbine generator plant before maintenance personnel enter, thereby eliminating the safety risk while maintaining accessibility for maintenance operations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the azimuth angle parameter of the blade to a specific predetermined value that minimizes the load on the plant. By adjusting this angular parameter before maintenance, the system transforms the load condition from dangerous to safe, allowing maintenance personnel to work without exposure to harmful residual forces

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the blade azimuth angle is adjusted to reduce load, then safety risk decreases, but additional time is required for angle adjustment before maintenance can begin

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveload on wind turbine generator plantVSAvoidmaintenance preparation time
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs the blade azimuth adjustment as a preliminary action that is automatically executed before maintenance begins. By integrating this angle adjustment into the shutdown sequence, the system reduces load before maintenance personnel arrive, minimizing the perceived time loss while actually preparing the plant in advance for safe maintenance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-service by automatically adjusting the blade azimuth angle without requiring manual intervention. The control system autonomously positions the blade at the predetermined azimuth angle and locks the impeller, eliminating the need for additional manual preparation time while still achieving the load reduction necessary for safety

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4345303B1Maintenance method and apparatus for wind turbine, and device
Publication Date: 2025.11.12 GOLDWIND SCI & TECH CO LTD
  • EP4345303B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4345303B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4345303B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A maintenance method and apparatus for a wind turbine, and a device. The method comprises: step S101, determining a fault of the wind turbine when the wind turbine enters a shutdown maintenance mode; step S102, determining the maintenance wind speed corresponding to the fault; and step S103, when the fault belongs to a first type of faults and the obtained real-time wind speed is smaller than or equal to the maintenance wind speed corresponding to the fault, adjusting one blade in the wind turbine to reach a preset azimuth, and locking an impeller of the wind turbine to perform maintenance of the wind turbine, wherein the first type of faults comprise a fault that the impeller needs to be locked for maintenance, and the preset azimuth comprises different integer multiples of 30°. The apparatus comprises a fault determination module (301), a maintenance wind speed determination module (302) and a processing module (303). The device comprises a memory (401), a processor (402), a communication interface (403) and a bus (404). According to the method and apparatus, and the device, the load of the wind turbine can be reduced, and the safety risk of maintenance personnel or the maintenance apparatus entering the wind turbine can be reduced.