Wind Turbine Brake Validation via Personnel Presence Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wind turbine failsafe modes apply the mechanical brake unnecessarily when personnel are not present, leading to potential damage to the turbine and increased risk of brake failure due to prolonged activation.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for validating emergency stop signals within a wind turbine, where control nodes distributed throughout the turbine receive and validate the signal, determining if personnel are present before activating the brake, ensuring the brake is only applied in emergency situations with personnel present.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the brake is applied in all emergency situations to protect personnel, then personnel safety is improved, but unnecessary brake damage occurs when personnel are not present

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepersonnel safetyVSAvoidbrake damage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A control node acts as an intermediary between the emergency stop signal and the brake system. The control node receives the emergency stop signal, determines whether personnel are present in the wind turbine, and only then activates the brake if personnel are present. This intermediary function prevents unnecessary brake activation and damage while maintaining safety when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring personnel presence status and using this information to modulate brake activation. The control node receives feedback about whether personnel are present in the wind turbine and adjusts the brake activation decision accordingly, preventing damage when the feedback indicates no personnel are present.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Speed

If the brake is applied immediately upon emergency stop signal, then response time is improved, but unnecessary damage occurs due to lack of personnel presence verification

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebrake response timeVSAvoidunnecessary brake damage

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The control node performs preliminary verification of personnel presence before activating the brake. When an emergency stop signal is received, the control node first checks whether personnel are present in the wind turbine, and only then proceeds to activate the brake. This preliminary action prevents unnecessary damage while maintaining rapid response when personnel are present.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the failsafe mode applies the brake to stop rotor rotation, then rotor protection is improved, but prolonged brake activation causes damage when personnel are not present

Engineering Contradiction:

Improve rotor protectionVSAvoidbrake activation duration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The control node serves as an intermediary that monitors personnel presence and controls the duration of brake activation. When no personnel are present, the control node prevents prolonged brake activation by not activating the brake in the first place. When personnel are present, the brake is activated for the appropriate duration to protect the rotor, thus resolving the contradiction between rotor protection and brake damage prevention.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS11204017B2Protection of a brake in a wind turbine

Publication Date: 2021.12.21 VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS AS

AI summary

Embodiments herein describe validating an emergency stop signal before activating a brake within a wind turbine. The emergency stop signal is received from a control node of a plurality of control nodes distributed throughout the wind turbine, and the emergency stop signal indicates that the wind turbine should be shut down. The wind turbine is shut down by transmitting a shutdown signal to the plurality of control nodes. Upon determining there is no indication a person is present within the wind turbine, the emergency stop signal is validated. Additionally, upon determining the emergency stop signal is valid, a brake within the wind turbine is activated to bring the rotor to a stop.