Wind Turbine Cable Fire Protection Sleeve
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbines face challenges in fire protection due to the height of their towers, which can lead to uncontrolled fire spread from the base to the nacelle, and there is a lack of effective self-extinguishing cables, especially vertically running ones.
Innovation Solution
A rod-shaped sleeve with a fireproof riser and seal is used to guide cables, creating an oxygen-deprived environment and thermal load that prevents flame propagation, combined with a radially protruding flame deflector and optional angling to promote horizontal self-extinguishing, effectively stopping fire spread along cables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If intermediate floors are installed in the tower to prevent fire spread, then fire protection is improved, but the complexity of the device and difficulty of installation increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the fire protection function from the complex intermediate floor structure and concentrates it into a simple cable sleeve component. This sleeve is installed directly around the cable at the cable entry point, eliminating the need for complex intermediate floors while maintaining fire protection effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The cable sleeve is installed beforehand at the cable entry point into the nacelle, creating a pre-positioned fire barrier. This preliminary installation ensures fire protection is in place before any fire incident occurs, without requiring complex on-site construction of intermediate floors.
2Reliability
If self-extinguishing cables are used to prevent fire spread, then fire protection is improved, but the cost and availability of suitable cables are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The cable sleeve acts as an intermediary fire protection measure between the cable and the fire hazard. Instead of relying on specialized self-extinguishing cables, the sleeve provides the fire protection function externally, allowing the use of conventional, readily available cables while still achieving fire safety goals.
3Reliability
If a fireproof seal is placed at the upper area of the riser, then fire spread is prevented, but the complexity of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the fireproof seal function directly into the cable sleeve structure itself. The seal is integrated at the upper area of the riser within the sleeve, combining the cable guidance and fire protection functions into a single unified component rather than separate elements.
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
This solution provides reliable and cost-effective fire protection for vertically running cables, preventing fire spread and allowing for easy retrofitting of existing systems, even with conventional cables, by using a lightweight yet effective design.
Implementation Method 1
the oxygen in the free space is consumed as the flame enters the riser from the bottom, and no more oxygen can flow in from the top because of the closure by the refractory seal. So the effect is oxygen deprivation, creating an inert atmosphere.
Implementation Method 2
the riser pipe surrounding the cable forms a thermal load with its mass, since it has to be heated up by the source of the fire entering the riser pipe. This applies all the more, the heavier and more solid the cuff according to the invention is and the greater its heat capacity and conductivity. Overall, the fire site is cooled down by this thermal load.
Implementation Method 3
the riser tube, because of its length, prevents the fire or flames from directly spreading from the bottom of the sleeve to the top. The fire can therefore only spread further along the cable, where it - as described above - runs in a kind of 'dead end' in the upper area of the central tube and is stopped there.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Wind turbine comprising a tower (10), wherein at least one cable (23, 24) runs from a tower base to the upper tower end. In accordance with the invention, a rod-shaped collar (4) is provided for the at least one cable (23, 24), said collar comprising a fire-resistant rising pipe (40) having a fire-resistant seal (42) in the upper region thereof, through which seal the at least one cable (23, 24) is passed. The width of the interior (41) of the rising pipe (40) is dimensioned such that the cable is surrounded by a free space. An obstacle which cannot be overcome by flames on the cable is provided by virtue of the rod-shaped collar. In the event of a cable fire, the flame on the cable enters the rising pipe from the bottom, but cannot emerge out of the rising pipe at the top. As a result, a lack of oxygen occurs in the rising pipe and the flame extinguishes by itself. The thermal load provided by the heat capacity of the collar intensifies this effect. The collar therefore acts as a fire prevention sheath for safe extinguishing of flames.