Offshore Wind Turbine Cooling via Tower Base Heat Exchange
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large-sized wind turbine generator systems offshore face challenges in cooling efficiency due to high compressor power requirements, leading to potential decreased power generation efficiency and salt damage from seawater.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates a heat exchanger at the tower base, utilizing a cooling medium that exchanges heat with seawater, which is then circulated to cool the air inside the tower, reducing the need for high-power compressors and minimizing salt damage by sealing the system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a compressor is used to provide sea water from the bottom of the tower to the nacelle upwardly, then cooling of the generator is achieved, but power consumption increases and power generation efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the compressor from the cooling system and replaces it with a natural circulation mechanism. Sea water is drawn into the tower base through inlet ports without mechanical compression, eliminating the energy-consuming compressor while maintaining cooling functionality through natural buoyancy-driven circulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system becomes self-service by utilizing natural convection currents. Warm air rises from the generator area, creating a vacuum that draws in cool sea water through the tower base inlet ports. The system automatically circulates cooling medium without external power input, with the warm air itself driving the circulation process.
2Temperature
If sea water is circulated in the nacelle for cooling, then generator cooling is achieved, but salt damage from sea water affects the system
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts sea water from direct contact with the generator and internal components. Instead of circulating sea water through the nacelle, the system draws sea water into the tower base where it evaporates and provides cooling through phase change, eliminating salt exposure to sensitive equipment while maintaining effective cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces evaporative cooling as an intermediary mechanism. Sea water serves as a cooling medium in the tower base but does not directly contact the generator or internal components. The cooling effect is transferred through the tower structure and air circulation, with the sea water acting as an external cooling source rather than an internal coolant, thus preventing salt damage.
3Power
If the tower height exceeds 50 m for large-sized wind turbine generator systems, then power generation capacity increases, but compressor power requirements become excessively large
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies the counterweight principle by using the weight and buoyancy of the cooling medium itself to drive circulation. Instead of using a compressor to force sea water upward, the system allows warm air to rise and create a natural vacuum that draws in cool air and sea water, with the density difference between warm and cool air providing the driving force for circulation in tall towers.
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 effectively cools the generator and equipment while maintaining power generation efficiency, even for tall systems, and prevents salt damage by isolating the internal components from seawater.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger is provided at the tower close to the base and cooling medium passes through the heat exchanger by way of a pipe arrangement, and thereby the heat of the cooling medium and the heat of air inside the tower are exchanged and the air inside the tower is cooled
Implementation Method 2
the cooling medium is cooled by exchanging the heat with sea water, in the heat exchanger provided in the sea passing through the first cooling medium circulation line
Data Source
AI summary
According to the present invention, a wind turbine generator system is provided which can not only remove the influence of salt damage in case the system is established off-shore, but even if the facility becomes larger, which can also cool equipment and the generator provided in the tower and can reduce the possibility of decreasing power generation efficiency. The wind turbine generator system of the present invention comprising a rotor having a hub and blades; a generator connected with the rotor by way of a main shaft connected with the hub; a nacelle which contains at least the generator and supports the rotor pivotally by way of the main shaft; a tower on a top of which the nacelle is supported, and opposite to the top the tower is fixed to a base, wherein a heat exchanger is provided at the tower close to the base and cooling medium passes through the heat exchanger by way of a pipe arrangement, and thereby the heat of the cooling medium and the heat of air inside the tower are exchanged and the air inside the tower is cooled.