Wind Turbine Rotor Azimuth Control for Crane Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for avoiding collisions between wind turbine rotors and operating cranes, such as service cranes near offshore wind turbines, rely heavily on operator skill and are not fully automated, risking energy generation interruptions.
Innovation Solution
An automated control system limits the azimuth range of the wind turbine rotor using mechanical or electrical braking means, ensuring no collisions occur during crane operation by monitoring electrical parameters and switching between operating and parking modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If height and/or slewing limits for the crane are provided to avoid collisions, then collision avoidance is improved, but the operation of the wind energy installation and crane is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The azimuth range limits for the rotor are made dynamic rather than fixed. The control system automatically adjusts the azimuth range restrictions based on the real-time operational status of the crane. When the crane is in park mode, the full azimuth range is available; when the crane is operating, the azimuth range is automatically restricted. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by providing collision avoidance only when necessary, maintaining full operational freedom when the crane is not in use.
2Reliability
If automated control is implemented to eliminate operator skill dependency, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the operational status of the crane and automatically adjusting the azimuth range limits accordingly. The system receives status information from the crane's operational mode signals and feeds this information back to automatically modify the rotor's azimuth restrictions. This automated feedback loop eliminates the need for operator skill while maintaining system reliability, as the control system autonomously makes the appropriate safety adjustments based on real-time conditions.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
The aim of the invention is to prevent collisions between wind turbines and cranes, in particular service cranes on offshore platforms (1). A crane (6, 7) that is not in a safe parked mode but in the operating mode can readily collide with other objects, in particular with the rotor (4) of wind turbines. Prior art swivel-limiting and lift-limiting mechanism for cranes can be overriden, and they actually are, so the risk of collisions persists. According to the invention, a controller (13) acting as a safety device on the wind turbine limits the azimuthal range (9a) of the wind turbine and switches the crane (6, 7) from the parked mode into the operating mode. Hence, according to the invention, the risk of collisions is reliably prevented as the freedom of movement of the rotor of the wind turbine is specifically limited within the azimuthal range.