Wind Turbine Drive Unit Bracing Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbine and slewing gear adjustment and drive systems face issues with unwanted dynamic effects due to play in the drivetrain, leading to increased wear, overloading, and prolonged standstill times, especially under unfavorable conditions such as high changing loads or low wind phases.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of intelligent actuating drives that communicate directly with each other to detect and manage overload conditions through decentralized control modules, providing auxiliary torque to relieve overloaded drives and distribute torque variably to prevent overloads, while also adapting bracing levels based on external loads and wind conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a hydraulic service brake is used to suppress dynamic effects, then unwanted dynamic fluctuations are monitored and suppressed, but increased wear occurs at the drives, actuating drives have to be over dimensioned, construction space has to be provided for the brake, and the brake is subject to high wear and service effort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the hydraulic service brake from the system by implementing direct bracing between actuating drives through intelligent control algorithms. The control device coordinates multiple actuating drives to brace against each other, suppressing dynamic effects without requiring a separate braking system, thereby removing the source of brake wear and reducing overall system wear.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical hydraulic braking system with an intelligent control system that coordinates actuating drives electronically. The control device uses sensor feedback and algorithms to manage torque distribution and bracing between drives, substituting mechanical brake-based dynamic suppression with electronic control-based coordination, eliminating brake wear while maintaining stability.
2Loss of substance
If actuating drives are braced in relation to each other without service brake, then wear is reduced, but under unfavorable conditions such as high changing loads, buildup or insufficient suppression of dynamic effects can occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic bracing control where the control device continuously adjusts the bracing forces between actuating drives based on real-time operating conditions. The system adapts torque distribution and coordination algorithms according to load variations, wind conditions, and drive status, enabling the bracing mechanism to maintain optimal dynamic stability across varying operational scenarios without requiring excessive wear-resistant components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback control mechanisms where sensors monitor the positions, speeds, and loads of actuating drives, and the control device uses this information to continuously adjust bracing forces and torque distribution. This closed-loop control ensures that dynamic effects are adequately suppressed under varying conditions while maintaining reduced wear through intelligent coordination rather than brute-force braking.
3Reliability
If load signals are communicated between actuating drives for overload protection, then overload is prevented and standstill times are shortened, but device complexity increases due to communication requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control functions of multiple actuating drives into a coordinated system where the control device manages torque distribution, bracing, and overload protection for all drives through a unified control architecture. Load signals and status information are shared between drives and the central control device, enabling collective overload protection and load balancing without requiring complex individual control systems for each drive, thereby achieving reliability through integrated control rather than increased overall complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Adjustment and/or drive units that can be used in wind turbines to set the azimuth angle of the wind turbine nacelle or the pitch angle of the rotor blades, wherein such an adjustment and/or drive unit has at least two actuating drives for rotating two assemblies, which are mounted for rotation relative to each other, and has a control device for controlling the actuating drives, which control device controls the actuating drives in such a way that the actuating drives are braced in relation to each other during the rotation of the two assemblies and/or at a standstill of the assemblies. The invention further relates to a wind turbine having such an adjustment and/or drive unit and to a method for controlling such an adjustment and/or drive unit.