Wind Turbine Wind Measurement Using Electrostatic Induction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind power machines face inaccuracies in determining wind speed and direction due to interference from pollution, icing, and rotor rotation, affecting the alignment of rotor blades and thus the efficiency of energy extraction.
Innovation Solution
A wind power machine equipped with four line-shaped reception antennas on the hub or lance, generating electrically influenced particles and molecules, and a correlation measuring device to calculate wind speed and direction using triangulation, ensuring precise alignment of rotor blades with the wind direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If cup anemometers and wind vanes are mounted on the nacelle roof to determine wind speed and direction, then the measurement devices are easily accessible and simple to install, but the measurements are inaccurate because they are positioned behind the rotor and influenced by its rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary substance (electrically influenced particles and molecules) that mediates between the wind and the receiving antennas. These particles are generated by an electrode in the wind stream and carry wind speed and direction information to the receiving antennas, allowing indirect measurement without physical contact with the wind flow path.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical measurement devices (cup anemometers, wind vanes) with an electromagnetic field-based system. Instead of using mechanical cups that rotate or vanes that pivot, the invention uses receiving antennas that detect electrical signals generated by electrically influenced particles, substituting mechanical measurement with electromagnetic detection.
2Measurement precision
If Pitot tubes are used to determine wind speed and direction at the hub, then measurements can be taken in front of the rotor, but the Pitot tubes are highly susceptible to interference from contamination and icing requiring costly protective measures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical Pitot tube system with an electromagnetic field-based receiving antenna system. The receiving antennas detect electrical signals from electrically influenced particles without physical contact with the wind stream, eliminating the mechanical structures that are susceptible to contamination and icing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces electrically influenced particles as intermediaries that carry wind information to the receiving antennas. These particles are generated upstream and transported by the wind flow, allowing the receiving antennas to measure wind parameters without being exposed to the harsh environmental conditions at the hub location.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If ultrasonic anemometers are used to determine wind speed and direction, then non-contact measurement is achieved, but the devices always require calibration and are susceptible to interference from dirt, wetting, and icing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the ultrasonic wave-based measurement system with an electromagnetic field-based system using receiving antennas. Instead of measuring sound wave propagation time through air, the invention detects electrical signals generated by electrically influenced particles, providing a different physical basis for non-contact measurement that is less susceptible to environmental interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from acoustic wave propagation time (ultrasonic anemometers) to electrical signal characteristics (receiving antennas detecting signals from electrically influenced particles). This parameter change allows measurement without the calibration requirements and environmental susceptibilities of ultrasonic systems.
4Measurement precision
If laser anemometry systems are used to measure wind speed, then high measurement accuracy can be achieved, but the system complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex laser anemometry system with a simpler electromagnetic field-based receiving antenna system. Instead of using laser beams and detecting light scattering from particles, the invention uses receiving antennas to detect electrical signals from electrically influenced particles, achieving similar measurement capabilities with reduced system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses electrically influenced particles as intermediaries that can be detected by simple receiving antennas. These particles are generated by an upstream electrode and carry wind velocity information, providing a measurement mechanism that is far simpler than laser anemometry while maintaining high accuracy.
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 setup provides accurate determination of wind speed and direction, enabling optimal alignment of rotor blades to maximize energy extraction from wind, even in adverse weather conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The receiving antennas are designed such that electrical signals are generated in the receiving antennas by electrostatic induction from electrically influenced particles and molecules carried along in the oncoming wind
Implementation Method 2
the time required by the electrically influenced particles and molecules carried along in the oncoming wind to overcome the distance between the receiving antennas forming a corresponding receiving antenna pair can be determined by means of correlation measurement
Implementation Method 3
The speed is calculated from the distance and the time required by the electrically influenced particles and molecules carried in the oncoming wind to overcome the distance between the receiving antennas forming a corresponding receiving antenna pair. From the velocities of the directional components of the oncoming wind, determined using the aforementioned receiving antenna pairs, the speed and direction of the oncoming wind relative to the rotor's axis of rotation are calculated by triangulation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a wind turbine for harvesting electric energy, comprising a tower equipped with a rotatable gondola with a rotor which can be rotated about a horizontal rotational axis and which comprises an electric generator. The wind turbine additionally comprises a device for determining the flow direction and the speed of the incident wind and a device for controlling or regulating the alignment of the rotor against the incident wind. For this purpose, the device for determining the speed and the flow direction comprises receiving antenna pairs, by means of which electric signals are obtained using electrically influenced particles or air molecules carried by the incident wind and are supplied to a correlation measurement device. In the correlation measurement device, the time needed by the electrically influenced particles or molecules to traverse the distance between the receiving antennas of a receiving antenna pair is determined. Subsequently, the speed and the flow direction of the wind is calculated in a computing unit and are supplied to the device for controlling or regulating the alignment of the rotor.