Wind Turbine Shadow Flicker Sensor Rotation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbine shadow flicker protection systems are unreliable and costly due to the use of multiple light sensitive sensors, which can fail and lead to unnecessary shutdowns and high maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A cost-efficient and reliable shadow flicker protection system using a single light sensor to measure light intensity from different directions, allowing for controlled reduction of wind turbine operational state, such as tip speed or complete shutdown, to prevent shadow flicker, with a simplified design and modular installation for easy maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple light sensitive sensors are used to determine shadow casting behavior, then measurement reliability is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential measurement function from multiple sensors and implements it using a single sensor that rotates to different positions. This eliminates the need for multiple sensors while maintaining measurement capability through temporal sampling at different angular positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from spatial redundancy (multiple sensors at different locations) to temporal redundancy (single sensor measuring at different times/positions). By rotating the sensor through multiple angular positions over time, the system achieves comprehensive measurement coverage without physical duplication of sensors.
2Measurement precision
If multiple light sensitive sensors are used to determine shadow casting behavior, then measurement accuracy is improved, but system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the need for multiple expensive sensors by using a single sensor that performs multiple measurements through rotation. This reduces component count and system cost while maintaining measurement precision through coordinated angular positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces spatial measurement redundancy with temporal measurement redundancy. The single sensor measures light intensity at multiple angular positions sequentially, achieving comprehensive data collection that would otherwise require multiple simultaneous sensors.
3Reliability
If multiple light sensitive sensors are used to determine shadow casting behavior, then system reliability is improved, but maintenance cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the measurement function from a distributed sensor array and consolidates it into a single rotating sensor unit. This reduces the number of failure points and maintenance requirements while maintaining system reliability through the rotational measurement approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the maintenance burden from managing multiple sensor components to maintaining a single rotating sensor assembly. The temporal sampling approach ensures that one sensor can replace the functional role of multiple sensors, reducing maintenance complexity and cost.
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
The system effectively prevents shadow flicker by using a single light sensor to determine light intensity conditions, reducing operational costs and improving reliability by allowing for controlled wind turbine state changes, ensuring minimal disruption and efficient operation.
Implementation Method 1
a single light sensor to measure light intensity from different directions
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A light intensity detection system 100 for a wind turbine 10 includes a single light sensor 304 adapted to measure the intensity of light, a housing 302 for protecting the single light sensor from environmental influences, and a driving mechanism 503 configured to allow the single light sensor 304 to receive light from a first direction at a first time and from a second direction at a second time.