Wind Turbine Fluid Damper for Tower Oscillation Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern wind turbines experience significant oscillations due to wind loads, leading to high fatigue loads on the tower, yaw system, drive train, and gearbox, which are not effectively damped by current technologies, especially with increasing hub heights and slender tower structures.
Innovation Solution
A passive or semi-active damper system is introduced, comprising a container filled with fluid and a damping body that moves within it, utilizing sliding friction to convert kinetic energy into thermal energy, thereby reducing oscillations. The system is designed to be effective even during standstill operations without requiring energy sources, with the damping body configured to prevent full rotation and enhance contact area for increased damping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a passive damper system with fluid and damping body is used, then damping effectiveness is improved and steel amount is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a fluid-based damping system where a damping body moves through fluid within a container, utilizing hydraulic resistance to dissipate oscillation energy. The fluid creates drag forces on the damping body during movement, converting mechanical oscillation energy into thermal energy through viscous dissipation, thereby providing effective passive damping without requiring additional active control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes changes in fluid parameters (viscosity, density) and damping body geometry to optimize damping characteristics. By adjusting the fluid type, container dimensions, and damping body shape, the system achieves tailored damping performance for specific oscillation frequencies and amplitudes, enhancing effectiveness while maintaining a relatively simple device structure.
2Reliability
If the damping body is configured to prevent full rotation, then sliding friction increases and damping effect is enhanced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The damping body is designed with an asymmetric geometry that prevents full rotation within the container. This asymmetric shape creates intentional sliding contact surfaces that generate friction-based damping. The asymmetric configuration ensures the damping body engages with the container walls in a controlled manner, converting rotational motion into sliding friction that dissipates energy, while the precision requirements are managed through the inherent stability of the asymmetric contact geometry.
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 proposed damper system effectively reduces tower oscillations, minimizing the need for steel in the tower and reducing volume compared to other systems, while maintaining operational effectiveness without energy requirements, thus enhancing the structural integrity and efficiency of wind turbines.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing sliding friction to convert kinetic energy into thermal energy
Implementation Method 2
the fluid damps, e.g. by sloshing
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A wind turbine (1), comprising a container (12), a fluid (29) which is arranged inside the container (12), and a damping body (30) which is arranged inside the container (12), which is immersed in the fluid (29), and which is configured to move inside the container (12), wherein the fluid (29) and the damping body (30) are configured to damp oscillations of the wind turbine (1). This has the advantage that a more effective damper system is provided since on the one hand the fluid (29) damps, e.g. by sloshing, and on the other hand the damping body (30) damps by moving at least partially through the fluid (29).