Wind Turbine Heater Control for Temperature Gradient Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbine heating systems fail to adequately address temperature gradients, particularly at low outside temperatures, leading to potential operational issues and mechanical stress due to uneven heating of temperature-critical components.
Innovation Solution
A wind turbine system equipped with a nacelle, a first temperature sensor for the component, a second temperature sensor for outside conditions, and a heater controller that adjusts the switch-on value for the heater based on outside temperature, ensuring greater heating at lower temperatures to prevent component cooling, with a monotonic characteristic and a switch-off value greater than the switch-on value for controlled heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a heating device is activated at a fixed temperature threshold regardless of outside temperature, then the component temperature can be maintained above the minimum operating temperature, but severe temperature gradients and mechanical stress occur at low outside temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The heater controller dynamically adjusts the switch-on temperature threshold based on outside temperature conditions. At low outside temperatures, the switch-on threshold is raised above the minimum operating temperature to prevent severe cooling of the component interior. This dynamic adaptation prevents harmful temperature gradients while maintaining reliable operation across varying environmental conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the temperature parameter threshold based on outside temperature conditions. The switch-on temperature is not fixed but varies with ambient conditions, allowing the system to maintain appropriate temperature differentials that prevent thermal stress while ensuring operational reliability.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the heater is activated at a higher switch-on value to prevent severe cooling, then temperature gradients are reduced, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the switch-on threshold only when outside temperatures are low, rather than maintaining a permanently high threshold. This dynamic approach reduces unnecessary heating and energy consumption during normal operating conditions while preventing temperature gradients when environmental conditions require it.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature threshold parameter is changed based on outside temperature conditions rather than being fixed. This adaptive parameter change optimizes the balance between preventing temperature gradients and minimizing energy consumption by applying higher thresholds only when environmentally necessary.
3Device complexity
If a fixed temperature threshold is used for heater activation, then the control system remains simple, but it cannot adapt to varying outside temperature conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The heater controller incorporates feedback from outside temperature sensors to dynamically adjust the switch-on threshold. This feedback mechanism enables the system to adapt to varying environmental conditions while maintaining a relatively simple control architecture based on temperature threshold comparisons.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system transitions from a static fixed threshold to a dynamic adaptive threshold that responds to outside temperature conditions. This dynamic behavior provides adaptability to environmental variations while preserving the simplicity of threshold-based control logic.
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
Ensures secure operation by preventing severe cooling of components, especially at low temperatures, reducing mechanical stress and maintaining optimal component temperatures within a predetermined range.
Implementation Method 1
a heater (28) associated with the at least one component (22, 23) in order to heat the latter
Implementation Method 2
a first temperature sensor (24) for detection of a temperature of the component; a second temperature sensor for detecting a temperature outside of the nacelle
Data Source
AI summary
A wind turbine has a nacelle wherein a component is equipped with a first temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the component, a second temperature sensor for detecting an outside temperature inside or outside the nacelle, a heater associated with a component to heat the latter, and a heater controller. The detected temperature of the component and the detected outside temperature are provided as input signals to the heater controller which activates the heater for heating when the detected temperature of the component is below a predetermined switch-on value for the heater. The switch-on value for the heater is, in at least one predetermined temperature interval, dependent on the detected outside temperature. The switch-on value for a first outside temperature is greater than the switch-on value for a second outside temperature in the temperature interval when the second outside temperature is greater than the first outside temperature.