Variable Width Heating Element for Wind Turbine Blade Icing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbine rotor blade heating systems face inefficiencies due to constant width electrical heating elements, leading to overheating near the blade root and insufficient heating near the blade tip, as the heating power requirement increases with radius position.
Innovation Solution
A wind turbine rotor blade with an electrical heating element that decreases in width faster in a first section closer to the blade root than in a second section closer to the blade tip, ensuring a need-based distribution of heating power, with the width reduction expressed as a convex function to match increasing flow velocities and heating power requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a constant width electrical heating element is used, then the manufacturing is simplified, but the heating power distribution becomes uneven causing overheating near the blade root and insufficient heating near the blade tip
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element width varies along its length, with the first section having a greater width than the second section. This local variation in geometry creates corresponding local variations in electrical resistance and heating power output, allowing each section to provide the appropriate heating power for its specific location on the rotor blade.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical resistance and heating power parameters are changed by varying the width of the heating element along its length. The first section has higher resistance and greater heating power due to its larger width, while the second section has lower resistance and reduced heating power due to its smaller width, creating an optimized temperature distribution.
2Power
If the heating element width decreases uniformly, then the heating power is reduced, but the heating power per unit area does not increase linearly to match the increasing flow velocities and heating requirements at higher radius positions
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is divided into at least two distinct sections: a first section with a greater width and a second section with a smaller width. This segmentation allows each section to be independently optimized for its specific heating requirements, with the first section providing higher power where needed and the second section providing reduced power appropriate for its location.
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 design achieves a linear increase in electrical output per unit area from the blade root to the blade tip, ensuring consistent temperature differences across the blade surface, preventing overheating and ensuring adequate heating power where needed, thus optimizing heating performance.
Implementation Method 1
an electrical heating element (16), which has an end (18) on the blade root side at a first radius position (r1) of the rotor blade and an end (20) on the blade tip side at a second radius position (r2) of the rotor blade and is designed to be between the end (18) on the blade root side and the end (20) on the blade tip side to be flown through by an electric heating current
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Wind turbine rotor blade with a blade root, a blade tip and an electric heating element, which has a blade root-side end at a first radius position of the rotor blade and a blade tip-side end at a second radius position of the rotor blade and is designed to be traversed by an electric heating current between the blade root-side end and the blade tip-side end, wherein the heating element has a width that decreases more rapidly with increasing radius position in a first section than in a second section, the first section being located closer to the blade root-side end than the second section.