Wind Turbine Refurbishment Using Site Wind and Part Lifetime
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wind turbines are often not optimized for their operating locations, leading to inefficiencies that could be addressed by adapting their dimensions to the specific wind turbine site without the need for complete replacement.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that uses a wind sensor to determine the average wind speed at the site, calculates the expected remaining lifetime of existing parts, and selects replacement parts from a database to refurbish the wind turbine, optimizing hub height and rotor diameter for improved efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the entire wind turbine is replaced to adapt to the wind turbine site, then the efficiency and adaptability are improved, but the cost and resource waste increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The wind turbine is divided into multiple replaceable parts (tower, rotor, energy-generating unit, etc.), allowing selective replacement of only the components that need to be adapted to the site conditions while retaining other functional parts. This segmentation enables partial refurbishment rather than complete replacement, reducing resource waste while achieving site adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system determines suitable dimensions for a refurbished wind turbine by changing key parameters such as hub height and rotor diameter to match the specific wind conditions at the turbine site. By calculating optimal parameters based on average wind speed data and site characteristics, the system identifies which parts need dimensional adjustments while allowing other parts to be reused.
2Loss of substance
If parts are reused without assessment, then resource waste is reduced, but the reliability and safety decrease due to unknown remaining lifetime
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates the expected remaining lifetime of each part based on feedback from actual operating conditions, including average wind speed data from the turbine site. This feedback mechanism allows the system to assess the actual wear and stress experienced by each component, providing reliable information about remaining service life to determine whether parts can be safely reused or need replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
Before finalizing the refurbishment plan, the system performs preliminary assessment of each part's remaining lifetime based on operating history and site conditions. This preliminary action identifies which parts are suitable for reuse and which require replacement, ensuring reliability is maintained while maximizing resource utilization.
3Reliability
If precise lifetime calculation is performed for each part, then the reliability assessment is improved, but the complexity and time required for refurbishment planning increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system focuses lifetime calculations on key parameters such as average wind speed at the turbine site, which directly affects component wear. By concentrating assessment on the most influential parameters rather than attempting to model every possible factor, the system achieves reliable lifetime predictions while keeping the assessment process manageable and the system complexity reasonable.
Data Source
AI summary
A system (100) for refurbishing an original wind turbine is provided. The system (100) comprises at least one processor (210) configured to: retrieve the average wind speed at the wind turbine site; determine suitable dimensions for a refurbished wind turbine (100) adapted for the wind turbine site; determine which parts of the original wind turbine that could be re-used and still obtain the determined dimensions for the refurbished wind turbine (100); for each part of the original wind turbine that could be re-used, calculate the expected remaining lifetime of said part; if said expected remaining lifetime is above a predetermined minimum lifetime, determine that said part can be re-used in the refurbished wind turbine (100); and select, from a database of replacement wind turbine parts, parts to use instead of the parts needing to be replaced for refurbishing the original wind turbine. Further, a method (400) for refurbishing an original wind turbine is provided.