Wind Turbine Generator Support Member Collision Mitigation

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Solution Overview

Problem

In multirotor wind turbine generators, support members can fall off the tower, leading to potential collisions between wind turbine parts and the tower or other wind turbine blades, causing damage and operational issues.

Innovation Solution

A wind turbine generator design that includes a tower part, wind turbine parts with rotors and blades, and support members connected to the tower via auxiliary wire members to prevent falling and shaking, with detection and rotation mechanisms to adjust blade positions and guide members to direct falling support members, ensuring safe separation and reduced collision risk.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If support members are used to hold wind turbine parts on the tower, then the wind turbine can generate more energy with multiple rotors, but the support members may fall off when wire members break, causing collision damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy generationVSAvoidsupport member stability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies beforehand cushioning by providing a buffer member between the support member and the tower part. This buffer member is positioned in advance to prevent direct contact and potential damage when the support member falls due to wire member failure. The buffer absorbs impact energy and prevents collision damage to both the support member and tower structure, thereby maintaining system reliability while allowing multirotor configuration for enhanced productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Weight of moving object

If wire members are used to connect support members to the tower, then the support structure can be lightweight and flexible, but the wire members may break causing the support member to fall

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesupport structure weightVSAvoidconnection reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The buffer member serves as a beforehand cushioning measure that mitigates the reliability risk associated with wire member breakage. By positioning the buffer between the support member and tower, the system prepares for potential wire failure in advance, converting a potentially catastrophic collision into a controlled, cushioned event that protects critical components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The buffer member acts as an intermediary element between the support member and the tower part. This intermediary absorbs and distributes the impact forces when wire members fail and support members fall, preventing direct transmission of damaging forces to both the support structure and tower, thereby enhancing overall connection reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Power

If multiple support members are installed on the tower, then more wind turbine parts can be supported for higher output, but falling support members may collide with other wind turbine blades

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoutput powerVSAvoidcollision risk
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The buffer member provides beforehand cushioning that prevents collision damage between falling support members and other wind turbine components. By absorbing impact energy before the support member can strike adjacent blades or the tower, the buffer eliminates the harmful collision effect while allowing multiple support members to be installed for enhanced power generation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The buffer member converts the potentially harmful collision event into a beneficial controlled interaction. Instead of allowing destructive impacts between falling support members and operational wind turbine components, the buffer transforms the harmful kinetic energy into harmless deformation or heat, protecting the system while enabling higher power output through multiple rotors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentEP3473847B1Wind turbine generator
Publication Date: 2021.04.21 MITSUBISHI HEAVY IND LTD
  • EP3473847B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3473847B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3473847B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

Provided is a wind turbine generator that is capable of contacting of a support member and a blade of a wind turbine part installed on the support member, with a tower part and a blade of the other wind turbine part when the support member falls. A wind turbine generator is provided with: a tower part 2; a plurality of wind turbine parts each including a rotor, blades provided on the rotor, and a power generator that generates power by a rotational force of the rotor; a support member 3 that is connected to the tower part 2 and supports the wind turbine part; and a backup wire 21 having one end connected to the tower part 2 and the other end connected to the support member 3.