Wind Turbine Tower Section Rotation for Stress Redistribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbine towers experience uneven stress distribution during operation, leading to premature damage in certain areas, which limits their service life and increases maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
The method involves rotating sections of the wind turbine tower to redistribute stress by reorienting sections experiencing high stress to positions with lower stress, allowing sections with remaining service life to take on higher stress, thereby extending the overall life expectancy of the tower.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the wind turbine tower operates continuously in its original position, then energy production continues uninterrupted, but stress concentration in specific areas accelerates damage and reduces service life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the tower rotatable rather than fixed, allowing it to change orientation dynamically. The tower can be rotated to different positions (e.g., 0°, 45°, 90°) to expose different wall portions to prevailing winds, thereby dynamically adjusting stress distribution patterns to extend service life while maintaining continuous operation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the orientation parameter of the tower relative to the prevailing wind direction. By rotating the tower to different angular positions, the stress distribution parameters change, allowing previously low-stress wall portions to bear loads and previously high-stress portions to recover, thus extending overall tower life.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If the tower sections are rotated to redistribute stress, then life expectancy is extended, but additional operational complexity and potential downtime are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the tower into multiple rotatable sections (e.g., first section, second section, third section) that can be rotated independently or collectively. This segmentation allows for more flexible stress distribution strategies and reduces the complexity of rotating the entire tower structure, as only portions need to be rotated at any given time.
3Stress or pressure
If sections experiencing high stress are rotated to low stress positions, then stress distribution is optimized, but the structural integrity during rotation must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the tower into discrete sections with connection points between them, the patent enables independent rotation of segments. This segmentation allows for controlled rotation operations that maintain structural integrity, as each section can be rotated separately with its connections properly managed, rather than attempting to rotate the entire tower as one rigid structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of retrofitting a wind turbine (10) having a wind turbine tower (12) and a first energy generating unit (14) includes rotating at least a portion of the wind turbine tower (12). The wind turbine tower (12) is secured to a foundation (16) and has a first position on the foundation (16). The method includes rotating at least a portion of the wind turbine tower (12) from the first position to a second position. In the second position, the portion experiences less stress when the wind turbine (10) is operated in the same prevailing wind. The wind turbine tower (12) may have at least two sections (12a, 12b, 12c) and wherein rotating includes rotating one section relative to another section. One section may be secured to a foundation (16). In that case, rotating may or may not include rotating the section secured to the foundation (16). Rotating the tower may occur after the first energy generating unit (14) is removed from the tower and may include rotating the wind turbine tower by an angle from 90°±15° relative to the first position.