Wind Turbine Transformer Relocation for Nacelle Weight Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Modern wind turbines face challenges due to the large, bulky, and heavy main transformers, which increase the structural design complexity and cost, and require additional considerations for nacelle rotation and weight distribution.
Innovation Solution
The system relocates bulky transformers to a down tower or centralized location, using medium voltage lines and a step-up transformer to convert low voltage power to medium voltage power for transmission, reducing weight and complexity in the nacelle and tower design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a main transformer is installed in the nacelle or up tower, then voltage transformation is achieved, but the weight and bulkiness increase structural design complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the main transformer from the nacelle and relocates it to a down tower location. This separates the voltage transformation function from the rotating nacelle assembly, eliminating the need to accommodate heavy transformer weight in the nacelle structure and reducing structural design complexity while maintaining voltage transformation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces medium voltage cables as an intermediary transmission medium between the generator in the nacelle and the main transformer in the down tower. This allows power to be transmitted at medium voltage from the generator, then transformed to high voltage at the relocated transformer, avoiding the need to install the transformer in the nacelle while maintaining system functionality
2Power
If a main transformer is installed in the nacelle, then voltage transformation is achieved, but additional considerations are required for nacelle rotation and weight distribution
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting the main transformer from the nacelle and placing it in the down tower, the patent eliminates the interference between transformer weight and nacelle rotation. The nacelle can now rotate freely without accommodating the heavy transformer, significantly improving ease of operation while voltage transformation is still achieved at the down tower location
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the power transmission system into distinct functional zones: the generator remains in the nacelle for power generation, medium voltage cables transmit power down the tower, and the main transformer is located in the down tower for voltage transformation. This spatial segmentation allows the nacelle to rotate independently without being constrained by transformer weight
3Power
If a main transformer is installed in the nacelle or up tower, then voltage transformation is achieved, but the weight increases system cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heavy main transformer from the nacelle and relocates it to the down tower, separating the weight burden from the critical nacelle assembly. This reduces the weight that must be supported by the nacelle structure and tower upper sections, thereby reducing overall system cost while maintaining voltage transformation capability through the relocated transformer
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 configuration reduces the weight and complexity of the nacelle rotation, lowers system costs, and maintains high reliability with negligible power transmission losses, applicable to wind turbines and other power systems.
Implementation Method 1
The rotor blades capture kinetic energy of wind using known airfoil principles. For example, rotor blades typically have the cross-sectional profile of an airfoil such that, during operation, air flows over the blade producing a pressure difference between the sides. Consequently, a lift force, which is directed from a pressure side towards a suction side, acts on the blade.
Implementation Method 2
As such, a rotating magnetic field may be induced by the generator rotor and a voltage may be induced within a generator stator that is magnetically coupled to the generator rotor.
Implementation Method 3
the turbine transformer steps up the voltage amplitude of the electrical power such that the transformed electrical power may be further transmitted to the power grid
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods of wind power generation in electrical power systems are described. According to one aspect, a wind turbine system can include a down tower portion having a main transformer configured to transform medium voltage power to another voltage power, a tower portion having one or more medium voltage cables configured to transmit medium voltage power, and, a nacelle portion. The nacelle portion can include a generator comprising a stator and a rotor. The stator may be connected to one or more medium voltage cables via a stator power path. The nacelle portion also includes a power converter coupled to the rotor of the generator, and, a step-up transformer coupled to the power converter and the one or more medium voltage cables. The step-up transformer can be configured to step-up low voltage power to medium voltage power.