This invention is about making wind turbines better and last longer. Imagine a giant fan on top of a tall pole – that's a wind turbine. When the wind blows, especially strong or gusty wind, the top part (called the nacelle, where the spinning blades are attached) can wobble back and forth, shaking the entire tower. This constant shaking, called oscillations, is bad for the tower and its base, causing it to wear out faster, like constantly bending a paperclip until it breaks. This patent solves that problem by cleverly separating the top part of the wind turbine from the tower. Instead of being rigidly fixed, the nacelle assembly sits on a special platform that can move slightly back and forth on rollers. To control this movement and stop the wobbling, the patent uses a spring and a special device called a linear electric generator. This generator is super smart: it acts like a shock absorber to smooth out the shakes, and it also turns that shaking motion into extra electricity! So, not only does it make the wind turbine more stable and durable, but it also helps it generate a little more power. This means wind turbines can be built to last longer, need less maintenance, and potentially cost less to build, making clean energy even more affordable and reliable.
Figure (1) Exploded view of the mechanism which reduces oscillation of the top section of the wind turbine.
In a horizontal axis wind turbine, the aerodynamic forces that rotate the turbine rotor have a component perpendicular to the plane of the rotor. This component often fluctuates due to various factors, which causes a variation in the root bending moment and leads to the back-and-forth motion or nodding motion of the tower top, which in turn leads to fatigue loading of the foundation and the tower-base-foundation joint. This is an expensive problem this invention tries to solve, while creating secondary benefits.
- Out-of-Rotor Plane Displacement Degree of Freedom along with a spring-damper system, resulting in less tower top oscillations
- Less Transmission of Tower Top Oscillations to the tower base, leading to less fatigue loading and longer life
- Less Foundation Costs because of less requirements for reinforcement against aft fore oscillations
- No Loss in Energy Production as opposed to traditional solutions that utilize individual blade pitch control
- Spring and Linear Generator (SLG) used as the damping mechanism, which allows for extra energy generation through the back and forth motion of the tower top structure, instead of the energy being lost
- Pareto Front for Energy Optimisation between the linear generator power and the rotary generator power, i.e. wind turbine designs with an optimal rotor blade geometry where the total power of both the generators could be maximized to be more than that from a single generator case
It describes the arrangement of components like the displaced nacelle assembly, interface blocks, rollers, springs, and the linear electric generator, explaining their intended functions and various configurations.
Proof of Concept (Experimental/Simulation or otherwise) (TRL 3)
3
Energy efficient and structurally sound wind turbine designs are very important in effectively harnessing wind energy, and creating a renewable and non-polluting alternative to carbon based fossil fuels. This is very important for reigning in carbon emissions and keeping global warming and climate change in check.
Energy and Environment
Geography of IP
Type of IP
202121020521
496255