Innovative Modular Wind Turbine Designs

Electric generators designed for wind turbines that are compact yet scalable to very high power outputs. The generator utilizes multiple axial flow electrical machines with coaxial rotors and surrounding stators. The rotors can be manufactured independently and then secured together to generate multiple magnetic fluxes simultaneously when rotated. This modular design allows for the combination of multiple machines of the same or different sizes and technologies to increase power output.

Multi-segment rotor blade for horizontal-axis wind turbines that allows pitch angle control of each blade segment to optimize performance and reduce loads. The blade is made up of multiple segments that can rotate relative to each other to change the pitch angle. The blade segments are connected by guiding structures and actuating mechanisms that allow variable pitch between segments. This enables independent pitch control of each segment for optimal angle of attack and feathering. The blade design increases efficiency, reduces loads, and allows transportation of larger blades.

Modular brushless permanent magnet motor/generator design for large direct drive turbines. The design uses segmented rotor and stator rings that can be manufactured in sections and assembled on-site. This enables large diameter, high power generators without the need for a gearbox. The rotor segments contain magnet modules that encircle the stator segments containing coil modules. The modular design allows the stator and rotor to be manufactured in sections that are assembled on-site, reducing transportation and installation challenges. The rotor and stator segment also allows for automatic calibration to maintain optimal air gap distance.

A wind turbine blade tip assembly designed to improve lightning protection while minimizing damage risk. The blade tip includes a conductive module, such as copper, that connects to a lightning protection system to channel lightning strikes away from the blade. An insulating cover encases the coupling point between the blade tip and the lightning conductor, preventing lightning from arcing into internal blade components near the tip.

Wind turbine blade tip assembly can provide lightning protection for wind turbine blades while reducing the risk of blade damage from lightning strikes. The blade tip assembly includes a conductive blade tip module with a coupler to attach to a lightning-down conductor. An insulating member encases the coupler so that lightning strikes are attracted to the conductive blade tip rather than the internal blade components. This helps direct electrical energy from strikes safely away from the blade.

A modular pitch tube design for wind turbine installations that enables easy assembly and disassembly in a reduced space. The pitch tube is split into two detachable parts that can be connected and disconnected to pass through the rotor shaft and other components.

A modular wind turbine blade design and manufacturing method that simplifies the assembly of turbine blades on-site. The modular blade design utilizes double-tapered connections between blade sections. A connecting member with double-tapered ends links two blade modules together. Each module incorporates an internal double-tapered channel. These matching double-tapered connections enable modules to be aligned and easily joined during assembly. The double tapers provide self-aligning assembly and create strong connections between the modules. Additionally, a blade module manufacturing process using tapered molds is described.

A modular wind turbine blade design featuring continuous spars across module joints, allowing the blade to be divided into multiple transportable sections. The spars extend seamlessly from one blade module into the next when assembled, ensuring a continuous load path through the joint.

A modular wind turbine blade design enabling longer blades to be divided into shorter modules for easier transportation and on-site assembly. The blade modules feature a tapered dovetail joint and a connecting member that securely fits into the joint to connect the modules. During manufacturing, the blade modules are produced using a split mold assembly with a tapered feature to create the dovetail joint recess in the blade shell. This process ensures precise alignment and bonding of the connecting member to the spar inside the recess. The double-tapered dovetail joint provides a robust, self-aligning connection between the blade modules.

A method and mobile factory for modular wind turbine blade assembly. This method involves manufacturing blade sections at a factory, transporting them to the wind turbine site, and using a movable factory platform to connect the sections in the field. This approach enables the production and transport of longer blades in shorter, more manageable sections that can be joined on-site.

Wind turbine blade sections are joined together without adhesives to reduce weight and improve bonding strength. These blade sections feature tapered edges that can overlap, and the overlapping tapered edges are joined using overlying laminates of composite material.

Concrete wind turbine towers that are assembled from cylindrical segments joined at vertical flanges. The invention enables more accurate and efficient assembly of wind turbine towers. It provides alignment tools and systems that mount on the tower segments' vertical flanges to guide their connection. These tools have heads with surfaces that engage and slide along opposing flanges during assembly, aligning them. This ensures the bolt holes in the flanges line up properly. The tools avoid direct contact with the flanges to prevent damage during alignment.

A modular cable fastening system for securing and guiding cables in wind turbines. The system uses retaining bodies that can be combined with a star-shaped supporting structure to form a modular cable fastening system. The retaining bodies have partial bodies that engage with the supporting structure to prevent axial shifting.

A wind turbine tower design that is flexible to support multiple wind turbine models with different base sizes and blade clearances. The tower has an adaptable upper end section that can be fitted with adapters of varying diameters to match the turbine base size. The adapters have a frustoconical shape to converge or diverge between the tower and turbine. This allows the tower to accommodate turbines with different bolt circle sizes at the base. A second type of adapter is also included to slightly adjust the generator shaft angle to give extra blade clearance for certain turbine models.

Modular transportation and storage system for wind turbine blades that can be flexibly adjusted to accommodate different sizes and shapes of blades. The system includes modular tip end and root end frames that can be configured to hold blades at different angles. This allows blades with varying dimensions to be securely stored and transported together, reducing damage and costs. For example, the tip end frame can support blades vertically or at an angle, while the root end frame can rotate to match blade orientations.