Wind turbine blade with coupling device designed to automatically disengage actuator
AssigneeSiemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S
InventorSoeren Christiansen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A test arrangement for fatigue testing a wind turbine blade, wherein a first section of the wind turbine blade is attached to a fixing device and wherein a second section of the wind turbine blade is attached to an excitation device, wherein the excitation device includes an actuator and a coupling device that couples the second section to the actuator in an engaged state, allowing the actuator to exert a force in at least one direction on the second section, wherein the coupling device is designed to automatically disengage, therefore decoupling the actuator from the second section, when a disengagement condition is met, and to automatically return to the engaged state, when an engagement condition is met during the operation of the excitation device.
Claims14
A test arrangement for fatigue testing a wind turbine blade, comprising:
- a fixing device, wherein a first section of the wind turbine blade is attached to the fixing device;
- and
- an excitation device, wherein a second section of the wind turbine blade is attached to the excitation device, the excitation device comprising an actuator and a coupling device that couples the second section to the actuator in an engaged state, allowing the actuator to exert a force in at least one direction on the second section;
- wherein the coupling device is designed to automatically disengage, therefore decoupling the actuator from the second section, when a disengagement condition is met, and to automatically return to the engaged state, when an engagement condition is met during an operation of the excitation device;
- wherein the coupling device comprises a wheel driven by the actuator and a contact element that contacts the wheel in the engaged state and that is attached to the second section.
A method for fatigue testing a wind turbine blade, wherein
- attaching a first section of the wind turbine blade to a fixing device,
- attaching a second section of the wind turbine blade to an excitation device, and
- utilizing an actuator of the excitation device to excite an oscillation of the wind turbine
- blade, wherein the excitation device comprises a coupling device that couples the second
- section to the actuator in an engaged state, allowing the actuator to exert a force in at least
- one direction on the second section,
- wherein the coupling device automatically disengages, therefore decoupling the actuator from the second section, when a disengagement condition is met, and automatically returns to the engaged state, when an engagement condition is met during an operation of the excitation device;
- wherein the coupling device comprises a wheel driven by the actuator and a contact element that contacts the wheel in the engaged state and that is attached to the second section.
A test arrangement for fatigue testing a wind turbine blade, comprising:
- a fixing device, wherein a first section of the wind turbine blade is attached to the fixing device;
- and
- an excitation device, wherein a second section of the wind turbine blade is attached to the excitation device, the excitation device comprising an actuator and a coupling device that couples the second section to the actuator in an engaged state, allowing the actuator to exert a force in at least one direction on the second section;
- wherein the coupling device is designed to automatically disengage, therefore decoupling the actuator from the second section, when a disengagement condition is met, and to automatically return to the engaged state, when an engagement condition is met during an operation of the excitation device;
- wherein the actuator is controlled by the or a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to invert a movement direction of the actuator when a reversal condition is met, wherein the coupling device is configured to automatically disengage prior to an inversion of the movement direction in at least one operational state of the excitation device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.