METHOD FOR HANDLING A SECTION OF A WIND TURBINE, TOOL FOR ATTACHING A SECTION TO A HANDLING DEVICE AND TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE

Abstract

Provided is a method for handling a section of a wind turbine, including the steps: Inserting an inner part) of a first tool into an open first end of the section and/or inserting the first end of the section into an outer part of the first tool, actuating the first tool to exert pressure onto an inner surface and/or an outer surface of a wall of the section along the entire circumference or in multiple areas spaced along the circumference of the wall, and moving the first tool while the first tool is exerting the pressure on the inner and/or outer surface to move the section.

Claims

1. A method for handling a section of a wind turbine, comprising: inserting an inner part of a first tool into an open first end of the section and/or inserting the open first end of the section into an outer part of the first tool; actuating the first tool to exert pressure onto an inner surface and/or an outer surface of a wall of the section along an entire circumference or in multiple areas spaced along the circumference of the wall; and moving the first tool while the first tool is exerting the pressure on the inner and/or outer surface to move the section.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein prior to moving the first tool, an inner part of a second tool is inserted into an open second end of the section and/or the second end of the section is inserted into an outer part of the second tool and the second tool is actuated to exert pressure onto an inner surface and/or an outer surface of the wall of the section along the entire circumference or in multiple areas spaced along the circumference of the wall.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the section extends horizontally between the first and second end during the movement of the section.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and/or second tool are attached to a transportation vehicle or to a respective transportation vehicle used to move the section along a transport path.

5. A tool for attaching a section of a wind turbine to a handling device, wherein the tool comprising: a connecting section connected or connectable to the handling device, an inner part designed to be inserted into an open end of the section and/or an outer part configured to receive the end of the section; and one actuator or multiple actuators configured to move and/or deform at least one component of the tool to exert pressure onto an inner surface and/or an outer surface of a wall of the section along the entire circumference or in multiple areas spaced along the circumference of the wall.

6. The tool according to claim 5, wherein the tool comprises a respective air cushion extending along the outer circumference of the inner part and/or along the inner circumference of the outer part of the tool or at least one air cushion extending along a respective section of the inner and/or outer circumference, wherein the actuator or at least one of the actuators is configured to inflate the air cushion or cushions.

7. The tool according to claim 6, wherein the respective air cushion is attached to an inner or outer circumference of a support structure of the tool, wherein the tool comprises a mechanism for modifying the diameter of that circumference).

8. The tool according to claim 1, wherein it comprises multiple moveable yaws distributed along an outer circumference of the inner part and/or an inner circumference of the outer part of the tool, wherein an activation of the actuator or at least one of the actuators shifts the moveable yaws radially outwards or inwards.

9. The tool according to claim 8, wherein the tool comprises multiple fixed yaws, each forming a vice in conjunction with one of the moveable yaws to clamp the wall of the section.

10. The tool according to claim 5, wherein it comprises a stop configured to limit the depth of the insertion of the inner part of the tool into the section and/or of the insertion of the section into the outer part of the tool.

11. A transportation vehicle for transporting a section of a wind turbine, wherein in comprises at least one tool according to claim 5.

12. The transportation vehicle according to claim 11, wherein it comprises a lifting mechanism for vertically lifting the tool and therefore the section of the wind turbine from a loading position to a transport position used during the transport.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0041] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with references to the following Figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a pair of transportation vehicles according to an embodiment of the present invention, each comprising an embodiment of a tool according to the present invention and used to perform a method for handling a section of a wind turbine according to embodiments of the present invention;

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a different view of the tool used in FIG. 1;

[0044] FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of tools that could be used instead of the tool shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0045] FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of tools that could be used instead of the tool shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0046] FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of tools that could be used instead of the tool shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

[0047] FIG. 6 shows the use of one of the tools shown in FIG. 1 in a further embodiment of the method for handling a section of a wind turbine according to embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] FIG. 1 shows an example of handling and especially transporting a section 5 of a wind turbine, in the example a section of the wind turbine tower, using two transportation vehicles 1, 2 with attached tools 3, 4. The section 5 can e.g., be designed to be attached to further sections of the wind turbine via a slip joint connection or by welding. Therefore, the section does not comprise any flanges that can be used for attaching the section 5 to the transport vehicles 1, 2. Therefore, each of the transportation vehicles 1, 2 is provided with a tool 3, 4, that is also shown in a different perspective in FIG. 2, for securely attaching the transportation vehicle 1, 2 to the section 5.

[0049] To reliably handle the section 5, the tools 3, 4 are attached to the section 5 by inserting a respective inner part 22 of the respective tool 3, 4 into the respective open end 8, 9 of the section 5. Once the inner part 22 is inserted into the respective open end 8, 9 the respective tool 3, 4 is actuated to exert a pressure onto an inner surface 15 of a wall 16 of the section 5. In the example, the pressure is exerted along the entire circumference. This is achieved by using a support structure 11 with a smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the wall 16 and using an actuator 13 to inflate an air cushion 12 attached to the outer circumference of this support structure 11.

[0050] As is schematically shown in FIG. 2 by the arrows 14 the air cushion therefore extends in the radial direction, contacts the inner surface 15 of the wall 16 and exerts a pressure on this inner surface 15. This creates a positive fit of the respective tool 3, 4 and the section 5 in the radial direction. A shift of the section 5 in the longitudinal direction is suppressed by the friction between the air cushion 12 and the wall 16 of the section 5.

[0051] To further ensure that there is no undesired relative movement between the tools 3, 4 and the section 5, the tools 3, 4 preferably comprise a stopper 10 that is ring-shaped in the example. Even the use of one of these tools 3, 4, especially the use of both tools 3, 4 therefore allows for a robust handling of a hollow section 5 of a wind turbine, even when the section 5 does not provide any flanges or other means for attaching this section 5 to a handling device, especially a transportation vehicle. The tools 3, 4 are then attached to the respective vehicle 1, 2 by a connecting section 43.

[0052] In most of the discussed examples, the fixation of the section 5 in the radial direction will be achieved by exerting pressure on the inner surface 15 of the section 5. Additionally, or alternatively, it would be possible, to provide this function by using an outer section of the tool 3, 4, into which the section is inserted. The respective tool 3, 4 can then be actuated to exert pressure on the outer surface 23 of the wall 16. An example in which both an inner and an outer section 22, 42 of a tool 41 are used will be discussed later with reference to FIG. 5. It would also be possible to only exert pressure from the outer surface. This would e.g., be possible by using a support structure that surrounds the wall 16 of the section once the section 5 is inserted into the outer part of the tool 3, 4 and inflating at least one air cushion arranged between this support structure and the wall 16.

[0053] Once the tools 3, 4 are attached to the section 5, the section 5 can be handled by the transportation vehicles 1, 2 or more generally by any handling device 24, 25 attached to the respective tool 3, 4. In the example, the transportation vehicles 1, 2 are SPMTs, that are commonly used to transport heavy loads. The tools 3, 4 are attached to a base 26 of the transportation vehicles 1, 2 via a lifting mechanism 17 with an actuator 18 that allows for raising and lowering the tools 3, 4 as indicated by the arrow 19. It is therefore e.g., possible to pick up a section stored at a relatively low vertical position by first arranging the transportation vehicles 1, 2 in a relatively large distance and moving the tools 3, 4 downward by the lifting mechanism 17. The tools 3, 4 can then be attached to the section 5 as discussed above and then the lifting mechanism 17 can be actuated while at the same time reducing the distance between the transportation vehicles 1, 2 to move the section 5 in the transport position 27 shown in FIG. 1. As indicated by the arrows 20, 21, the transportation vehicles 1, 2 can then be collectively controlled to move with the same speed and in the same direction to transport the section 5 along the transport path 28. Once a destination is reached, the section can then be lowered and decoupled using the same steps in reverse.

[0054] When conical sections are used to e.g., construct the tower of a wind turbine, the diameters of the open ends 8, 9 of a section 5 can be different. Typically, a single wind turbine also uses sections with different diameters. It would also be preferable to use the same tools 3, 4 to handle sections 5 of different wind turbines that might have sections 5 with different diameters. While slight variations in the diameter can be compensated by using a different inflation of the air cushion 12 of the tools 3, 4 shown in FIG. 1, for a stronger variation of usable diameters it can be advantageous to replace the fixed support structure 11 shown in FIG. 1 by a variable support structure 29 shown in FIG. 3. In this example, the outer circumference 33 of the support structure 29 to which the air cushion 12 is attached is defined by the positions of several sections 31, that can be moved radially as indicated by the arrow 32 via a respective mechanism 30, e.g., an actuator moving a piston. When such a tool 34 is used to handle a section 5, the sections 31 can first be adjusted to provide a diameter of the circumference 33 that is a bit smaller than the inner diameter on the respective open end 8, 9 of the section 5, e.g., by 10%. The inner part of the tool 34 comprising the support structure 29 and the air cushion 12 can then be inserted into the respective open end 8, 9 and the air cushion 12 can be inflated as discussed above. Therefore, the tool 34 can be used to handle sections 5 with different diameters.

[0055] FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of a tool 35 for handling the section 5 that uses movable yaws 37 distributed along an outer circumference of the inner part instead of an air cushion as discussed above. The yaws 37 are attached to the stopper 10 that is arranged outside the section by actuators 38 that can radially move the yaws 37 as indicated by the arrow 40. The yaws 37 are first positioned radially inwards, then the inner part of the tool 35 is inserted into the open end 8, 9 of the section 5 and then the yaws 37 are moved radially outward by the actuators 38. The yaws 37 therefore exert pressure on the inner surface 15 of the wall 16 of the section 5 in multiple areas spaced along the circumference of the wall 16.

[0056] When pressure is applied on the wall only from one side and in multiple distinct areas spaced along the circumference of the wall 16, a deformation of the wall 16 might result if the strength of the wall 16 is low. To avoid such a deformation, it can be advantageous to apply pressure to the inner surface 15 and to the outer surface 23 of the wall 16. A simple example for a tool 41, that implements this feature, will now be discussed with reference to FIG. 5. In this example the tool 41 comprises an outer part 42 and an inner part 22, that can e.g., both be attached to the stopper 10. The wall 16 of the section 5 is inserted between these parts as indicated by the arrow 7. In other words, the inner part 22 is inserted into the respective open end 8, 9 of the section 5 and the section 5 is inserted into the outer section 42.

[0057] The inner section comprises yaws 37 as already discussed with reference to FIG. 4. The outer section 42 is formed by multiple fixed yaws 6, each forming a vice in conjunction with a respective movable yaw 37. Once the vice is closed by moving the movable yaw 37 as indicated by the arrow 39 pressure is exerted on both surfaces 15, 23 of the wall 16, therefore avoiding an undesired deformation of the wall 16.

[0058] The example according to FIG. 5 could obviously be modified in a multitude of ways. It would e.g., be possible to use movable yaws 37 as part of the outer part 42 of the tool 41 and to use the fixed yaws 6 as inner part 22 of the tool 41. Alternatively, both parts 22, 42 could be formed by movable yaws 37. It would also be possible to use one or multiple inflatable air cushions 12, that were discussed with reference to FIGS. 1-3, instead of the movable yaws 37.

[0059] FIG. 6 shows another use for the tool 3 shown in FIG. 1. Instead of attaching the tool 3 to the transportation vehicle 1, the connecting section 43 of the tool 3 is attached to a different handling device 45, namely a crane. By connecting the tool 3 to the section 5 as discussed with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, the crane can be used to lift the section 5, even when the section 5 does not comprise a flange or other means for connecting the section 5 to the crane. The crane can then e.g., be used to lift the section 5 to connect it to a lower section 44 of a tower by a slip joint as shown in FIG. 6.

[0060] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0061] For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements.