WIND TURBINE AND METHOD FOR CONSTRUCTING OR SERVICING A WIND TURBINE

Abstract

A wind turbine, including a foundation, a transition platform attached thereupon having at least one arm that extends horizontally outward from a central section, and a tower connected to the central section of the transition platform, wherein the arm includes a passage connecting the central section with the outward end of the arm, which is formed by a floor, a roof and at least two side walls of the transition platform, wherein a container is arranged on the floor at least partially within the passage, the container featuring a first opening on the side facing towards the central section and a second opening on the opposite side and a passageway connecting the first and the second opening allowing personnel to pass through the container into the central section, wherein the container houses at least one electrical component connected to a electrical component outside the container is provided.

Claims

1. A wind turbine comprising: a foundation; a transition platform attached thereupon having at least one arm that extends horizontally outward from a central section; and a tower connected to the central section of the transition platform, wherein the at least one arm of the transition platform comprises a passage connecting the central section with an outward end of the at least one arm, which is formed by a floor, a roof and at least two side walls of the transition platform, wherein a container is arranged on the floor at least partially within the passage, the container including a first opening on a side facing towards the central section and a second opening on an opposite side and a passageway connecting the first opening and the second opening allowing personnel to pass through the container into the central section; wherein the container houses at least one electrical component of the wind turbine which is connected to at least one further electrical component of the wind turbine outside of the container.

2. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the central section and the passage of the at least one arm are divided by a further side wall which comprises an opening having at least a partial overlap with the first opening of the container.

3. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the side of the container bearing the second opening is exposed.

4. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein a seal is arranged between the floor and/or the roof and/or the side wall and/or the further side wall of the passage and an outer surface of the container.

5. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the floor of the transition platform is prolonged beyond the side walls and the roof of the passage at the outward end of the at least one arm, resulting in an uncovered outward end of the at least one arm of the transition platform.

6. The wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical component housed in the container is connected to the at least one further electrical component outside the container via a connector and a cable comprising multiple electrical lines, which is separately connected to the connector, wherein the connector is mounted to the transition platform and connected to the electrical component via the cable or wherein the connector is mounted to the container and connected to the at least one further electrical component via the cable.

7. The wind turbine according to claim 1 wherein the container and/or the floor of the transition platform are equipped with roller wheels or pads reducing a friction between the container and the floor of the transition platform.

8. The wind turbine according to claim 1 wherein a winch is attached to the transition platform in the central section and/or at the outer end of the at least one arm.

9. The wind turbine according to claim 1 wherein a winch and a pulley are attached to the transition platform on the opposite sides of the at least one arm, further wherein the winch is either attached in the central section or at the outward end of the at least one arm and the pulley in the outward end of the arm or in the central section, respectively.

10. A method for constructing or servicing a wind turbine, the method comprising: providing a transition platform having at least one arm that extends outward from a central section that is connectable to a tower, wherein the at least one arm comprises a passage connecting the central section of the transition platform with an outward end of the at least one arm, which is formed by a floor, a roof and at least two side walls of the transition platform; providing a container including a first opening and a second opening on opposite sides of the container and a passageway connecting the first opening and the second opening allowing personnel to pass through the container; and arranging the container at least partially inside the passage of the transition platform, such that the first opening of the container faces towards the central section and the second opening side faces towards the outward end of the transition platform.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the arranging of the container on the transition platform comprises lifting the container from a service vessel to the floor of the transition platform, moving the container towards the central section of the transition platform and connecting at least one electrical component of the wind turbine inside the container to at least one electrical component of the wind turbine outside of the container.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the container is placed on the floor of the transition platform and pulled to an intended position either using a winch located in the central section of the transition platform, or using a combination of a winch placed in the outward end and a pulley placed in the central section of the transition platform.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein a railing system is mounted on the at least one arm of the transition platform, leading from the outward end of the at least one arm to the central section of the transition platform, the container is lifted onto the railing system or placed between rails of the railing system and moved to an intended position using the rails as support and/or guidance, and, once the container has reached the intended position, the railing system is dismounted from the at least one arm of the transition platform.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0061] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0062] FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of a method used to construct an embodiment of a wind turbine;

[0063] FIG. 2 depicts a vertical cross-section of one arm of a transition platform shown in FIG. 1, whereas the container is not yet mounted onto the arm of the transition platform;

[0064] FIG. 3 depicts a vertical cross-section of the same arm of the transition platform as shown in FIG. 2, whereas the container is mounted in its intended position and the electrical equipment inside the container is connected to the electrical equipment of the wind turbine; and

[0065] FIG. 4 depicts a horizontal cross-section of the entire transition platform of the wind turbine, wherein the containers are not mounted on the arm of the transition platform.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] FIG. 1 shows an intermediate step in the construction of a wind turbine 1. A foundation 2, a transition platform 4 attached thereupon having multiple arms 5 extending horizontally outward from a central section 14, and a tower 3 connected to the central section 14 of the transition platform 4 are already installed at an offshore location. For the sake of simplicity the foundation 2 is only represented as a few vertical struts that keep the transition platform a certain distance above the water level. In many cases the foundation 2 will comprise additional components above the water level, e.g. cross braces, that are not shown.

[0067] To allow for an easy installation of the electrical components (not shown) these are pre-installed in the container 6 that is installed as a pre-configured module. To provide a space for installing the container 6, the arm 5 of the transition platform 4 comprises a passage 17, connecting the central section 14 with the outer end 16 of the respective arm 5. The passage 17 is formed by a floor 11, a roof 12 and at least two side walls 10 of the transition platform 4.

[0068] The container 6 features a first opening 19 and a second opening 25 on opposite sides of the container 6 and a passageway 27 connecting the first and the second opening 19, 25 allowing personnel (not shown) to pass through a passage way 27 that connects the openings 19, 25. In the finished wind turbine 1 the container 6 will be arranged at least partially inside the passage 17 of the transition platform 4, such that the first opening 19 of the container 6 faces towards the central section 14 and the second opening 25 faces towards the outward end 16 of the transition platform 4. This allows personnel 26 to access the central section 14 via the passage way 27 and to easily gain access to the electrical components installed in the container 6.

[0069] The electrical components and other components can be pre-installed into the container onshore. Once the pre-installation of the container 6 is finished, it can be transferred onto a service vessel 8 and shipped to the wind turbine 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the container 6 can be lifted from the service vessel 8 to the floor 11 of the transition platform 4 using for example a crane 7 placed at the outer end 16 of the transition platform 4. Once the container 6 is placed on the outer end 16 of the transition platform 4, it can be moved towards the central section 14 of the transition platform 4.

[0070] FIG. 2 shows a vertical cross-section of one arm 5 of the transition platform 4 shown in FIG. 1. The central section 14 and the respective passage 17 of the respective side arm 5 are divided by a further side wall 13, which comprises an opening 18 having at least a partial overlap with the first opening 19 of the container 6 (see FIG. 3).

[0071] At the outward end 16 of the arm 5, the floor 11 of the transition platform 4 is prolonged beyond the side walls 10 and the roof 12 of the respective passage 17. The resulting open platform at the outward end 16 of the respective arm 5 of the transition platform 4 allows for the installation of cranes 7, the storage of the container 6 on the arm 5 of the transition platform 4 prior to shifting it to the intended position, and/or the mounting of additional equipment, such as a rails 9 (see FIG. 1). It can also allow service personnel 26 to get onto the transition platform 4 of the wind turbine 1 and then enter either the container 6 or the central section 14 (see FIG. 3), and/or the docking of service vessels 8.

[0072] The central section 14 of the transition platform 4 comprises at least one electrical component 15 used to run the wind turbine.

[0073] Moving of the container 6 to its intended position shown in FIG. 3 can be accomplished by pulling the container without any additional tools. Optionally, one can use aids in order to ease moving of the container to its intended position.

[0074] For example, rails 9, leading from the outward end 16 of the arm 5 to the central section 14 of the transition platform 4, can be mounted on the arm 5 of the transition platform 4. The container 6 can be directly lifted by the crane 7 from the vessel 8 onto the rails 9 or between the rails 9. After being placed on or between the rails 9, the container 6 can be shifted to its intended position using the rails 9 as support and/or guidance. Once the container 6 has reached the intended position, the rails 9 can be dismounted from the transition platform 4.

[0075] Alternatively or additionally, the container 6 can be moved to its intended position using a winch (not shown) located in the central section 14 of the transition platform 4, or a combination of a winch placed at the outward end 16 and a pulley (not shown) placed in the central section 14 of the transition platform 4.

[0076] A further possibility to ease the transfer of container 6 from the outer end 16 of the arm 5 of the transition platform 4 to its intended position is to equip the container 6 and/or the floor 11 of the transition platform with roller wheels or pads (both not shown), both reducing the friction between the container 6 and the floor 11 of the transition platform 4.

[0077] It is also possible to use a combination of the above mentioned methods in order to ease moving of the container 6 to its intended position.

[0078] FIG. 3 shows a vertical cross-section of the arm 5 of the transition platform 4 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the container 6 placed in its intended position within the passage 17. The side of the container 6 bearing the second opening 25 is exposed. In order to obtain a watertight connection between the central section 14 of the transition platform 4 and the container 6, a seal 21 can be arranged between the floor 11 and/or the roof 12 and/or the side walls 10 and/or the further side wall 13 of the passage 17 and an outer surface of the container 6. For reasons of clarity the seal 21 is only shown between the roof 12 and the container 6. It can however be advantageous to arrange a seal 21 on all sides of the container 6 and/or surrounding the opening 18 of the further side wall 13.

[0079] The container 6 comprises a first opening 19 on the side facing towards the central section 14 and a second opening 25 on the opposite side. The two openings are connected by a passageway 27, allowing personnel 26 to pass through the container 6 into the central section 14.

[0080] Inside the passageway 27, the container 6 can house electrical components 20, 24 of the wind turbine 1. Both electrical components 20, 24 can be connected to a connector box 22 of the container during the pre-installation. The electrical connection of all electrical components 20, 24 to the electrical component 15 and optionally further electrical components installed outside of the container can then be achieved by connecting a single cable 23 to the connector 28 installed in the container. In some embodiments it might also be advantageous to install the connector 28 on the outer surface of the container 6. This allows a fast and easy connection of the electrical components 20, 24. The cable 23 can provide multiple electrical lines to carry current and/or signals independently to and/or from several electrical components 20, 24.

[0081] FIG. 4 shows a horizontal cross-section of the transition platform 4. In this example, the transition platform 4 comprises three different arms 5 and the central section 14, thus enabling the installation of preferentially three containers 6 on the transition platform 4. The central section 14 is divided from the passages 17 of the arms 5 by the further side walls 13, which comprise a respective opening 18 enabling service personnel to pass from the passage 17 to the central section 14. In order to prevent water from coming inside the central section 14, the opening 18 can comprise a door which can be sealed.

[0082] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiment, the present invention is not limited by the disclosed examples from which the skilled person is able to derive other variations without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0083] 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.

[0084] 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.