AN APPARATUS FOR AND A METHOD OF BALANCING A TRAVELLING CAR FOR INSTALLATION OF AT LEAST A PART OF A WIND TURBINE

Abstract

An apparatus is for performing a part of an operation to install a tower for a wind turbine, wherein the wind turbine has a tower, wherein the apparatus has a travelling car for travelling up and down along the tower of the wind turbine and for carrying an item to be installed as part of the wind turbine, wherein the travelling car has a device for balancing the travelling car, and wherein the device for balancing the travelling car has a weight configured to be movably connected to the travelling car i) for allowing keeping the travelling car balanced under exposure to a force or ii) for avoiding, correcting or reducing a shift in a centre of gravity of the travelling car. Further is disclosed a method of balancing a travelling car for an apparatus for performing at least a part of an operation to install a wind turbine.

Claims

1.-11. (canceled)

12. An apparatus for performing a part of an operation to install a wind turbine, wherein the wind turbine comprises a tower, wherein the apparatus comprises a travelling car for travelling up and down along the tower of the wind turbine and for carrying an item to be installed as part of the wind turbine, wherein the travelling car comprises a device for balancing the travelling car, and wherein the device for balancing the travelling car comprises a weight configured to be movably connected to the travelling car i) for allowing keeping the travelling car balanced under exposure to a force or ii) for avoiding, correcting or reducing a shift in a center of gravity of the travelling car, wherein the device for balancing the travelling car comprises a plurality of weights and wherein at least one weight is movably connected to each one of a plurality of drive systems arranged along at least two of an x-axis, a y-axis and a z-axis, wherein the x-axis is a substantially horizontal axis, the y-axis is a substantially vertical axis and the z-axis is a substantially horizontal axis substantially perpendicular to the x-axis when the apparatus is in operational use.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the weight is movably mounted to the travelling car via a track of a drive system.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the weight is a solid weight made from a heavy material, with a density of more than 5 g/cm3.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the device for balancing the travelling car comprises a plurality of weights.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the device for balancing the travelling car comprises a rack and pinion drive system, and wherein the weight or plurality of weights is movably connected to the travelling car via the rack and pinion drive system.

17. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus comprises a device for obtaining information relevant to the balancing of the travelling car.

18. A method of balancing a travelling car of an apparatus for performing at least a part of an operation to install a wind turbine, wherein the method comprises the step of: providing the apparatus comprising the travelling car on an installed part of a wind turbine, wherein the travelling car comprises a device for balancing the travelling car, wherein the device for balancing the travelling car comprises a weight movably connected to the travelling car, wherein the device for balancing the travelling car comprises a plurality of weights and wherein at least one weight is movably connected to each one of a plurality of drive systems arranged along at least two of an x-axis, a y-axis and a z-axis, wherein the x-axis is a substantially horizontal axis, the y-axis is a substantially vertical axis and the z-axis is a substantially horizontal axis substantially perpendicular to the x-axis when the apparatus is in operational use; moving the weight to balance the travelling car.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the apparatus is an apparatus for performing a part of an operation to install a wind turbine, wherein the wind turbine comprises a tower, wherein the apparatus comprises a travelling car for travelling up and down along the tower of the wind turbine and for carrying an item to be installed as part of the wind turbine, wherein the travelling car comprises a device for balancing the travelling car, and wherein the device for balancing the travelling car comprises a weight configured to be movably connected to the travelling car i) for allowing keeping the travelling car balanced under exposure to a force or ii) for avoiding, correcting or reducing a shift in a center of gravity of the travelling car, wherein the device for balancing the travelling car comprises a plurality of weights and wherein at least one weight is movably connected to each one of a plurality of drive systems arranged along at least two of an x-axis, a y-axis and a z-axis, wherein the x-axis is a substantially horizontal axis, the y-axis is a substantially vertical axis and the z-axis is a substantially horizontal axis substantially perpendicular to the x-axis when the apparatus is in operational use.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the step of moving the weight to balance the travelling car is a step of moving a plurality of weights to balance the travelling car.

21. The method according to any one of claim 18, wherein the apparatus comprises a device for obtaining information relevant to the balancing of the travelling car, wherein the step of moving the weight or the plurality of weights is a performed automatically in response to input from a device for obtaining information relevant to the balancing of the travelling car.

22. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the weight is a solid weight made from a heavy material, with a density of more than 5 g/cm3.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the step of moving the weight to balance the travelling car is a step of moving a plurality of weights to balance the travelling car.

24. The method according to any one of claim 19, wherein the apparatus comprises a device for obtaining information relevant to the balancing of the travelling car, wherein the step of moving the weight or the plurality of weights is a performed automatically in response to input from a device for obtaining information relevant to the balancing of the travelling car.

25. The method according to any one of claim 20, wherein the apparatus comprises a device for obtaining information relevant to the balancing of the travelling car, wherein the step of moving the weight or the plurality of weights is a performed automatically in response to input from a device for obtaining information relevant to the balancing of the travelling car.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0057] In the following is described examples of preferred embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0058] FIGS. 1 to 16 illustrates parts of an operation to install a wind turbine by use of an embodiment of the apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention and by applying an embodiment of the method according to the second aspect of the invention, as well as the apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention;

[0059] FIG. 17 illustrates an alternative base for the wind turbine and a landing frame for the travelling car;

[0060] FIG. 18 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the travelling car.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0061] Note that the embodiments shown in the figures are mere examples of the invention, and that they are not necessarily drawn to scale. Other embodiments being configured differently from those shown in the figures may be within the scope of the invention according to the claims.

[0062] The illustrations show a wind turbine at different points in time during an installation of the wind turbine. It will be described in the following some steps that may have been carried out from one point illustrated in a figure to the next point illustrated in the next figure. Each of these steps may be part of one or more embodiments of the method according to the second aspect of the invention. The following will also include a description of a possible embodiment of the apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention.

[0063] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a base 210 for a wind turbine 200. The base 210 comprises a foundation piece 211 and a transition piece 212, the transition piece 212 having a base working platform 213. The method according to the second aspect of the invention may include the step of providing the base 210. In other embodiments, the base 210 may be of another type, e.g. any other type of base known from the prior art.

[0064] FIG. 2 shows the same wind turbine 200, with the addition of a base section 221 of the tower 220 of the wind turbine 200. The base section 221 may typically, but not necessarily, be installed atop the transition piece 212 by use of a crane device (not shown).

[0065] FIG. 3 shows the wind turbine 200, after further steps of an embodiment of the method. The travelling car 101 has been movably connected to the tower 220. Prior to the installation of the travelling car 101, a resting flange (not shown) may have been installed. The travelling car 101 may typically have been connected to the tower 220 one half at a time by use of a crane device (not shown), with a first half of the travelling car 101 connected to and supported by the tower 220 by use of wires (not shown) first, with a second half subsequently connected to the tower 220 and the first half of the travelling car 101.

[0066] Near a top side of the base section 221 of the tower 220, it has a set of lifting lugs 107. The travelling car 101 has a deck 102 and a plurality of winches 103 on an underside of the deck 102. The particular embodiment of the travelling car 101 further has a first and a second movable part 104, 105 of the deck 102, wherein each of the first and the second movable part 104, 105 are configured for carrying an item to be installed as part of the wind turbine 200. A plurality of load-bearing ropes 106 connects the travelling car to an upper portion of the base section 222 of the tower 220 by connecting the plurality of winches 103 to the set of lifting lugs 107.

[0067] Furthermore, the travelling car 101 has a device for balancing the travelling car 101. The device for balancing the travelling car 110 includes a force-altering device 120 having a weight 121 and a track 122, wherein the weight 121 is movably connected to a track 122 of a drive system 122. The weight 121 may typically be connected to the track 122 subsequently of installation of the travelling car 101 to the tower 220. Moving the weight 121 along the track 122 will alter a force of gravity affecting the travelling car 101, by altering the position of the weight 121 and thereby the position at which the force of gravity acting on the weight 121 acts on the travelling car 101.

[0068] In FIG. 4, a first and a second section 222, 223 for the tower 220 has been placed securely on the first and the second movable part 104, 105 of the deck 102 respectively. The first and the second movable part 104, 105 is, in FIG. 4, in their initial positions. They may have been placed there by use of a crane (not shown), which may be the same crane that was used for connecting the travelling car 101 to the tower 220.

[0069] FIG. 5 shows the travelling car 101, carrying the first and the second section 222, 223 for the tower 220, in an elevated position on the tower 220. In the elevated position, the deck 102 is slightly above the, at the time, uppermost installed section of the tower 250. The uppermost section of the tower 250 at the point of the installation shown in FIG. 5 is the base section of the tower 221. To elevate the travelling car 101, the winches 103 have been used to pull in load-bearing rope 106. When the travelling car 101 is in said elevated position, it is ready for installation of the first section 222.

[0070] In FIG. 6, the first movable part 104 of the deck 102 has been moved to a central position of the travelling car 101, directly above the base section 221 of the tower 220, to install the first section 222 of the tower 220 atop the base section 221 of the tower 220. To balance the travelling car 101 after/while moving the first section 222 to the central position, the weight 121 has been moved to the side of the travelling car 101 where the first section 222 was held prior to it being moved centrally. Moving the weight 121 in the opposite direction of the first section 222, offsets an imbalance that would otherwise have been caused by the movement of the first section 222.

[0071] A typical next step of the installation may be to slightly lower the travelling car 101 along the tower 220. Subsequently of said lowering, the travelling car may be locked into the slightly lowered position, e.g. by bolting it to the first section 222, the now uppermost section 250 of the tower 220. See FIG. 7.

[0072] When the travelling car 101 has been secured in position, the first movable part 104 of the deck 102 may be moved back to its initial position. If necessary, the weight 121 may be moved slightly towards the middle to offset the shift in weight distribution caused by the movement of the first movable part 104.

[0073] As can be further seen in FIG. 7, the uppermost installed section of the tower 250 has been arranged with a set of lifting lugs 107. Furthermore, the travelling car 101 has been connected to an upper part of the uppermost tower section 250 by use of load-bearing ropes 106 connected to the winches 103 of the travelling car 101.

[0074] Following the connection of the travelling car 101 to the upper part of the uppermost tower section 250, the travelling car 101 is again elevated to a position slightly above the uppermost tower section 250. When the travelling car 101 is in said elevated position, the second movable part 105 of the deck 102 is moved centrally, as seen in FIG. 8, to install the second section 223 of the tower 220 atop the uppermost installed section 250 of the tower 220.

[0075] After installation of the second section 223 of the tower 220, the second section 223 becomes the uppermost installed section of the tower 250. The travelling car 101 is then lowered slightly and secured in position by bolting to the tower 220. When secured, the second movable part 105 of the deck 102 of the travelling car 101 is moved back to its initial position.

[0076] As seen in FIG. 9, the new uppermost section 250 of the tower 220 has a set of lifting lugs 107. The travelling car 101 is then connected to the lifting lugs 107, and thereby to uppermost section 250 of the tower, 220 by load-bearing ropes 106 connecting the winches 103 of the travelling car 101 to the lifting lugs 107.

[0077] FIG. 10 shows how, after having connected the travelling car 101 to the uppermost section 250, the travelling car 101 may then be elevated to a position where the deck 102 of the travelling car 101 is above the uppermost section 250, and where the second moving part 105 of the deck 102 may be moved back to its initial position.

[0078] In FIGS. 8 to 10 it can further be seen how the weight 121 is moved to balance the travelling car 101. When the second movable part 105 of the deck 102 is moved centrally with the second section 223, the weight is placed a bit off-centre towards the side of the second movable part 105 (FIG. 8). When the second movable part 105 is moved back to its initial position, the weight 121 is moved into a central position.

[0079] As the travelling car 101 is no longer carrying a load to be installed, it is lowered, by letting out load-bearing rope 106 by use of the winches 103, down to the base 210 for the wind turbine. Both the first and the second moving part 104, 105 of the deck 102 of the travelling car 101 is back in their initial positions, ready to receive a new load to be carried. The travelling car 101 can be seen in FIG. 11, ready to receive new items to carry to the top of the tower 220.

[0080] The embodiment of the apparatus 1 and the method may additionally be for installation of a nacelle 231 and a propeller with rotor blades 232. FIG. 12 shows the nacelle 231 mounted on the first moving part 104 of the deck 102 of the travelling car 101, and the propeller with rotor blades 232 mounted on a seat 109 for the propeller with rotor blades 232 on the second moving part 105 of the deck 102.

[0081] In FIG. 13, the travelling car 101 has been pulled to the top of the tower 220, to a position where the deck 102 is slightly above the top of the uppermost section 250 of the tower 220. Furthermore, the first moving part 104 of the deck 102 has been moved centrally, to move the nacelle 231 directly above the top of the uppermost section 250 to install the nacelle 231 atop the uppermost section 250. To balance the travelling car during and/or following the moving of the nacelle 231, the weight has been shifted far towards the side of the travelling car 101 where the nacelle 231 was previously held.

[0082] In FIG. 14, the nacelle 231 has been rotated 90 degrees and made ready for installation of the propeller with rotor blades 232. The second moving part 105 of the deck 102 is then moved to move the propeller with rotor blades 232 so as to allow it to connect with and to be installed in connection with the nacelle 231.

[0083] When the propeller with rotor blades 232 has been installed, the wind turbine 200 may be fully installed, or the part of the installation of the wind turbine 200 that involves use of the apparatus 1 may be completed.

[0084] FIGS. 15 and 16 shows an embodiment of a removal of the travelling car 101 from the wind turbine 200. The method may include the removal of the travelling car 101. The travelling car 101 is lowered to the base 210 for the wind turbine 200 and connected to the base section 221 of the tower 220 by connection wire ropes 161 extending from the travelling car 101 to the base section 221.

[0085] In FIG. 16, a first half of the travelling car 101 has been removed. The second half still remains on the wind turbine 200 in the figure but is ready for removal.

[0086] FIG. 17 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a base 210 for a wind turbine 200, with a base section of the tower 221. Further illustrated in FIG. 17 is a landing frame 300 for a travelling car 101. The apparatus may comprise the landing frame 300. The landing frame 300 may typically be configured for supporting the travelling car 101 when the travelling car is sitting at the base 210 of the wind turbine 200, for installation of the travelling car 101 onto the tower, etc.

[0087] FIG. 18 illustrates a possible one of many conceivable embodiments of the travelling car 101. The embodiment shown in FIG. 18 only has one movable portion of the deck (a first movable portion of the deck 104), for receiving and moving an item to be installed as part of the wind turbine 200. The travelling car 101 has a weight 121 movably connected to a rack and pinion travelling system 122, for moving the weight 121 substantially horizontally. FIG. 18 shows an embodiment having two weights 121-1, 121-2, one on each side of the travelling car 101, each weight 121-1, 121-2 being movable mounted to the travelling car 101 via a respective track 122 (as part of the rack and pinion travelling system).

[0088] FIG. 18 further illustrates the earlier-described device 125 for obtaining information relevant for balancing of the travelling car 101, which may comprise e.g. a motion reference units, an electronic level, an accelerometer, an anemometer, and/or a force gauge and/or one or more other such equipment. The device for obtaining the information relevant for balancing of the travelling car may comprise one or more of any of the above-mentioned equipment, and is provided at one or more places on the travelling car 101.

[0089] An embodiment of the travelling car 101 such as the one shown in FIG. 18 may in theory be configured for being connected to the uppermost section 250 of the tower by a single load-bearing rope 106 and employ a single winch 103 for raising or lowering the travelling car 101.

[0090] It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb comprise and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article a or an preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.

[0091] The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0092] It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb comprise and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article a or an preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.

[0093] The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.