METHOD FOR ERECTING AND/OR DISMANTLING A TOWER, IN PARTICULAR A TOWER OF A WIND POWER INSTALLATION

Abstract

A method for erecting and/or dismantling a tower, in particular a tower of a wind power installation, comprises providing a climbing crane, erecting the tower by hoisting and fastening tower segments and/or dismantling the tower by detaching and lowering tower segments, implementing, preferably temporary, securing measures for securing the tower in the state of assembly, in particular in the case of expected wind loads on the tower, which comprises taking into consideration the climbing crane, in particular its weight, in implementing the securing measures.

Claims

1. A method for erecting and/or dismantling a tower, in particular a tower of a wind power installation, the method comprising: providing a climbing crane, erecting the tower by hoisting and fastening tower segments and/or dismantling the tower by detaching and lowering tower segments, and implementing, preferably temporary, securing measures for securing the tower in the state of assembly, in particular in the case of expected wind loads on the tower, which comprises: taking into consideration the climbing crane, in particular its weight, in implementing the securing measures.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the securing measures comprise one, two or all of the following measures: attaching additional weights, in particular at the top of the tower in the state of assembly, and attaching guys, in particular at the top of the tower in the state of assembly.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: determining a current wind velocity and/or a wind velocity to be expected within the next 72 hours, and determining a current load and/or a load to be expected within the next 72 hours on the tower with the climbing crane, on the basis of a current tower height and/or a tower height to be reached within the next 72 hours, and of the determined wind velocity.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining of the load comprises: determining an eigenfrequency of the tower, including the climbing crane, on the basis of a current tower height and/or a tower height to be reached within the next 72 hours, and/or determining an excitation resulting from a vortex formation of the tower with wind flowing around it, including the climbing crane, on the basis of a current tower height and/or a tower height to be reached within the next 72 hours.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vortex formation is determined as a K?rm?n vortex street.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: comparing the determined load with a maximum load.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: continuing the erecting and/or dismantling of the tower if the determined load does not reach or exceed the maximum load.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: interrupting the erecting and/or dismantling of the tower if the determined load reaches or exceeds the maximum load.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: altering the planned erecting and/or dismantling of the tower, in particular delaying or accelerating it, in such a way that the determined load, in particular the determined load to be expected within the next 72 hours, does not reach or exceed the maximum load.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the climbing crane is arranged at the upper end of the current tower height and/or the tower height to be reached within the next 72 hours, and/or the height of the position of the climbing crane on the tower is altered upward or downward.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: providing a tower stub at the tower base with at least a first tower segment, in particular on a tower foundation, and preferably with a second tower segment and possibly a third tower segment, the tower stub preferably being erected by means of a mobile crane, for example a truck-mounted crane, and fastening the climbing crane to the tower stub.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: providing a tower, and fastening the climbing crane to the tower, in particular to the top of the tower.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Preferred exemplary embodiments are described, as examples, on the basis of the accompanying figures, in which:

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a wind power installation;

[0042] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a tower of a wind power installation in the state of assembly, with a climbing crane; and

[0043] FIG. 3 shows a schematic flow diagram of an example of the method.

[0044] In the figures, elements that are identical or substantially functionally identical are denoted by the same reference designations. General descriptions usually relate to all exemplary embodiments, unless differences are explicitly indicated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a wind power installation. The wind power installation 100 has a tower 102, and a nacelle 104 on the tower 102. An acrodynamic rotor 106 that has three rotor blades 108 and a spinner 110 is provided on the nacelle 104. During operation of the wind power installation, the aerodynamic rotor 106 is set in a rotary motion by the wind and thus also rotates an electrodynamic rotor of a generator that is directly or indirectly coupled to the aerodynamic rotor 106. The electric generator is arranged in the nacelle 104 and generates electrical energy. The pitch angles of the rotor blades 108 can be altered by pitch motors at the rotor blade roots 109 of the respective rotor blades 108.

[0046] Shown in detail in FIG. 2 is an example of a climbing crane, which may also be referred to as a hoisting system, and an example of first tower segments. The column of the hoisting system comprises a hydraulic cylinder 95 together with a piston 96, and an actuator that is in a state 97 in which it can pass a fastening point 99, and in a state 98 in which it is connected to the fastening point 99. The hoisting system can move upward, once the actuator is in the state 98 and locked to the attachment point 99 on the tower segment 201, and the hydraulic cylinder 95 is actuated, until the weight of the crane is supported by the hydraulic cylinder. Then the locking systems 21, 23 and 24 are unlocked, but it should be noted that, although there are three locking systems represented in FIG. 2, any number of locking systems greater than zero is possible. The hydraulic cylinder 95 is then activated further, such that the piston 96 is drawn into the cylinder 95, causing the hoisting system to move upward. The upward movement continues until any locking system reaches a fixing point at which it can be locked and the weight of the hoisting system can be transferred from the hydraulic cylinder 95 to the locking system.

[0047] It should be clear that two cylinders are also possible: each on one side of the column, or even a plurality of cylinders, e.g. cylinders that push the hoisting system upward instead of pulling it upward.

[0048] FIG. 2 also shows that, due to the bending of the jib, the jib reaches a distance 202 from the tower segment 201 between the center of the tilt joint and the hoisting point.

[0049] Also represented in FIG. 2 is a further tower segment 205 that still needs to be hoisted. The segment has a fastening point 207 having an edge 206 that serves to receive the actuator 98.

[0050] Represented schematically in FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method 1 for erecting and/or dismantling a tower, in particular a tower of a wind power installation.

[0051] In a first step 1000, a tower stub is provided at the tower base. The tower stub has at least a first tower segment, in particular on a tower foundation, and preferably a second tower segment and possibly a third tower segment, the tower stub preferably being erected by means of a mobile crane, for example a truck-mounted crane.

[0052] In a step 1001, a climbing crane is provided, and in the step 1001a it is fastened to the tower stub.

[0053] In the step 1002, securing measures are implemented, preferably temporarily, to secure the tower in the state of assembly, in particular if wind loads on the tower are to be expected. In this case, in the step 1002a, the climbing crane, in particular its weight, is taken into consideration. In particular, the securing measures may include attaching additional weights, in particular to the upper end of the tower in the respective state of assembly, and/or attaching guys, in particular to the upper end of the tower in the respective state of assembly. In a step 1003, a current wind velocity and/or a wind velocity to be expected within the next 72 hours is determined.

[0054] In a step 1004, a current load and/or a load to be expected within the next 72 hours on the tower with the climbing crane is determined, on the basis of a current tower height and/or a tower height to be reached within the next 72 hours, and of the determined wind velocity. The determining of the load comprises, in a step 1004a, the determining of an eigenfrequency of the tower, including the climbing crane, on the basis of a current tower height and/or a tower height to be reached within the next 72 hours. In a step 1004b, the determining of the load may also comprise the determining of an excitation resulting from a vortex formation of the tower with wind flowing around it, including the climbing crane, on the basis of a current tower height and/or a tower height to be reached within the next 72 hours.

[0055] In a step 1005, the determined load is compared with a maximum load.

[0056] In a step 1006, the tower is erected by hoisting and fastening tower segments, and/or dismantled by detaching and lowering tower segments.

[0057] The erecting and/or dismantling may in particular further comprise a step 1006a with continuing the erecting and/or dismantling of the tower if the determined load does not reach or exceeds the maximum load, and/or a step 1006b with interrupting the erecting and/or dismantling of the tower if the determined load reaches or exceeds the maximum load, and/or a step 1006c with altering the planned erecting and/or dismantling of the tower, in particular delaying or accelerating it, in such a way that the determined load, in particular the determined load to be expected within the next 72 hours, does not reach or exceed the maximum load.

[0058] The method described here can be used to create a particularly economical solution for erecting and/or dismantling a tower, in particular a tower of a wind power installation, in which, in particular, the (stability) safety during erecting and/or dismantling is also increased. In addition, advantageously, there are savings of costs and time, and the space requirement is reduced.

[0059] European patent application no. 22214283.8, filed Dec. 16, 2022, to which this application claims priority, is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Aspects of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.