METHOD FOR LIFTING OR LOWERING COMPONENTS TO OR FROM A LOCATION ON AN OFF-SHORE WIND TURBINE GENERATOR AND HANDSHAKE-TOOL FOR USE IN THE METHOD

Abstract

In order to allow for a safe and cost-efficient lifting of components (1) from a service vessel (2) to a location on an off-shore wind turbine generator (3) or lowering of components from a location on an off-shore wind turbine generator to a service vessel a method involving the use of a handshake-tool (10) is provided my means of which the component to be lifted or lowered can easily be transferred from one crane to another.

Claims

1. A method for lifting components from a location on a service vessel to a location on an off-shore wind turbine generator and/or for lowering components from a location on the off-shore wind turbine generator to a location on the service vessel, the method making use of at least a service vessel bound lifting apparatus and a wind turbine generator bound lifting apparatus and including a transfer step during which the component is detached from the one of the lifting apparatuses being a primary lifting apparatus and is attached the other one of the lifting apparatuses being a secondary lifting apparatus, the method including the steps of attaching the component to a rigging of the primary lifting apparatus and lifting or lowering the component into a transfer position in which the component can be reached by a rigging of the secondary lifting apparatus, performing the transfer step, wherein the component is attached to the rigging of the primary lifting apparatus via a handshake-tool and in that the transfer step is performed by attaching the component to the rigging of the secondary lifting apparatus via the handshake-tool prior to the component being detached from the primary lifting apparatus.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the component is not detached from the primary lifting apparatus prior to the load of the component having been taken over by the secondary lifting apparatus at least up to a release threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the handshake-tool includes a remotely activatable release mechanism which is to be activated for releasing the component from the primary lifting apparatus during the transfer step.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the rigging of the primary lifting apparatus, the handshake-tool or the part into which the remotely controllable release mechanism is incorporated in includes a load sensing mechanism allowing the activation of the remotely controllable release mechanism only if the load detected by the load sensing mechanism is below a release threshold.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the remotely controllable release mechanism is radio controlled.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the remotely controllable release mechanism is controlled by a system that is to be activated manually by a person and that is reachable by a person at least when the component has been lifted or lowered into the transfer position.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the part in which the remotely controllable release mechanism is incorporated in, the handshake-tool or the rigging of the primary lifting apparatus includes an energized system for providing the energy needed for a release of the component from the primary lifting apparatus.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transfer step is completed without the component being set down onto a structure of the off-shore wind turbine generator.

9. The method according to claim 3, wherein the part incorporating the remotely controllable release mechanism remains on a load-transmitting structure of the handshake-tool after having been activated for releasing the component from the primary lifting apparatus.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wind turbine generator bound lifting apparatus is a crane or winch installed on or inside a structure of a nacelle of the wind turbine generator and/or that the service vessel bound lifting apparatus is a vessel crane.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the handshake-tool comprises a plate like load-transmitting structure for offering at least three load points with the at least three load points being in engagement with either the first, the second or the third load engagement structure.

12. A handshake-tool for the use in a method according to claim 1, the handshake-tool providing first load engagement structure to which the primary lifting apparatus may be attached, a second load engagement structure to which the secondary lifting apparatus may be attached to, and a third load engagement structure to which the component may be attached, wherein at least the first load engagement structure comprises a remotely activatable release mechanism.

13. The handshake-tool according to claim 12, wherein the handshake-tool comprises a plate like load-transmitting structure for offering a first load point for being in engagement with the first engagement structure, a second load point for being in engagement with the second engagement structure and a third load point for being in engagement with the third load engagement structure.

14. The handshake-tool according to claim 13, wherein the handshake-tool comprises a substantially triangular load plate with the first, second and third load point each being near a corner of the load plate.

15. (canceled)

Description

[0022] Various additional features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in art upon review of the following detailed description of one or more illustrative embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the one or more embodiments of the invention. In the accompanying drawings

[0023] FIG. 1 depicts a service vessel with an on-vessel crane in the vicinity of an off-shore wind turbine generator during the process of lifting a component from the service vessel to an up-tower location on the WTG by means of both a vessel crane and a nacelle crane,

[0024] FIG. 2 depicts a handshake-tool also used in FIG. 1 in detail,

[0025] FIG. 2a details of a remote shackle being part of the handshake-tool in FIG. 2,

[0026] FIG. 3 (A)-(D) shows details of different stages of the procedure of handing over the component from the vessel crane to the nacelle crane with the aid of the handshake-tool shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 2a,

[0027] FIG. 4 shows the removal of a main component out of the nacelle of the wind turbine generator, and

[0028] FIG. 5 (A)-(E) illustrates details of the procedure of handing over the main component shown in FIG. 4 from the nacelle crane to the vessel crane by means of the handshake-tool shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 2a.

[0029] FIG. 1 illustrates a first step in a procedure to lift a component 1 from a service vessel 2 to an up-tower location of an off-shore wind turbine generator 3 (WTG). The off-shore WTG 3 has a tower with a nacelle 4 on top of the tower to which the component 1 needs to be lifted.

[0030] FIG. 1 shows that the service vessel 2 is a relatively small jack-up vessel with an onboard vessel crane 6 as a vessel bound lifting apparatus. Other types of vessels may be used as well, for example permanently floating vessels with or without heave compensated vessel cranes. The height of the vessel crane 6 of the service vessel 2 is apparently too small to reach the top of the nacelle 4. It is one advantage of the invention that the invention allows for the use of smaller vessels which do not need to provide cranes or other lifting apparatuses that are capable of reaching the top of the nacelle. The use of such smaller vessels incurs significantly less costs, grants higher flexibility and minimizes the risk of non-availability.

[0031] On the nacelle 4 a nacelle crane 5 is installed as a WTG bound lifting apparatus. A nacelle crane 5 such as the one depicted in FIG. 1 will typically be permanently installed on the nacelle but will have only a rather limited load capacity. For lifting heavier components to the top of the nacelle, the load of which would exceed the load capacity of the permanently installed crane 5, components of additional temporary nacelle cranes with higher load capacity will first need to be lifted up to the nacelle. The component 1 depicted in FIG. 1 is a component of such an additional temporary nacelle crane. These additional temporary nacelle cranes will be installed temporarily, will then be used for lifting or lowering heavier components to or from the nacelle and will subsequently be deinstalled once the task for which they had been temporarily installed is completed. Such temporarily installed nacelle cranes 5 and 5 with higher load capacity compared to the permanently installed nacelle crane 5 are shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows the same WTG generator as FIG. 1 after installation of the temporary nacelle cranes 5 and 5. All of these nacelle cranes 5, 5 and 5 can serve as WTG bound lifting apparatuses in the context of the invention.

[0032] It is apparent from FIG. 1 that the component 1 which has been transported to the WTG site by means of the service vessel 2 will first be attached to the rigging of the vessel crane 6, will then be lifted off deck and will at some point during the procedure and prior to being lifted up to the nacelle need to be taken over by the nacelle crane 5. Usually, for conducting this transfer step from the vessel crane 6 to the nacelle crane 5 the component 1 would be set down on a WTG platform 7, be detached from the rigging of the vessel crane 6 and subsequently be attached to the rigging of the nacelle crane 5. However, the use of a handshake-tool 10 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 2a in greater detail), makes it possible to more easily hand over the component 1 from one crane to the other via a handshake procedure. Setting down the component on the WTG service platform 7 is not required and in the example shown in FIG. 1 the component can be handed over from the vessel crane 6 to the nacelle crane 5 once the component has been lifted into a transfer position in which the handshake-tool may be attached to the rigging of the nacelle crane 5 via a free second load engagement structure. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2 the second load engagement structure is a sling 13 which can effectively be reached and attached to the rigging of the nacelle crane 5 (e.g., by a worker on the platform using a pike pole and grabbing the sling 13).

[0033] It should be noted that in FIG. 1 the direction of transportation of the component is from the vessel to the up-tower location of the WTG such that the vessel crane 6 serves as primary lifting apparatus (the lifting apparatus handing over the load of the component to the secondary lifting apparatus) and the nacelle crane 5 serves as secondary lifting apparatus (the lifting apparatus taking over the load of the component from the primary lifting apparatus).

[0034] FIG. 2 shows the handshake-tool 10 also depicted in FIG. 1 in detail. The handshake-tool comprises a load plate 11 as triangular shaped and plate like load-transmitting structure. Of course, other forms and types of load-transmitting structures serving the intended purpose, e.g., heavy metal rings or structures similar to chain links, may be used as well. Attached to the three corners of the load plate are three load engagement structures 12, 13 and 14 which each engage with the load plate at respective load points 12.sub.1, 13.sub.1 and 14.sub.1.

[0035] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2 the handshake-tool 10 includes a remote shackle 12 as a first load engagement structure to which the vessel crane 6 as primary lifting apparatus is attached during the handshake procedure. The remote shackle 12 incorporates a remotely activatable release mechanism 16. A second load engagement structure to which the nacelle crane 5 is attached as secondary lifting apparatus includes a sling 13. A third load engagement structure to which the component 1 may be attached includes a pair of slings 14. Depending on the weight and sizes of the components to be attached to the handshake-tool and depending on the type of rigging used on the service vessel bound and WTG bound apparatus other types of load engagement structures may be used alternatively or in addition to the load engagement structures shown in FIG. 2.

[0036] FIG. 2a shows the remote shackle 12 of FIG. 2 in greater detail. The remote shackle 12 includes a radio-controlled release mechanism 16 which can be activated remotely by a remote control 17. The release mechanism comprises a bolt 16 as engagement element which can be placed in an advanced position, in which the remote shackle is closed and in a secure engagement with a part to which the shackle is connected (e.g., load plate 11 or a rigging of a lifting apparatus), or in a retracted position, in which the shackle is opened and the mentioned engagement is released.

[0037] The remote shackle 12 further includes a load sensing mechanism 15. This load sensing mechanism senses the load acting on the remote shackle 12 and depending on the detected load it will allow the activation of the release mechanism 16 only if the load acting on the remote shackle is below a predefined release threshold. The remote shackle 12 also includes a battery 18 which serves as energized system to provide energy for the release mechanism 16 which may, for example, include an electromagnetic actuator 16.

[0038] FIG. 3 shows a sequence of different stages (A) to (D) of the handshake procedure as described above between the vessel crane 6 as primary lifting apparatus and the nacelle crane 5 as secondary lifting apparatus.

[0039] In stage (A) the component 1, in this case a base for the additional temporary crane 5 shown in FIG. 4, isvia handshake tool 10 and remote shackle 12attached to the rigging 61 of the vessel crane 6. Sling 13being the second engagement structureis brought into engagement with a hook that is forming part of the rigging 5.sub.1 of the WTG bound nacelle crane 5.

[0040] In stage (B) the hook of the nacelle crane rigging has begun to be lifted further (and/or the rigging 61 of the vessel crane 6 has begun to be lowered further) and the load plate 11 starts to turn counterclockwise around its center axis. In stage (B) the component's load is shared by both the vessel crane 6 and the nacelle crane 5 more or less equally as can be seen by the horizontal orientation of the upper edge of the triangular load plate 11 which is between a first load point 12.sub.1 to which the first engagement structure 12 is connected to and a second load point 13.sub.1 to which the second load engagement structure is connected to. In this stage the load sensing mechanism which is incorporated in the remote shackle does not yet allow the release mechanism to be opened since a too high load is still detected.

[0041] In stage (C) the hook of the nacelle crane rigging 5.sub.1 has been raised further (or the double hook being part of the vessel crane rigging 61 has been lowered further) and the weight of the component 1 has now been handed over to the nacelle crane. The triangular shaped load plate 11 has turned into its end orientation in which the line of action of the weight force of the component 1 is in line with the load points 13.sub.1 and 14.sub.1 connected to the second and third engagement structure 13 and 14, respectively. This turning of the load plate isin addition to the fact that the remote shackle 12 is starting to tilt due to its own weightis a good visual indication for a worker that the weight of the component has been handed over from the vessel crane to the nacelle crane. Now the load sensing mechanism does not sense a load any more that would be too high to allow for the remote activation of the release mechanism such that by using a remote 17 the release mechanism can be activated and the remote shackle may be opened.

[0042] Finally, in stage (D) the release mechanism incorporated in the remote shackle 12 has been remotely activated, the remote shackle loses its engagement with load plate 11 at load point 12.sub.1 and separates from the load plate 11. The component is now fully and solely attached to the rigging 5.sub.1 of the nacelle crane and can be lifted to its up-tower destination on the nacelle. The remote shackle can be brought back onto the vessel and by attaching another load plate with the needed engagement structures to the remote shackle another handshake-tool can be completed for lifting a next component to the nacelle.

[0043] FIG. 4 depicts a situation after a first additional temporary nacelle crane 5 and a second additional temporary nacelle crane 5 with a high load capacity have been temporarily installed on the nacelle 4. In this exemplary embodiment a generator with a weight of about 30 tons is to be lowered to the service vessel by means of the additional temporary nacelle crane 5 and the vessel crane 6 shown in FIG. 1. This requires the component 1 (the generator) to be handed over from nacelle crane 5 to vessel crane 6 at some point during the procedure.

[0044] It should be noted that in the procedure to which FIG. 4 refers the direction of transportation of the component is from the up-tower location of the WTG to the service vessel such that the temporary nacelle crane 5 serves as primary lifting apparatus (the lifting apparatus handing over the load of the component to the secondary lifting apparatus) and the vessel crane 6 serves as secondary lifting apparatus (the lifting apparatus taking over the load of the component from the primary lifting apparatus). In FIG. 5 this handshake procedure is shown in different stages (A) to (E).

[0045] In stage (A) the component is attached to the rigging 5.sub.1 of the additional temporary nacelle crane 5 shown in FIG. 4 and has been brought into a transfer position in which a second load engagement structure (sling 13) connected to second load point 13.sub.1 of the load plate 11 can be attached to the rigging 61 of the vessel crane as it is shown in stage (B). In stage (C) the load is still acting on the rigging 5.sub.1 as can be seen by the orientation of the load plate 11 which shows that the line of action of the component's weight force is in line with the first and third load points 12.sub.1 and 14.sub.1. Further lifting the rigging 61 of the vessel crane (and/or further lowering of the rigging 5.sub.1 of the temporary nacelle crane 5) leads to the load being transferred to the vessel crane 6. Again, the turning of the load plate is a clear indication that the load has shifted from the first load point 12.sub.1 to the second load point 13.sub.1. Once the load has been transferred and the load sensing mechanism allows for a remote activation of the release mechanism the remote shackle may be opened. In this case and differing from the procedure shown in FIG. 3 the remote shackle 15 will remain on the handshake-tool such that the handshake-tool is brought to the vessel together with the remote shackle which can then be used on the vessel for attaching the replacement part to the vessel crane 6.

[0046] All Figures described above show that for lifting or lowering a component from to or from a WTG the use of large jack-up vessels that can reach the top of a nacelle of an off-shore WTG can be avoided by making use of a handshake-tool allowing the easy transfer of the component from one crane to the other. Such a procedure can save a significant amount of costs and fees for the operation and rent of an otherwise needed large jack-up vessel capable of reaching as far up as the nacelle.

[0047] The handshake-tool can be characterized in that the first load engagement structure and/or the second load engagement structure comprises a sling.

[0048] While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of one or more embodiments thereof, and while the one or more embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. The various features discussed herein may be used alone or in any combination. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific detail and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the scope of the general inventive concept.

LIST FOR REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0049] 1 Component [0050] 2 Service Vessel [0051] 3 Wind Turbine Generator [0052] 4 Nacelle [0053] 5 permanently installed nacelle crane (low load capacity) [0054] 5, 5 temporarily installed nacelle crane (higher load capacity) [0055] 5.sub.1, 5.sub.1 Rigging of WTG bound cranes 5, 5 [0056] 6 Vessel crane [0057] 61 Rigging of vessel bound crane [0058] 7 WTG platform [0059] 10 Handshake-Tool [0060] 11 Load plate [0061] 12 Remote shackle (first load engagement structure) [0062] 12.sub.1 First load point [0063] 13 Sling (second load engagement structure) [0064] 13.sub.1 Second load point [0065] 14 Pair of slings or chains (third load engagement structure) [0066] 14.sub.1 Third load point [0067] 15 Load sensing mechanism [0068] 16 Remotely activatable release mechanism [0069] 16 Bolt (engagement element) [0070] 16 Actuator [0071] 17 Remote control [0072] 18 Battery