METHOD FOR INSTALLING A TOWER AND TOWER INSTALLED BY SAID METHOD

Abstract

A method for installing or mounting a tower is formed by the stacking of two or more mounting groups on a base section. At least one of said mounting groups is formed by a plurality of stacked segments. Said method includes arranging the base section in the definitive position thereof on the ground and lifting and placing the mounting groups of the tower on the base section by means of a mounting crane that can adopt different jib configurations. Advantageously, in said method, at least two or more stacked segments are installed consecutively in the corresponding mounting group with one and the same crane jib configuration. The length of the lowest stacked segment of said mounting group is smaller than the length of at least another stacked segment of the aforementioned mounting group.

Claims

1. A method for installing a tower formed by the stacking of two or more mounting groups on a base section, wherein at least one of said mounting groups is formed by a plurality of stacked segments; wherein said method comprises at least the following steps performed in any order that is technically possible: arranging or constructing the base section in the definitive position thereof on a foundation; arranging at least one mounting crane for lifting and placing the mounting groups of the tower on the base section, said crane being able to adopt different jib configurations and said configurations being differentiated by at least the length of the crane jib and/or the loading threshold value of the crane; lifting and successively arranging the stacked segments in the corresponding mounting groups on the base section by said mounting crane, using a different jib configuration for each mounting group; and characterized in that in at least one mounting group, the length of the lowest stacked segment of said mounting group is smaller than the length of at least another stacked segment of said mounting group.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality or all the mounting groups are formed by two or more stacked segments.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the length of the highest stacked segment of a certain mounting group is longer than the length of the lowest stacked segment of the next mounting group.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the base section has a length longer than the length of each of the stacked segments.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the length of the base section exceeds the length of at least one of the stacked segments of the tower by at least 50.0 cm.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the stacked segments or the base section are formed by cylindrical elements made of metal and/or concrete, with a continuous structure and/or shaped as voussoir joints.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the stacked segments are formed by voussoirs and said voussoirs are assembled at the base of the tower.

8. The method according to claim 1, applied to a tower of a height greater than or equal to 100.0 m.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tower comprises two mounting groups, and wherein each mounting group comprises two stacked segments.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a nacelle and/or wind turbine blades are installed on the top mounting group.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein a mobile type mounting crane is used.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein a crane different from the mounting crane used for installing the base section of the tower is used for installing the mounting groups.

13. A tower installed according to a method according to claim 1.

14. The tower according to claim 13 comprising a nacelle and/or one or more wind turbine blades on the top mounting group.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a tower installed according to the method of the invention, according to a preferred embodiment thereof, wherein the main elements are depicted.

[0044] FIG. 2 shows a tower installed according to the methods of the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0045] As an exemplary embodiment of the invention based on FIG. 1 of the present document, the main features for installing a tower (1) with a frustoconical section based on two mounting groups (2, 2) that can be stacked on a base section (3) are described below, wherein each of said mounting groups (2, 2) comprises two stacked segments (4, 5, 4, 5), the diameter or width of which decreases as the height increases.

[0046] The arrangement of each of the segments (4, 5, 4, 5) in the tower (1) can be defined by the lifting height h; (i.e., the height at which the top end of each segment (4, 5, 4, 5) is installed in the tower (1) assembly); and by the lifting weight w.sub.i, which corresponds to the weight supported by a crane for lifting said segment (4, 5, 4, 5) up to the corresponding lifting height hi. In the mentioned exemplary embodiment, the stacked segments (4, 5, 4, 5) will be respectively defined by four lifting heights h.sub.4, h.sub.5, h.sub.4, h.sub.5 and their corresponding lifting weights w.sub.4, w.sub.5, w.sub.4, w.sub.5, which will in turn depend on the dimensions and manufacturing material of the segment (4, 5, 4, 5). Similarly, both the base section (3) and the segments (4, 5, 4, 5) preferably have a characteristic length l.sub.i and a diameter d.sub.i. The sum of the individual lengths 14, 15, 14, 15 of each segment (4, 5, 4, 5), together with the length l.sub.3 of the base section (3), corresponds to the total length of the tower (1).

[0047] In order to ensure that the tower (1) assembly can be installed by means of just two crane configurations, two threshold values H, H for the jib height of said crane will be preset, with the corresponding maximum loads W, W allowed for said jib heights H, H, respectively. From said threshold values, it will be imposed on each of the segments (4, 5) of the first mounting group (2) (i.e., the group (2) installed immediately above the base (3) of the tower (1)) that the corresponding lifting heights h.sub.4, h.sub.5 be smaller than or equal to the lowest of the preset jib threshold values (in the example of FIG. 1, it would correspond to a threshold value H, as defined above). In the same way, for the second stacked group (2) (i.e., the one arranged on the first group (2)), the lifting heights (h.sub.4, h.sub.5) corresponding to the respective segments (4, 5) will be required to be smaller than or equal to the highest of the preset jib threshold values (in the example, it would correspond to a threshold value H).

[0048] Similarly, it will be imposed that the lifting weights (w.sub.4, w.sub.5) corresponding to the segments (4, 5) of the first mounting segment (2) are equal to or smaller than the highest (W) of the jib load (or counterweight) threshold values preset, such that they can be effectively lifted by the crane by means of the selected jib configuration. Accordingly, for the second stacked group (2) (i.e., the one arranged on the first group (2)), the lifting weights (w.sub.4, w.sub.5) corresponding to the respective segments (4, 5) will be required to be smaller than or equal to the lowest (W) of the preset jib threshold values.

[0049] To illustrate the different steps of the proposed method, the case of being applied to installing a tower (1) according to the mounting groups (2, 2), base section (3) and stacked segments (4, 5, 4, 5) described in the preceding paragraphs is described below. For lifting said segments (4, 5, 4, 5) on the base section (3), a crane characterized by the jib (P) configurations described in Table 1 below is used:

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Crane jib configurations. P(m) H(m) W(t) 138.0 136.0 96.0 132.0 130.0 108.0 126.0 124.0 125.0 120.0 118.0 144.0 114.0 112.0 161.0 108.0 106.0 184.0 102.0 100.0 204.0 96.0 92.0 224.0 90.0 86.0 232.0 84.0 80.0 263.0 78.0 74.0 283.0 72.0 68.0 298.0

[0050] In the aforementioned Table 1, each crane configuration is defined by its jib P length, the maximum lifting height H that can be reached with said jib length, and its corresponding maximum lifting weight W.

[0051] For the example of a tower (1) with a length of 120 m, based on an arrangement of a base section (3), two mounting groups (2, 2) and two stacked segments (4, 5, 4, 5) for each group (2, 2) (see FIG. 1) according to the invention, a possible configuration for installing same according to Table 2 below is chosen:

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Example of installing a tower (1) according to the invention. Segment Group h (m) w(t) l(m) d (m) H(m) W(t) (5) (2) 120.0 120.0 24.0 3.2 124.0 125.0 (4) (2) 96.0 125.0 20.0 3.5 124.0 125.0 (5) (2) 76.0 200.0 23.0 4.0 80.0 263.0 (4) (2) 53.0 250.0 22.0 5.5 80.0 263.0 (3) (base) 31.0 400.0 31.0 7.0

[0052] In light of the described example, it can be seen how, by means of the method of the invention, it is possible to install the tower (1) assembly of large dimensions by means of two single crane jib P configurations, substantially improving overall assembly mounting and installation times. This is further associated with a significant reduction both in the risks of error or failure arising from the reconfiguration of the crane jib (since the present method reduces the number of reconfigurations required), and the costs associated with said installation. Alternatively, the method of the invention can allow the number of stacked segments (4, 4, 5, 5) required in a tower (1) of a given height to be mounted with a given mounting crane model to be reduced, which translates into a higher mounting efficiency and speed by reducing the number of elements of the tower (1), with the corresponding cost reduction.

[0053] Therefore, by following the method of the invention, each of the segments (4, 5) of the first mounting segment (2) (i.e., the group (2) installed immediately above the base (3) of the tower (1)) has lifting heights h.sub.4=53.0 m, h.sub.5=76.0 m equal to or smaller than the lowest of the preset jib threshold values (H=80.0 m in the example). In the same way, for the second stacked group (2) (i.e., the one arranged on the first group (2)), it is satisfied that the lifting heights h.sub.4=96.0 m, h.sub.5=120.0 m, corresponding to the respective segments (4, 5) are equal to or smaller than the highest of the preset jib threshold values (H=124.0 m in the example).

[0054] Similarly, it is satisfied that the lifting weights w.sub.4, =250.0 t, w.sub.5=200.0 t corresponding to the segments (4, 5) of the first mounting group (2) are equal to or smaller than the highest of the jib load threshold values preset (W=263.0 t in the example). Accordingly, for the second stacked group (2) (i.e., the one arranged on the first group (2)), it is satisfied that the lifting weights w.sub.4=125.0 t, w.sub.5=120.0 t, corresponding to the respective segments (4, 5) are equal to or smaller than the lowest of the preset jib threshold values (W=125.0 t in the example).

[0055] In contrast with the proposed method, an exemplary method different from the method proposed by the invention according to the known embodiments from the prior art will be described. In said example (see FIG. 2 of the present document), a configuration consisting of a base section (3) and stacked segments (4, 5, 4, 4) as described in Table 3 below is used:

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Exemplary installation of a tower (1) different from that proposed by the invention. Level Group h.sub.i (m) w.sub.i (t) l.sub.i (m) d.sub.i (m) H.sub.i (m) W.sub.i (t) (4) (2) 120.0 118.0 24.0 3.2 124.0 125.0 (4) (2) 96.0 150.0 24.0 3.4 100.0 204.0 (5) (2) 72.0 220.0 24.0 4.0 74.0 283.0 (4) (2) 48.0 280.0 24.0 5.5 74.0 283.0 0 (base) 0 24.0 290.0 24.0 7.0

[0056] As shown in Table 3 and FIG. 2, conventional methods require, for a total tower height as described, the use of at least three different mounting groups (2, 2, 2) corresponding to three crane configurations with jib lengths Hi of 74.0 m, 100.0 m and 124.0 m.

[0057] As for the specific dimensions of the base section (3) and segments (4, 5, 4, 4) of the tower (1), it is possible to change such dimensions based on the particular requirements of each installation, required, for example, by the orographic, climate, or structural conditions of its location. In any case, to ensure the installation capacity by means of just two crane configurations, the above-mentioned relationships referred to lifting heights hi and lifting weights w.sub.i must be verified in any of the embodiments used and, by using a distribution of lengths such as the one which characterizes the invention, this can be achieved by minimizing the number of crane configurations required.

[0058] In a specific embodiment of the invention, the base section (3) can have a length longer than the rest of the stacked segments (4, 5, 4, 4). This achieves obtaining a more robust support structure of the tower (1) and reduces the weights of the stacked of the tower (1). More preferably, the length of the base section (3) exceeds by at least 50.0 cm the length of at least one of the stacked segments (4, 5, 4, 4) of said tower (1) segments (4, 5, 4, 4).

[0059] In another embodiment of the invention, the length of the stacked segment (4) arranged immediately above the base section (3) is equal to or smaller than the length of at least another stacked segment (5) in the same mounting group (2).

[0060] As for the manufacturing materials of the tower (1), the method of the invention can comprise the use of stacked segments (4, 5, 4, 4) formed by tubes made of metal and/or concrete both in a continuous manner and formed with voussoir joints. The combination of segments (4, 5, 4, 4) made of metal and of concrete is also possible. In the event that the stacked segments (4, 5, 4, 4) are formed by voussoirs, these will preferably be assembled at the base of the tower (1) to be installed in the assembly.

[0061] In turn, the base section (3) can also be constructed as a continuous element or as a plurality of voussoirs, and the material for manufacturing it will preferably comprise concrete.

[0062] Similarly, the method for installing the present invention is preferably applied to towers (1) of heights equal to or greater than 100.0 m, for which the reduction of crane configurations represents a particularly valuable advantage. More preferably, said towers comprise two mounting groups (2, 2), wherein each group (2, 2) will comprise two stacked segments (4, 5, 4, 4).

[0063] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the top mounting group (2) comprises the nacelle and/or wind turbine blades.

[0064] In another preferred embodiment of the method of the invention, the crane used for installing the tower is a mobile type crane, for example with wheels or chains.