UPENDING AND LIFTING TOOL

Abstract

To upend and lift an object, e.g. a foundation member of an offshore wind turbine, e.g. a monopole, use is made of an upending and lifting tool, wherein, with the tool suspended from one or more hoisting cables, e.g. from a crane hook of a crane, and with the frame of the tool initially in vertical orientation, a routine is performed which includes operating one or more shifting actuators, thereby moving a cable shifting member and engaging a cable engagement surface with the one or more hoisting cables at a height above a pivot axis. Further continuing this motion of the cable shifting member and thereby applying a cable shifting force on the one or more hoisting cables results, in reaction, in a pivoting of the frame into the horizontal orientation thereof.

Claims

1. An upending and lifting tool for upending and lifting an object, the tool being configured to be suspended from one or more hoisting cables, the tool comprising a frame provided with a functional part that is operable for coupling an object to the tool, and the frame being provided with a cable attachment member by means of which the frame of the tool is pivotally connectable to the one or more hoisting cables in order to be pivotable about a horizontal pivot axis relative to the one or more hoisting cables between: a vertical orientation, in which the center of gravity of the frame and the pivot axis are aligned on a vertical line; and a horizontal orientation, wherein the tool is engageable with the object in a horizontal orientation of the object prior to upending thereof to a vertical orientation thereof by means of the tool, wherein in the horizontal orientation of the frame the center of gravity is offset over a horizontal distance from the pivot axis, wherein the tool further comprises a cable shifting mechanism, said cable shifting mechanism comprising: a cable shifting member mounted to the frame and moveable relative to the frame, the cable shifting member having a cable engagement surface; and one or more shifting actuators operative between the cable shifting member and the frame, wherein the cable shifting mechanism is configured to, with the tool suspended from one or more hoisting cables and with the frame initially in the vertical orientation, perform a routine which comprises: operating the one or more shifting actuators, thereby moving the cable shifting member and engaging the cable engagement surface with the one or more hoisting cables at a height above the pivot axis, further continuing said motion of the cable shifting member and thereby applying a cable shifting force on the one or more hoisting cables resulting, in reaction, in a pivoting of the frame into the horizontal orientation thereof.

2. The upending and lifting tool according to claim 1, wherein the cable shifting member comprises one or more cable shifting arms, each cable shifting arm comprising an inner end pivotally connected to the frame and the cable engagement surface being remote from said inner end.

3. The upending and lifting tool according to claim 1, wherein the attachment member comprises a pivot joint secured to the frame and connectable to the one or more hoisting cables.

4. The upending and lifting tool according to claim 2, wherein the one or more pivotal cable shifting arms form part of a four-bar mechanism together with: one or more driven linkage members, each pivotally mounted at an inner end thereof to the frame; one or more intermediate linkage members, each pivotally connected at an inner end thereof to an outer end of a respective one of the driven linkage members, and at an outer end thereof pivotally connected to a respective one of the cable shifting arms, at a location between the inner end and an outer end thereof; and a section of the frame between the inner end of the driven linkage member and the inner end of the one or more cable shifting arms, wherein the one or more shifting actuators are arranged to drive a pivoting of the one or more driven linkage members in a direction towards the hoisting cables, and, via the one or more intermediate linkage members, thereby driving a pivoting of the one or more arms in the direction of and against the one or more hoisting cables, and thereby the engagement with and subsequent application of the cable shifting force to the one or more hoisting cables.

5. The upending and lifting tool according to claim 1, wherein the inner end of the cable shifting member is pivotally mounted to the frame at a location which is above the pivot axis when the frame is in the horizontal orientation.

6. The upending and lifting tool according to claim 2, wherein the one or more shifting actuators are one or more hydraulic cylinders of which one end is connected to the frame, and wherein an extension of the one or more hydraulic cylinders drives the pivoting of the one or more cable shifting arms towards and against the one or more hoisting cables.

7. The upending and lifting tool according to claim 1, comprising a lock mechanism operative between the cable shifting member on one hand and the frame on the other hand, configured to, in the horizontal orientation of the frame, secure the position of the cable shifting member relative to the center of gravity, such as to retain the frame in the horizontal orientation.

8. The upending and lifting tool according to claim 7, wherein the lock mechanism comprises the one or more shifting actuators, the shifting actuators being configured to, in the horizontal orientation of the frame, secure the position of the cable shifting member relative to the center of gravity, such as to retain the frame in the horizontal orientation.

9. The upending and lifting tool according to claim 1, wherein the cable engagement surface extends over between 5 and 10 meters in horizontal direction.

10. The upending and lifting tool according to claim 1, wherein the functional part is operable for gripping in the horizontal orientation of the frame a longitudinal end of a wind turbine component, and retaining the longitudinal end during upending of the wind turbine component from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation thereof while the frame pivots towards the vertical orientation.

11. An installation vessel for installation of a foundation member of an offshore wind turbine, the vessel being provided with a crane and the tool according to claim 1.

12. A method for upending and lifting an object, wherein use is made of the upending and lifting tool according to claim 1, wherein, with the tool suspended from one or more hoisting cables, and with the frame initially in the vertical orientation, a routine is performed which comprises: operating the one or more shifting actuators, thereby moving the cable shifting member and engaging the cable engagement surface with the one or more hoisting cables at a height above the pivot axis and further continuing said motion of the cable shifting member and thereby applying a cable shifting force on the one or more hoisting cables resulting, in reaction, in a pivoting of the frame into the horizontal orientation thereof.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said routine is performed after pick-up of the tool by means of a crane, with the frame initially in the vertical orientation so as to bring to tool with the frame thereof in horizontal orientation, followed by engaging the tool with the object in horizontal orientation.

14. The upending and lifting tool according to claim 2, wherein the attachment member comprises a pivot joint secured to the frame and connectable to the one or more hoisting cables.

15. The upending and lifting tool according to claim 3, wherein the one or more pivotal cable shifting arms form part of a four-bar mechanism together with: one or more driven linkage members, each pivotally mounted at an inner end thereof to the frame; and one or more intermediate linkage members, each pivotally connected at an inner end thereof to an outer end of a respective one of the driven linkage members, and at an outer end thereof pivotally connected to a respective one of the cable shifting arms, at a location between the inner end and an outer end thereof; and a section of the frame between the inner end of the driven linkage member and the inner end of the one or more cable shifting arms, wherein the one or more shifting actuators are arranged to drive a pivoting of the one or more driven linkage members in a direction towards the hoisting cables, and, via the one or more intermediate linkage members, thereby driving a pivoting of the one or more arms in the direction of and against the one or more hoisting cables, and thereby the engagement with and subsequent application of the cable shifting force to the one or more hoisting cables.

Description

[0035] The invention will now be described with reference to the appended drawings. In the drawings:

[0036] FIG. 1 shows schematically in a back-side perspective view an upending and lifting tool according to the invention, with the frame in the horizontal orientation thereof while approaching a longitudinal end of a monopile lying horizontally;

[0037] FIG. 2 shows in a side view schematically the same upending and lifting tool, with the frame in the vertical orientation thereof, e.g. as the tool is picked up by a crane;

[0038] FIGS. 3,4 show in the same side view schematically the upending and lifting tool while the cable shifting member engages the hoisting cables;

[0039] FIG. 5 shows in the same side view schematically the upending and lifting tool while the frame is in the horizontal orientation, engaging a longitudinal end of a monopile;

[0040] FIG. 6 shows in a front view schematically the same upending and lifting tool, with the frame in the horizontal orientation thereof;

[0041] FIG. 7 shows in the same side view as FIG. 1 schematically the displacement of the frame from the vertical to the horizontal orientation illustrating the pivoting and the cable shifting action.

[0042] FIGS. 1-7 show an upending and lifting tool 1 according to an embodiment of the invention. The upending and lifting tool is suspended from one or more hoisting cables 101, here a pair of cable slings suspended from a hook 102 of a crane. For example, the cable slings are steel wire slings, or, more preferably, synthetic rope slings.

[0043] The tool 1 comprises a frame 3 with a functional part that is operable for coupling to an object 201.

[0044] In this case the object 201 is a wind turbine component, namely a monopile 201.

[0045] The functional part 3 is operable for engaging a longitudinal end of the monopile 201 in both a horizontal and vertical orientation of the monopile, and for retaining this end while the monopile 201 is moved between a horizontal and a vertical orientation by hoisting the retained end by means of the hoisting cables 101.

[0046] In FIG. 1, the monopile 201 is in a horizontal orientation and the tool 1 is shown approaching the monopile 201, with the frame thereof having been pivoted into the horizontal orientation.

[0047] In FIG. 5, the monopile 201 is in a horizontal orientation as well, and the tool 1 is shown engaging the monopile 201.

[0048] The tool 1 comprises a cable attachment member 2 by means of which the frame 3 of the tool 1 is pivotally connected to the hoisting cables 101, e.g. the lower ends of the slings.

[0049] By this connection, the tool 1 is connected to the crane hook 102 or other tool suspension device. Here the hook 102 is suspended from a hoisting block with multiple cable sheaves, e.g. in view of the fact that the monopile or other object may weight several hundreds of tonnes or even several thousand tonnes.

[0050] The attachment member 2 connects the frame 3 to the lower ends of the one or more hoisting cables 101 such that the frame 3 is pivotable around a substantially horizontal pivot axis P relative to the connected hoisting cables 101 between a vertical orientation 3v, shown in FIG. 2, and a horizontal orientation 3h, shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 5, and 6.

[0051] FIG. 4 shows an intermediate orientation of the frame 3.

[0052] In this embodiment, the hoisting cables 101 each have an eye forming a loop around a horizontally extending axle of the attachment member, best visible in FIGS. 1 and 6.

[0053] As shown in the figures, in the vertical orientation 3v of the frame 3, the horizontal orientation 3h thereof and the intermediate orientation thereof shown in FIG. 4, the center of gravity C of the frame 3 is naturally aligned with the line of action L of the resultant upwards tensioning force T on the tool by the hoisting cables 101.

[0054] The action of a cable shifting mechanism including the cable shifting member 4 accomplishes, that the frame 3 can be brought in a horizontal orientation 3h wherein the pivot axis P is horizontally aligned with the center of gravity C while the tool 1 is suspended from the hoisting cables 101.

[0055] The cable shifting member 4, in this example, comprises a bracket with two cable shifting arms 43, laterally spaced from each other, and a cable engagement tube 45. The inner ends of each arm 43 is pivotally connected to the frame 3 so as to be pivotal in a vertical plane. The outer ends of the arms 43 support the horizontally extending tube 45 that forms the cable engagement surface 41. The tube 45, for example, may have a length between 5 and 10 meters in practical embodiments.

[0056] Shifting actuators 42 are provided to be operative between the frame 3 and the cable shifting member, here via linkage members 47 and 48 of the cable shifting mechanism. These cable shifting arms 43 and linkage members 47 and 48 are laterally spaced from each other as visible in FIGS. 1 and 6. The tool 1 has two shifting actuators 42, one for each cable shifting arm 43.

[0057] In this embodiment, the cable shifting mechanism comprises is a four-bar linkage mechanism. The two laterally spaced apart driven linkage members 47, each pivotally mounted with an inner end thereof to the frame 3, two laterally spaced apart intermediate linkage members 48, an inner end of each of which is pivotally mounted to respective outer ends of the driven linkage members 47 and an outer end of each of which is pivotally mounted to respective linking points 49 of the cable shifting arms 43, the cable shifting arms 43, and the section of the frame 3 between the mountings of the drive linkage member and the cable shifting arm 43 to the frame 3 form the four bars of the four-bar mechanism.

[0058] The cable shifting member 4 is configured to—in the vertical orientation 3h of the frame 3—engage the hoisting cables 101 at a height H above the pivot axis P by means of the cable engagement surface 41, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0059] In FIG. 3, the cable shifting arms 43 have been moved by means of the shifting actuators 42 relative to their positions in FIG. 2 such as to bring the cable engagement surface 41 into engagement with the hoisting cables 101 at the height H relative to their lower ends that are pivotally secured to the frame 3.

[0060] In FIGS. 3 and 4, the shifting actuators 42 and linkage members 47 and 48 have been removed for the sake of clarity in showing the positions of the cable shifting arms 43.

[0061] By means of the continued operation of the shifting actuators 42, the cable shifting member 4 is configured to consequently apply at said height H above the pivot axis P a cable shifting force Son the hoisting cables 101, in this case a horizontal pushing force S. This pushing force S is such as to move the frame 3 relative to the part of the hoisting cables 101 that extends above the height H above the pivot axis P. Effectively the pivot axis P displaces over a horizontal distance D to a position that is backwards from the line of action L as the frame 3 pivots upwardly.

[0062] In FIG. 4, the frame 3 has been pivoted upwardly as a result of the cable shifting force S into an intermediate orientation, and in FIGS. 5 and 6 it has reached the horizontal orientation 3h.

[0063] It is also visible in FIG. 5 that as a result of the pushing force S and a counterforce on the tool 1 exerted by the cables 101 at the pivot axis P, the hoisting cables 110 run slanted over the horizontal distance D in the horizontal orientation 3h of the functional part 3.

[0064] In the shown embodiment of the upending and lifting tool 1, the cable shifting mechanism is configured to, in one continuous movement, displace the member 4 by means of the actuators 42 such as to move the frame 3 from the vertical orientation 3v of FIG. 1 to the horizontal orientation 3h of FIG. 4 thereof. This displacement is composed of firstly a pivoting movement of the frame relative to the hoisting cables 101 from the vertical orientation 3v of FIG. 2 to an upwardly pivoted orientation, and secondly a shifting movement of the center of gravity C relative to the cable engagement surface. The first and second components take place simultaneously, as the center of gravity C will naturally remain aligned with the line of action L during the entire movement. The components are however illustrated separately in FIG. 7 merely for understanding. For the first, pivoting component, the corresponding displacement of the center of gravity C towards an imaginary location Ci is indicated by the bold arched arrow. For the second, cable shifting component, the corresponding displacement of the center of gravity is indicated by the bold backwards arrow.

[0065] In the shown embodiment of the tool 1, the shifting actuators 42 driving the pivoting of the driven linkage members 47 with respect to the frame 3 are in the form of hydraulic cylinders 42, which are at an inner end thereof mounted to the frame 3 and at an outer end thereof to the pivot joint between the driven linkage member 47 and the intermediate linkage member 48. Obviously it could also have been mounted to the driven linkage member 47 at another location thereof, for instance between the inner and outer end thereof, preferably close to the outer end thereof. The tube 45 is located substantially beyond the linking points 49 such that the cable shifting arms 43 function as levers amplifying the driven movement. Upon extension of the cylinder 42, the driven linkage member 47 is pivoted towards the line of action L, pivoting via the intermediate linkage member 48 and the linking points 49 the cable shifting arms 43 towards the line of action L, and therewith the cable engagement surface 41 towards engagement with the hoisting cables 101 as shown in FIG. 3.

[0066] Once engaged, the further extension of the cylinder 42, shown in FIG. 4, makes the engaging surface 41 push against the cables 101 with the horizontal force S, by which the frame of the tool 1 is pushed off against the cables 101.

[0067] As visible in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 but best in FIG. 1, the inner end 46 of the pivotal cable shifting member 4, here with cable shifting arms 43, is pivotally mounted to the frame 3 at a location above the pivot axis P when the frame is in the horizontal orientation 3h.

[0068] The inner ends of the driven linkage members 47 are pivotally mounted to the frame 3 at a location below the pivot axis P when the frame is in the horizontal orientation 3h, and the one end of each cylinder 42 is pivotally mounted to the frame 3 at a location below the mounting location of the inner ends of the driven linkage members 47.

[0069] The upending and lifting tool 1 comprises a lock mechanism 44 which is operative between the cable shifting member 4 on one hand and the frame 3 on the other hand. The mechanism 44 is configured to in the horizontal position 3h of the frame 3 secure the position of the cable engagement surface 41 relative to the center of gravity C, such as to retain horizontal orientation 3h of the frame 3. The lock mechanism 44 is formed by the cylinders 42, which are configured to remain extended after reaching the horizontal orientation 3h of the frame 3.

[0070] From FIG. 5 it can be verified that, as the tool is approaching a horizontally arranged monopile 201, e.g. having a diameter of between 5 and 12 meters, the cable engagement surface 41 extends over 5-10 meters horizontally. The cable shifting arms 43 extend from respective lateral ends of the cable engagement surface 41 to the inner end 46 of the cable shifting member 4.

[0071] In the shown embodiment of the tool 1, the functional part is operable for coupling the tool 1 to the monopile 201, and the functional part of the tool 1 comprises one or more guiding members 52 configured to guide the tool 1 into engagement with the monopile 201 when the frame 3 is in the horizontal orientation 3h.

[0072] The functional part of the tool 1 is configured for gripping the longitudinal end of the monopile 201, with multiple operable friction grip members 51 of the tool 1 which are configured to engage the inside of the longitudinal end of the monopile 201, and to maintain the engagement such as to maintain the coupling between the tool 1 and the longitudinal end during upending of the monopile 201.

[0073] Each guiding member 52 is configured to, when the tool 1 is relatively proximate to the monopile, e.g. as shown in FIG. 5, engage the monopile 201. The engagement by the one or more guiding members 51 is such as to restrict movement of the tool 1 in at least radial directions relative to the monopile 201, and configured to during a movement of the tool 1 towards a position wherein it can grip the monopile by means of the gripping members 51, maintain the engagement thereof such as to guide the tool 1 towards the gripping position.

[0074] In an embodiment two guiding members 52 are provided in the form of guiding arms, of which outer ends are to engage the monopile 201.

[0075] In an embodiment, the guiding members, e.g. at the outer ends of guiding arms, comprise wheels, the circumferential surfaces of which engage the outer surface of the monopile 201. In an embodiment, the one or more wheels are motorized to assist the motion of the tool to the gripping position.

[0076] The arms 52 are pivotally mounted to the frame 3 of the tool 1 such that the outer ends are movable in the radial direction of the monopile 201.