U.S. patent application number 12/267333 was filed with the patent office on 2009-03-05 for method for mounting a rotor blade of a wind power installation without using a crane.
Invention is credited to Aloys Wobben.
Application Number | 20090058096 12/267333 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32747507 |
Filed Date | 2009-03-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090058096 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wobben; Aloys |
March 5, 2009 |
METHOD FOR MOUNTING A ROTOR BLADE OF A WIND POWER INSTALLATION
WITHOUT USING A CRANE
Abstract
It has already long been known to use mobile cranes for mounting
rotor blades to a wind power installation. Such cranes pick up the
rotor blade at the base of the wind power installation and take it
to the rotor blade connection of the hub of the wind power
installation so that the rotor blade can be connected to the hub.
That connection is usually made by screw means, in which case screw
bolts are let into the connecting flange of the rotor blade and
project into corresponding bores in the rotor blade connection of
the hub so that nuts can be screwed on to the screw bolts. The
object of the invention is attained by a blade mounting method
having the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments are set
forth in the appendant claims. A method of mounting or dismantling
a rotor blade of a wind power installation without using a crane to
a rotor blade connection on a hub of a rotor of the wind power
installation, wherein at least one cable is stretched between a
part in the hub region of the wind power installation and the
bottom region of the wind power installation and the rotor blade is
moved along the cable upwardly upon mounting or downwardly upon
dismantling.
Inventors: |
Wobben; Aloys; (Aurich,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SEED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW GROUP PLLC
701 FIFTH AVE, SUITE 5400
SEATTLE
WA
98104
US
|
Family ID: |
32747507 |
Appl. No.: |
12/267333 |
Filed: |
November 7, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10543620 |
Jan 9, 2006 |
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PCT/EP03/12447 |
Nov 7, 2003 |
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12267333 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
290/55 ; 29/889;
416/244R |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02E 10/728 20130101;
F03D 13/10 20160501; Y10T 29/49316 20150115; F05B 2230/60 20130101;
F03D 80/50 20160501; Y02E 10/72 20130101; Y02E 10/721 20130101;
Y02P 70/523 20151101; Y02E 10/722 20130101; F05B 2240/916 20130101;
Y02P 70/50 20151101 |
Class at
Publication: |
290/55 ;
416/244.R; 29/889 |
International
Class: |
F03D 9/00 20060101
F03D009/00; F03D 11/04 20060101 F03D011/04; B23P 11/00 20060101
B23P011/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 29, 2003 |
DE |
103 03 555.9 |
Claims
1-5. (canceled)
6. A wind power installation comprising: a pylon supported on a
foundation; a machine housing accommodating a generator and a rotor
connectable to the generator, said machine housing having a hub
region, wherein the rotor includes a rotor blade connection adapted
to receive a rotor blade having a connecting flange; at least one
cable extending between the hub region of the machine housing of
the wind power installation and a bottom region of the wind power
installation; and a winch device dimensioned and adapted to couple
to the rotor blade and to the at least one cable and adapted to
move the rotor blade relative to the at least one cable for
mounting or dismantling the rotor blade.
7. The wind power installation of claim 6, wherein the at least one
cable extends substantially parallel to the pylon.
8. The wind power installation of claim 6, wherein two cables
extend in mutually parallel relationship between the hub region and
the bottom region of the wind power installation.
9. (canceled)
10. The wind power installation of claim 8, further comprising a
guide device coupled to one of the two cables and dimensioned and
adapted to couple to a region of the rotor blade remote from the
connecting flange, the guide device adapted to guide the rotor
blade between the two cables, to prevent contact between the cable
and the rotor blade and a deflection of the rotor blade.
11. (canceled)
12. The wind power installation of claim 1, wherein the winch
device has a first state of operation and a second state of
operation, the winch device adapted to move the rotor blade from
the bottom region to the hub region in the first state of
operation, and the winch device adapted to move the rotor blade
from the hub region to the bottom region in the second state of
operation.
13. A mounting apparatus for a wind power installation comprising:
a cable extending between a hub region of the wind power
installation and a ground region of the wind power installation;
and a winch coupled to the cable, the winch configured to couple to
a rotor blade and to carry the rotor blade between the ground
region and the hub region.
14. The mounting apparatus of claim 13, further comprising: a
second cable extending substantially parallel to the cable; and a
second winch coupled to the second cable, the second winch
configured to couple to the rotor blade and to move synchronously
with the winch to carry the rotor blade between the ground region
and the hub region.
15. A method for mounting a rotor blade to a wind power
installation, the method comprising: positioning a rotor blade near
a ground region of a wind power installation; coupling a cable
between a hub region of the wind power installation and the ground
region; coupling the rotor blade to the cable; moving the rotor
blade along the cable from the ground region to the hub region; and
mounting the rotor blade at the hub region.
16. A method for dismantling a rotor blade from a wind power
installation, the method comprising: coupling a cable between a hub
region of a wind power installation and a ground region of the wind
power installation; coupling a rotor blade to the cable near the
hub region; dismantling the rotor blade from the hub region; and
moving the rotor blade along the cable from the hub region to the
ground region.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The invention concerns a method for mounting a rotor blade
of a wind power installation without using a crane and a wind power
installation implementing said method.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] It has already long been known to use mobile cranes for
mounting rotor blades to a wind power installation. Such cranes
pick up the rotor blade at the base of the wind power installation
and take it to the rotor blade connection of the hub of the wind
power installation so that the rotor blade can be connected to the
hub. That connection is usually made by screw means, in which case
screw bolts are let into the connecting flange of the rotor blade
and project into corresponding bores in the rotor blade connection
of the hub so that nuts can be screwed on to the screw bolts and in
that way the rotor blade is fixed to the hub.
[0005] As published state of the art attention is directed in
particular to the book by Hau, Erich: Windkraftanlagen, 1996. It is
also known, in place of a mobile crane, to use a stationary crane
which is mounted on the machine housing of the wind power
installation. That stationary crane is provided with a cable winch
and a winch drive so that the rotor blade at the base of the wind
power installation is drawn upwardly to the rotor blade connection
and can then be connected thereto.
[0006] A disadvantage of mobile cranes is that they must always be
on site when the rotor blades are to be mounted to the hub of the
wind power installation with such cranes. As almost all other parts
of the machine housing are also fitted with those mobile cranes,
the rotor blade must be on the building site at the same time with
those parts, in order to be able to make best possible use of the
mobile cranes, so that all essential parts of the machine housing
of the wind power installation, together with all rotor parts, can
be mounted with a single use of the crane. If however it is not
possible for the rotor blades to be delivered to the building site
at the correct time, then either the crane has to wait for the
arrival of the rotor blade or as an alternative thereto the crane
has to be brought to the site again so that the blade mounting
operation can be effected when the rotor blades are delivered.
[0007] A disadvantage of stationary cranes is that usually they can
also only be mounted on the machine housing of the wind power
installation by means of a mobile crane and in addition, if such
stationary cranes remain on the machine housing, they are only
extremely rarely used so that the costs involved with such
stationary crane installations are scarcely reasonably related to
the benefit thereof.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The aim of the invention is to avoid the above-indicated
disadvantages and in particular to provide an inexpensive
alternative for the blade mounting operation.
[0009] That object is attained by a blade mounting method having
the features of claim 1. Advantageous developments are set forth in
the appendant claims.
[0010] With the method according to the invention it is possible to
forego the use of a crane for the blade mounting operation. At
least the rotor blade is not taken by means of a mobile crane to
the rotor blade connection of the hub of the wind power
installation. Rather, the invention proposes stretching at least
one cable and preferably two cables in parallel relationship with
the pylon of the wind power installation between the hub region of
the machine housing of the wind power installation and the bottom
region at the base of the pylon of the wind power installation. If
now those cables receive pass-through winches and those
pass-through winches are connected to the hub connection end of the
rotor blade, then the pass-through winches can raise the rotor
blade on the taut cables to the hub of the wind power installation.
When the respective hub is moved with the associated connection
into the 6 o'clock position, then the rotor blade with its hub
connection can be moved directly to the rotor blade connection on
the hub, the screw bolts can be introduced directly into the holes
provided for same in the hub and the rotor blade can then be
directly connected to the hub. Subsequently to the entire rotor
blade mounting procedure the cable can be removed and used again on
a further site.
[0011] The advantage of the method according to the invention is
that on the one hand it is possible to entirely forego the use of a
mobile crane for mounting the blades, but on the other hand there
is no need for a stationary crane in order to mount (remove) a
rotor blade to the hub. In addition the tools which are necessary
for blade mounting in accordance with the method of the invention
can also be used in relation to other wind power installations,
which is usually not possible when stationary crane installations
are involved.
[0012] In addition the tool which is required for the invention to
carry out the method according to the invention is of a very simple
nature, with the mounting being sufficiently safe and secure.
[0013] If two cables are stretched fast from the hub region of the
wind power installation to the bottom region, and each cable
carries a pass-through winch, then the drive for the winches can be
effected both synchronously and also individually (asynchronously)
in order thus in the best possible way to move the rotor blade to
the blade connection of the hub in accurate fitting relationship.
To provide for mutually superposed positioning of the screw bolts
of the rotor blade with the corresponding bores in the rotor blade
connection, it is also possible for the rotor blade connection
itself to be turned, as in the subsequent pitch mode of operation,
so that the correct screw bolts are in the holes intended for same
and are fixedly connected to the hub.
[0014] If the wind power installation has three rotor blades, it is
advantageous if one of the cables is carried by a (rotatable) shaft
or a shaft trunnion of the wind power installation so that, upon
rotation of the hub, that cable always remains taut and does not
have to be set up afresh in order to prepare the blade mounting
procedure for a further rotor blade.
[0015] Only the cable which is held in the front part of the hub,
the so-called spinner, has to be transposed upon rotation of the
hub through 120.degree. (in the case of a rotor with three rotor
blades) in such a way that, for the blade mounting operation, the
cable is disposed parallel to the rotor blade connection of the hub
to be fitted with the blade, and is oriented vertically. Such
conversion however is relatively simple and can be effected without
a very great deal of time and cost.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0016] The invention is described by way of example hereinafter by
means of an embodiment illustrated in the drawing, wherein FIG. 1
shows a side view of a wind power installation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a wind power installation 1
comprising a pylon 2 and a machine housing 3 which is disposed on
the pylon and which accommodates a generator 4 and a rotor 5 with a
hub 8, the generator and the rotor being held by a shaft trunnion 6
which is mounted on a machine carrier 7 of the machine housing. The
hub 8 itself has a rotatably mounted rotor blade connection 9
having an annular flange with a plurality of bores, through which
screw bolts 10 on the connecting flange 11 of the rotor blade 12
can be fitted in the mounting procedure, so that the rotor blade
can be screwed to the rotor blade connection of the hub by fitting
nuts on the screw bolts. The rotor blade connection is further
provided with a usual pitch drive (not shown) in order in that way
to rotate the entire rotatable part of the rotor blade to a desired
pitch angle.
[0018] Two cables 14, 15 are stretched substantially parallel to
each other and parallel to the pylon 2 from the hub region 8 of the
machine housing 3 of the wind power installation 1 to the bottom
region 13 (foundation) of the wind power installation. Each of the
cables carries a pass-through winch 16, 17 which in turn are
releasably connected to the connection 11 of the rotor blade 12,
which is at the hub end.
[0019] In the region remote from the hub end, that is to say in the
end region 18 of the rotor blade 12 (the rotor blade tip), the
cable has a guide device 19 and a receiving device 20 which on the
one hand receives that region of the rotor blade and at the same
time guides the rotor blade 12 as it is pulled up along the cables
so that the rotor blade does not come into contact with the cables,
and which on the other hand prevents deflection of the rotor blade
out of the desired raising or lowering direction.
[0020] Each pass-through winch includes a drive (not shown) which
in operation moves the winch upwardly along the cable so that the
rotor blade 12 which is connected thereto is pulled upwardly.
[0021] The drive for the pass-through winches is controllable, but
nonetheless the arrangement may also involve a synchronous drive
for the pass-through winches so that they run up or down the cable
in parallel relationship with each other and always at the same
height.
[0022] Independent (asynchronous) operation of the winches has the
advantage that in that way the rotor blade connection can be
inclined through a given angle if that is necessary in order to
insert the screw bolts of the connecting flange of the rotor blade
into the corresponding rotor blade connection on the hub.
[0023] Fixing of the cables to the ground can be effected by
suitable weighted plates (foundation) in which are disposed eyes 21
which receive the cable which in turn is lashed fast to a further
winch 22. The fixing of a cable to the machine housing can also be
effected in a similar manner, but it is also possible for that
cable which is carried by the shaft trunnion to be accommodated by
a so-called sling, a textile belt which is slung around the shaft
trunnion. Likewise the second cable can be fixed with a sling which
is slung around the desired rotor blade connection of the rotor
hub. It will be noted however that this rotor blade connection is
disposed in the region of the spinner, that is to say the hub
cowling which rotates with the rotor, and therefore has to be
respectively freshly fitted from one rotor blade to another.
[0024] If a conventional steel cable, for example a 14 mm cable, is
used as the cable, a rotor blade can already be raised therewith
out any problems.
[0025] Instead of two cables however it is also possible to provide
only one single cable along which the rotor blade is raised and
taken to the rotor blade connection of the hub. That is possible in
particular if there is a corresponding guide means which holds the
rotor blade in the desired reference or target position.
[0026] That guide means can be for example a rigid member which is
guided on a cable and which ensures that the rotor blade remains in
a substantially perpendicular position when being pulled up.
[0027] After the blade mounting operation each cable can be easily
removed and used at a fresh site.
[0028] The method according to the invention is also suitable for
dismantling a blade, which is usually effected when the blade, for
whatever reasons, has to be removed from the wind power
installation and/or then either repaired or replaced by another
blade.
[0029] The method according to the invention is also suitable for
raising or lowering other parts of the wind power installation
which are required in the machine housing of the wind power
installation, without using a crane.
[0030] All of the above U.S. patents, U.S. patent application
publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign
patent applications and non-patent publications referred to in this
specification and/or listed in the Application Data Sheet, are
incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety.
[0031] From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although
specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein
for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made
without deviating from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended
claims.
* * * * *