A wind turbine tower self-spiral climbing device

Abstract

This invention discloses a self-spiral climbing device for wind turbine towers, comprising a control unit, a frame, and several drive trolleys. The frame is a ring structure formed by N ring-shaped units fixedly connected to enclose the outer wall of the tower. A rotating disk is fixedly connected to the connection points of the N ring-shaped units. The inner surface of the rotating disk is rotatably connected to the drive trolleys, the bottom of which is in close contact with the outer wall of the tower. An angle adjustment device is provided on the outer surface of the rotating disk, and an arc-shaped groove is provided on the surface of the rotating disk. The top of the drive trolley is connected to a handle that passes through the arc-shaped groove and connects to the output end of the angle adjustment device. This invention performs a spiral climbing motion along the outer wall of the tower. By changing the lifting angle, the load-bearing capacity is increased to maximize the load-bearing capacity per unit weight and unit power. This device has an adjustable climbing angle and circumferential addressing capability, making it a highly efficient, safe, and cost-effective large-scale lifting auxiliary tool suitable for the maintenance of wind turbine towers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of construction devices for the maintenance and component installation of wind turbine tower outer walls, and particularly to a self-spiral climbing device for wind turbine towers. Background Technology

[0002] After several years of explosive growth, the wind power market is facing increasingly prominent operational and maintenance challenges. This is especially true for offshore wind power, where components are affected by factors such as salt spray and tides, leading to shorter maintenance and repair cycles. Unlike onshore wind power, which primarily relies on its own cranes for installation, offshore wind power installations mostly involve renting large marine lifting equipment for large-scale, costly installations, resulting in higher maintenance and repair costs. Currently, offshore wind turbine towers in my country are gradually entering their maintenance period, and the market demand for wind turbine tower maintenance facilities is expected to grow significantly.

[0003] In recent years, my country has also conducted some research on tower external wall climbing mechanisms. In summary, based on their application, they can be divided into those mainly used for fan blade maintenance and tower maintenance, and those for large-scale lifting and hoisting. Based on their working principle, they can be divided into active wheel-driven climbing mechanisms and those using clamp-gripping step-climbing mechanisms.

[0004] Application number 201510692287.3 discloses a self-climbing crane. This type of crane typically has an upper and lower boom that grips the tower. The boom moves alternately along the length of the tower using hydraulic cylinders located between the upper and lower booms. However, this self-climbing crane has several problems. During climbing, the self-climbing device and the lifting device climb simultaneously, leading to excessive load on the self-climbing device and limiting its effective lifting capacity. Furthermore, the alternating hydraulic cylinder movement is intermittent; to reduce the impact of cylinder start-stop during transitions, the cylinder extension and retraction speed is slow, resulting in low climbing efficiency. Its adaptive boom structure and operation are also complex. The boom tightening cylinder relies solely on a hydraulic lock; if the hydraulic lock fails or there is excessive internal leakage in the hydraulic cylinder, the boom may loosen. Therefore, the climbing efficiency and reliability are both low.

[0005] Application number 201921417297.6 discloses an integrated maintenance machine for wind turbine tower blades. This patent application replaces the hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders that drive the upper and lower retaining rings to climb alternately with electric push rods, thereby eliminating various pneumatic or hydraulic control valves and pipelines. The coordinated movement between the upper and lower retaining rings is achieved by directly controlling the electric push rods. However, this structure includes several upper and lower retaining ring assemblies and multiple wire rope winches. The retaining ring assemblies on the same tower circumference are large and complex. Moreover, the upper or lower retaining ring assemblies are actually connected to each other by steel cables, forming an unstable "flexible" structure with poor overall integrity. In actual use, the corresponding upper and lower retaining rings are prone to running off-center or skewed, and the synchronization between the retaining ring assemblies cannot be truly achieved, and the smooth and consistent operation still cannot meet the requirements. Furthermore, since the structure uses steel cables to provide clamping force, the steel cables are constantly tightened or loosened during the climbing process, which inevitably leads to "rope biting" of the wire ropes, or severe squeezing and crushing damage between them, greatly shortening the service life and increasing the construction failure rate. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the technical problems mentioned in the background section, this invention provides a wind turbine tower self-spiral climbing device.

[0007] The present invention adopts the following technical solution: a wind turbine tower self-spiral climbing device, comprising a control unit, a frame and several drive trolleys;

[0008] The frame is a ring structure formed by N ring frame units fixedly connected to form a ring surrounding the outer wall of the tower, and N is an even number greater than or equal to.

[0009] A rotating disk is fixedly connected at the connection points of the N ring frame units;

[0010] The inner surface of each of the rotating disks is rotatably connected to the drive trolley;

[0011] The bottom of the drive trolley is in close contact with the outer wall of the tower;

[0012] An angle adjustment device is provided on the outer surface of each of the rotating disks;

[0013] Each of the rotating disks has an arc-shaped groove on its surface;

[0014] The top handle of the drive trolley passes through the arc-shaped slide and connects to the output end of the angle adjustment device;

[0015] The drive trolley is controlled by a control unit and an angle adjustment device, and rotates spirally on the outer wall of the tower.

[0016] Furthermore, the frame unit includes an upper crossbeam, a lower crossbeam, and a middle plate; the middle plate is fixedly disposed between the upper crossbeam and the lower crossbeam; upper and lower pin plates for cross-interconnection are respectively provided on the left and right sides of the upper and lower crossbeams.

[0017] Furthermore, an tilt sensor is provided on the upper or lower crossbeam.

[0018] Furthermore, the angle adjustment device includes an electric actuator base and a first electric actuator mounted on the outer surface of the rotating disk; the first electric actuator is hinged to the electric actuator base; the output end of the first electric actuator is hinged to the top connecting handle to adjust the rotation angle of the drive trolley.

[0019] Furthermore, the drive trolley also includes a power unit, an upper connecting plate, a pair of swing arms, and a second electric push rod; the power unit includes a seat, a servo motor, a drive shaft, and wheels; the upper end of the seat is open, and hollow turntables are respectively installed in the middle of the front and rear ends; end steering units are connected to the turntables; the left and right ends of each end steering unit are connected to the wheels via bearings; the drive shaft passes laterally into the seat and exits from the turntables, rotatably connecting to the end steering units; a middle steering unit is installed on the portion of the drive shaft located inside the seat; a motor mounting bracket is provided at the upper end of the middle steering unit; the servo motor is mounted on the motor mounting bracket; the servo motor is connected to the middle steering unit via a coupling. The transmission connection includes: the upper connecting plate is movably connected to the upper end of the seat via a pair of swing arms and a second electric actuator; the upper connecting plate includes a circular plate surface located at the center; the center of the circular plate surface is rotatably connected to the rotating disk via a rotating boss; the top connecting handle is mounted on the circular plate surface and located away from the center; square plate surfaces are respectively provided on the front and rear sides of the circular plate surface; the bottom ends of the square plate surfaces on the front and rear sides are respectively hinged to the pair of swing arms and the second electric actuator; the other end of the pair of swing arms is inclinedly arranged on a rotating shaft inside the seat, the rotating shaft is perpendicular to the transmission shaft and located above it; the other end of the second electric actuator is movably connected to the rotating shaft and located between the pair of swing arms.

[0020] Furthermore, a pressure sensor and a displacement sensor are installed on the second electric actuator.

[0021] Furthermore, the second electric actuator is equipped with a power-off braking unit.

[0022] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this invention are as follows: The wind turbine tower self-spiral climbing device designed in this invention spirals along the outer wall of the tower, increasing the load-bearing capacity by changing the lifting angle, thereby maximizing the load-bearing capacity per unit equipment weight and unit power. The climbing angle of this device is adjustable between 0° and 90°, and it also has circumferential addressing capability. It can achieve different functions depending on the mounting fixtures, making it a highly efficient, safe, and cost-effective large-scale lifting auxiliary tool suitable for the maintenance and repair of wind turbine towers. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the wind turbine tower self-spiral climbing device of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the frame of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the ring frame unit of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the drive vehicle of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a side view of the drive vehicle of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the power unit of the present invention.

[0029] in:

[0030] 1-Frame, 2-Drive trolley, 3-Rotary disc, 4-Angle adjustment device, 10-Tower,

[0031] 1-1-Ring frame unit, 2-1-Top connecting handle, 2-2-Power unit, 2-3-Upper connecting plate, 2-4-Swing arm, 2-5-Second electric actuator, 3-1-Arc-shaped slide groove, 4-1-Electric actuator base, 4-2-First electric actuator

[0032] 1-1-1 Upper crossbeam, 1-1-2 Lower crossbeam, 1-1-3 Middle plate, 1-1-4 Upper pin plate, 1-1-5 Lower pin plate

[0033] 2-2-1-Seat, 2-2-2-Servo Motor, 2-2-3-Drive Shaft, 2-2-4-Wheel, 2-2-5-Turntable, 2-2-6-End Steering Gear, 2-2-7-Rotating Shaft, 2-2-8-Intermediate Steering Gear, 2-2-9-Motor Mounting Bracket

[0034] 2-3-1-Circular panel, 2-3-2-Square panel. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, is provided to facilitate understanding of the technical solutions of the present invention by those skilled in the art. It should be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0036] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth for ease of explanation to provide a full understanding of embodiments of the invention. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and techniques are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of the invention.

[0037] like Figure 1 The diagram shows the overall structure of the wind turbine tower self-spiral climbing device of the present invention, including a control unit, a frame 1, and several drive trolleys 2. In this embodiment, all power outputs are controlled by a servo closed-loop system, using logic operations to automatically balance the output force and displacement of each part to maintain the device's horizontal operation. To prevent wireless operation errors and signal failures in the field, this embodiment adopts a dual wireless and wired operation mode, with wired operation taking priority for signal transmission. Please refer to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the frame 1 is a ring structure formed by N ring frame units 1-1 fixedly connected to form a ring surrounding the outer wall of the tower, where N is an even number greater than or equal to 2. A rotating disk 3 is fixedly connected to the connection points of the N ring frame units 1-1. Both the ring frame units and the rotating disk are made of high-strength lightweight alloy material or high-strength composite material to reduce weight. A drive trolley 2 is rotatably connected to the inner surface of each rotating disk 3. The bottom of the drive trolley 2 is tightly attached to the outer wall of the tower 10. An angle adjustment device 4 is provided on the outer surface of each rotating disk 3. An arc-shaped groove 3-1 is provided on the disk surface of each rotating disk 3. A handle 2-1 is connected to the top of the drive trolley 2, passing through the arc-shaped groove 3-1 and connecting to the output end of the angle adjustment device 4. The drive trolley 2 is controlled by the control unit and the angle adjustment device 4, and rotates spirally on the outer wall of the tower 10.

[0038] This invention relates to a self-spiral climbing device for wind turbine towers. The device spirals along the outer wall of the tower, increasing load-bearing capacity by varying the lifting angle to maximize load-bearing capacity per unit weight and power. The lifting angle is adjustable between 0° and 90°, and it also features circumferential addressing capability. It can perform different functions depending on the mounting fixtures, making it a highly efficient, safe, and cost-effective large-scale lifting auxiliary tool suitable for wind turbine tower maintenance.

[0039] like Figure 3As shown, in this embodiment, the ring frame unit 1-1 includes an upper crossbeam 1-1-1, a lower crossbeam 1-1-2, and an intermediate plate 1-1-3. The intermediate plate 1-1-3 is fixedly disposed between the upper crossbeam 1-1-1 and the lower crossbeam 1-1-2 to improve the overall strength of the ring frame unit. Upper pin plates 1-1-4 and lower pin plates 1-1-5 for end-to-end interconnection are respectively provided on the left and right sides of the upper crossbeam 1-1-1 and the lower crossbeam 1-1-2. Therefore, all ring frame units 1-1 are interchangeable for easy installation. In this embodiment, an angle sensor 5 is provided on either the upper crossbeam 1-1-1 or the lower crossbeam 1-1-2. The angle sensor is installed at a suitable location on the crossbeam. The length of the crossbeam matches the diameter of the tower, is close to the tower, and maintains an appropriate gap to reduce the length of the swing arm and facilitate device operation. In practice, the upper crossbeam 1-1-1 and the lower crossbeam can be made of telescopic rods, which makes it easier to adjust the applicable range of the overall frame unit 1-1.

[0040] In this embodiment, the angle adjustment device 4 includes an electric actuator base 4-1 and a first electric actuator 4-2 mounted on the outer surface of the rotating disk 3. The first electric actuator 4-2 is hinged to the electric actuator base 4-1, and its output end is hinged to the top handle 2-1 to adjust the rotation angle of the drive trolley 2. In this embodiment, the first electric actuator 4-2 has built-in pressure and displacement sensors so that the system can detect the position and force of each drive trolley. Furthermore, the first electric actuator 4-2 does not retract during power outages to prevent the drive trolley from shifting position during power failure.

[0041] like Figure 4-5 As shown, the drive trolley 2 also includes a power unit 2-2, an upper connecting plate 2-3, a swing arm 2-4, and a second electric push rod 2-5. Among them, as... Figure 6 As shown, the power unit 2-2 includes a seat 2-2-1, a servo motor 2-2-2, a drive shaft 2-2-3, and wheels 2-2-4. The upper end of the seat 2-2-1 is open, and hollow turntables 2-2-5 are respectively installed in the middle of the front and rear ends. End steering gears 2-2-6 are connected to the turntables 2-2-5. The left and right ends of each end steering gear 2-2-6 are connected to the wheels 2-2-4 through bearings. The drive shaft 2-2-3 passes laterally into the seat 2-2-1 and exits from the turntables 2-2-5 to be rotatably connected to the end steering gears 2-2-6. The end steering gears 2-2-6 on both sides can rotate freely around the drive shaft 2-2-3. At the same time, the power is evenly distributed to the wheels on both sides to ensure that the four wheels are in close contact with the outer wall of the tower and are not affected by the curved shape.

[0042] The portion of the drive shaft 2-2-3 located within the seat 2-2-1 houses a central steering gear 2-2-8. A motor mounting bracket 2-2-9 is positioned at the upper end of the central steering gear 2-2-8, and a servo motor 2-2-10 is mounted on the bracket 2-2-9. In this embodiment, the servo motor 2-2-10 is connected to the central steering gear 2-2-8 via a coupling, transmitting power to the front and rear wheels respectively. Furthermore, the servo motor 2-2-2 has a built-in brake for controlling the start, stop, and parking of the power unit.

[0043] The upper connecting plate 2-3 is movably connected to the upper end of the seat 2-2-1 via the swing arm 2-4 and the second electric push rod 2-5. The upper connecting plate 2-3 includes a circular plate surface 2-3-1 located at the center. The center of the circular plate surface 2-3-1 is rotatably connected to the rotating disk 3 via a rotating boss 2-3-2. The top connecting handle 2-1 is mounted on the circular plate surface 2-3-1 and is located away from the center. Square plate surfaces 2-3-2 are respectively provided on the front and rear sides of the circular plate surface 2-3-1. The bottom ends of the square plate surfaces 2-3-2 on the front and rear sides are respectively hinged to a pair of swing arms 2-4 and the second electric push rod 2-5. The other end of the pair of swing arms 2-4 is inclinedly set on a rotating shaft inside the seat 2-2-1. The rotating shaft is perpendicular to the drive shaft and located above it. The other end of the second electric push rod 2-5 is movably connected to a rotating shaft 2-2-7 and located between the pair of swing arms 2-4. Figure 6 As shown, the upper connecting plate 2-3, the swing arm 2-4, and the second electric actuator 2-5 overlap to form a triangle. During operation, the second electric actuator 2-5 pushes the swing arm 2-4 to adjust the angle between them, thereby controlling the distance between the power unit and the frame 1, as well as the contact force with the outer wall of the tower 10. In this embodiment, the second electric actuator 2-5 is equipped with a pressure sensor and a displacement sensor, and a power failure braking unit is installed inside it. In the event of a power failure, the second electric actuator 2-5 cannot retract to prevent it from falling during a power outage.

[0044] In summary, this invention is mainly used for the maintenance of offshore wind turbine towers. Offshore wind turbines are subject to significant swaying due to weather conditions and waves, requiring strict installation procedures. This device features a simple structure, is easy to assemble and disassemble, is easy to operate, has good safety performance, and is less affected by wind and waves to a certain extent.

[0045] The above embodiments are merely descriptions of preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wind turbine tower self-spiral climbing device, characterized in that, Including control unit, frame (1) and several drive trolley (2); The frame (1) is a circular structure formed by N ring frame units (1-1) fixedly connected and surrounded outside the tower wall, and N is an even number greater than or equal to 2; The connecting part of the N ring frame units (1-1) is fixedly connected with a rotating disc (3); The inner side surface of each rotating disc (3) is rotatably connected with the drive trolley (2); The bottom of the drive trolley (2) is tightly attached to the outer wall of the tower (10); The outer side surface of each rotating disc (3) is provided with an angle adjusting device (4); An arc-shaped sliding groove (3-1) is arranged on the disc surface of each rotating disc (3); The top end connecting handle (2-1) of the drive trolley (2) is connected with the output end of the angle adjusting device (4) through the arc-shaped sliding groove (3-1); The drive trolley (2) is controlled by the control unit and the angle adjusting device (4) to spiral roll on the outer wall of the tower (10); The angle adjusting device (4) comprises an electric push rod base (4-1) and a first electric push rod (4-2) mounted on the outer disc surface of the rotating disc (3); the first electric push rod (4-2) is hingedly connected with the electric push rod base (4-1); the output end of the first electric push rod (4-2) is hingedly connected with the top end connecting handle (2-1) to adjust the rotation angle of the drive trolley (2); The driving trolley (2) further comprises a power unit (2-2), an upper connecting plate (2-3), a pair of swing arms (2-4) and a second electric push rod (2-5); the power unit (2-2) comprises a seat (2-2-1), a servo motor (2-2-2), a transmission shaft (2-2-3) and a wheel (2-2-4); the upper end of the seat (2-2-1) is provided with an opening, and a hollow rotary disc (2-2-5) is mounted on the middle of the front and rear ends; the rotary disc (2-2-5) is connected with an end deflector (2-2-6); the left and right ends of each end deflector (2-2-6) are connected with the wheel (2-2-4) through bearings; the transmission shaft (2-2-3) penetrates the seat (2-2-1) transversely and is connected with the end deflector (2-2-6) rotatably; the part of the transmission shaft (2-2-3) located in the seat (2-2-1) is provided with an intermediate deflector (2-2-8); the upper end of the intermediate deflector (2-2-8) is provided with a motor mounting bracket (2-2-9); the servo motor (2-2-2) is mounted on the motor mounting bracket (2-2-9); the servo motor (2-2-2) is connected with the intermediate deflector (2-2-8) through a shaft coupling; the upper connecting plate (2-3) is movably connected with the upper end of the seat (2-2-1) through the pair of swing arms (2-4) and the second electric push rod (2-5); the upper connecting plate (2-3) comprises a circular plate face (2-3-1) located at the center; the center of the circular plate face (2-3-1) is connected with the rotary disc (3) rotatably through a rotating boss; the top connecting handle (2-1) is mounted on the circular plate face (2-3-1) and is arranged away from the center; square plate faces (2-3-2) are arranged on the front and rear sides of the circular plate face (2-3-1); the bottom ends of the square plate faces (2-3-2) on the front and rear sides are hingedly connected with the pair of swing arms (2-4) and the second electric push rod (2-5); the other ends of the pair of swing arms (2-4) are obliquely arranged on a rotating shaft (2-2-7) in the seat (2-2-1); the rotating shaft (2-2-7) is arranged vertically above the transmission shaft; the other end of the second electric push rod (2-5) is movably connected with the rotating shaft and is located between the pair of swing arms (2-4).

2. The wind turbine tower self-spiral climbing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ring frame unit (1-1) comprises an upper cross beam (1-1-1), a lower cross beam (1-1-2) and an intermediate plate (1-1-3); the intermediate plate (1-1-3) is fixedly arranged between the upper cross beam (1-1-1) and the lower cross beam (1-1-2); the left and right sides of the upper cross beam (1-1-1) and the lower cross beam (1-1-2) are respectively provided with upper and lower plug-in pin plates (1-1-4) and (1-1-5) for first-end and last-end cross interconnection.

3. The wind turbine tower self-spiral climbing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, An inclination sensor (5) is arranged on the upper cross beam (1-1-1) or the lower cross beam (1-1-2).

4. The wind turbine tower self-spiral climbing device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second electric push rod (2-5) is provided with a pressure sensor and a displacement sensor.

5. The wind turbine tower self-spiral climbing device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The second electric push rod (2-5) is provided with a power-off braking unit.

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