Tower overturning tool

Abstract

The tower drum overturning tool comprises a base unit, a clamping unit and an overturning unit, the base unit is used for being fixed on an installation ship, the clamping unit is used for clamping a tower drum section, the clamping unit is rotatably arranged on the base unit, the overturning unit is connected between the base unit and the clamping unit and can drive the clamping unit to rotate relative to the base unit around a first rotation axis to drive the tower drum section to overturn, and is suitable for offshore units.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure pertains to the field of wind power equipment, and particularly relates to tower overturning fixtures. Background Technology

[0002] With the rise of large-megawatt wind turbines, the transportation of towers has become a particularly prominent issue. Specifically, in order to reduce the installation and manufacturing costs of large-megawatt units and improve the installation efficiency of offshore units, the tower can be designed as a single-section tower. However, because the single-section tower is very long and heavy, the auxiliary cranes on the installation vessels on the market cannot cooperate with the main crane to achieve the tower tilting. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main objective of this disclosure is to provide a tower tilting fixture to enable the smooth tilting of tower sections.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this disclosure provides the following technical solution:

[0005] In one aspect of this disclosure, a tower tilting fixture is provided, the tower tilting fixture including a base unit, a clamping unit, and a tilting unit, the base unit being fixed on an installation vessel; the clamping unit being used to clamp a tower section, the clamping unit being rotatably disposed on the base unit, and the tilting unit being connected between the base unit and the clamping unit and capable of driving the clamping unit to rotate relative to the base unit about a first rotation axis, thereby causing the tower section to tilt.

[0006] In an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the clamping unit is movable relative to the base unit between a flipped position and a retracted position. When the clamping unit is in the flipped position, the clamping unit is at least partially located circumferentially outward of the mounting vessel. The clamping unit is rotatable about a first rotation axis under the drive of the flipped unit.

[0007] Optionally, the flipping unit includes a lever arm, a connecting rod, and a flipping drive assembly. The flipping drive assembly is disposed on the base unit and can drive the lever arm to rotate around a second rotation axis. The two ends of the connecting rod are respectively rotatably connected to the lever arm and the clamping unit, so that the clamping unit can be rotated relative to the base unit by the rotation of the lever arm.

[0008] Specifically, the connecting rod is connected to the first end of the lever arm, and a shaft is fixed to the second end of the lever arm opposite to the first end. The flipping drive assembly includes a flipping motor, a driving wheel, and a driven wheel. The driving wheel is fixed to the output shaft of the flipping motor, and the driven wheel is fixed to the shaft. The driving wheel and the driven wheel are meshed or provided with a conveyor belt. Alternatively, the flipping drive assembly includes a flipping motor, the output shaft of which is fixed to the shaft, and the first rotation axis coincides with the center line of the output shaft.

[0009] Furthermore, the base unit includes a fixed seat, a slider, and a slider driver. The fixed seat is used to fix the slider on the mounting vessel, the slider is slidably connected to the fixed seat, and the slider driver is connected between the fixed seat and the slider to drive the slider to slide.

[0010] In another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the slider is provided with a diagonal support arm, and the clamping unit is rotatably disposed on the diagonal support arm.

[0011] Optionally, the diagonal brace extends obliquely upward from the middle of the mounting vessel toward the edge.

[0012] Specifically, the angle α between the extending direction of the diagonal brace and the sliding direction of the slider satisfies 65°≤α≤85°.

[0013] Furthermore, the clamping unit includes a base plate and a pair of clamping blocks disposed opposite to each other. The base plate is rotatable about the first rotation axis, and the clamping blocks are rotatably connected to the base plate about the clamping block rotation axis. The clamping block rotation axis is movably disposed on the base plate.

[0014] In another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the clamping unit further includes a clamping block moving drive assembly, which includes a rack, a gear, and a gear drive member. The gear is rotatably connected to the clamping block, and the rotation center line of the gear coincides with the rotation axis of the clamping block. The gear meshes with the rack, and the gear drive member can drive the gear to rotate.

[0015] Optionally, each of the clamping blocks is provided with a clamping block moving drive assembly at both ends of its axial direction, and the rack of the clamping block extends outward and upward relative to the clamping block opposite it.

[0016] Specifically, the included angle β between the rack and the base plate satisfies 30°≤β≤60°.

[0017] Furthermore, the clamping unit also includes a support block, which is rotatably disposed between the pair of clamping blocks and located below the clamping blocks, and the rotation axis of the support block is parallel to the rotation axis of the clamping blocks.

[0018] In another exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, the clamping unit further includes a swing telescopic member, the top end and the bottom end of which are respectively disposed on the clamping block and the base plate. The top end of the swing telescopic member is arranged on the outside of the clamping block, and the swing telescopic member is arranged approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis of the clamping block.

[0019] Optionally, the clamping unit further includes a pressure sensor disposed inside the clamping block so as to be in contact with the surface of the tower section.

[0020] Furthermore, the rotation axis of the clamping block is perpendicular to the line connecting the flipped position and the retracted position, and / or, the first rotation axis is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the clamping block.

[0021] The tower tilting fixture provided in this disclosure has at least the following beneficial effects: The tilting unit of the tower tilting fixture provided in this disclosure can drive the clamping unit to rotate relative to the base unit around the first rotation axis, thereby driving the tower section to tilt. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The above and / or other objects and advantages of this disclosure will become clearer from the following description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0023] Figure 1 A diagram illustrating the usage state of the tower tilting fixture provided as an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure.

[0024] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The structural diagram of the tower tilting fixture.

[0025] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A magnified view of the structure indicated by circle I in the middle.

[0026] Figure 4 for Figure 2 The structural diagram shows the tower tilting fixture in the state of being ready to be tilted.

[0027] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Side view of the tower tilting fixture.

[0028] Figure 6 for Figure 4 A top view of the tower tilting fixture.

[0029] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A magnified view of a portion of the structure indicated by the middle J circle.

[0030] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0031] 1. Base unit; 2. Flip unit;

[0032] 3. Clamping unit; 4. Fixing base;

[0033] 5. Slider; 6. Slider driver;

[0034] 7. Install the ship; 8. Install reinforcing ribs;

[0035] 9. Slide chute; 12. Tower section;

[0036] 13. Reversing motor; 14. Output shaft;

[0037] 15. Driving wheel; 16. Driven wheel;

[0038] 17. Shaft; 18. Connecting rod;

[0039] 19. Chassis; 20. Outer panel of the chassis;

[0040] 25. Inner side panel of the chassis; 27. Lever arm;

[0041] 29. Base plate; 30. Rotating shaft;

[0042] 31. Telescopic component; 32. Support block;

[0043] 33. Clamping block; 34. Gear drive component;

[0044] 35. Gear; 36. Rack;

[0045] 37. Diagonal brace; 39. Intermediate shaft;

[0046] 42. Horizontal axis; 43. Support plate;

[0047] 44. Pressure sensor. Detailed Implementation

[0048] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should not be construed that the embodiments of this disclosure are limited to those described herein. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore their detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0049] A wind turbine generator set may include a tower, a nacelle supported on top of the tower, a rotor, and a hub, wherein the tower may include at least one tower section 12. With the increasing popularity of large-megawatt units, the overturning and hoisting of tower sections 12, especially those with considerable length, becomes more challenging. The tower overturning fixture provided in this disclosure is particularly suitable for larger tower sections 12, for example, but not limited to, the tower section 12 may be the entire tower of a large-megawatt unit, but is not limited thereto.

[0050] Reference Figures 1 to 7 In one aspect, this disclosure provides a tower tilting fixture, which includes a base unit 1, a clamping unit 3, and a tilting unit 2. The base unit 1 is fixed on the mounting vessel 7. The clamping unit 3 is used to clamp the tower section 12 and is rotatably disposed on the base unit 1. The tilting unit 2 is connected between the base unit 1 and the clamping unit 3 and can drive the clamping unit 3 to rotate relative to the base unit 1 about a first rotation axis, so as to tilt the tower section 12.

[0051] The tower tilting fixture provided in this disclosure is connected between the base unit 1 and the clamping unit 3 via a tilting unit 2. The tilting unit 2 can drive the clamping unit 3 to rotate relative to the base unit 1 around a first rotation axis, thereby driving the tower section 12 to rotate around the first rotation axis, realizing the tilting and hoisting of the tower section from a horizontal state to a vertical state. As an example, the clamping unit 3 rotates around a rotation axis 30, the axis of which coincides with the first rotation axis. Furthermore, the tower tilting fixture provided in this disclosure is particularly suitable for the tilting and hoisting of offshore tower sections, for example, but not limited to, the tilting and hoisting of integral offshore tower sections.

[0052] In this embodiment, the clamping unit 3 can move between a flipped position and a retracted position relative to the base unit 1. In the initial state, the clamping unit 3 of the tower flipping fixture is in the retracted position (not shown in the figure). This clamping unit 3 is located above the installation vessel 7, that is, almost the entire structure of the clamping unit 3 is located above the installation vessel 7. When the tower flipping fixture is in this state, it is particularly suitable for the marine transportation process of the tower section.

[0053] When it is necessary to flip the tower section 12, the clamping unit 3 can move to the flipped position. The clamping unit 3 is at least partially located on the outer side of the mounting vessel 7. The clamping unit 3 can rotate around the first rotation axis under the drive of the flipping unit 2. Figures 1 to 7 The state shown.

[0054] This disclosure improves the safety of the installation vessel 7 by configuring the clamping unit 3 to move between a flipped position and a retracted position. When the clamping unit 3 is in the flipped position, it can meet the flipping requirements of the tower section. When the clamping unit 3 is in the retracted position, the clamping unit 3 is approximately above the installation vessel 7, thus preventing the clamping unit 3 from extending beyond the circumferential edge of the installation vessel 7.

[0055] The base unit 1 in this disclosure may include a slider 5, and a clamping unit 3 may be connected to the slider 5 to be able to move between a retracted position and a flipped position.

[0056] Continue to refer to Figures 1 to 2 as well as Figures 4 to 6 The base unit 1 includes a fixed base 4, a slider 5, and a slider drive 6. The fixed base 4 is used to fix itself to the mounting vessel 7, for example, but not limited to, the fixed base 4 can be fixed to the deck of the mounting vessel 7. The slider 5 is slidably connected to the fixed base 4, and the slider drive 6 is connected between the fixed base 4 and the slider 5 to drive the slider 5 to slide.

[0057] To improve the connection stability between the fixed seat 4 and the deck, multiple reinforcing ribs 8 are provided on the outer circumferential side of the fixed seat 4 to increase the connection area between the fixed seat 4 and the deck.

[0058] As an example, in this embodiment, the slider drive 6 is a telescopic cylinder, such as, but not limited to, a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder, and may also be a lead screw assembly.

[0059] Specifically, the fixed base 4 extends in a direction perpendicular to the first rotation axis, and a groove 9 is provided in the middle of the width direction of the fixed base 4. The groove 9 extends in the extension direction of the fixed base 4, and the slider 5 is slidably disposed in the groove 9.

[0060] In this embodiment, in order to prevent the slider 5 from accidentally disengaging from the slide groove 9, a stop structure can be provided at both ends of the extension direction of the slide groove 9, but this is not a limitation.

[0061] Furthermore, the cross-section of slider 5 is roughly "I" shaped, and the groove 9 matches slider 5, which facilitates longitudinal positioning of slider 5.

[0062] Referring again to the accompanying drawings, to facilitate support of the clamping unit 3, a diagonal support arm 37 is provided on the slider 5, and the clamping unit 3 is rotatably mounted on the diagonal support arm 37. As an example, the diagonal support arm 37 extends obliquely upward from the center of the mounting vessel 7 towards the edge. With this configuration, by providing the diagonal support arm 37 on the slider 5, the clamping unit 3 can be stably and reliably supported on the mounting vessel 7 when in the flipped position.

[0063] Furthermore, the angle α between the extending direction of the diagonal brace 37 and the sliding direction of the slider 5 satisfies 65°≤α≤85°. If the angle α is too small, the diagonal brace 37 will be approximately a cantilever structure. Due to the large diameter and weight of the tower section, the cantilever structure is prone to bending or damage, making it difficult to provide stable and reliable support for the tower section. If the angle α is too large, a longer diagonal brace 37 is required to extend beyond the installation vessel 7. However, an excessively long diagonal brace 37 is prone to swaying, shaking, or bending during transportation, making it difficult to provide stable and reliable support for the tower section. As an example, the angle α in this embodiment is approximately 75°, but it is not a limitation.

[0064] Referring again to the accompanying drawings, the flipping unit 2 includes a lever arm 27, a connecting rod 18, and a flipping drive assembly. The flipping drive assembly is mounted on the base unit 1 and can drive the lever arm 27 to rotate around a second rotation axis. The two ends of the connecting rod 18 are rotatably connected to the lever arm 27 and the clamping unit 3, respectively, so that the rotation of the lever arm 27 drives the clamping unit 3 to rotate relative to the base unit 1. As an example, the second rotation axis is approximately parallel to the first rotation axis, but this is not a limitation.

[0065] In addition, the connecting rod 18 can also be a telescopic structure to further improve the versatility of the tower tilting fixture.

[0066] Furthermore, connecting rod 18 is connected to the first end of lever arm 27, and a shaft 17 is fixed to the second end of lever arm 27 opposite to the first end. (Refer to...) Figure 6 and Figure 7 The flipping drive assembly includes a flipping motor 13, a driving wheel 15, and a driven wheel 16. The driving wheel 15 is fixed to the output shaft of the flipping motor 13, and the driven wheel 16 is fixed to the shaft 17. The driving wheel 15 and the driven wheel 16 are meshed with teeth or connected by a conveyor belt. In this embodiment, the force transmission between the shaft 17 and the flipping motor 13 is achieved through the meshing of teeth between the driving wheel 15 and the driven wheel 16, improving the accuracy of force transmission. Furthermore, by setting the driving wheel 15 and the driven wheel 16, the rotational speed of the shaft 17 can be changed.

[0067] In addition, the flip drive assembly includes a flip motor 13, the output shaft of which is fixed on the shaft 17, and the first rotation axis coincides with the center line of the output shaft. That is, in this embodiment, the output shaft of the flip motor 13 is directly fixed to the shaft 17 so that the force of the flip motor 13 can be directly transmitted to the shaft 17, but this is not a limitation.

[0068] Furthermore, the flipping unit 2 can also be a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, or a lead screw assembly, etc., to drive the clamping unit 3 to rotate around the first rotation axis, all of which are within the protection scope of this disclosure.

[0069] Continue to refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2The clamping unit 3 includes a base plate 29 and a pair of clamping blocks 33 disposed opposite to each other. The base plate 29 supports the clamping unit 3 and the tower section to be clamped. The base plate 29 can rotate around a first rotation axis to achieve the flipping of the clamping unit 3. As an example, a pair of rotating shafts 30 are provided on both sides of the base plate 29 along the direction of the first rotation axis. The base plate 29 is connected to the inclined support arm 37 through the rotating shafts 30, and the axis of the rotating shafts 30 coincides with the first rotation axis. Further, a bearing 38 can be provided between the rotating shafts 30 and the inclined support arm 37, such as... Figure 2 As shown, but not limited to.

[0070] The clamping block 33 is rotatably connected to the base plate 29 about its rotation axis, and the rotation axis is movably disposed on the base plate 29. In this embodiment, by rotating the clamping block 33 about its rotation axis, the clamping block 33 can clamp and release the tower section. That is, the two clamping blocks 33 are arranged opposite each other to form a scissor-like structure, which can clamp the tower section. As an example, the inner wall of the clamping block 33 matches the outer peripheral wall of the tower section to stably and reliably clamp the tower section. The outer peripheral wall of the tower section can fit against the inner wall of the clamping block 33. For example, the inner wall of the clamping block 33 is arc-shaped, which can match the outer peripheral wall of the tower section, but this is not a limitation.

[0071] By movably setting the rotation axis of the clamping block on the base plate 29, the diameter of the tower section corresponding to the clamping block 33 can be adjusted, thereby improving the versatility of the tower tilting fixture.

[0072] Specifically, refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 The clamping unit 3 also includes a clamping block moving drive assembly, which includes a rack 36, a gear 35, and a gear drive member 34. The gear 35 is rotatably connected to the clamping block 33. For example, but not limited to, the gear 35 is located at the axial top or bottom end of the clamping block 33, and the rotation center line of the gear 35 coincides with the rotation axis of the clamping block. The gear 35 meshes with the rack 36, and the gear drive member 34 can drive the gear 35 to rotate. As an example, the gear drive member 34 can be a motor, but is not limited thereto.

[0073] The output shaft of the motor can be fixed to the gear 35, so that the rotation of the gear 35 drives the gear 35 to roll along the rack 36, thereby adjusting the distance between the two clamping blocks 33, and thus adjusting the clamping diameter of the clamping unit 3, thereby improving the versatility of the tower tilting fixture. As an example, the clamping blocks 33 are provided with horizontal shafts 42 at both ends of the axial direction, and the horizontal shafts 42 are connected to the gear 35 through bearings.

[0074] Furthermore, each clamping block 33 is provided with the aforementioned clamping block moving drive assembly at both ends of its axial direction. In the above embodiment, the clamping block 33 will move along the rack 36 to avoid the gear 35 from jamming with the rack 36, thereby improving the operational reliability of the tower tilting fixture.

[0075] As an example, the rack 36 of the clamping block 33 extends outward and upward relative to the clamping block 33 opposite to it, for example, but not limited to, the included angle β between the rack 36 and the base plate 29 satisfies 30°≤β≤60°. Optionally, the included angle β can be 45°, but is not limited thereto.

[0076] As an example, a support plate 43 is provided protruding from the top surface of the base plate 29, and the rack 36 is disposed on the support plate 43, but this is not a limitation. Each clamping block 33 is provided with a support plate 43 at both ends of its axial direction, but this is not a limitation.

[0077] Referring again to the accompanying drawings, the clamping unit 3 further includes a support block 32, which is rotatably disposed between a pair of clamping blocks 33 and located below the clamping blocks 33. This support block 32 supports the tower section from below, thereby further improving the reliability of the tower tilting fixture. As an example, the rotation axis of the support block 32 is parallel to the rotation axis of the clamping blocks. By making the support block 32 a rotatable structure, it facilitates contact with the outer peripheral wall of the tower section, further improving the reliability of the tower tilting fixture. (Refer to...) Figure 4 and Figure 5 A central shaft 39 is provided below the support block 32. The axis of the central shaft 39 coincides with the axis of rotation, that is, the support block 32 rotates around the central shaft 39.

[0078] As an example, the rotation axis of the clamping block is perpendicular to the first rotation axis, but this is not a limitation. Figure 5 For example, in this embodiment, the rotation axis of the clamping block is approximately parallel to the base plate 29 and extends in the left and right direction, and the first rotation axis extends approximately perpendicular to the paper surface, but is not limited thereto.

[0079] The clamping unit 3 also includes a swing telescopic member 31. The top and bottom ends of the swing telescopic member 31 are respectively disposed on the clamping block 33 and the base plate 29. The top end of the swing telescopic member 31 is arranged on the outside of the clamping block 33, and the swing telescopic member 31 is arranged approximately perpendicular to the rotation axis of the clamping block. (Continue referring to...) Figure 5 In this embodiment, the swing telescopic member 31 is arranged perpendicular to the base plate 29, but this is not a limitation.

[0080] To further improve the reliability of the tower tilting fixture, the clamping unit 3 also includes a pressure sensor 44, which is located inside the clamping block 33 to contact the surface of the tower section 12. When the pressure sensor 44 reaches a predetermined value, the clamping unit 3 activates to avoid safety hazards caused by insufficient clamping force.

[0081] The tower tilting fixture disclosed herein can be installed on the deck of an offshore installation vessel 7 to tilt the entire tower section 12 from a horizontal state to a vertical state. The tower tilting fixture includes a base unit 1, a tilting unit 2, and a clamping unit 3.

[0082] The base unit 1 is fixed to the deck surface of the installation vessel 7, serving as the main base of the tower tilting fixture and supporting the tilting unit 2, clamping unit 3, and the entire tower section 12. The base unit 1 includes a fixed seat 4 and a slider 5. The slider 5 can slide within a groove 9 of the fixed seat 4. The slider 5 moves within the groove 9 via the telescopic movement of the slider drive 6. When the tower section 12 is tilted using the tower tilting fixture, the slider drive 6 moves the slider 5 outward from the installation vessel 7, causing the clamping unit 3 on the tower tilting fixture to move outside the deck surface until the tilting position is reached. This ensures that the tower section 12 does not interfere with the hull components of the installation vessel 7 during the tilting process.

[0083] When the tower tilting fixture is not needed, the slider drive 6 drives the slider 5 to move inward to the deck surface until it reaches the retracted position, so that the clamping unit 3 on the tower tilting fixture moves inward to the deck surface, thus preventing the tower tilting fixture from colliding with external parts of the ship during the movement of the installation vessel 7.

[0084] The flipping unit 2 is used to flip the clamping unit 3 and the tower section 12. It mainly consists of a flipping motor 13, a driving wheel 15 and a driven wheel 16 with meshing teeth. The output shaft 14 of the flipping motor 13 is fixed to the driving wheel 15 so that torque can be transmitted to the driving wheel 15. The driving wheel 15 and the driven wheel 16 mesh with each other to drive the driven wheel 16 to rotate, and drive the shaft 17 to rotate. The shaft 17 pushes the connecting rod 18 and the clamping unit 3 connected to it to rotate around the first rotation axis, thereby realizing the flipping of the tower section 12.

[0085] To improve the safety of the tower tilting fixture, the tower tilting fixture also includes a housing 19, such as... Figure 2 , Figure 4 as well as Figure 6 As shown, the tilting motor 13 can be located on the outside of the housing 19, that is, on the outside of the shaft 17 along the axial direction. The output shaft 14 of the tilting motor 13 can be connected to the outer side plate 20 of the housing 19 via bearings, and the shaft 17 can be connected to the inner side plate 25 of the housing 19 via bearings. The driving wheel 15 and the driven wheel 16 are arranged inside the housing 19 to avoid the gears being exposed and causing safety hazards, thereby improving the safety of the tower tilting fixture.

[0086] The clamping unit 3 is used to clamp the entire tower section 12. The tower section 12 is placed above the support block 32 and clamped by the clamping block 33 to prevent the tower section 12 from accidentally sliding relative to the clamping unit 3 during the movement of the installation vessel 7 or the flipping of the clamping unit 3, which could lead to safety hazards.

[0087] The support block 32 can rotate around the rotation axis to adapt to the shape of the outer peripheral wall of the tower section 12, thereby achieving stable clamping of the tower section 12.

[0088] By movably setting the rotation axis of the clamping block 33 on the base plate 29, the versatility of the clamping block 33 is improved, enabling the clamping unit 3 to adapt to tower sections 12 of different diameters. When clamping tower sections 12 of different diameters, the position of the clamping block 33 can be adjusted by the action of the gear drive 34, which drives the horizontal shaft 42 and the clamping block 33 to move according to the diameter of the tower section 12. After the position adjustment is completed, the horizontal shaft 42 is fixed, and the action of the telescopic member 31 drives the clamping block 33 to rotate around the horizontal shaft 42, thereby realizing the action of clamping and releasing the tower section 12.

[0089] Pressure sensors 44 are provided on the inner side of each pair of clamping blocks 33 to measure the clamping force of the clamping blocks 33 on the tower section 12. After the clamping force meets the requirements, the clamping unit 3 can be flipped to avoid the tower section 12 from accidentally slipping and causing safety hazards.

[0090] The main crane on the installation vessel 7 horizontally hoists the tower section 12 onto the support block 32. The connection between the main crane and the tower section 12 is then removed. The telescopic component 31 is activated, and the clamping block 33 rotates around the horizontal axis 42 to tightly fit the surface of the tower section 12. When the pressure sensor 44 inside the clamping block 33 detects that the clamping force between the clamping block 33 and the tower section 12 meets the predetermined value, the flipping unit 2 is activated.

[0091] The main crane, carrying the tower lifting device, connects to the top flange of tower section 12. At this point, the main crane is not carrying any lifting force. Then, the tilting motor 13 activates, transmitting torque to the drive wheel 15 via the output shaft 14. The drive wheel 15 meshes with the driven wheel 16, causing the driven wheel 16 to rotate and drive the shaft 17 to rotate. The shaft 17 pushes the connecting rod 18 and its connected clamping unit 3, along with tower section 12, to rotate around the bearing center within the inclined support arm 37. The bearing center coincides with the first rotation axis. During the rotation process, the main crane's boom also moves along with tower section 12, maintaining the main crane's lifting point directly above the top flange of tower section 12.

[0092] After the tower section 12 is flipped to a vertical position, the flipping motor 13 stops operating, the main crane lifts the load, and when the lifting force reaches the weight of the tower section 12 itself, the telescopic component 31 moves to fully open the clamping block 33. Finally, the main crane lifts the tower section 12 and removes it from the tower flipping fixture, and moves it to the top of the foundation pile for the installation of the tower section 12.

[0093] The tower tilting fixture provided in this disclosure enables the entire tower section 12 to be tilted and lifted from a horizontal to a vertical position on the offshore installation vessel 7, ensuring the feasibility of the construction plan for the entire tower section 12, improving the installation efficiency of the offshore unit, and reducing the production and manufacturing cost of the tower.

[0094] The use of tower tilting fixtures ensures that the construction of the entire tower section 12 does not require additional high-performance installation vessels (with particularly large auxiliary lifting capacity). Ordinary installation vessels 7 are sufficient, and most vessels on the market can be used for construction, thereby reducing construction costs.

[0095] The clamping unit 3 of the tower tilting fixture is versatile. The position of the clamping block 33 can be adjusted according to the diameter of different tower sections 12, which can meet the tilting and hoisting of tower sections 12 with different diameters, thereby further reducing the transportation cost of tower sections 12.

[0096] In the description of this disclosure, it should be understood that the terms “center,” “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” and “outer,” etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this disclosure and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this disclosure.

[0097] The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this disclosure, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0098] In the description of this disclosure, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure based on the specific circumstances.

[0099] The features, structures, or characteristics described in this disclosure can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Numerous specific details are provided in the foregoing description to give a full understanding of embodiments of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical solutions of this disclosure can be practiced without one or more of the specific details described, or other methods, components, materials, etc., can be employed. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring various aspects of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A tower tilting fixture, characterized in that, The tower tilting fixture includes: The base unit (1) is used to fix it on the mounting vessel (7); A clamping unit (3) is used to clamp the tower section (12), and the clamping unit (3) is rotatably mounted on the base unit (1). A flipping unit (2) is connected between the base unit (1) and the clamping unit (3) and drives the clamping unit (3) to rotate relative to the base unit (1) about a first rotation axis, thereby causing the tower section (12) to flip. The clamping unit (3) includes a base plate (29), a pair of clamping blocks (33) disposed opposite to each other, and a clamping block moving drive assembly. The base plate (29) rotates around the first rotation axis, and the clamping blocks (33) are rotatably connected to the base plate (29) around the clamping block rotation axis. The clamping block rotation axis is movably disposed on the base plate (29). The clamping block moving drive assembly includes a rack (36), a gear (35), and a gear drive (34). The gear (35) is rotatably connected to the clamping block (33), and the rotation center line of the gear (35) coincides with the rotation axis of the clamping block. The gear (35) meshes with the rack (36), and the gear drive (34) can drive the gear (35) to rotate.

2. The tower tilting fixture as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping unit (3) moves between a flipped position and a retracted position relative to the base unit (1). When the clamping unit (3) is in the flipped position, the clamping unit (3) is at least partially located on the circumferential outside of the mounting vessel (7). The clamping unit (3) can rotate around a first rotation axis under the drive of the flipping unit (2).

3. The tower tilting fixture as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The flipping unit (2) includes a lever arm (27), a connecting rod (18), and a flipping drive assembly. The flipping drive assembly is disposed on the base unit (1). The flipping drive assembly drives the lever arm (27) to rotate around the second rotation axis. The two ends of the connecting rod (18) are respectively rotatably connected to the lever arm (27) and the clamping unit (3) so that the clamping unit (3) can be rotated relative to the base unit (1) by the rotation of the lever arm (27).

4. The tower tilting fixture as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The connecting rod (18) is connected to the first end of the rod arm (27), and the second end of the rod arm (27) opposite to the first end is fixed with a shaft (17). The flip drive assembly includes a flip motor (13), a drive wheel (15), and a driven wheel (16). The drive wheel (15) is fixed to the output shaft of the flip motor (13), and the driven wheel (16) is fixed to the shaft (17). The drive wheel (15) and the driven wheel (16) are meshed or connected by a conveyor belt; or, The flip drive assembly includes a flip motor (13), the output shaft of which is fixed on the shaft (17), and the first rotation axis coincides with the center line of the output shaft.

5. The tower tilting fixture as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The base unit (1) includes a fixed seat (4), a slider (5) and a slider drive (6). The fixed seat (4) is used to fix the mounting vessel (7). The slider (5) is slidably connected to the fixed seat (4). The slider drive (6) is connected between the fixed seat (4) and the slider (5) to drive the slider (5) to slide.

6. The tower tilting fixture as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The slider (5) is provided with a diagonal support arm (37), and the clamping unit (3) is rotatably disposed on the diagonal support arm (37).

7. The tower tilting fixture as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The diagonal brace (37) extends upward at an angle from the middle of the installation vessel (7) toward the edge.

8. The tower tilting fixture as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The angle α between the extension direction of the diagonal brace (37) and the sliding direction of the slider (5) satisfies 65°≤α≤85°.

9. The tower tilting fixture as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Each clamping block (33) has a clamping block moving drive assembly at both ends of its axial direction. The rack (36) of the clamping block (33) extends outward and upward relative to the clamping block (33) opposite to it.

10. The tower tilting fixture as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The included angle β between the rack (36) and the base plate (29) satisfies 30°≤β≤60°.

11. The tower tilting fixture as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping unit (3) further includes a support block (32), which is rotatably disposed between a pair of clamping blocks (33) and located below the clamping blocks (33). The rotation axis of the support block (32) is parallel to the rotation axis of the clamping blocks.

12. The tower tilting fixture as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping unit (3) further includes a swing telescopic member (31), the top and bottom of which are respectively disposed on the clamping block (33) and the base plate (29). The top of the swing telescopic member (31) is arranged on the outside of the clamping block (33), and the swing telescopic member (31) is arranged perpendicular to the rotation axis of the clamping block.

13. The tower tilting fixture as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping unit (3) also includes a pressure sensor (44), which is located inside the clamping block (33).

14. The tower tilting fixture as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The rotation axis of the clamping block is perpendicular to the line connecting the flipped position and the retracted position, and / or the first rotation axis is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the clamping block.

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