A portable gantry for handling wind turbine blades

Abstract

A portable gantry for loading and unloading wind turbine blades includes a pair of gantry supports, a lifting beam, a lifting device, and a telescopic cylinder. The gantry supports include a base with casters, a support seat, and a support column. A drive mechanism is provided on the top of the base to rotate it. The support seat is mounted on the drive mechanism, and a support seat pin sleeve is provided on the top of the support seat. The bottom end of the support column is hinged to the support seat pin sleeve, and a support column pin sleeve is provided on the top of the support column. The front end of the lifting beam is hinged to one support column pin sleeve, and the rear end of the lifting beam is adjustablely hinged to the other support column pin sleeve. The lifting device is slidably mounted on the lifting beam. The telescopic cylinder is detachably mounted on the side of the support column. This gantry can quickly form folded and upright structures, making it suitable for locations requiring frequent changes in lifting positions and large-scale relocation. It can also be transported as a whole with the assistance of an auxiliary crane, enabling portable and efficient relocation over a large area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wind power construction technology, and in particular to a portable gantry for loading and unloading wind turbine blades. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, the scale of newly built onshore wind power projects in China has increased significantly, with a large number of wind turbines and dispersed installation areas. To ensure project progress, construction companies have a greater need to prepare wind turbine equipment at the turbine sites in advance. Due to the extremely long size of wind turbine blades, unloading and transferring such equipment typically requires two mobile cranes, resulting in high machinery operating costs and significant land occupation. While some specialized devices for unloading wind turbine equipment exist in existing technologies both domestically and internationally, most are complex in structure, large in size, lack flexibility, and have low applicability. When used in large-scale onshore wind farms that require frequent relocation, the limited operating space and large component size make it difficult to achieve low-cost, high-efficiency construction.

[0003] In the face of increasingly fierce market competition, it is necessary to develop new technologies to reduce costs and increase efficiency, specifically addressing the issues of loading, unloading, and installation of equipment such as large wind turbine blades. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the above problems, this invention proposes a portable gantry for loading and unloading wind turbine blades, the specific technical solution of which is as follows:

[0005] A portable gantry for loading and unloading wind turbine blades, comprising:

[0006] A pair of gantry supports, each including a base with casters, a support seat, and a support column. The top of the base is provided with a drive mechanism that can drive it to rotate. The support seat is mounted on the drive mechanism. The top of the support seat is provided with a support seat pin sleeve. The bottom end of the support column is hinged to the support seat pin sleeve and can rotate around the support seat pin sleeve to a horizontal position and a vertical position. The support seat pin sleeve is detachably provided with a first locking pin that can be connected to the support column and restrict its rotation. The top of the support column is provided with a support column pin sleeve.

[0007] The lifting beam has its front end hinged to a support pin sleeve, and its rear end adjustablely hinged to another support pin sleeve. The support pin sleeve is detachably provided with a second locking pin that can be connected to the lifting beam and restrict its rotation.

[0008] The lifting device, which is slidably mounted on the lifting beam; and

[0009] A telescopic hydraulic cylinder is detachably mounted on the side of the support column, and base lugs for mounting the telescopic hydraulic cylinder are provided on both sides of the upper surface of the base.

[0010] Furthermore, the drive mechanism includes a rotary gear and a first motor. The bottom of the rotary gear is connected to the base, and the support is rotatably connected to the top of the rotary gear. The first motor is mounted on the side of the support, and the drive end of the first motor is provided with a drive gear that meshes with the rotary gear.

[0011] Furthermore, a second motor for driving the rollers is installed on the base.

[0012] Furthermore, the side of the support column is detachably and symmetrically hinged with a support rod that can be hinged to the base lug.

[0013] Furthermore, the support rod consists of two detachably connected rod sections.

[0014] Furthermore, when loading and unloading wind turbine blades, the support column is in a vertical position, and the support rod connects the support column to the base lifting lug; during traction transportation, the support column is in a horizontal position, and the telescopic cylinder connects the support column to the base lifting lug.

[0015] Furthermore, a traction lug is provided at the front end of the lifting beam.

[0016] Furthermore, lifting lugs are provided on both the lifting beam and the support column connecting the rear end of the lifting beam.

[0017] Beneficial effects of this invention:

[0018] (1) The gantry of the present invention can quickly form a folded and upright structure, which is suitable for places where the hoisting work position needs to be changed frequently and the work can be moved over a large area.

[0019] (2) The gantry support of the present invention is provided with steerable wheel seats, universal rollers and traction lugs. It can be towed by a vehicle in the transportation state. The gantry is also provided with lifting lugs, and can also be loaded and transported as a whole with the cooperation of an auxiliary crane. It can realize portable and efficient transportation over a large range.

[0020] (3) The gantry beam of the present invention has positioning pin holes with different hole spacings, which can adjust the distance between the two pillars in a timely manner to ensure sufficient space in the gantry structure to meet the width requirements of different blades and other components.

[0021] (4) The gantry structure of the present invention is equipped with universal rollers and a second motor, which can longitudinally cross the transport vehicle and the components to be loaded and unloaded, and reach the predetermined lifting position. Two sets can be used simultaneously, which is suitable for loading and unloading long components such as fan blades. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a front view of the gantry structure of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the two sets of gantry frames for loading and unloading fan blades according to the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a side view of the gantry support of the present invention in a vertical position.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the movement of the gantry support position according to the present invention.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the rotation process of the gantry structure of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the transportation status of the present invention.

[0028] In the diagram: 1. Gantry support, 11. Base, 111. Roller, 112. Second motor, 113. Base lifting lug, 12. Support seat, 121. Support seat pin sleeve, 122. Support seat shaft, 123. First locking pin, 13. Support column, 131. Support column pin sleeve, 14. Support rod, 15. Telescopic cylinder; 2. Drive mechanism, 21. First motor, 22. Rotary gear, 23. Drive gear, 24. Rotary locking pin; 3. Lifting beam, 31. Shaft hole, 32. Lifting beam shaft, 33. Positioning pin hole, 34. Second locking pin, 35. Traction lug; 4. Lifting device; 5. Lifting lug; 6. Fan blades. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0030] In the description of this application, it should be understood that 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. Therefore, features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0031] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" 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 connection that allows communication between them; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0032] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, a portable gantry for loading and unloading wind turbine blades includes a pair of gantry supports 1, a lifting beam 3, a lifting device 4, and a telescopic cylinder 15; wherein:

[0033] Each gantry support 1 includes a base 11 with universal casters 111, a support 12, and a support column 13. The base 11 has a drive mechanism 2 on its top, which drives its rotation. The support 12 is mounted on the drive mechanism 2. A support pin sleeve 121 is located on the top of the support 12. The bottom end of the support column 13 is hinged to the support pin sleeve 121 and can rotate around the support pin sleeve 121 to a horizontal or vertical position. A first locking pin 123 is detachably provided on the support pin sleeve 121, which can be connected to the support column 13 and restrict its rotation. A support pin sleeve 131 is located on the top of the support column 13. When the support column 13 needs to rotate, the first locking pin 123 releases the support pin sleeve 121 and the support column 13, allowing the support column 13 to rotate around the support pin sleeve 121 to a horizontal or vertical position. When the support column 13 needs to be fixed in a horizontal or vertical position, the first locking pin 123 can be used to lock the support pin sleeve 121 and the support column 13.

[0034] It should be noted that the support column 13 can be made to rotate around the support pin sleeve 121 by setting a support seat pivot 122. The support seat pivot 122 is located outside the side of the support column 13 so that the support column 13 does not interfere with the support seat 12 when it rotates.

[0035] The front end of the lifting beam 3 is hinged to a support pin sleeve 131, and the rear end of the lifting beam 3 is adjustablely hinged to another support pin sleeve 131; the support pin sleeve 131 is detachably provided with a second locking pin 34 that can be connected to the lifting beam 3 and restrict its rotation.

[0036] The lifting device 4 can be slidably installed on the lifting beam 3. The two sets of gantry frames are used in combination, and the lifting device 4 can be used to load and unload the fan blades 6.

[0037] The lifting device 4 can be an electric hoist or a winch driven by a hydraulic motor. The lifting device 4 can be installed on the lifting beam 3 via a slide rail or slide rail, so that it can move along the length of the lifting beam 3.

[0038] The telescopic cylinder 15 is detachably installed on the side of the support column 13. Both sides of the upper surface of the base 11 are provided with base lugs 113 for installing the telescopic cylinder 15. The telescopic cylinder 15 is used when the support column 13 is rotated from the vertical position to the horizontal position. At this time, the telescopic cylinder 15 is extended and connected to the support column 13 and the base lugs 113 respectively.

[0039] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown, the two gantry supports 1 and the lifting beam 3 form a gantry structure. The combination of the two gantry structures allows for the loading and unloading of the fan blades 6. The gantry supports 1 and the lifting beam 3 can also be rotated and folded into a transport state, thus facilitating overall transportation.

[0040] In one embodiment, the side of the support column 13 is detachably and symmetrically hinged with a support rod 14 that can be hinged to the base lug 113.

[0041] Specifically, the cross-sectional shape of the support column 13 and the lifting beam 3 is square, the telescopic cylinder 15 is disposed on one side of the support column 13, and the two support rods 14 are disposed on the two opposite sides of the support column 13.

[0042] When in the gantry structure, the two support columns 13 are in a vertical position. At this time, the telescopic cylinder 15 is located on the support column 13 and is in an inactive state. One end of the two support rods 14 is hinged to the support column 13, and the other end is hinged to the base lifting lug 113, thus providing support for the support column 13. At this time, the bottom end of the support column 13 is installed on the support seat pin sleeve 121 and locked by the first locking pin 123 to restrict the rotation of the support column 13. The two ends of the lifting beam 3 are respectively installed on the two support pin sleeves 131 and locked by the second locking pin 34 to restrict the rotation of the lifting beam 3.

[0043] Preferably, the support rod 14 consists of two detachably connected rod sections. When in a gantry structure, the two rod sections are fixedly connected to form a longer support rod 14, allowing its two ends to be connected to the support column 13 and the base lifting lug 113, respectively. When in transport mode for traction, the two rod sections of the support rod 14 can be disassembled or folded, allowing it to be suspended on the support column 13 and in a non-working state.

[0044] like Figure 3As shown, the drive mechanism 2 includes a rotary gear 22 and a first motor 21. The bottom of the rotary gear 22 is connected to the base 11, and the support 12 is rotatably connected to the top of the rotary gear 22. The first motor 21 is mounted on the side of the support 12, and the drive end of the first motor 21 is provided with a drive gear 23 that meshes with the rotary gear 22.

[0045] When loading and unloading the fan blades 6, the support column 13 is in a vertical position, and the support rod 14 connects the support column 13 to the base lifting lug 113. During traction transportation, the support column 13 is in a horizontal position, and the telescopic cylinder 15 connects the support column 13 and the base lifting lug 113. The base 11 has a long strip cross-section. When in a gantry structure, the length direction of the base 11 is consistent with the length direction of the fan blades 6, thus facilitating the stability of the gantry structure. Therefore, the base 11 needs to rotate according to different usage processes, so that the base lifting lug 113 can be used to connect to the support rod 14 or the telescopic cylinder 15 respectively. When the base 11 needs to rotate, the first motor 21 can be started to control the rotation of the drive gear 23, thereby using the rotation of the rotary gear 22 to drive the base 11 to rotate.

[0046] In one embodiment, the support 12 is further provided with a rotary locking pin 24 that can be inserted into the rotary gear 22. When the base 11 does not need to rotate, the rotary locking pin 24 is inserted downward from the top of the support 12 into the rotary gear 22, thereby restricting the relative rotation of the support 12 and the base 11.

[0047] like Figure 4 As shown, the rear end of the lifting beam 3 has multiple sets of pivot holes 31 and positioning pin holes 33, which can adjust its position on the support column 13 to accommodate gantry frames of different widths, ensuring passage of freight vehicles and transport of components; wherein, the lifting beam 3 and the support column pin sleeve 131 are installed in the pivot hole 31 through a lifting beam pivot 32, and the lifting beam pivot 32 is located outside the side of the support column 13, so that the support column pin sleeve 131 can rotate around the lifting beam pivot 32, so that the top of the support column 13 does not interfere with the lifting beam 3, and the second locking pin 34 can be fixedly installed in the positioning pin hole 33, so that the lifting beam 3 and the support column pin sleeve 131 are fixed together.

[0048] like Figure 5 , 6 As shown, the front end of the lifting beam 3 is also provided with a traction lug 35. In the transportation state, it can be towed by agricultural vehicles or loaders after connecting the traction lug 35. It is suitable for wind farms with a large number of wind turbines, dispersed positions, and frequent relocation.

[0049] In addition, a second motor 112 for driving the rollers to move is installed on the base 11. It can be used for the individual short-distance movement of the gantry support 1 or the gantry structure, or to drive the rollers to follow the movement when traction is applied.

[0050] The gantry support 1 and the lifting beam 3 can be rotated from the gantry structure to the transport position. The specific steps are as follows:

[0051] (1) Remove the support rod 14 connected to the base lug 113, then disassemble or fold the two sections of the support rod 14 and suspend them on the support column 13.

[0052] (2) Remove the rotary locking pin 24 connected to the support seat 12 and the rotary gear 22, start the first motor 21, and control the base 11 to rotate 90° so that the ear plate of the base 11 rotates to the position facing the telescopic cylinder 15.

[0053] (3) Remove the bottom of the telescopic cylinder 15, control its extension, and connect the bottom of the telescopic cylinder 15 to the base lug 113.

[0054] (4) Remove the slewing locking pin 24, the first locking pin 123 and the second locking pin 34, control the telescopic cylinder 15 to retract, so that the bottom end of the support column 13 rotates around the support frame pin sleeve, and the support column pin sleeve 131 rotates around the lifting beam shaft 32 until both support columns 13 and the lifting beam 3 rotate to the horizontal position.

[0055] (5) Insert the rotary locking pin 24, the first locking pin 123 and the second locking pin 34 into the corresponding positions to lock the support column 13 and the hanging beam 3;

[0056] (6) Use ropes or other connectors to connect the traction lugs 35 so that they can be towed to the wind farm by agricultural vehicles or loaders.

[0057] In one embodiment, both the lifting beam 3 and the support column 13 connecting the rear end of the lifting beam 3 are equipped with lifting lugs 5; when it is impossible to transfer the gantry in the transport state to a wind farm that cannot be transported, lifting equipment such as cranes can be used to connect the lifting lugs 5 to transfer the gantry to the corresponding wind farm operation area; it can also be transported as a whole by loading it onto a vehicle, which can realize convenient and efficient relocation over a large area.

[0058] When it is necessary to convert to a gantry structure, the rotary locking pin 24, the first locking pin 123 and the second locking pin 34 can be removed, the telescopic cylinder 15 can be extended, so that the support column 13 rotates to the vertical position, and the support column 13 and the lifting beam 3 are locked by the first locking pin 123 and the second locking pin 34; then the bottom end of the telescopic cylinder 15 is removed from the base lifting lug 113, the first motor 21 is started to control the base 11 to rotate 90°, and finally the bottom ends of the two support rods 14 are connected to the base lifting lug 113, and the rotary locking pin 24 locks the support seat 12 and the rotary gear 22, thus completing the assembly of the gantry structure.

[0059] It should be noted that the rotation process of the support column 13 and the lifting beam 3 can be controlled by installing a telescopic cylinder 15 on one support column 13. The two support columns 13 will rotate accordingly as the lifting beam 3 moves.

[0060] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A portable gantry for loading and unloading wind turbine blades, characterized in that, include: A pair of gantry supports, each including a base with casters, a support seat, and a support column. The top of the base is provided with a drive mechanism that can drive it to rotate. The support seat is mounted on the drive mechanism. The top of the support seat is provided with a support seat pin sleeve. The bottom end of the support column is hinged to the support seat pin sleeve and can rotate around the support seat pin sleeve to a horizontal position and a vertical position. The support seat pin sleeve is detachably provided with a first locking pin that can be connected to the support column and restrict its rotation. The top of the support column is provided with a support column pin sleeve. The lifting beam has its front end hinged to a support pin sleeve, and its rear end adjustablely hinged to another support pin sleeve. The support pin sleeve is detachably provided with a second locking pin that can be connected to the lifting beam and restrict its rotation. The lifting device, which is slidably mounted on the lifting beam; and A telescopic hydraulic cylinder is detachably mounted on the side of the support column, and both sides of the upper surface of the base are provided with base lugs that can be hinged to the telescopic hydraulic cylinder.

2. A portable gantry for loading and unloading wind turbine blades according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive mechanism includes a rotary gear and a first motor. The bottom of the rotary gear is connected to the base, and the support is rotatably connected to the top of the rotary gear. The first motor is mounted on the side of the support, and the drive end of the first motor is provided with a drive gear that meshes with the rotary gear.

3. A portable gantry for loading and unloading wind turbine blades according to claim 1, characterized in that, A second motor for driving the rollers is installed on the base.

4. A portable gantry for loading and unloading wind turbine blades according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support column has detachably and symmetrically hinged support rods on its sides, which can be hinged to the base lugs.

5. A portable gantry for loading and unloading wind turbine blades according to claim 4, characterized in that, The support rod consists of two detachably connected rod sections.

6. A portable gantry for loading and unloading wind turbine blades according to claim 5, characterized in that, When loading and unloading wind turbine blades, the support column is in a vertical position, and the support rod connects the support column to the base lifting lug; during traction transportation, the support column is in a horizontal position, and the telescopic cylinder connects the support column to the base lifting lug.

7. A portable gantry for loading and unloading wind turbine blades according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front end of the lifting beam is also equipped with a traction lug.

8. A portable gantry for loading and unloading wind turbine blades according to claim 1, characterized in that, Lifting lugs are installed on both the lifting beam and the support column connecting the rear end of the lifting beam.

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