A wind power tower flange bolt automatic tightening system and a tightening method

Abstract

The application provides a wind power tower flange bolt automatic tightening system and a tightening method, which comprises a lifting platform, the lifting platform is arranged at the middle of the bottom of the wind power tower, the upper end of the lifting platform is provided with a positioning trolley, the center of the positioning trolley is coincident with the center of the wind power tower, the upper part of the positioning trolley is provided with a rotating shaft device, the lower part of the positioning trolley is provided with a controller, the end of the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder is connected with a torque gun, the torque gun is provided with a torque sensor and a visual camera, the torque gun is connected with a hydraulic station arranged on the lifting platform, and the controller is connected with the lifting platform, the positioning trolley, a power motor, the rotating shaft device, the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder, the torque gun, the torque sensor and the visual camera. The automatic tightening system of the flange bolt realizes the automatic fastening of the wind power tower bolt, and effectively reduces the labor intensity of the workers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of wind turbine tower technology, and more particularly to an automatic tightening system and method for wind turbine tower flange bolts. Background Technology

[0002] Wind turbine towers, as tall, thin-walled structures with a top-heavy design, consist of multiple sections. The bottom section is connected to the foundation by several pre-tensioned high-strength bolts and nuts, and each pair of sections is connected by similar pre-tensioned high-strength bolts and nuts. Wind turbines operate in outdoor environments for extended periods, and the connecting bolts are subjected to fatigue stress, potentially leading to loosening or breakage, or even causing wind power accidents. As offshore wind power construction gradually moves into deep-sea areas, natural environmental conditions become more severe, and construction time becomes more limited. Currently, the bolt tightening process for wind turbine towers is mostly done manually, resulting in high labor intensity, difficulty in quality control, and potential safety accidents if operators mishandle operations in situations requiring high tightening torque. Therefore, to improve construction efficiency within limited timeframes, adopting automated flange bolt tightening equipment to replace manual labor, enabling bolts to quickly reach pre-tension, is crucial for improving bolt tightening efficiency and ensuring worker safety.

[0003] Patent CN202310437956.7 proposes an automatic tightening robot for offshore wind turbine tower bolts, but it requires marking the bolts, significantly reducing work efficiency. Furthermore, the width limitation of the wind turbine tower working platform poses a severe challenge to the stability of the trolley during bolt tightening operations. To address the problems of low tightening efficiency and poor stability in current automated wind turbine tower bolt tightening equipment, there is a need to design an automatic tightening system for wind turbine tower flange bolts that boasts high work efficiency and automation, good stability, and a simple control scheme. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In response to the aforementioned problems of low tightening efficiency and poor stability of automated equipment for tightening wind turbine tower bolts, this paper provides an automatic tightening system and method for wind turbine tower flange bolts. This system enables fully automated control of wind turbine tower flange bolt tightening, reduces the labor intensity of workers, and improves the efficiency and safety of wind turbine tower installation.

[0005] The technical means employed in this invention are as follows:

[0006] An automatic tightening system for flange bolts on wind turbine towers is disclosed. The system is installed inside the wind turbine tower and includes a lifting platform located at the bottom center of the tower. A positioning trolley is mounted on the upper part of the lifting platform, with its center coinciding with the center of the wind turbine tower. A rotating shaft device is mounted on the upper part of the positioning trolley, and two secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the rotating shaft device at the same horizontal level. The rotating shaft device is connected to a power motor located at the lower part of the positioning trolley. A controller is located at the lower part of the positioning trolley. A torque gun is connected to the end of each secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder, and the torque gun is equipped with a torque sensor and a vision camera. The torque gun is connected to a hydraulic station mounted on the lifting platform. The controller is connected to the lifting platform, positioning trolley, power motor, rotating shaft device, secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders, torque gun, torque sensor, and vision camera.

[0007] Furthermore, the lifting platform includes a movable trolley and a scissor lift, with the scissor lift located on top of the movable trolley.

[0008] Furthermore, the positioning trolley can adaptively move according to the distance fed back by the visual cameras at the outer ends of the two secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders on both sides, so that the torque guns on the outer sides of the two secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders simultaneously reach the bolt tightening position.

[0009] Furthermore, each side of the rotating shaft device is connected to a secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder via a slide table.

[0010] Furthermore, the slide adjusts the vertical position of the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder so that the torque gun at the end of the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder is at the same vertical height as the bolt.

[0011] Furthermore, the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder can perform two-stage extension and retraction.

[0012] Furthermore, the positioning trolley is equipped with several adjustable steering wheels, which are electrically connected to the controller.

[0013] The present invention also provides an automatic tightening method for wind turbine tower flange bolts, based on any of the above-mentioned automatic tightening systems for wind turbine tower flange bolts, comprising the following steps:

[0014] First, place the lifting platform at the center of the bottom of the wind turbine tower, and then install the positioning trolley on the top of the lifting platform. At this time, the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder is in the retracted state.

[0015] The controller activates the scissor lift of the lifting platform, causing the torque gun to reach the height of the target bolt on the wind turbine tower.

[0016] Two two-stage synchronous hydraulic cylinders extend to both sides, and the vision camera feeds back the position of the bolt to the controller;

[0017] When one side of the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder reaches the bolt position, the controller controls the positioning trolley to move in the opposite direction until both sides of the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder reach the bolt position, and the distance between the ends of the two sides of the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder is the diameter of the circumference of the bolt.

[0018] The two-stage synchronous hydraulic cylinders on both sides make fine adjustments in the vertical direction by moving the slide table, so that the torque gun is at the same vertical height as the target bolt;

[0019] The controller sends a tightening command to the torque gun, which tightens the target bolt. At this time, the torque sensor measures the torque value of the torque gun. When the torque value reaches the rated torque, the torque sensor sends a stop signal to the controller, which then controls the torque gun to stop operating.

[0020] The controller controls the rotating shaft device to drive the two-stage synchronous hydraulic cylinder to rotate along the circumference of the wind turbine tower. Each rotation rotates a fixed angle between adjacent bolts, and after rotating half a circle, one round of bolt tightening work is completed.

[0021] The controller controls the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder, which in turn controls the lifting platform to raise the scissor lift, enabling the next stage of bolt tightening work to be carried out until all target bolts are tightened.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0023] This invention achieves automatic tightening of wind turbine tower bolts through an automatic flange bolt tightening system, effectively reducing the labor intensity of workers;

[0024] This invention automates the tightening process and obtains the tightening torque data of wind turbine tower bolts through a torque sensor, effectively improving the installation quality of wind turbine towers.

[0025] This invention eliminates the need to mark bolt positions, and the rotating device can complete a full rotation of the bolt tightening task in half a turn, significantly improving the efficiency of tightening bolts on wind turbine tower flanges.

[0026] The automatic tightening system for wind turbine tower flange bolts of the present invention is not only applicable to the bolt tightening action during tower installation, but can also replace the torque sensor with other end actuators for different purposes such as inspection, cleaning, and flaw detection of wind turbine tower bolts. Attached Figure Description

[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the installation position of an automatic tightening system for flange bolts on wind turbine towers according to the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an automatic tightening system for flange bolts on wind turbine towers according to the present invention.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the upper structure of an automatic tightening system for flange bolts on wind turbine towers according to the present invention.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a front-view view of the torque gun of the automatic tightening system for wind turbine tower flange bolts according to the present invention.

[0032] Figure 5 This is an upward-viewing perspective of the torque gun in the automatic tightening system for wind turbine tower flange bolts of the present invention.

[0033] In the diagram: 1. Wind turbine tower; 2. Lifting platform; 201. Movable trolley; 202. Scissor lift; 3. Positioning trolley; 301. Adjustable steering wheel; 4. Controller; 5. Power motor; 6. Rotating shaft device; 601. Slide table; 7. Two-stage synchronous hydraulic cylinder; 8. Torque gun; 9. Hydraulic station; 10. Torque sensor; 11. Vision camera. Detailed Implementation

[0034] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the present invention can be combined with each other. The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0035] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention or its application or use. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of exemplary embodiments according to the invention. As used herein, the singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0037] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps described in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. It should also be understood that, for ease of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Techniques, methods, and devices known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and devices should be considered part of the specification. In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures denote similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0038] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is generally based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not 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 on the scope of protection of this invention. The directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0039] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "over," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation besides the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is inverted, a device described as "above" or "above" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0040] like Figure 1-5 As shown, the present invention provides an automatic tightening system for flange bolts of wind turbine towers, including: wind turbine tower 1, lifting platform 2, positioning trolley 3, controller 4, power motor 5, rotating shaft device 6, two-stage synchronous hydraulic cylinder 7, torque gun 8, hydraulic station 9, torque sensor 10 and vision camera 11.

[0041] The lifting platform 2 consists of a movable trolley 201 and a scissor-type lift 202, and is installed at the bottom center of the wind turbine tower 1. The lifting platform 2 can be adjusted in height according to the different heights of the wind turbine tower to reach the position required for bolt tightening. The positioning trolley 3 is located at the upper end of the lifting platform 2. The positioning trolley 3 can adaptively move according to the distance fed back by the vision cameras 11 at the outer ends of the two secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders 7, ensuring that the torque guns 8 on the outer sides of the two secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders 7 simultaneously reach the bolt tightening position. The movement of the positioning trolley 3 on the lifting platform 2 makes the center of the positioning trolley 3 coincide with the center of the wind turbine tower 1, ensuring that the straight line of the two extended secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders 7 coincides with the diameter of the wind turbine tower 1.

[0042] The rotating shaft device 6 is mounted on the positioning trolley. Both sides of the rotating shaft device are directly connected to the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders 7 via slides 601. The rotating shaft device 6 is powered directly by a motor 5 installed at the lower end of the positioning trolley 3. After the torque gun 8 completes the tightening of the wind turbine tower bolts, the rotating shaft device 6 rotates the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders 7 at a fixed angle, ensuring precise positioning of the torque gun 8 with the next bolt. The slides 601 on both sides of the rotating shaft device 6 are connected to the bottom of the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders 7 on both sides, allowing for fine-tuning of the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders 7 in the vertical direction to ensure precise engagement between the torque gun 8 at the end of the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder 7 and the bolt. The two secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders 7 can extend and retract in two stages, ensuring that the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders 7 occupy less space when not in use, and reach the distance required for tightening the wind turbine tower bolts when in use.

[0043] The controller 4, located at the bottom of the positioning trolley 3, processes the distance information fed back by the vision camera 11 at the end of the torque gun 8, controls the movement of the positioning trolley 3 and the vertical adjustment of the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder 7 to ensure precise engagement between the torque gun 8 and the bolt. The four adjustable steering wheels 301 of the positioning trolley 3 move on the lifting platform 2 according to the signals from the controller 4, ensuring that the center of the positioning trolley 3 coincides with the center of the wind turbine tower 1.

[0044] The torque gun 8 is connected to the end of the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder 7. The torque gun 8 is connected to the hydraulic station 9 via an oil pipe. The hydraulic station 9 transmits power to the torque gun 8 via an oil pipe. Furthermore, the end of the torque gun 8 is directly connected to the bolt via a torque sensor 10. The torque sensor 10 is used to measure the torque value of tightening the bolt in real time, ensuring that the rated torque is reached during the bolt tightening process. The vision camera 11 is installed at the front end of the torque gun 8 to ensure accurate positioning between the torque gun 8 and the bolt.

[0045] This invention also provides an automatic tightening method for flange bolts on wind turbine towers. When tightening flange bolts, the lifting platform 2 is first placed near the center of the bottom of the wind turbine tower 1, and the positioning trolley 3 is installed on the upper part of the lifting platform 2. At this time, the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder 7 is in the retracted state. The scissor lift 202 of the lifting platform 2 is activated to reach the required bolt tightening height on the wind turbine tower 1. Further, the two secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders 7 extend to both sides, and the vision camera 11 feeds back the distance to the bolt position to the controller 4. When one secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder 7 reaches the bolt position, the controller 4 controls the positioning trolley 3 to move in the opposite direction until the two secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders 7 simultaneously reach the bolt position. The distance between the ends of the two secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders 7 is the diameter of the circumference of the bolt, thus ensuring that the bolt is tightened to a full circumference by rotating the two secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders 7 half a revolution. During the positioning process of the torque gun 8 with the bolt via the torque sensor 10, the two secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders 7 can be finely adjusted in the vertical direction, thereby enabling the torque sensor 10 to be quickly and accurately positioned with the bolt. After tightening one bolt, the rotating shaft device 6 drives the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder 7 to rotate the fixed angle between adjacent bolts each time, completing one full rotation of the bolt tightening operation by half a circle, greatly improving bolt tightening efficiency. After completing one full rotation of the bolt tightening operation, the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder 7 retracts, and the lifting platform 2 controls the scissor lift 202 to rise, proceeding to the next stage of bolt tightening.

[0046] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic tightening system for flange bolts on wind turbine towers, characterized in that: The automatic tightening system is installed inside the wind turbine tower (1) and includes a lifting platform (2). The lifting platform (2) is located at the middle of the bottom of the wind turbine tower (1). A positioning trolley (3) is installed on the upper end of the lifting platform (2). The center of the positioning trolley (3) coincides with the center of the wind turbine tower (1). A rotating shaft device (6) is installed on the upper part of the positioning trolley (3). Two secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders (7) are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the rotating shaft device (6) and are on the same horizontal line. Each side of the rotating shaft device (6) is connected to the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder (7) through a slide (601). The slide (601) adjusts the position of the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder (7) in the vertical direction so that the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder... (7) The torque gun (8) at the end is at the same vertical height as the bolt; the rotating shaft device (6) is connected to the power motor (5) located at the bottom of the positioning trolley (3), the positioning trolley (3) is equipped with a controller (4), the end of the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder (7) is connected to the torque gun (8), the torque gun (8) is equipped with a torque sensor (10) and a vision camera (11), the torque gun (8) is connected to the hydraulic station (9) located on the lifting platform (2), and the controller (4) is connected to the lifting platform (2), the positioning trolley (3), the power motor (5), the rotating shaft device (6), the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder (7), the torque gun (8), the torque sensor (10) and the vision camera (11); The positioning trolley (3) can adaptively move according to the distance fed back by the visual camera (11) at the outer end of the two secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders (7) on both sides, so that the torque gun (8) on the outer side of the two secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders (7) on both sides can simultaneously reach the bolt tightening position.

2. The automatic tightening system for wind turbine tower flange bolts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting platform (2) includes a movable trolley (201) and a scissor lift (202), with the scissor lift (202) located on the upper part of the movable trolley (201).

3. The automatic tightening system for wind turbine tower flange bolts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder (7) can perform two-stage extension and retraction.

4. The automatic tightening system for wind turbine tower flange bolts according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning trolley (3) is equipped with several adjustable steering wheels (301), which are electrically connected to the controller (4).

5. A method for automatically tightening flange bolts on wind turbine towers, implemented based on the automatic tightening system for flange bolts on wind turbine towers according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: First, place the lifting platform (2) at the center of the bottom of the wind turbine tower (1), and install the positioning trolley (3) on the upper end of the lifting platform (2). At this time, the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder (7) is in the retracted state. The controller (4) starts the scissor lift of the lifting platform (2) so that the torque gun (8) reaches the height of the target bolt of the wind turbine tower (1); Two secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinders (7) extend to both sides, and the vision camera (11) feeds back the position of the distance bolt to the controller (4); When one side of the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder (7) reaches the bolt position, the controller (4) controls the positioning trolley (3) to move in the opposite direction until both sides of the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder (7) reach the bolt position, and the distance between the ends of the two sides of the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder (7) is the diameter of the circumference where the bolt is located. The two-stage synchronous hydraulic cylinders (7) on both sides are finely adjusted in the vertical direction by moving the slide (601) so that the torque gun (8) is at the same vertical height as the target bolt; The controller (4) sends a tightening command to the torque gun (8), and the torque gun (8) tightens the target bolt. At this time, the torque sensor (10) measures the torque value of the torque gun (8). When the torque value reaches the rated torque, the torque sensor (10) sends a stop signal to the controller (4), and the controller (4) controls the torque gun (8) to stop its operation. The controller (4) controls the rotating shaft device (6) to drive the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder (7) to rotate along the circumference of the wind turbine tower (1). Each rotation is a fixed angle between adjacent bolts. After rotating half a circle, the bolt tightening work is completed for one round. The controller (4) controls the secondary synchronous hydraulic cylinder (7), and the controller (4) controls the lifting platform (2) to control the scissor lift (202) to rise, and carry out the next stage of bolt tightening work until all target bolt tightening work is completed.

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