A device for monitoring the tightness of connections at wind turbine towers

Abstract

This invention discloses a device for monitoring the tightness of the connection at the tower of a wind turbine, comprising an annular guide rail disposed on the inner side of the tower body; a self-moving traveling component is mounted on the annular guide rail, and a monitoring mechanism is installed on the traveling component. The monitoring mechanism includes a drive component that can move vertically, and a clamping component built into the drive component; the drive component realizes radial diameter adjustment of the clamping component through rotational motion, and after the clamping component and the nut are clamped, it continues to rotate with the drive component; in this invention, through the designed monitoring mechanism, the entire set of operation processes of mechanism alignment and descent, nut clamping and fitting, attitude adaptive adjustment, working condition monitoring, and reset and displacement can be completed sequentially. The entire mechanism can be driven by a single cylinder, eliminating the need for a complex linkage transmission structure. With the drive component involved, corresponding actions at each stage can be realized, and the overall structure is simple and compact.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of power facility and equipment monitoring technology, specifically relating to a device for monitoring the tightness of the connection between wind turbine towers. Background Technology

[0002] The wind turbine tower is the core load-bearing structure of a wind turbine generator set, primarily serving to support the entire equipment. The overall structure generally consists of three key parts: the tower body, the tower base, and the tower top. The tower body is the most important vertical load-bearing structure, not only bearing the weight of the wind turbine generator set itself but also resisting external forces such as wind loads and vibration loads over long periods. The connection points between the tower sections are structurally weak points, prone to problems such as loose bolts and changes in connection gaps over time. If these issues are not detected promptly, they can lead to structural imbalances, increased vibration, component fatigue damage, and even safety hazards. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the tightness and gap changes of all connections at the wind turbine tower in real time or periodically to ensure the overall operational safety and structural stability of the wind turbine tower.

[0003] For example, Chinese Patent Publication No. CN118346540B discloses a wind turbine tower connection inspection robot, which relates to the field of power facility and equipment inspection technology. It includes a tower body, a circular rail fixed to the inner wall of the tower body, a movable frame on the circular rail, a frame moving assembly on one side of the top of the movable frame, a detection fixing frame on the frame moving assembly, a bolt loosening detection assembly on the detection fixing frame, a nut clamping fixing assembly on the bolt loosening detection assembly, a sealant application assembly in the movable frame, and a guide rail moving assembly at the bottom of the movable frame. By setting the frame moving assembly, the bolt loosening detection assembly, and the nut clamping fixing assembly, the frame moving assembly moves the bolt loosening detection assembly to the bolt connection. After the nut is clamped and fixed by the nut clamping fixing assembly, the bolt loosening detection assembly detects the looseness of the bolt connection fastener.

[0004] This application uses a nut clamping and fixing component to fix the nut and a bolt loosening detection component to detect the looseness of the bolt connection fastener. However, the overall layout involves many connecting rods, transmission rods and other intermediate force transmission structures, resulting in a cumbersome and complex overall mechanical structure, numerous assembly steps, and difficult maintenance. In addition, the device requires multiple cylinders to clamp and rotate during operation, leading to high manufacturing costs and energy consumption. Furthermore, the entire device relies on the coordinated action of multiple cylinders to complete the entire detection process, limiting its adaptability to various scenarios and resulting in poor versatility and expandability.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a device for monitoring the tightness of the connection between the wind turbine tower and the tower to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a device for monitoring the tightness of the connection between the tower of a wind turbine, so as to solve the problem of the complex structure of existing devices mentioned in the background art.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a device for monitoring the tightness of the connection at the tower of a wind turbine, comprising an annular guide rail disposed on the inner side of the tower body; a self-moving walking component is mounted on the annular guide rail, and a monitoring mechanism is installed on the walking component, the monitoring mechanism comprising a drive component that can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction, and a clamping component built into the drive component; the drive component realizes the radial diameter adjustment of the clamping component through rotational movement, and after the clamping component and the nut are clamped, it continues to rotate with the drive component.

[0008] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the driving component includes a cylinder fixed on the walking component, an upper sleeve is provided below the cylinder, and a lower rotating cylinder is rotatably provided at the bottom end of the upper sleeve; the clamping component is installed on the bottom inner side of the lower rotating cylinder; the piston rod of the cylinder passes through the center of the upper sleeve and extends into its interior, and a push post is provided at the bottom end of the piston rod, with a limiting boss provided on the upper part of the push post; an arc groove is opened on the inner wall of the lower rotating cylinder, and a push block is provided at the center of the groove, with a lower push rod fixed at both ends of the push block, the end of the lower push rod extending into the arc groove, and the lower end of the push post connected to the push block.

[0009] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the push block has a through groove in the middle, and a pressure sensor is installed inside the through groove. The bottom end of the push column passes through the push block and extends into the through groove, and the bottom end of the push column and the top surface inside the through groove form a limiting and locking structure.

[0010] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the clamping assembly includes a turntable fixed to the inner side of the bottom of the lower rotating cylinder. The turntable includes two concentrically arranged rings, and an integral grooved inclined rod is connected between the two rings. The grooved inclined rod has inclined strip holes. Six irregular plates are provided on the top of the turntable. The top of the irregular plates is provided with a ring sleeve, and the bottom of the ring sleeve is provided with an annular moving groove. One end of the irregular plate is fixed with a protruding post, and the two ends of the protruding post are respectively limited and inserted into the moving groove and the strip hole of the grooved inclined rod. A vertical rod is fixed to the top surface inside the upper sleeve, and the bottom end of the vertical rod is fixed to the upper surface of the ring sleeve.

[0011] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, an adjustment component is provided inside the upper sleeve. The adjustment component includes an inner cylinder rotatably disposed inside the upper sleeve. The inner wall of the inner cylinder is provided with an irregular groove. A transmission component is provided at the center of the inner cylinder. The transmission component is fixedly connected to the push block, and the two maintain synchronous movement.

[0012] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the transmission component includes a connecting block, a connecting rod fixed at the bottom end of the connecting block, the lower end of the connecting rod fixed at the top end of the push block, and upper push rods fixed at both ends of the connecting block. The ends of the upper push rods are inserted into the irregular grooves to form a sliding fit transmission structure.

[0013] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the upper half of the irregular groove is a vertical groove and the lower half is an arc-shaped groove.

[0014] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, a fixing rod is fixed to the bottom end face of the inner cylinder, and the lower end of the fixing rod is fixedly connected to the top end of the ring sleeve.

[0015] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the connecting block has a through hole in the middle for the push column to pass through, and the diameter of the hole is not less than the outer diameter of the limiting boss.

[0016] As a preferred technical solution of the present invention, the walking component includes a base plate, a support frame is fixed on the top of the base plate, a cylinder is fixedly installed at the horizontally extending end of the support frame, a servo motor is also installed on the base plate, the output end of the servo motor passes downward through the base plate, and a drive gear is fixedly installed at the shaft end. The inner side of the annular guide rail is provided with tooth grooves, which mesh with the drive gear for transmission.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0018] In this invention, the designed monitoring mechanism can sequentially complete the entire operation process of mechanism alignment and descent, nut clamping and fitting, attitude adaptive adjustment, working condition monitoring, and reset and displacement. The entire mechanism can be driven by a single cylinder, eliminating the need for a complex linkage transmission structure. With the help of the drive components, it can realize the corresponding actions at each stage. The overall structure is concise and compact, without the need for additional transmission components. At the same time, the clamping component can follow the movement stroke of the drive component to complete the closing and loosening separation. The two are linked and matched and work together, which simplifies the overall mechanical layout and reduces the processing, assembly and later maintenance costs.

[0019] In addition, the added adjustment component can adaptively adjust the angle to match the movement stroke of the clamping component and the drive component. It can adapt to nuts with different installation orientations and positional deviations at the tower flange, effectively compensate for the fitting deviation when the clamping component is initially aligned, and avoid uneven force in local contact. At the same time, the adjustment component does not require an additional independent transmission structure, making the linkage of the entire device higher. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the state during the detection process of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention viewed from below;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view showing the connection between the drive component and the clamping component.

[0023] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of region A in the middle;

[0024] Figure 5 A bottom view of the embracing component;

[0025] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the explosion of the clamping component;

[0026] Figure 7 To adjust the connection profile of the component within the driving component;

[0027] Figure 8 A structural schematic diagram of the adjustment component and the clamping component in a semi-sectional view;

[0028] Figure 9 for Figure 7 Enlarged schematic diagram of region B in the middle.

[0029] In the picture:

[0030] 1. Walking assembly; 101. Base plate; 101a. Limiting guide wheel; 102. Servo motor; 102a. Drive gear plate; 103. Support frame;

[0031] 2. Circular guide rail;

[0032] 3. Tower body;

[0033] 4. Drive assembly; 401. Upper sleeve; 402. Lower rotating cylinder; 402a. Arc groove; 403. Cylinder; 404. Push column; 404a. Limiting boss; 405. Push block; 406. Lower push rod; 407. Pressure sensor; 408. Vertical rod;

[0034] 5. Clamping assembly; 501. Turntable; 502. Slotted diagonal bar; 503. Irregularly shaped plate; 504. Ring sleeve; 504a. Moving groove;

[0035] 6. Adjustment component; 601. Inner cylinder; 601a. ​​Irregular groove; 602. Connecting block; 603. Upper push rod; 604. Connecting rod; 605. Fixing rod. Detailed Implementation

[0036] 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. 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.

[0037] Example 1:

[0038] Please see Figures 1 to 6 This invention provides a device for monitoring the tightness of the connection at the tower of a wind turbine. It primarily utilizes a single cylinder 403 to independently position and clamp the nut and monitor its looseness, eliminating the redundant linkage components and complex transmission structures of traditional solutions. The monitoring device includes an annular guide rail 2 located inside the tower body 3. The annular guide rail 2 is concentrically arranged with the tower body 3 and fixed to the inner wall of the tower body 3 by a bracket. A self-moving traveling component 1 is mounted on the annular guide rail 2, and a monitoring mechanism is installed on the traveling component 1. This monitoring mechanism includes a drive component 4 that can move vertically, and a clamping component 5 built into the drive component 4. The drive component 4 adjusts the radial diameter of the clamping component 5 through rotational motion, thereby clamping the nut at the tower connection position. After clamping the nut, the clamping component 5 continues to rotate with the drive component 4, applying force to the nut. The monitoring of the nut's tightness is achieved by relying on the torque changes generated during the nut's rotation.

[0039] Reference Figures 2 to 4In this embodiment, preferably: the driving component 4 includes a cylinder 403 fixed on the walking component 1, an upper sleeve 401 is provided below the cylinder 403, and a lower rotating cylinder 402 is rotatably mounted on the bottom end of the upper sleeve 401. The mating end faces of the two adopt a dovetail groove structure to form a rotational fit; the clamping component 5 is installed on the bottom inner side of the lower rotating cylinder 402; the piston rod of the cylinder 403 passes through the center of the upper sleeve 401 and extends into its interior, and a push post 404 is fixedly provided at the bottom end of the piston rod. A limiting boss 404a is integrally formed on the upper part of the push post 404; when the cylinder 403 extends and descends under the initial working condition, the upper sleeve 401 is supported on the limiting boss 404a and moves down synchronously with the cylinder 403 by its own weight until the bottom end of the lower rotating cylinder 402 abuts against the flange end face of the tower body 3 and stops. To stop the downward movement, the inner wall of the lower rotating cylinder 402 has an arc groove 402a, with a push block 405 at its center. The two ends of the push block 405 are fixed with a lower push rod 406, the end of which extends into the arc groove 402a. The lower end of the push column 404 is connected to the push block 405. When the upper sleeve 401 and the lower rotating cylinder 402 stop moving down synchronously with the cylinder 403, the piston rod of the cylinder 403 continues to push the push column 404 downward. At this time, the limiting boss 404a separates from the upper sleeve 401, and the push column 404 drives the push block 405 and the lower push rod 406 to move down together. The lower push rod 406 moves along the arc groove 402a, thereby driving the lower rotating cylinder 402 to generate circumferential rotation. The clamping assembly 5 rotates synchronously with the lower rotating cylinder 402 to achieve the clamping and tightening of the nut.

[0040] Furthermore, refer to Figure 4The push block 405 has a through groove in the middle (not shown in the figure). The groove is equipped with a pressure sensor 407 with wireless signal transmission function. The bottom end of the push column 404 passes through the push block 405 and extends into the groove. The bottom end of the push column 404 and the top surface of the groove form a limiting and locking structure to prevent the push column 404 from separating from the push block 405. During the downward operation of the cylinder 403, the push column 404 moves down synchronously with the piston rod and exerts a squeezing effect on the pressure sensor 407. When the device is working, the clamping assembly is completely fitted and limited to the outer periphery of the hexagonal nut of the tower flange. The lower rotating cylinder 402 is mechanically limited by the trajectory constraint of the arc groove 402a, so that the lower rotating cylinder 402 and the clamping assembly are circumferentially fixed relative to the nut, which is equivalent to forming a rigid abutment constraint surface with the outside of the nut. When the bolts are properly tightened and not loose, the nut has no circumferential rotation allowance, and the clamping assembly and the lower rotating cylinder 402 cannot generate circumferential deflection and displacement. The resistance to the continued downward stroke of the cylinder 403 is high, and the compressive force exerted by the pusher 404 on the pressure sensor 407 is too high. When the bolts become loose, the nut has a slight circumferential rotation clearance. When the cylinder 403 presses down, it drives the lower rotating cylinder 402 to generate a slight circumferential slippage along the arc groove 402a through the transmission structure. The clamping assembly rotates slightly synchronously with the nut, releasing the downward pressure resistance, resulting in a significantly lower compressive force exerted by the pusher 404 on the pressure sensor 407. The pressure sensor 407 senses the magnitude of the compressive force in real time and transmits the signal wirelessly. Based on the changes in the compressive force, the system can accurately determine the tightness of the flange bolts on the tower body, achieving real-time monitoring and data feedback.

[0041] In the above structure, when it is necessary to monitor the status of the next nut, the cylinder 403 drives the push block 405 upward through the piston rod, and disengages from the pressure sensor 407. At the same time, the push block 405 drives the lower push rod 406 to move in the opposite direction along the arc groove 402a, thereby driving the lower rotating cylinder 402 to rotate in the opposite direction, so that the clamping assembly 5 disengages from the nut that has been monitored; the push column 404 moves upward synchronously with the piston rod, and the limiting boss 404a on it rises accordingly, and supports the upper sleeve 401 to rise together, so that the upper sleeve 401 and the lower rotating cylinder 402 are lifted off as a whole, completely disengaging from the current nut, so that the monitoring operation of the next position can be carried out after the traveling assembly is moved.

[0042] Furthermore, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2The walking assembly 1 includes a base plate 101, a support frame 103 fixed on the top of the base plate 101, a cylinder 403 fixedly installed at the horizontally extending end of the support frame 103, a servo motor 102 also installed on the base plate 101, the output end of the servo motor 102 passes downward through the base plate 101, and a drive gear 102a is fixedly installed at the shaft end. The inner side of the annular guide rail 2 has a toothed groove, which meshes with the drive gear 102a for transmission. Multiple limiting guide wheels 101a are also installed at the bottom of the base plate 101. The top two sides of the annular guide rail 2 protrude outward to form a limiting structure. Each limiting guide wheel 101a is distributed on both sides of the annular guide rail 2 and is limited and fitted with the protruding part of the annular guide rail 2 to achieve walking guidance and radial constraint. The drive gear 102a is located below the protruding part of the annular guide rail 2 to avoid structural interference during the movement and ensure that the walking assembly 1 moves smoothly around the annular guide rail 2.

[0043] It should be noted that the base plate 101 is also equipped with a power supply module for powering the servo motor 102 and a pneumatic module for providing power to the cylinder 403 (neither of which is shown in the figure). Since the above modules are all existing mature conventional components and are not the core of this device improvement, they will not be described in detail.

[0044] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 In this embodiment, preferably, the clamping assembly 5 includes a turntable 501 fixed to the inner side of the bottom of the lower rotating cylinder 402. The turntable 501 includes two concentrically arranged rings, and an integral grooved inclined rod 502 is connected between the two rings. The grooved inclined rod 502 has inclined strip holes. Six irregular plates 503 are provided on the top of the turntable 501 (the number of irregular plates 503 is adapted to the number of nuts connected to the flange end face of the tower body 3). The top of the irregular plate 503 is provided with a ring sleeve 504, and the bottom of the ring sleeve 504 is provided with an annular moving groove 504a. One end of the irregular plate 503 is fixed with a protruding post, and the two ends of the protruding post are respectively limited and locked into the moving part. The groove 504a is inside the slotted hole of the grooved inclined rod 502; a vertical rod 408 is fixed on the top surface of the upper sleeve 401, and the bottom end of the vertical rod 408 is fixed to the upper end surface of the ring sleeve 504. When the lower rotating drum 402 is driven to rotate, it drives the turntable 501 to rotate together, while the ring sleeve 504 is fixed in position. The turntable 501 pulls the protrusion on the irregular plate 503 to slide through the grooved inclined rod 502, so that each irregular plate 503 is gathered towards the center of the ring sleeve 504, so as to achieve the close and tight gripping of the nut; conversely, when the cylinder 403 retracts and the lower rotating drum 402 rotates in the opposite direction, it can drive the irregular plate 503 to move away from the center of the ring sleeve at the same time, so as to complete the loosening and separation from the nut.

[0045] In the above structure, as the six irregularly shaped plates 503 move toward the center of the ring 504 or move away from it, the inner enclosed area of ​​the plate always maintains a regular hexagonal structure, which can be precisely fitted and matched with the hexagonal nut.

[0046] In summary, the entire machine can be driven by a single cylinder 403. In the first stage, the cylinder 403 drives the upper sleeve 401 and the lower rotating cylinder 402 to move down synchronously into position, so that the bottom end of the lower rotating cylinder 402 is stably attached to the flange end face of the tower body 3. At the same time, the internal clamping component is precisely fitted into the nut position, completing the fixed support and precise alignment of the entire machine mechanism, providing a stable benchmark for subsequent nut clamping, angle adjustment and torque monitoring operations. In the second stage, the cylinder 403 is further pressed down, driving the clamping component 5 to complete the attachment and clamping positioning of the nut. Finally, in the third stage, the cylinder 403 continues to press down, and the change of torque force enables real-time monitoring of the nut tightening status. The entire device does not require a large number of connecting rods, transmission rods and other redundant structures. The transmission path is simple and compact, and the structural layout is streamlined and efficient.

[0047] Meanwhile, it can simultaneously tighten and inspect multiple sides of the bolt at one time. Compared with the existing technology that can only detect single point or single side contact, the force application is more uniform and the limiting constraint is more reliable. It avoids the force deviation and misjudgment problems caused by single side detection, and greatly improves the accuracy and stability of nut tightness monitoring. Moreover, it does not require alignment and detection of each side in stages. It can complete the simultaneous tightening and status acquisition of multiple sides in one positioning, making the operation process simpler and the detection efficiency higher.

[0048] Example 2:

[0049] Please see Figures 7 to 9 Based on Embodiment 1, in order to ensure that the clamping component 5 can clamp nuts with different orientations and improve the overall monitoring accuracy and adaptability, an adjustment component 6 is added inside the upper sleeve 401 to meet the clamping component 5's clamping of nuts with different orientations. The adjustment component 6, the drive component 4, and the clamping component 5 work together in a coordinated manner, moving synchronously with the downward stroke of the cylinder 403. It can adaptively generate angle fine-tuning with the movement of the transmission structure, thereby driving the clamping component 5 to deflect its overall posture and correct its contact angle with the nut in real time. This compensates for the alignment deviation caused by the nut's skewed installation and different orientations, enabling the clamping component 5 to automatically adapt to various irregularly shaped and angled nuts, achieving multi-faceted uniform contact and clamping without the need for manual alignment calibration, thus avoiding detection errors caused by misalignment at the source.

[0050] Specifically, such as Figure 8 As shown, the adjustment component 6 includes an inner cylinder 601 rotatably disposed within the upper sleeve 401. A shaped groove 601a is provided on the inner wall of the inner cylinder 601. A transmission component is also provided at the center of the inner cylinder 601. The transmission component is fixedly connected to the push block 405, and the two can maintain synchronous linkage movement.

[0051] Furthermore, refer to Figure 8The transmission component includes a connecting block 602, with a connecting rod 604 fixedly connected to the bottom end of the connecting block 602. The lower end of the connecting rod 604 is fixed to the top end of the push block 405. When the push block 405 moves downward, the connecting block 602 can be driven to move downward together through the connecting rod 604. Upper push rods 603 are fixedly provided at both ends of the connecting block 602. The ends of the upper push rods 603 are inserted into the irregular grooves 601a to form a sliding fit transmission structure.

[0052] In the above structure, the upper half of the irregular groove 601a is a vertical groove, and the lower half is an arc-shaped groove. When the cylinder 403 pushes the push block 405 downward, the lower push rod 406 first drives the lower rotating cylinder 402 to rotate, which in turn drives the turntable 501 to rotate synchronously, thereby causing the irregular plate 503 to move and complete the initial clamping and fitting of the nut. During this process, the end of the upper push rod 603 only slides vertically within the vertical section of the irregular groove 601a, and the inner cylinder 601 remains stationary and does not rotate. When the cylinder 403 continues to press down further, the upper push rod 603... The plate slides into the lower half-arc section of the irregular groove 601a. ​​If the contact area between the irregular plate 503 and the nut is too small at this time (that is, the nut is not in a straight position, and the irregular plate 503 and the nut are only in point contact), the transmission structure, which is fixedly connected to the push block 405 and the connecting block 602, will drive the upper push rod 603 to slide, thereby driving the inner cylinder 601 to rotate. The inner cylinder 601 drives the ring 504 to rotate synchronously through the fixed rod 605, and then the ring 504 drives each irregular plate 503 to finely adjust the deflection angle, thereby correcting the contact posture between the irregular plate 503 and the nut.

[0053] While the angle is being adjusted, the lower rotating cylinder 402 continues to rotate synchronously and drives the turntable 501 to drive the shaped plate 503 to retract towards the center. After the angular deflection, the shaped plate 503 gradually becomes parallel to the contact surface with the nut, and a slight gap is generated between them. With the radial retraction action of the shaped plate 503, it can achieve full fit and secure grip with the nut. In the subsequent loosening of the nut, the connecting block 602 and the push block 405 rise synchronously. At this time, the upper push rod 603 will reverse and loosen the ring 504. At the same time, the shaped plate 503 is also loosened from the nut under the action of the turntable 501.

[0054] It should be noted that, in order to ensure that the inner cylinder 601 only rotates in the circumferential direction and does not have axial displacement, an annular groove (not shown in the figure) is provided on the outer wall of the inner cylinder 601. Correspondingly, an annular protrusion (not shown in the figure) is fixed on the inner wall of the upper sleeve 401 and embedded in the annular groove, thereby supporting the inner cylinder 601.

[0055] Furthermore, refer to Figure 8A fixing rod 605 is fixed to the bottom end face of the inner cylinder 601 (the vertical rod 408 in Implementation 1 is removed, that is, the upper sleeve 401 no longer restricts the ring 504 through the vertical rod 408). The lower end of the fixing rod 605 is fixedly connected to the top end of the ring 504. When the inner cylinder 601 rotates due to the transmission action of the upper push rod 603, the ring 504 can be synchronously driven to rotate as a whole through the fixing rod 605.

[0056] Furthermore, refer to Figure 9 The connecting block 602 has a through hole in the middle for the push post 404 to pass through. The diameter of the hole is not less than the outer diameter of the limiting boss 404a. Therefore, during the process of the piston rod of the cylinder 403 pushing the push post 404, the push post 404 will not generate additional pushing force on the connecting block 602. The two can form a relative misalignment movement, ensuring that the push post 404 can be pressed down smoothly and act on the pressure sensor 407, thereby reliably completing the monitoring of the nut tightening status.

[0057] Compared to Embodiment 1, the addition of adjustment component 6 utilizes the special structural trajectory of the irregular groove 601a, which is straight on top and arc on the bottom. Based on the initial alignment of the clamping component 5 with the clamping nut, the deflection angle of the irregular plate 503 can be automatically finely adjusted to adapt to hexagonal nuts with different orientations and offset installations at the tower flange. No manual alignment and calibration are required, which effectively improves the device's compatibility and operational adaptability to various types of nuts.

[0058] The adjustment component 6 can achieve adaptive angle fine-tuning by using the trajectory guidance of the irregular groove 601a, automatically correcting the alignment deviation between the irregular plate 503 and the misaligned or oppositely oriented nut, so that the irregular plate 503 and the hexagonal outer wall of the nut achieve uniform and seamless circumferential wrapping, forming a balanced and reliable rigid clamping state. This all-round fit and tightness can eliminate local suspension and single-point force defects, making the circumferential force transmission of the nut more stable, providing a unified and stable force reference for the pressure sensor 407, effectively avoiding fluctuations in detection data and misjudgment of tightness caused by improper fit and force deviation, and significantly improving the accuracy and operational stability of nut preload monitoring from the mechanical structure level.

[0059] In summary, the overall working principle of the wind turbine tower connection tightness monitoring device is explained below:

[0060] I. The following are the inspection procedures for nuts facing the normal orientation:

[0061] The servo motor 102 in the walking assembly 1 drives the drive gear 102a to mesh with the inner tooth groove of the annular guide rail 2, driving the entire walking assembly 1 to move around the annular guide rail 2 to the position of the flange of the tower body 3 to be monitored. After it is in place, the cylinder 403 begins to extend and descend. The upper sleeve 401 moves down synchronously with the cylinder 403 under the influence of gravity until the bottom end of the lower rotating cylinder 402 touches the flange end face of the tower body 3 and stops moving. This stage completes the initial alignment and positioning of the overall mechanism.

[0062] The piston rod of cylinder 403 continues to feed downward, driving the push column 404 and push block 405 to press down synchronously. The lower push rods 406 at both ends of the push block 405 slide vertically along the arc groove 402a on the inner wall of the lower rotating cylinder 402, thereby driving the lower rotating cylinder 402 to rotate circumferentially. The lower rotating cylinder 402 synchronously drives the turntable 501 to rotate. The turntable 501 pulls the protruding column on the irregular plate 503 through the grooved inclined rod 502 and slides it along the moving groove 504a at the bottom of the ring 504, so that the six irregular plates 503 gather towards the center of the ring 504, forming a regular hexagonal structure that initially fits and hugs the hexagonal nut, while the ring 504 remains stationary under the action of the vertical rod 408.

[0063] After the mechanism is in place and clamped, the piston rod of cylinder 403 presses down further, and the bottom end of push column 404 passes through push block 405 and squeezes pressure sensor 407 with wireless transmission function in through groove. Based on the real-time feedback of the nut tightening condition by the change of pressure and force, the nut status monitoring operation is completed. After the monitoring of a single nut is completed, the piston rod of cylinder 403 retracts and moves upward, push column 404 disengages from pressure sensor 407, and lower push rod 406 slides in the opposite direction along arc groove 402a to drive lower rotating cylinder 402 to rotate, so that irregular plate 503 is away from the center and the nut is loosened. At the same time, push column 404 moves upward and drives limit boss 404a to rise, supporting upper sleeve 401 and lower rotating cylinder 402 to move upward as a whole, completely separating from the nut. Then the traveling component 1 moves again along the annular guide rail 2 to carry out the monitoring operation of the nut at the next position.

[0064] II. Inspection of nuts with unconventional orientations:

[0065] After the hexagonal nut is initially fitted and engaged, the cylinder 403 continues to press down. The upper push rod 603 first moves along the vertical section of the irregular groove 601a of the inner cylinder 601. At this time, the inner cylinder 601 remains stationary and does not participate in angle adjustment. After the upper push rod 603 slides into the lower half-arc section of the irregular groove 601a, if there is a deviation in the fitting angle between the irregular plate 503 and the nut, the push block 405 drives the connecting block 602 and the upper push rod 603 in linkage through the connecting rod 604, driving the inner cylinder 601 to rotate. The inner cylinder 601 then drives the ring 504 to rotate synchronously through the fixing rod 605, finely adjusting the deflection posture of each irregular plate 503 to adapt to the shape of the nut with different orientations. At the same time, the lower rotating cylinder 402 continues to rotate synchronously, continuously driving the irregular plate 503 to radially retract through the turntable 501, making up for the gap caused by the angle adjustment, and achieving a full and tight fit between the irregular plate 503 and the nut.

[0066] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described (see the detailed description above), 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 device for monitoring the tightness of connections at wind turbine towers, comprising an annular guide rail disposed on the inner side of the tower body; a self-moving walking component mounted on the annular guide rail, characterized in that: The walking component is equipped with a monitoring mechanism, which includes a drive component that can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction, and a clamping component built into the drive component. The drive component realizes the radial diameter adjustment of the clamping component through rotational movement. After the clamping component and the nut are clamped together, it continues to rotate with the drive component.

2. The device for monitoring the tightness of the connection at the wind turbine tower as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The drive assembly includes a cylinder fixed to the walking assembly, an upper sleeve below the cylinder, and a lower rotating cylinder rotatably mounted at the bottom end of the upper sleeve; the clamping assembly is installed on the bottom inner side of the lower rotating cylinder; the piston rod of the cylinder passes through the center of the upper sleeve and extends into its interior, and a push post is provided at the bottom end of the piston rod, with a limiting boss at the top of the push post; the inner wall of the lower rotating cylinder has an arc groove, and a push block is provided at the center of the groove, with a lower push rod fixed at both ends of the push block, the end of the lower push rod extending into the arc groove, and the lower end of the push post connected to the push block.

3. The device for monitoring the tightness of the connection at the wind turbine tower as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The push block has a through groove in the middle, and a pressure sensor is installed inside the through groove. The bottom end of the push column passes through the push block and extends into the through groove. The bottom end of the push column and the top surface inside the through groove form a limiting and locking structure.

4. The device for monitoring the tightness of the connection at the wind turbine tower as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The clamping assembly includes a turntable fixed to the inner side of the bottom of the lower rotating cylinder. The turntable includes two concentrically arranged rings, and an integral grooved inclined rod is connected between the two rings. The grooved inclined rod has inclined slotted holes. Six irregularly shaped plates are provided on the top of the turntable. The top of the irregularly shaped plates is provided with a ring sleeve, and the bottom of the ring sleeve is provided with an annular moving groove. One end of the irregularly shaped plate is fixed with a protruding post, and the two ends of the protruding post are respectively limited and locked into the moving groove and the slotted hole of the grooved inclined rod. A vertical rod is fixed to the top surface inside the upper sleeve, and the bottom end of the vertical rod is fixed to the upper surface of the ring sleeve.

5. A device for monitoring the tightness of the connection at the wind turbine tower as described in claim 2, characterized in that: An adjustment assembly is provided inside the upper sleeve. The adjustment assembly includes an inner cylinder that is rotatably disposed inside the upper sleeve. The inner wall of the inner cylinder has an irregular groove. A transmission component is provided at the center of the inner cylinder. The transmission component is fixedly connected to the push block, and the two move synchronously.

6. A device for monitoring the tightness of the connection at the tower of a wind turbine according to claim 5, characterized in that: The transmission component includes a connecting block, with a connecting rod fixed at the bottom of the connecting block. The lower end of the connecting rod is fixed to the top of the push block. Both ends of the connecting block are fixed with upper push rods, the ends of which are inserted into the irregular grooves to form a sliding fit transmission structure.

7. A device for monitoring the tightness of the connection at the tower of a wind turbine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The upper half of the irregular groove is a vertical groove, and the lower half is an arc-shaped groove.

8. A device for monitoring the tightness of the connection at the wind turbine tower as described in claim 5, characterized in that: A fixing rod is fixed to the bottom end face of the inner cylinder, and the lower end of the fixing rod is fixedly connected to the top end of the ring sleeve.

9. A device for monitoring the tightness of the connection at the tower of a wind turbine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The connecting block has a through hole in the middle for the push column to pass through, and the diameter of the hole is not less than the outer diameter of the limiting boss.

10. A device for monitoring the tightness of the connection at the tower of a wind turbine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The walking assembly includes a base plate, a support frame is fixed on the top of the base plate, a cylinder is fixedly installed at the horizontally extending end of the support frame, a servo motor is also installed on the base plate, the output end of the servo motor passes downward through the base plate, and a drive gear is fixedly installed at the shaft end, and the inner side of the annular guide rail is provided with tooth grooves, which mesh with the drive gear for transmission.

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