Lifting facility for assembling wind turbine

Abstract

To provide a lifting facility for lifting a component such as an offshore wind turbine blade, which is lighter and possibly smaller in energy necessary for an operation.SOLUTION: This lifting facility for lifting an offshore wind turbine blade comprises: a gripper attachment portion 150 provided with a set of cable attachment points 191, 192, and 193 arranged as a first polygon; a vessel attachment module provided with a plurality of cable guide elements arranged as a second polygon; a plurality of cables extended between the cable attachment points and the cable guide elements; and a control system configured to control a position and / or an orientation of the gripper attachment portion in a work space by controlling lengths of at least two of the cables 141, 142, 143, and 144 extended between the cable attachment points and the cable guide elements.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1B

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of hoisting arrangements for lifting offshore wind turbine blades. [Background technology]

[0002] Installing an offshore wind turbine is complex. For one thing, components, such as the nacelle and turbine blades, must be lifted by crane from the deck of the installation vessel to great heights, such as 150 meters or more. Furthermore, the components must be assembled with high precision at that height while suspended from the crane.

[0003] The installation may be further complicated by environmental conditions at sea, such as wind and waves, which may impose disturbing motions on the installation vessel and / or on the components suspended in the air and being lifted by the crane.

[0004] To isolate the installation vessel from the effects of ocean currents and waves, a jack-up vessel may be used. However, jack-up vessels have a limited working area and limited availability in various waters due to limitations on the height of the jack-up legs that the vessel can lift on. Furthermore, lifting the legs can be a time-consuming process, and finding a suitable jack-up location next to the turbine can also be problematic and dependent on the suitability of the ocean floor.

[0005] Although the effects of waves and wind on the installation vessel may be limited by jacking the vessel, wind forces on all elements may still move the components suspended from the crane.

[0006] As an alternative to jack-up vessels and conventional cranes, motion-compensated cranes can be used. Such cranes keep a load suspended therefrom in substantially the same position, while the crane's base is rigidly attached to the vessel in at least some degrees of freedom, so it moves with the vessel's movements caused by wind and waves. However, such motion-compensated cranes can be heavy, require a lot of energy to operate, and / or have a limited working range, especially in the vertical range. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] It would be desirable to provide a lifting arrangement for lifting components, such as offshore wind turbine blades, that are lighter and therefore may require less energy to operate. It would also be desirable to provide a lifting arrangement that allows for faster motion compensation. It would be desirable to provide a lifting arrangement that allows longer vertical distances to be covered. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to a first aspect, there is provided a lifting arrangement for lifting an offshore wind turbine blade, the lifting arrangement comprising: a gripper mounting configured to be coupled to the wind turbine blade and comprising a set of cable attachment points arranged as a first polygon; a vessel mounting module configured to be coupled to a vessel and comprising a plurality of cable guide elements arranged as a second polygon; a plurality of cables routed between the cable attachment points and the cable guide elements; and a control system for controlling the position and / or orientation of the gripper mounting within a workspace by controlling the routed lengths of at least two of the plurality of cables between the cable attachment points and the cable guide elements. Preferably, the routed lengths of at least four of the plurality of cables, or more preferably all of the cables, can be controlled.

[0009] The gripper mount is configured to be connected to a component to be lifted, such as the wind turbine blade. This connection is preferably rigid. The connection may be a direct connection. Alternatively, one or more additional components, such as grippers, may be provided between the gripper mount and the component to be lifted. Such grippers may allow for easier connection between the gripper mount on the one hand and another component that can be lifted on the other hand.

[0010] The vessel-mounted module is configured to couple to the vessel. This coupling may be rigid or may have one or more degrees of freedom. In the latter case, one or more actuators, springs, and / or dampers may be provided to control the one or more degrees of freedom. The coupling between the vessel and the vessel-mounted module may be to a single component of the vessel (e.g., the deck or crane) at a single point on the vessel, to multiple points on the vessel, or to multiple components, or any combination thereof. The coupling between the vessel-mounted module and the vessel may be achieved using bolts, welding, any other coupling method, or any combination thereof.

[0011] The cable guide element may be embodied as a pulley, sheave, winch, or any other element along which a cable may be guided and / or around which a cable or a portion thereof may be wound and / or unwound, and thus may provide a fixed position for the cable to be passed from.

[0012] A polygon as a geometric shape may be defined as a plane defined by three or more points. Such a plane may be, for example, the shape of a triangle, square, rectangle, pentagram, or any other planar shape that need not be symmetrical. The definition of a polygon may include non-planar polygons, which are polygons whose vertices are not all in the same plane.

[0013] By controlling, preferably in coordination, the spanned length of at least two of the cables between the cable attachment point and the cable guide element, the position and / or orientation of the gripper attachment may be manipulated. Such manipulation may require a relatively small amount of energy because the mass of the cables is relatively small. Furthermore, the moment of inertia of any cable guide element and / or winch that must be rotated to control the spanned length of the cables may be relatively low.

[0014] Relatively low may be compared to a conventional motion-compensated crane, where the components of the crane that need to be moved for motion compensation can be significantly heavier and therefore require more energy to move. A lower amount of energy required to control the position and / or orientation of the gripper mount can result in faster control, and therefore smaller deviations from a desired set point can be achieved. Additionally, a lower amount of energy can control the position and / or orientation of larger, heavier suspended loads.

[0015] The position of the gripper mount can be expressed as a three-dimensional coordinate in a Cartesian coordinate system having three orthogonal translational axes, and the orientation of the gripper mount can be expressed as a set of three angles, where the angles refer to the amount of degree of rotation about a translational axis.

[0016] The lifting installation may be used in offshore applications, but also in land-based applications, examples of which are the construction of onshore wind turbines, construction work, or any other application requiring the lifting of masses.

[0017] Turbine blades are just an example of a component that may be lifted using the lifting arrangement according to the first aspect. The lifting arrangement may also be configured for lifting other wind turbine components, such as a nacelle, a gearbox, a turbine, any other component, or any other mass to be lifted, or any combination thereof.

[0018] The term "vessel" may refer to a floating vessel, such as a boat, ship, or pontoon, but also to a land vehicle, such as a truck or a mobile crane, or even to a stationary crane.

[0019] The cables may be connected such that a first cable connected to a first cable attachment is connected to a first cable guide element, a second cable connected to the first cable attachment is connected to a second cable guide element, a third cable connected to a third cable guide element is connected to a second cable attachment point, and a fourth cable connected to the third cable guide element is connected to a third cable attachment point.

[0020] In one embodiment, the vessel mounting module comprises a base having a boom mounting module as the vessel mounting module, the boom mounting module configured to connect the base to a boom of a crane as part of the vessel, and a plurality of arms extending from the base, the arms connected to the base at proximal ends, and at least a portion of the cable guide element being provided at distal ends of the plurality of arms, the distal ends of the plurality of arms and the base may define a pyramid.

[0021] A pyramid as a geometric shape comprises a base surface and multiple bones pointing toward a single point. The base surface may be triangular, quadrilateral, rectangular, or any other polygonal shape. From each vertex of the polygon, bones extend toward a single point, which is outside the plane of the base surface. Thus, the pyramid has a non-zero volume. The base surface and bones together form a pyramid shape. In the case of the lifting equipment, the distal end of the arm may form the base surface of the pyramid, and an imaginary bone extends from the distal end toward the base of the lifting equipment. The bones and / or the apex of the pyramid do not necessarily have to have the same length or the same course. For example, two or more bones and / or apexes may have the same length, while one or more bones may have different lengths.

[0022] Alternatively, a pyramid may refer to a geometric shape with zero volume. In such cases, the base surface, which may be any polygonal shape, and the single point lie in the same plane. In such cases, the arms may also extend in this same plane.

[0023] The plurality of cables may include multiple pairs of cables, with each pair of cables suspended from the distal end of one arm. The use of cable pairs may reduce the number of arms required and / or increase control over the position and / or orientation of the gripper mount.

[0024] When pairs of cables are used, a first cable of one pair of cables may be coupled to a cable attachment point corresponding to a first vertex of the gripper mount, and a second cable of the pair of cables is coupled to a cable attachment point at a second vertex of the gripper mount.

[0025] The arms may be spaced at regular angular intervals, for example, if the arms include three arms, the arms may be spaced 120 degrees apart, and if the arms include four arms, the arms may be spaced 90 degrees apart.

[0026] The plurality of arms, in some embodiments, may include two substantially equally sized arms and one arm of a different size from the two substantially equally sized arms. The boom mounting module may be configured to couple to the boom of the crane such that the boom and the different sized arms are disposed substantially in the same plane.

[0027] The two arms of substantially equal shape may be curved at their distal ends so that they are oriented substantially perpendicular to the different sized arm.

[0028] The boom mounting module may be mounted within the pyramid defined by the distal ends of the arms and the base, so that the lifting equipment can be mounted on the crane rather than suspended from the crane when in use. This may result in a more rigid connection between the crane and the lifting equipment and / or allow the crane with the lifting equipment to require less volume when provided in transport mode, e.g., when the ship is moving and the lifting equipment is not in use. When the pyramid has zero volume, the boom mounting module is mounted in the same plane as the distal ends of the arms and the base.

[0029] An embodiment of the lifting arrangement may be configured to accommodate an auxiliary cable of the crane, which is configured to be suspended from the crane and through the base. A conventional crane may then be used to lift at least a portion of the weight of the suspended component. The auxiliary cable may then be guided through the gripper mount and optional gripper to the component to be lifted. The gripper mount and optional gripper may then be configured to accommodate the auxiliary cable. The auxiliary cable may then be directly coupled to the wind turbine blade as the component to be lifted.

[0030] The control system may include any number of winches on which the cable can be wound and unwound, and a controller configured to control the winches, preferably in a coordinated manner, to manipulate the position and / or orientation of the gripper mounts within the workspace. Manipulation of the position and / or orientation of the gripper mounts may be decoupled, e.g., to control each spatial direction independently of the other. The winches may be used to control the spanned length of at least two of the multiple cables between the cable attachment point and the cable guide element. The cable guide element may be the same component as the winch.

[0031] One or more of the winches may be provided in or on the base of the lifting equipment, one or more of the winches may be provided on the ship, or the winches may be provided outside a pyramid defined by the distal ends of the arms and the base.

[0032] One or more force sensors may be provided on the lifting installation, the force sensors configured to provide sensor signals related to tension in one or more of the cables, and the control system configured to receive the sensor signals and control the winch based on the received signals.

[0033] In some embodiments, the vessel-mounted module is positioned as a frame on the deck of the vessel.

[0034] The vessel may comprise a crane configured to lift the offshore wind turbine blade.

[0035] In some embodiments, the vessel-mounted module may comprise a plurality of arms configured to be coupled to a boom of a crane, with at least some of the cable guide elements being provided at distal ends of the arms. Thus, the vessel-mounted module does not necessarily comprise a base.

[0036] Optionally, the arms may define a polyhedron having a non-zero volume, which may be drawn across a line extending through each centerline of the arms.

[0037] As a further option, a first arm of the plurality of arms may be substantially non-parallel to a plane in which second and third arms of the plurality of arms extend.

[0038] If the arms are not straight but are at least partially curved, the arms define a polyhedron with a non-zero volume.

[0039] When the plurality of arms includes at least three arms, a first arm of the at least three arms may be at least partially oriented at an angle relative to a plane in which second and third arms of the at least three arms extend.

[0040] The lifting equipment may include a crane having a crane base configured to connect the crane to a ship and a boom extending from the crane base, wherein an offset between a first one of the cable guide elements and the crane base may be greater than an offset between a second one of the cable guide elements and the crane base.

[0041] As a further option, the offset between the third one of the cable guide elements and the crane base may be substantially equal to the offset between the second one of the cable guide elements and the crane base.

[0042] One or more arms may be connected to the boom, for example, at or near the distal end of the boom, or may be connected to the boom at a distance from the distal end of the boom. Multiple arms may be connected to the boom at substantially the same distance from the distal end of the boom.

[0043] A second aspect provides a vessel configured for lifting components, such as offshore wind turbine blades, comprising a lifting arrangement according to the first aspect, wherein the vessel-mounted module is connected to the vessel.

[0044] A third aspect provides a kit of parts including a first arm, a second arm, and a third arm. The first arm and the second arm may be substantially similar in size and / or shape, and the third arm may be a different size and / or shape. At their proximal ends, the first arm and the second arm may include a connecting element, at which the arms may be connected to the vessel using a connecting element.

[0045] In certain embodiments of the kit of parts, the first arm and the second arm are connected and / or provided by a single arm. When the first arm and the second arm are provided by a single arm, the single arm may include one or more cable guide elements at either end. At or near the center of the single arm, the single arm may include a connecting member for connecting the single arm to the ship, e.g., the crane. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0046] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A depicts a schematic of an offshore wind turbine installation. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B shows a detailed view of one embodiment of the lifting equipment. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A shows another embodiment of the lifting installation. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B shows an alternative embodiment of the lifting arrangement. [Figure 3A] FIG. 3A shows a side view of one embodiment of the lifting equipment. [Figure 3B] FIG. 3B shows a front view of one embodiment of the lifting equipment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the lifting installation. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 shows a lifting installation that is not part of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the lifting installation. [Figure 7A] FIG. 7A shows the lifting installation of FIG. 6 in a side view. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B shows the lifting installation of FIG. 6 in a front view. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows yet another embodiment of the lifting installation. [Figure 9A] FIG. 9A shows the lifting installation of FIG. 8 in a side view. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B shows the lifting installation of FIG. 8 in a front view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0047] Figure 1A schematically illustrates an installation situation for an offshore wind turbine, in which an installation vessel 101 is equipped with a number of wind turbine blades 102 to be installed. The installation vessel 101 is floating on a body of water 103, e.g., the sea or ocean, near a monopole 104, e.g., a mounting structure for the wind turbine. The monopole 104 is positioned, e.g., on the bottom 105 of the body of water, and is equipped with a nacelle 106 and its rotor, as depicted in Figure 1A. The blades 102 are installed on the rotor of the nacelle 106.

[0048] 1A, waves, wind, and other environmental factors may affect the position and orientation of the vessel 101, compared to the substantially more stationary monopole 104 and nacelle 106. As such, one or more of the vessel 101's six degrees of freedom (surge, heave, sway, roll, pitch, and jaw) may be affected.

[0049] Also in the case of a jack-up vessel, the vessel and the nacelle are not always in a fixed position relative to each other due to, for example, the effects of wind and wave loads on the monopole, due to vibrations of the nacelle, due to deflections and vibrations of the crane, due to any other forces acting on either the vessel and / or the nacelle, for example wind acting on the gripper arrangement, or any combination thereof.

[0050] A crane 107 is attached to the vessel 101, e.g., its deck, and is configured to lift a component, e.g., the wind turbine blade 102, from the deck of the vessel 101 and move the component toward its installation position. The crane 107 is substantially rigidly attached to the vessel 101 at its base, so that one or more of the vessel 101's degrees of freedom may be coupled to the crane 107. Thus, in such cases, when the vessel moves due to wind, waves, and / or currents, the crane also moves. The same applies to the nacelle 106 and its rotor, which is substantially rigidly connected to the monopole 104, which may also move due to environmental factors. The same may also apply in situations where the turbine mast 104 and nacelle 106 are connected to a floating platform, which may be required to install a wind turbine deep underwater.

[0051] The crane 107 comprises a crane boom 108 to which is connected a lifting arrangement 110 for lifting an offshore wind turbine blade 102, which is an example of an offshore component that has to be lifted. The lifting arrangement 110 is shown schematically in Figure 1A and comprises a base 120 comprising a boom-mounted module, which is an example of a vessel-mounted module, configured to connect the base 120 to the boom 108 of the crane 107 and thereby to the vessel.

[0052] The attachment of the base 120 to the boom 108 may be a rigid connection, or alternatively may be via one or more actuators, springs, dampers, or any combination thereof. Such actuators, such as motor-operated rotary joints, may be used, for example, to reposition the lifting equipment 110 relative to the boom 108, the crane 107, and / or the ship 101.

[0053] Next to, or instead of being configured to lift an offshore wind turbine blade 102, the lifting arrangement 110 may be configured to lift other loads. Such loads may be other wind turbine components, but also other construction components or any other components that need to be lifted. Following lifting of the attached load, the lifting arrangement may also be used exclusively to control the position and / or orientation of the attached load.

[0054] Extending from the base 120 are a plurality of arms 130, which are coupled at their proximal ends to the base 120. Dependent from the distal ends of the arms 130 are a plurality of cables 140. The cables 140 connect to gripper mounts 150 configured to connect to specialized grippers for handling components, such as the turbine blade 102'. The six degrees of freedom of the gripper mounts 150 can be manipulated within a given workspace by manipulating the length of the cables between the arms from which they hang and the gripper mounts 150.

[0055] 1A shows a crane base 600. The crane base 600 is configured to connect the crane to the ship. Thus, the crane base 600 can be connected to the deck of the ship, for example. The boom 108 of the crane extends from the crane base 600.

[0056] 1B shows a detailed view of an embodiment of a lifting arrangement 110 coupled to the boom 108 as part of a crane. The lifting arrangement 110 comprises a base 120 with a boom attachment module 122 configured to couple the base 120 to the boom 108 of the crane 108.

[0057] Extending from the base 120 are a plurality of arms: first arm 131, second arm 132, and third arm 133. The arms are connected at their proximal ends to the base 120, and the distal ends of the arms define a pyramid with the base 120. In this particular embodiment, an imaginary pyramid is seen, with a triangular base formed by the distal ends of the arms and the apex of the pyramid formed by the base.

[0058] 1B, the boom attachment module 122 is disposed within the imaginary pyramid defined by the distal ends of the arms and the base 120. In other embodiments, all or at least a portion of the boom attachment module 122 may form part of the imaginary pyramid, all or at least a portion of the boom attachment module 122 may be disposed outside the imaginary pyramid, or different portions of the boom attachment module 122 may be disposed inside and outside the imaginary pyramid.

[0059] If the boom mounting module 122 is mounted within the pyramid defined by the distal ends of the arms and the base 120, the base 120 may be mounted above the boom 108 and not suspended therefrom when the crane 107 is in use. Alternatively, the base 120 may be suspended from the boom 108.

[0060] In an alternative embodiment, the arms and the base 120 may be disposed in substantially the same plane, which may be oriented in any of three spatial orientations relative to the boom 108.

[0061] A gripper mount 150 configured to be coupled to a gripper for a wind turbine blade, which is a component to be lifted, is supported from a plurality of cables, first cable 141, second cable 142, third cable 143, fourth cable 144, fifth cable 145, and sixth cable 146. The cables hang from the distal ends of the arms, more specifically, in this embodiment, first cable 141 and second cable 142 hang from the distal end of first arm 131, third cable 143 and fourth cable 144 hang from the distal end of second arm 132, and fifth cable 145 and sixth cable 146 hang from the distal end of third arm 133.

[0062] When the gripper mount 150 is suspended from the cables, it is suspended with a workspace defined by the shape of the arms and the length and number of the cables. By manipulating the length of one or more, preferably all, of the cables from which the gripper mount 150 is suspended, the gripper mount 150 can be moved within the workspace. The movement may span one or more of three translational degrees of freedom (surge, sway, and heave), one or more of three rotational degrees of freedom (pitch, roll, and yaw), or a combination thereof.

[0063] In the embodiment of the lifting equipment shown in FIG. 1B, the cables of the plurality of cables are configured in pairs, with the first cable 141 and the second cable 142 forming a first pair, the third cable 143 and the fourth cable 144 forming a second pair, and the fifth cable 145 and the sixth cable 146 forming a third pair, and are suspended from the first arm 131, the second arm 132, and the third arm 133, respectively.

[0064] The cables are suspended from their respective arms via pulleys and / or sheaves which are mechanically mounted such that any cable entry and exit orientation is preferably accommodated by the pulley / sheave, and for this purpose the pulleys and / or sheaves themselves may change orientation, for example by using a suitable mechanical suspension, for example by means of a small passive hinge mechanism.

[0065] In some embodiments, one or more of the cable attachment points referenced 191, 192, and 193 are suspended from the arm. 。

[0066] The gripper mount 150 provides six attachment points for attaching cables. As shown in FIG. 1B, the attachment points are aligned in sets of two near the vertices of an imaginary triangle provided by the gripper mount 150. Any other shape for the attachment can be selected, resulting in a change in the available workspace. In the embodiment of FIG. 1B, the gripper mount 150 is substantially triangular in shape. However, in other embodiments, the gripper mount 150 may not be triangular in shape.

[0067] The first cable 141 and the sixth cable 146 are attached near a first vertex 151 of the gripper mount 150. The second cable 142 and the third cable 143 are attached near a second vertex 152. The fourth cable 144 and the fifth cable 145 are attached near a third vertex 153. With this cable configuration, the six degrees of freedom of the gripper mount 150 can be controlled by manipulating the length of one or more cables spanning between the distal end of the respective arms and the gripper mount 150.

[0068] In the embodiment of the lifting equipment 110 shown in FIG. 1B, when viewed from above, the first arm 131, the second arm 132, and the third arm 133 are spaced at regular angular intervals. Because there are three arms in this particular embodiment, the arms are spaced 120 degrees apart from one another. In other embodiments, the arms may be spaced at non-regular angular intervals. Further, for example, the spacing between the third arm 133 and the first arm 131 and between the third arm 133 and the second arm 132 may be substantially equal, while the spacing between the first arm 131 and the second arm 132 may be smaller or larger.

[0069] Non-constant spacing between all three arms may also be used, for example spacings of approximately 140, 100, and 120 degrees.

[0070] 1B, the first arm 131 and the second arm 132 are substantially the same shape, thus forming two arms of substantially equal size. The third arm 133 is a different shape.

[0071] The third arm 133 is a substantially straight arm, whereas the first arm 131 and the second arm 132 are substantially curved. In this particular embodiment, the curvature of the first arm 131 and the second arm 132 is achieved by multiple connected straight arm sections connected to each other at an angle.

[0072] The first arm 131 and the second arm 132 extend at their proximal ends substantially in the same plane as the base 120. However, because they are curved, the distal ends of the first arm 131 and the second arm 132 extend substantially parallel to the boom 108.

[0073] When the boom is oriented substantially parallel to the gravity vector g, substantially parallel to the boom 108 may mean substantially parallel to the gravity vector g. Alternatively, the boom 108 may be disposed at an angle to the gravity vector g, for example, an angle between 0° and 5°, between 5° and 10°, between 10° and 15°, between 15° and 20°, or an angle greater than 20°.

[0074] In this particular embodiment, the third arm 133, which is an arm of a different size, extends substantially in the same plane as the base, and the distal ends of the first arm 131 and the second arm 132 are oriented substantially perpendicular to the third arm 133.

[0075] 1B, the mounting module 120 is coupled to the boom 108 such that the boom 108 and the third arm 133, which is an arm of a different size, are disposed in substantially the same plane, which is oriented substantially perpendicular to the gravity vector g when the lifting arrangement 110 is in use.

[0076] The lifting installation 110 of Figure 1B further comprises a control system (not shown) with a number of winches around which cables can be wound and unwound. Two winches are shown in Figure 1B with reference number 166, which are associated with the third arm 133 and thereby with the fifth cable 145 and the second cable 146. Preferably, a winch is provided for each cable whose length is controlled and which is provided by the lifting installation 110.

[0077] If the lifting installation 110 is equipped with the winch, there is no need for a cable to be pulled along the crane 107 to a winch that would otherwise be mounted on the ship 101, for example on its deck. In Figure 1B, the winch 166 is mounted on the base 120.

[0078] In other embodiments, one or more of the winches 166 may be located anywhere on the arm between the distal end of the arm and the proximal end of the arm. In still other embodiments, the winches 166 are not located on the lifting equipment 110, but elsewhere on the ship 101 and / or the crane 107. In the latter embodiment, the winches may be heavier and therefore more powerful and may be able to carry a larger load. In this case, any of the cables may be rerouted along one or more pulleys and / or sheaves.

[0079] If the winch 166 is mounted in or on the base 120 , the winch 166 may be mounted outside the pyramid defined by the distal ends of the arms and the base 120 .

[0080] The control system further includes a controller configured to control the winches, preferably in a coordinated manner, to manipulate the position and / or orientation of the gripper mount 150 within the workspace. The controller may be configured to simultaneously control the winding or unwinding of multiple winches to manipulate the position and / or orientation of the gripper mount 150 as desired.

[0081] For example, user input via a joystick may be used to provide the required position and / or orientation of the gripper mount 150, or any point geometrically related to the gripper mount 150, the location of which may be known or measured by the control system using a dedicated sensor. Such an arbitrary point that may be controlled via a joystick may, for example, be the root of a turbine blade attached to a blade gripper.

[0082] Additionally or alternatively, the control system may be configured to determine a difference between a current position and / or orientation of the gripper mount 150 and / or a load suspended from the gripper mount 150 and a desired position and / or orientation of the gripper mount 150 and / or a load suspended from the gripper mount 150.

[0083] By reducing this difference, the controller may, for example, position and / or orient the turbine blade 102 relative to the nacelle 106 and / or its rotor so that the turbine blade 102 can be attached.

[0084] The control system may be configured to determine the relative position between the gripper mounting portion 150 and / or the base 120, or the relative position between the gripper mounting portion 150 and / or the load suspended from the gripper mounting portion 150 and a plane connecting the distal ends of the multiple arms 130, and / or to determine the relative position between the gripper mounting portion 150 and / or the load suspended from the gripper mounting portion 150 and the nacelle 106.

[0085] The control system may further be configured to compensate for vessel motions, for example caused by waves and wind, so that the suspended payload may be stabilized and rendered substantially immobile relative to a ground-fixed frame of reference.

[0086] The lifting installation 110 may further include one or more force sensors configured to provide a sensor signal related to the tension in one or more of the cables. Such sensors may be provided between the point at which the cable hangs from the arm and the point at which it is attached to the gripper mount 150, or alternatively or additionally, may be an integral part of the winch. For example, the tension may be measured indirectly by measuring the torque that the winch exerts on the cable.

[0087] The control system may be configured to receive the sensor signals and control the winch based on the received signals. For example, if the tension in one or more of the cables exceeds or falls below a threshold, the gripper mount 150 may be repositioned and / or reoriented so that the threshold is not further exceeded, preferably so that the control system remains stable.

[0088] FIG. 2A shows an embodiment of the lifting equipment 110 similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1B, but with two additional features, both of which are optional.

[0089] As a first option, the lifting installation 110 comprises an umbilical 162 provided between one of the arms, the first arm 131, and the gripper mounting 150. The umbilical 162 may be used to transfer data signals between the gripper mounting 150 and the crane 107, and optionally via the crane 107 to the vessel 101 and the control system. The data signals may include data from one or more force sensors that may be provided on the gripper mounting 150. The gripper mounting 150 may further comprise other sensors, such as cameras, proximity sensors, any other sensors, or any combination thereof, required for example to measure the position and orientation of the gripper mounting 150 relative to another point in space, for example part of the wind turbine. Signals output by such sensors may also be transmitted via the umbilical 162, which may be configured, for example, as a cable having one or more cores, which may comprise a conductive material, such as copper, and / or optical cable.

[0090] As a second option, the lifting arrangement 110 is configured to accommodate the crane's auxiliary cable 164, which is configured to be suspended between the crane 107 and the gripper mount 150 through the base 120. Optionally, the crane 107, which is typically configured to lift large weights, may then be used to carry at least a portion of the weight of the gripper mount 150, optionally in combination with the lifting arrangement and any attached or suspended load, such as a wind turbine blade 102, connected to the gripper mount 150. This may reduce the load on at least one of the arms provided by the lifting arrangement 110 and / or on the cable from which the gripper mount 150 is suspended, which in turn may allow for the use of a smaller and / or lighter lifting arrangement 110.

[0091] Figure 2A further shows as a dotted line the imaginary pyramid 170 between the distal end of the arm and the base 120. As can be seen in Figure 2A, the gripper facility 150 may extend outside of this imaginary pyramid 170.

[0092] Figure 2B shows an alternative embodiment of a lifting arrangement 110 in which the arm is shaped differently than the arm shown in Figure 2A. In the lifting arrangement 110 of Figure 2B, the distal end of the arm and the base 120 define a pyramid, which is flatter in shape than the pyramid 170 of Figure 2A.

[0093] 3A and 3B show side and front views, respectively, of an embodiment of a lifting arrangement 110 comprising a base 120 with a boom mounting module 122 and a first arm 131, a second arm 132, and a third arm 133 extending from the base 120. A cable 140 suspends the gripper mount 150.

[0094] 3A and 3B, a coordinate system is defined by three orthogonal axes, x, y, and z. The z-axis is a vertical axis pointing in the opposite direction to the gravity vector g, and the plane through which the x-axis and y-axis extend is the vertical plane. In a right-handed view, in FIG. 3A, the x-axis points into the page, and in FIG. 3B, the y-axis points out of the page.

[0095] By manipulating the length of the cables 140 between the distal ends of the arms and their attachment points on the gripper mount 150, the position and / or orientation of the gripper mount 150 can be manipulated. The distal position and orientation of the gripper mount 150 define the extent of the workspace of the gripper mount 150.

[0096] 3A, an exemplary workspace is shown as the area bounded by dotted line 180. On the y-axis, the workspace is confined between the distal ends of the first arm 131 and the second arm 132 and the distal end of the third arm 133.

[0097] 3A and 3B, the workspace delimited by dotted line 180 is merely an example. Different workspaces may be realized in different embodiments of the lifting plant 110. The size and shape of the workspace may depend, for example, on the maximum available cable length, the shape of the arm, the shape of the boom 108, the shape of the gripper mount 150, how and in what orientation the lifting plant 110 is connected to the boom 108, the use and location of any winches, pulleys, and / or sheaves between which one or more cables are hung, any other factors, or any combination thereof.

[0098] 3A and 3B pertains only to the translational degrees of freedom of the gripper mount 150, an equivalent rotational or orientation workspace also exists (not shown). By appropriately controlling the cable length between the arm and the gripper mount 150, rotation about the x-axis, rotation about the y-axis, and / or rotation about the z-axis may also be achieved. The amount of degrees of rotation available about each axis may also be encompassed by the workspace of the gripper mount 150 and may again depend on the shape and cable attachment point of the gripper mount 150, the available cable length, the shape of the arm, any other factors, or any combination thereof.

[0099] 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the lifting equipment 110 connected to the boom 108 of the crane 107. The crane 107 is located on the vessel 101 floating in a body of water 103.

[0100] In the embodiment of Figure 4, the lifting arrangement 110 includes six arms 130 and multiple cables 140 from which the gripper mounts 150 are suspended. For example, the lifting arrangement 110 of Figure 4 may include six cables 140, each assigned to a respective arm 130 and connecting to a specific point on the gripper mount 150, rather than being divided into pairs of two cables.

[0101] The lifting arrangement 110 further comprises an auxiliary cable 164 configured to support a portion of the weight of the gripper mount 150 and the wind turbine blade 102′ connected to the gripper mount, which may be a large portion of this weight.

[0102] Next to lifting installations 110 with three or six arms, lifting installations 110 with any other number of arms are envisioned, for example, four, five, seven, eight, or even more. Also, any number of cables may be used in combination with any number of arms, some, or preferably all, of the cables along their length may be controllable to manipulate the position and / or orientation of the gripper mount 150 and / or the load coupled to the gripper mount 150.

[0103] Regardless of the exact configuration of the lifting equipment, cables, and gripper mountings, the control system is configured to measure, determine, and / or calculate the position and / or orientation of the gripper equipment 150 and / or suspended load (hereinafter commonly referred to as the "payload") relative to the base 120 (or relative to any other reference fixedly related to the base 120), measure at least one or more of the following relative positions and / or orientations: between the payload and the base, between the payload and the vessel, and between the payload and any point on the nacelle 106 or its rotor, and use the relative position measurements to calculate appropriate control actions to command the winch to control the cable.

[0104] Force information measured in the cable may also be used by the control system to calculate a preferred cable trajectory to move or stabilize the payload against movements of the vessel, movements of the crane, relative movements between the payload and the turbine, and / or to stabilize the payload against external influences, such as loads and therefore wind-induced movements that directly push on the payload.

[0105] The control system may further be configured to prevent undesired moving cables that may result in undesired and uncontrolled movement of the payload. The control system may be configured to incorporate multiple levels of cascaded control loops, thereby ensuring closed-loop control of, for example, force, torque, and / or position or velocity between the base 120 and the payload.

[0106] The control system may further be configured to compensate for any relative movement between the payload relative to the movement of the vessel, the movement of the crane, or to cancel any relative movement between a stationary and / or moving nacelle and the payload suspended by the crane.

[0107] In the different figures, the arms are realized as truss structures with the respective cables passing through the truss structures, but one or more of the arms may be configured differently. Furthermore, the respective cables may run above, below, and / or along the arms and / or be routed completely differently between the base and the ship.

[0108] 1B , and the cables 143 and 144 that exit the arms 131 and 132 of the lifting plant 110 at cable attachment points 191 and 192, respectively, can be routed to alternative cable attachment points (not shown), which are then attached directly to the crane boom 108 instead of being attached to the lifting plant arms 131 and 132. Such mechanical reconfigurations can be made without affecting the available workspace of the gripper mount 150. However, the embodiment shown in FIG. 1B can have the advantage that the cables do not otherwise interfere with the nominal operation of the crane 107.

[0109] Figure 5 shows 1 shows a lifting installation that is not part of the present invention.

[0110] FIG. 6 shows a lifting system 110 for lifting offshore wind turbine blades. Another 6 or 8. The lifting arrangement 110 is an option that can be installed on an existing ship's crane 107. The lifting arrangement 110 can be provided as a kit of parts, and in one method, the various components of this kit of parts can be installed individually on the crane 107. The components can be installed, for example, in the arrangement of FIG. 6 or FIG. 8.

[0111] It may be appreciated that lifting equipment in general may include various components, and in some instances where the components are connected together in an articulated manner, the components may be disconnected from one another before being connected to the crane and / or vessel. If the components are not connected to one another, it may not be necessary to disconnect the components before individually installing them on the crane 107, which may already be present on the vessel.

[0112] The lifting equipment 110 comprises a plurality of arms, a first arm 131, a second arm 132, and a third arm 133. Thus, a kit of parts for installing the lifting equipment on a crane may comprise the first arm 131, the second arm 132, and the third arm 133, as depicted in FIG. 6, for example. In particular, the first arm 131 and the second arm 132 may be substantially equal in size. Furthermore, as another option, the third arm 133 may be a different size than the first arm 131 and the second arm 132. Optionally, the shape of the first arm 131 may be a mirror image of the shape of the second arm 132.

[0113] The first arm 131 and the second arm 132 may be coupled to the crane 107 at their proximal ends. Accordingly, the first arm 131 and the second arm 132 may include a coupling member at their respective proximal ends, and the kit of parts may include, as part of a vessel mounting module, one or more coupling elements for coupling the first arm 131 and the second arm 132 to the crane at their respective coupling members. For example, the arms may be coupled to the crane using one or more clamp connections, bolts, welds, pad-eyes, plates with holes for receiving bolts welded or otherwise coupled to the arms, other types of connections, or any combination thereof. The components required for the connection, such as one or more clamps, bolts, or any other coupling elements, may be provided with the kit of parts.

[0114] The distal ends of the first arm 131 and the second arm 132 are provided with cable attachment points 191 and 192, respectively. Furthermore, the distal end of the third arm 133 is provided with a cable attachment point 193. A plurality of cables 140 are passed between the cable attachment points and a gripper attachment 150, which is configured to be connected to a dedicated gripper for carrying a component, such as the turbine blade. The cable attachment points can be points to which the cables are fixed. In another embodiment, the cable attachment points are pulleys by which the cables are guided between the gripper attachments and a winch. In another embodiment, the cable attachment points are implemented as winches.

[0115] 6, the third arm 133 is connected to or near the top of the boom at the distal end of the crane 107. Thus, in use, at least a portion of the third arm 133 may be positioned above the gripper mount 150.

[0116] The cable plant of the embodiment of FIG. 6 may be substantially similar to the cable plant shown in FIG. 1B and / or detailed in this description.

[0117] Optionally, the gripper mount 150 is also suspended from the crane's auxiliary cable 164. For example, if a component having a large weight must be suspended from the gripper mount 150, the auxiliary cable 164 may be used to prevent overloading of the other cables 140.

[0118] Figures 7A and 7B show the lifting arrangement 110 of Figure 6 in a side view and a front view, respectively. Figure 7A shows a side view of the lifting arrangement 110, showing that the third arm 133 extends laterally further than the second arm 132 and the first arm 131. In particular, the cable attachment point 193 of the third arm 133 may extend laterally, i.e., perpendicular to the boom of the crane 107, in a plane defined by the boom of the crane 107 and the third arm 133, further than the second arm 132.

[0119] 7A, the third arm 133 is positioned at an angle relative to the horizontal. In other embodiments, the third arm 133 can be oriented substantially horizontally when in use. Preferably, the third arm 133 is mounted on the crane 107 at an angle relative to the boom.

[0120] 7B shows that the first arm 131 and the second arm 132 may optionally be mirror-shaped. The first arm 131 and the second arm 132 may be oriented at an angle relative to the boom of the crane 107, which may be oriented substantially vertically in the front view. The angle between the crane and the first arm 131 may be substantially the same as the angle between the crane and the second arm 132. In this manner, the distal and proximal points of the first arm 131, the second arm 132, and the third arm 133 may form a polyhedron with a non-zero volume.

[0121] The line from the distal point to the proximal point can be defined on the front side of the arm, on the centerline of the arm, or on the rear side of the arm. The front side of the arm is shown on the right side of FIG. 7A. In this example, a polyhedron can be defined by the distal and proximal points of the arms and by connecting each point to all other distal and proximal points of the arms. In FIG. 7A, the proximal points of the first arm 131 and the second arm 132 coincide, meaning that each point, whether proximal or distal, is connected to five other points by imaginary lines to form a six-sided polyhedron. The distal point can be the middle of the axis of the cable guide pulley. The proximal point can be the center, lower point, upper point, outer point, or inner point of where the arm can be connected to the boom. As such, the polyhedron may be defined within and / or excluding the arms, or around and / or including the arms.

[0122] Figure 7A shows a portion of a first offset O1 between the crane base 600 and the third cable guide element 193 and a portion of a second offset O2 between the crane base 600 and the second cable guide element 192. The crane base 600 is not shown here for the sake of brevity in Figure 7A, but is depicted in, for example, Figure 1A.

[0123] 7B shows that, optionally, the offset between the second cable guide element 192 and the first cable guide element 192 may be substantially zero. Thus, the offset between the first cable guide element 191 and the crane base 600 may be substantially equal to the offset O2 between the second cable guide element 192 and the crane base 600. The cable guide elements may be implemented as pulleys.

[0124] An offset is therefore understood as the distance between two components along a single direction, which may be, for example, parallel to gravity. For example, a first imaginary horizontal plane may be drawn through the crane base 600 and a second imaginary horizontal plane may be drawn through the first cable guide element 191.

[0125] The offset between the crane base 600 and the first cable guide element 191 may be the distance between the first imaginary horizontal plane and the second imaginary horizontal plane, and thus may be a vertical offset. Therefore, horizontal changes in one or both of the crane base 600 and the first cable guide element 191 do not affect the offset. Therefore, the offset is calculated to be different from the distance between the two components, which is the length of a straight line drawn between the two components.

[0126] The vertical offset may depend on the orientation of the boom relative to the horizon. Thus, only for a particular orientation of the boom 108, the offset between the crane base 600 and the first cable guide element 191 may be smaller than the offset between the crane base 600 and the third cable guide element 191. For example, the orientation may be greater than 20 degrees, greater than 45 degrees, greater than 60 degrees, or even greater than 75 degrees, preferably 80 or 85 degrees, or even more for tall turbine installations.

[0127] 7A and 7B depict a first path length 772 along the boom and a second path length 773 along the boom 108, which may partially overlap. The first path length 772 is provided between the crane base 600 and the second cable guide element 191 via the second arm 132, and the second path length 773 is provided between the crane base 600 and the third cable guide element 193 via the optional third arm 131. The second path length 773 may be greater than the first path length 772 due to, for example, the difference in path lengths on the second arm 132 and the third arm 133 and / or the distance between a distal end 777 of the boom 108 and the second arm 132.

[0128] The path length may be along a path that includes different sections, and the sections may be at an angle relative to adjacent sections. The orientation of the path length may correspond substantially to the centerline of the boom 108 and / or arm.

[0129] 8 depicts yet another embodiment of the lifting installation 110 comprising the first arm 131, second arm 132 and third arm 133. The three arms may be provided separately from the crane 107, for example as a kit of parts as described above.

[0130] In another embodiment, the arm may be an open structure with multiple trusses, which may be lightweight and rigid. As a further option, the arm may be equipped with one or more plates made of plate material, which may be used to connect the arm to the crane.

[0131] As a further option, which may be applicable to other embodiments, the lifting equipment may include one or more winches 802, which may control the length of one or more of the cables 140.

[0132] In particular, one or more or all of the winches may be located below the first arm 131 and the second arm 132. A lower winch position, and therefore a smaller offset relative to the crane base 600, may lower the center of gravity of the crane and the vessel supporting it. This lower center of gravity may increase the stability of the vessel and result in less mass near the crane's boom tip, which may otherwise cause high stresses along the boom. The one or more winches and one or more coupling members for connecting the winches to the crane 107 may be provided in a kit-of-parts embodiment.

[0133] It will therefore be understood that one or more winches may be provided on one or more of the first arm 131, the second arm 132 and / or the third arm 133, and / or one or more winches may be provided separately from one or more of the first arm 131, the second arm 132 and / or the third arm 133.

[0134] Figure 9A shows a side view of the lifting arrangement 110 of Figure 8. As can be seen in Figure 9A, optionally, the third arm 133 can be oriented downwards at an angle to the horizontal during use.

[0135] Figure 9B shows a front view of the lifting arrangement 110 of Figure 8. As can be seen in Figure 9B, the first arm 131 and the second arm 132 are oriented at an angle relative to the crane 107. Thus, for example, the first arm 131 and the second arm 132 may extend away from the third arm 133.

[0136] In the embodiment of the lifting arrangement 110 of FIGS. 6-9B, the lifting arrangement 150 is optionally suspended from six cables, with an optional seventh auxiliary cable 164.

[0137] It will be readily apparent from the embodiments of Figures 6 to 9B that the vessel-mounted module does not necessarily comprise a base to which the arms are connected. Thus, the vessel-mounted module may comprise a plurality of arms, with cable guide elements provided at the distal ends of the arms. In other words, the base may be provided by the crane and / or the vessel.

[0138] Embodiments of the lifting equipment may include a vision system configured to determine the position and / or one or more orientations of the lifting equipment 150 relative to an arbitrary but stationary point on the end of the boom. The vision system may include one or more cameras, lasers, LIDAR, SONOR, and / or reflectors and / or active or passive markers, or any other remote sensors and sensor / marker combinations to determine the distance between a particular sensor of the vision system and a particular point on the lifting equipment 150.

[0139] The entire vision system may be provided on one of the arms, such as the third arm 133. In other embodiments, various components of the vision system may be distributed among two or three of the first arm 131, second arm 132, and third arm 133. For example, one or more sensors of the vision system may be provided on two or three of the arms. Alternatively, at least a portion of the vision system may be provided on the boom.

[0140] In certain embodiments, the vision system is configured to determine the distance between a sensor of the vision system and at least some specific points on the lifting plant 150. Points on the lifting plant 150 may be marked with markings configured to reflect sensor signals transmitted by the sensor of the vision system and / or having visually identifiable markers.

[0141] Additionally or alternatively, the vision system may be configured to determine the position and / or orientation of the lifting arrangement 150 relative to a fixed point, which may be, for example, on the vessel, or the monopile 104, or the nacelle 106, or any other element of a wind turbine.

[0142] The vision system may be used by a controller to control at least one length of the cable 140 from which the lifting equipment 150 is suspended, for example by controlling one or more winches. The controller may use the vision system and one or more force sensors simultaneously to control one or more of the winches.

[0143] In the above description, when an element, e.g., a layer, region, or substrate, is referred to as being "on" or "on" another element, it will be understood that the element is either directly on the other element, or that intervening elements may be present. It will also be understood that values ​​given in the above description are given by way of example, and that other values ​​are possible and / or desired.

[0144] Furthermore, the present invention may be embodied with fewer components than provided in the embodiments described herein, in which case one component performs multiple functions. Similarly, the present invention may be embodied using more components than depicted in the figures, in which case the functions performed by one component in the embodiments provided are distributed among multiple components.

[0145] It should be noted that the figures are only schematic representations of embodiments of the invention, given as non-limiting examples. For clarity and conciseness of description, features are described herein as part of the same or separate embodiments, but it will be recognized that the scope of the invention may include embodiments having all or any combination of the described features.

[0146] The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of other features or steps than those listed in a claim. Furthermore, the words "a" and "an" are not to be interpreted as being limited to "only one", but rather are used in the sense of "at least one" and do not exclude a plurality.

[0147] Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the various parameters and their values ​​described in the detailed description of the invention may be varied and that the various embodiments described in the detailed description of the invention and / or claimed below may be combined without departing from the scope of the invention. The present invention may be configured as follows. [Section A1] 1. A lifting installation for lifting loads and in particular offshore wind turbine blades, comprising: a gripper mount configured to couple to the load and including a set of cable attachment points arranged as a first polygon; a vessel-mounted module configured to be coupled to the vessel and comprising a plurality of cable guide elements arranged as a second polygon; a plurality of cables routed between the cable attachment points and the cable guide element; a control system for controlling the position and / or orientation of the gripper mount within a workspace by controlling the spanned length of at least two of the plurality of cables between the cable attachment point and the cable guide element; The lifting equipment. [Section A2] The lifting equipment described in paragraph A1, wherein the ship-mounted module further comprises a plurality of arms configured to be coupled to a boom of a crane, and at least some of the plurality of cable guide elements are provided at distal ends of the plurality of arms. [Section A3] The lifting arrangement of paragraph A2, wherein the plurality of arms define a polyhedron having a non-zero volume. [Section A4] The lifting arrangement of paragraphs A2 or A3, wherein the plurality of arms includes at least three arms, and a first arm of the at least three arms is at least partially oriented at an angle relative to a plane in which second and third arms of the at least three arms span. [Section A5] The lifting equipment described in any one of items A2 to A4, wherein the plurality of arms includes two arms of substantially equal size and one arm of a size different from the two arms of substantially equal size. [Section A6] The lifting equipment of any one of clauses A2 to A5, further comprising a crane, the crane comprising a crane base configured to couple the crane to a ship, and a boom extending from the crane base. [Section A7] The lifting equipment described in paragraph A6, wherein the offset between the distal end of a first arm of the plurality of arms and the crane base is different from the offset between the distal end of a second arm of the plurality of arms and the crane base. [Section A8] The lifting equipment described in paragraph A7, wherein the offset between the distal end of a third arm of the plurality of arms and the crane base is substantially equal to the offset between the distal end of the second arm of the plurality of arms and the crane base. [Section A9] The lifting arrangement of paragraphs A7 or A8, wherein at least one of the plurality of arms is coupled to or near the distal end of the boom. [Section A10] The lifting equipment according to any one of paragraphs A6 to A9, wherein two of the plurality of arms extend from the boom at a distance from the distal end of the boom. [Section A11] The lifting equipment of any one of clauses A5 to A10, wherein a path length along the boom between the crane base and a distal end of a first arm of the plurality of arms is different from a path length along the boom between the crane base and a distal end of a second arm of the plurality of arms. [Section A12] The lifting installation of any one of clauses A6 to A11, wherein the path length along the boom between the crane base and the distal end of a first arm of the plurality of arms is substantially equal to the path length along the boom between the crane base and the distal end of a third arm of the plurality of arms. [Section A13] 1. A vessel configured for lifting offshore wind turbine blades, comprising: A vessel comprising the lifting installation according to any one of paragraphs A1 to A12, wherein the vessel-mounted module is coupled to the vessel. [Section A14] the vessel-mounted module: a base comprising a boom attachment module, wherein the boom attachment module is configured to connect the base to a boom of a crane; a plurality of arms extending from the base, wherein the plurality of arms are connected to the base at a proximal end; It is equipped with The lifting equipment according to any one of paragraphs A1 to A13, wherein the cable guide element is provided at a distal end of the plurality of arms. [Section A15] The lifting equipment according to any one of paragraphs A2 to A14, wherein the distal ends of the arms and the base define a pyramid. [Section A16] The lifting equipment of any one of paragraphs A2 to A15, wherein the plurality of cables includes a plurality of pairs of cables, each pair of cables suspended from the distal end of one arm. [Section A17] A lifting installation according to paragraph A16 insofar as it is dependent on paragraph A15, wherein a first cable of a pair of cables is connected to a cable attachment point corresponding to a first vertex of the gripper mounting, and a second cable of the pair of cables is connected to a cable attachment point at a second vertex of the gripper mounting. [Section A18] The lifting equipment according to any one of items A2 to A17, wherein the plurality of arms are provided at regular angular intervals. [Section A19] The lifting equipment described in any one of items A2 to A18, wherein the plurality of arms includes two arms of substantially equal size and one arm of a size different from the two arms of substantially equal size. [Section A20] The lifting equipment described in paragraph A19, wherein the boom mounting module is configured to be connected to the boom of the crane so that the boom of the crane and the different sized arms are arranged substantially in the same plane. [Section A21] The lifting equipment of paragraphs A19 or A20, wherein the two arms of substantially equal shape are curved at their distal ends so that the two arms are oriented substantially perpendicular to the different sized arms. [Section A22] The lifting equipment according to any one of paragraphs A15 to A21, wherein the boom mounting module is provided within the pyramid defined by the distal ends of the arms and the base. [Section A23] The lifting equipment described in any one of paragraphs A2 to A22 is configured to accommodate an auxiliary cable of the crane, and the auxiliary cable is configured to be suspended from the crane and through the base. [Section A24] The lifting equipment described in any one of paragraphs A1 to A23, wherein the control system includes a winch by which the cable can be wound and unwound, and a controller configured to control the winch to manipulate the position and / or orientation of the gripper mounting portion within the workspace. [Section A25] The lifting installation of paragraph A24, further comprising one or more force sensors configured to provide a sensor signal related to tension on one or more of the plurality of cables, wherein the control system is configured to receive the sensor signal and control the winch based on the received signal. [Section A26] A lifting arrangement according to paragraph A24 or A25, wherein the winch is provided in or on the base of the lifting arrangement. [Section A27] The lifting equipment described in paragraph A26 insofar as it is dependent on any one of paragraphs A15 to A23, wherein the winch is provided outside the pyramid defined by the distal ends of the arms and the base. [Section A28] The lifting equipment according to any one of paragraphs A1 to A27, wherein the ship-mounted module is arranged as a frame on the deck of the ship. [Section A29] 1. A vessel configured for lifting offshore wind turbine blades, comprising: The vessel is provided with the lifting installation according to any one of paragraphs A1 to A28, wherein the vessel-mounted module is coupled to the vessel. [Section A30] the vessel-mounted module: a base comprising a boom attachment module, wherein the boom attachment module is configured to connect the base to a boom of a crane; a plurality of arms extending from the base, wherein the plurality of arms are connected to the base at a proximal end; It is equipped with The lifting equipment according to paragraph A29, wherein the cable guide element is provided at the distal end of the plurality of arms. The present invention may also be configured as follows. [Section B1] 1. A lifting installation for lifting loads and in particular offshore wind turbine blades, comprising: a gripper mount configured to couple to the load and including a set of cable attachment points arranged as a first polygon; a vessel-mounted module configured to be coupled to the vessel and comprising a plurality of cable guide elements arranged as a second polygon; At least six cables routed between the cable attachment points and the cable guide element; a control system for controlling a position and / or orientation of the gripper mount within a workspace by controlling a spanned length of each of the at least six cables between the cable attachment point and the cable guide element; and It is equipped with the vessel-mounted module further comprises a plurality of arms, the plurality of arms being connected or configured to be coupled to a boom of a crane, such that one or more of the plurality of arms are connected to and extend from the boom of the crane at a distance from the distal end of the boom, and at least some of the plurality of cable guide elements are provided at the distal ends of the plurality of arms; The lifting equipment. [Section B2] The lifting equipment described in paragraph B1, wherein the plurality of arms includes two arms of substantially equal size and one arm of a size different from the two arms of substantially equal size. [Section B3] The lifting installation of any one of paragraphs B1 or B2, further comprising a crane, the crane comprising a crane base configured to connect the crane to a ship, and the boom extending from the crane base. [Section B4] The lifting equipment described in paragraph B3, wherein two of the plurality of arms extend from the boom at a distance from the distal end of the boom. [Section B5] the vessel-mounted module: a base comprising a boom attachment module, wherein the boom attachment module is configured to connect the base to a boom of a crane; a plurality of arms extending from the base, wherein the plurality of arms are connected to the base at a proximal end; It is equipped with The lifting equipment according to any one of paragraphs B1 to B4, wherein the cable guide element is provided at a distal end of the plurality of arms. [Section B6] The lifting equipment described in paragraph B5, wherein the distal ends of the plurality of arms and the base define a pyramid. [Section B7] The lifting equipment according to any one of paragraphs B1 to B6, wherein the at least six cables include multiple pairs of cables, each pair of cables suspended from the distal end of one arm. [Section B8] A lifting installation according to paragraph B7 insofar as it is dependent on paragraph B6, wherein a first cable of a pair of cables is connected to a cable attachment point corresponding to a first vertex of the gripper mounting, and a second cable of the pair of cables is connected to a cable attachment point at a second vertex of the gripper mounting. [Section B9] The lifting equipment according to any one of items B1 to B8, wherein the plurality of arms includes two arms of substantially equal size and one arm of a size different from the two arms of substantially equal size. [Section B10] The lifting equipment described in paragraph B5, wherein the plurality of arms includes two arms of substantially equal size and one arm of a size different from the two arms of substantially equal size, and the boom mounting module is configured to be connected to the boom of the crane so that the boom of the crane and the differently sized arms are arranged in substantially the same plane. [Section B11] The lifting installation according to paragraphs B5 or B6, configured to accommodate an auxiliary cable of the crane, the auxiliary cable being configured to be suspended from the crane and through at least one of the bases and the gripper mounting, and / or configured to support a portion of the weight of the gripper mounting and a possible load connected to the gripper mounting. [Section B12] The lifting equipment according to any one of clauses B1 to B11, wherein the control system comprises a winch on which the cable can be wound and unwound, and a controller configured to control the winch to manipulate the position and / or orientation of the gripper mounting portion within the workspace. [Section B13] The lifting installation of any one of clauses B1 to B12, further comprising one or more force sensors configured to provide a sensor signal related to tension on one or more of the plurality of cables. [Section B14] The lifting installation described in paragraph B11, further comprising one or more force sensors configured to provide a sensor signal related to tension on one or more of the plurality of cables, and the control system configured to receive the sensor signal and control the winch based on the received sensor signal. [Section B15] a vision system configured to determine the position and / or one or more orientations of the lifting equipment relative to any stationary point; a sensor for measuring the position and orientation of the gripper mount relative to another point in space; or a combination thereof The lifting equipment according to any one of items B1 to B14, comprising at least one of the following: [Section B16] 1. A vessel configured for lifting loads and in particular offshore wind turbine blades, comprising: The vessel is equipped with the lifting installation according to any one of paragraphs B1 to B15, wherein the vessel-mounted module is coupled to the vessel.

Claims

1. A lifting arrangement (110) for lifting a load (102) and in particular an offshore wind turbine blade, comprising: a gripper attachment portion (150) configured to be coupled to the load and including a plurality of cable attachment points (151, 152, 153); a vessel-mounted module configured to be coupled to a vessel (101), said vessel-mounted module comprising a plurality of arms (131, 132, 133) configured to be coupled to a boom (108) of a crane (107), wherein a plurality of cable guide elements (191, 192, 193) are provided at distal ends of said plurality of arms; a plurality of cables (141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146) extending between the cable attachment points and the cable guide elements; a control system for controlling the position and / or orientation of the gripper mount within a workspace (180) by controlling the spanned length of at least two of the plurality of cables between the cable attachment point and the cable guide element; The lifting equipment (110) is provided with:

2. 2. The lifting arrangement (110) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of arms (131, 132, 133) define a polyhedron having a non-zero volume.

3. 3. The lifting installation (110) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of arms (131, 132, 133) comprises at least three arms, and a first arm (133) of the plurality of arms is at least partially oriented at an angle to a plane in which a second arm (131) and a third arm (132) of the plurality of arms extend.

4. The lifting installation (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the plurality of arms (131, 132, 133) comprises two arms (131, 132) of substantially equal size and one arm (133) of a size different from the two arms of substantially equal size.

5. 5. The lifting installation (110) of any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a crane (107), said crane comprising a crane base (600) configured to couple said crane to a ship (101), and further comprising a boom (108) extending from said crane base.

6. the vessel-mounted module: a base (120) having a boom attachment module (122), wherein the boom attachment module is configured to couple the base to a boom (108) of a crane (107); and wherein the plurality of arms (131, 132, 133) extend from the base, and each arm is connected to the base at a proximal end; The lifting installation (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cable guide elements (191, 192, 193) are provided at the distal ends of the plurality of arms.

7. 7. The lifting arrangement (110) of claim 6, wherein the distal ends of the plurality of arms (131, 132, 133) and the base (120) define a pyramid.

8. 8. The lifting arrangement (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the plurality of cables (141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146) comprises a plurality of pairs of cables, each pair of cables being suspended from the distal end of one arm.

9. 9. The lifting installation (110) according to claim 7 or 8, wherein a first cable (141) of a pair of cables (141, 142) is connected to a cable attachment point (151) corresponding to a first vertex of the gripper mounting portion (150), and a second cable (142) of the pair of cables is connected to a cable attachment point (152) at a second vertex of the gripper mounting portion.

10. 10. The lifting installation (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the plurality of arms (131, 132, 133) comprises two arms (131, 132) of substantially equal size and one arm (133) of a size different from the two arms of substantially equal size.

11. 7. The lifting equipment (110) of claim 6, wherein the boom attachment module (122) is configured to be coupled to the boom (108) of the crane (107) such that the boom (108) of the crane (107) and the different sized arms (133) are disposed substantially in the same plane.

12. 12. The lifting installation (110) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the two arms (131, 132) of substantially equal shape are curved at their distal ends so that the two arms are oriented substantially perpendicular to the arm (133) of different size.

13. 10. The lifting installation (110) according to claim 7 or claim 9 when dependent on claim 7, wherein the boom mounting module (122) is provided within the pyramid defined by the distal ends of the plurality of arms (131, 132, 133) and the base (120).

14. 14. The lifting arrangement (110) of any one of claims 6 to 13, configured to accommodate an auxiliary cable (164) of the crane (107), the auxiliary cable being configured to be suspended from the crane and through the base (120).

15. The lifting installation (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the control system comprises a winch (166, 802) on which the plurality of cables (141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146) can be wound and unwound, and a controller configured to control the winch to manipulate the position and / or orientation of the gripper mounting portion (150) within the workspace (180).

16. 16. The lifting installation (110) of claim 15, further comprising one or more force sensors configured to provide a sensor signal related to tension on one or more of the plurality of cables (141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146), wherein the control system is configured to receive the sensor signal and to control the winch based on the received sensor signal.

17. a vision system configured to determine the position and / or one or more orientations of the lifting equipment relative to an arbitrary but stationary point; a sensor for measuring the position and orientation of the gripper mount (150) relative to another point in space; At least one of A lifting arrangement (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. 17. The lifting arrangement (110) according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the winch (166, 802) is provided in or on the base (120) of the lifting arrangement.

19. The lifting installation (110) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ship-mounted module is arranged as a frame on the deck of the ship (101).

20. A vessel (101) configured for lifting a load (102) and in particular offshore wind turbine blades, comprising: The ship (101) is provided with a lifting installation (110) according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the ship-mounted module is connected to the ship.

21. the vessel-mounted module: a base (120) having a boom attachment module (122), wherein said boom attachment module is configured to couple said base to a boom (108) of a crane (107); the plurality of arms (131, 132, 133) extending from the base, wherein the plurality of arms are connected to the base at their proximal ends; It is equipped with the cable guide elements (191, 192, 193) are provided at the distal ends of the plurality of arms; A vessel (101) according to claim 20.

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