Multi-Axis Blade Root Tool for Safe Flange Flipping and Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Handling and positioning large blade root flanges in wind turbine blades is challenging due to their weight and difficulty in rotating them from a horizontal to a vertical position, posing safety hazards and increasing manufacturing time, especially with the use of overhead cranes.
Innovation Solution
A multi-axis tool with a first arm, mounting frame, and connecting assembly that allows for pivoting and rotating blade root components, enabling safe and efficient handling and positioning without cranes, adapting to different shapes and sizes, and improving load distribution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If overhead cranes are used to handle blade root flanges, then the blade root flanges can be moved towards the blade root portion, but safety hazards increase and staff cannot work under suspended loads
Solution Approach 1:
A multi-axis tool acts as an intermediary device between the blade root flange and the handling system. The tool includes a mounting frame that releasably connects to the blade root component, a first arm with multiple degrees of freedom for positioning, and a connecting assembly with pivoting and rotating capabilities. This intermediary tool eliminates the need for overhead cranes and suspended loads, allowing safe handling and positioning of the heavy blade root flange without staff working under suspended loads.
2Productivity
If overhead cranes are used to move blade root flanges, then the flanges can be transported, but adjustment of blade root portion position becomes difficult and mounting time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The multi-axis tool incorporates dynamic positioning capabilities with a first arm that can pivot about a first direction, a connecting assembly that allows pivoting about a second direction, and rotating connectors that enable rotation about a third direction. These multiple degrees of freedom provide real-time adjustability of the blade root flange position and orientation, making position adjustment easy and significantly reducing mounting time compared to static overhead crane systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool allows independent adjustment of multiple parameters including the first angle of the first arm about the first direction, the second angle of pivoting about the second direction, and the third angle of rotation about the third direction. This multi-parameter control system enables precise positioning of the blade root flange at various orientations, facilitating both easy adjustment and efficient mounting operations.
3Productivity
If blade root flanges are made larger to increase wind turbine size, then more energy can be captured, but the weight increases making them heavier and more difficult to handle
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces traditional mechanical handling systems (overhead cranes) with a multi-axis robotic tool system that uses controlled motion along multiple degrees of freedom. The first arm with its pivot points and rotating connectors provides precise control over heavy blade root flanges, substituting brute-force mechanical lifting with controlled, multi-axis positioning that can handle increased weights more efficiently.
4Manufacturing precision
If blade root flanges are rotated from horizontal to vertical position for mounting, then proper installation orientation is achieved, but the process becomes time-consuming and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The multi-axis tool adds dimensional freedom to the positioning process by incorporating rotation about a third direction (vertical axis) in addition to pivoting about the first and second directions. This three-dimensional rotational capability allows the blade root flange to be oriented from horizontal to vertical position and any intermediate angle rapidly and precisely, achieving accurate positioning without time-consuming manual operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
In a first aspect, a multi-axis tool for handling and positioning a blade root component at a blade root portion of a wind turbine blade is provided. The tool comprises a first arm extending from first arm proximal end to a first arm distal end. In addition, the tool comprises a first arm support pivotally coupled to the first arm proximal end and a mounting frame configured to be releasably connected to the blade root component. The tool further comprises a connecting assembly coupling the first arm distal end to the mounting frame. The connecting assembly comprises a connecting joint for pivoting the mounting frame and a rotating connector rotatably coupling the first arm distal end with the mounting frame. The tool is configured to rotate and/or to flip the blade root component when connected to the mounting frame. In a further aspect, a method for handling and positioning a blade root component at a blade root portion of a wind turbine blade is provided.