Conveyor Apparatus for Wind Turbine Generator Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of direct-drive wind turbine generators is complex, time-consuming, and costly due to the handling and transportation of heavy, unwieldy components, which increases the risk of damage and requires extensive safety measures, leading to inefficiencies in the assembly process.
Innovation Solution
A conveyor apparatus with independently movable assembly stations along a guided path, utilizing a conveyor band with hooks and a motor to move the assembly stations through successive assembly stages, allowing for in-line assembly without transferring partially assembled machines, reducing handling and enabling efficient tool distribution and final assembly at the same location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If heavy generator components are assembled in one location and then moved using cranes or hoisting apparatus, then the assembly can be completed, but the risk of damage to sensitive components increases and the process becomes time-consuming and costly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving the heavy generator components between assembly locations, the invention inverts the approach by bringing the assembly stations to the components. The conveyor system transports assembly stations along a guided path to predetermined locations where components are stationed, eliminating the need to move the heavy generator parts themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The assembly process is divided into multiple assembly stations positioned at different locations along the guided path. Each station is independently movable and can be coupled to the conveyor band, allowing the assembly process to be segmented into discrete stages performed at different locations without moving the heavy generator components between them.
2Productivity
If multiple generators are assembled simultaneously using cranes or hoisting apparatus, then production throughput increases, but the complexity and cost of handling equipment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the assembly process into multiple independent assembly stations that can operate simultaneously along the guided path. Each station is a separate, self-contained unit that can be coupled to the conveyor band independently, allowing multiple generators to be assembled at different stations at the same time without requiring complex coordinated handling equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor band with hooks serves as a universal transporting mechanism that can carry multiple assembly stations simultaneously. The standardized coupling mechanism allows any assembly station to be coupled to the conveyor band, providing a multi-functional system that handles different assembly tasks at different locations along the path.
3Adaptability or versatility
If assembly stations are fixed in location, then tool distribution and assembly operations are simplified, but the flexibility to perform multiple assembly stages at different locations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The assembly stations are designed to be movable rather than fixed, capable of being coupled to and transported by the conveyor band along the guided path. This dynamic capability allows each station to be positioned at different locations as needed while maintaining operational simplicity through standardized coupling and positioning mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor band acts as an intermediary between the fixed infrastructure (guided path) and the movable assembly stations. It provides the mechanism for transporting assembly stations to different locations along the path while maintaining simple, standardized coupling interfaces that ease operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention describes a conveyor apparatus (2) for an assembly line (1) comprising a number of assembly stations (3), which conveyor apparatus (2) comprises a guide (20) realised to define a path of travel for an assembly station (3); an engaging means (21) for engaging an assembly station (3) to the guide (20); and a driving means (22, 23, 24) for driving the engaging means (21) along the guide (20) such that the assembly station (3) is moved through successive stages (1A, ..., IF) of the assembly line (1). The invention further describes an assembly station (3) for use in an assembly line (1); an assembly line (1); and a method of assembling a generator (4) for a wind turbine.