Wind Turbine Nacelle Crane Double Wire Guide System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Crane systems for servicing wind turbines face challenges in preventing wire contact and damage during yawing movements, limiting the crane's operational range to less than 360 degrees and posing safety risks to personnel.
Innovation Solution
A double wire guide system with a first fixed part and a second pivotal part, featuring track cut wire wheels that absorb directional deviations through rotational movements, ensuring wires are guided into and out of the drum from different positions without contact, allowing for yawing up to +/- 175 degrees.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed wire guide system is used for the crane, then the wire guidance is simple and stable, but the crane cannot perform 360 degree yawing without wire contact
Solution Approach 1:
The wire guide system transitions from a completely fixed structure to a dynamic system where the second wire guide part can pivot with the crane jib, and track-cut wire wheels can rotate to absorb directional deviations. This dynamic adaptation enables the crane to yaw within approximately +/- 175 degrees while maintaining proper wire guidance and preventing wire contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire guide system is divided into multiple independent parts: a first fixed wire guide part attached to the anchoring bracket, and a second wire guide part connected to the crane jib that can pivot independently. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function - the fixed part provides stable anchor points while the movable part adapts to yaw movements.
2Ease of operation
If the crane allows 360 degree rotation, then the operational freedom is maximized, but the wires will contact each other causing damage and safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
Track-cut wire wheels serve as intermediary elements between the fixed wire guide part and the moving crane jib. These wheels can rotate on their tracks to absorb directional deviations caused by yawing, ensuring that wires are always guided from known positions on the drum without contacting each other, even during extensive yaw movements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the geometric parameters of wire guidance dynamically. As the crane yaws, the second wire guide part pivots and the track-cut wire wheels rotate, continuously adjusting the wire path angles and positions to maintain proper wire separation and guidance throughout the approximately +/- 175 degree rotation range.
3Productivity
If a mobile crane with high tower is used on the ground, then the crane can service multiple turbines, but the erection time is significant and costs are high
Solution Approach 1:
The wind turbine nacelle is equipped with a built-in crane system that can service the turbine itself and potentially adjacent turbines. The crane is anchored to stable structural parts within the nacelle, eliminating the need for external mobile cranes and their lengthy erection and dismantling processes, thereby significantly reducing service time and costs.
Data Source
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AI summary
There is disclosed a crane (2) with double wire guide (38) and anchoring bracket (10) arranged in the nacelle (4) of a wind turbine for hoisting -up and -down of heavy parts (8) of the wind turbine arranged in the nacelle (4), said crane (2) comprising an externally winch with wires (32, 34), located near the base of the tower (36) of the wind turbine, said winch being connected via the wire guide (38) to a pulley block (16) comprising a crane hook (17) at the end of the crane outrigger arm (20). The particular by the wire guide (38) is, that it by two set of pivotally mounted wire wheels (56, 64), mounted respectively on a fixed bracket part (10) of the crane, and the pivotal mounted part of the crane (28), controls the wires (32, 34) of the crane within an pivot interval between +/- 175 degrees from a 0-reference point, so that said wires never will touch each other.