Offshore Wind Turbine Tower With Pre-Mounted Crane
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of offshore wind turbines is time-consuming and costly due to the need for on-site testing and certification of cranes, which can be delayed by adverse weather conditions.
Innovation Solution
A method of manufacturing a tower for offshore wind turbines where a crane is mounted to the outer surface of the tower before transportation to the installation site, allowing for pre-site testing and certification, thereby reducing on-site installation time and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the crane is installed and tested on-site at the installation site, then the crane can be certified according to health and safety standards, but the installation time increases significantly due to weather delays
Solution Approach 1:
The crane is mounted on the tower before the tower is transported to the installation site, allowing testing and certification to be completed in advance. This preliminary action ensures the crane is already certified when it arrives at the installation site, eliminating the need for time-consuming on-site testing and certification that is subject to weather delays.
2Reliability
If the crane is tested and certified on-site, then the certification can be performed by specially trained personnel, but the installation cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
By mounting the crane on the tower prior to transportation, the testing and certification can be performed in a controlled environment before the tower arrives at the installation site. This shifts the certification activity from an expensive on-site operation requiring specially trained personnel to a more economical pre-assembly operation, significantly reducing installation costs.
3Ease of operation
If the crane is mounted on the access platform at the installation site, then the crane can be used for transferring goods, but the preparation time delays the rest of the installation work
Solution Approach 1:
The crane is mounted on the tower before transportation to the installation site, allowing all preparation work to be completed in advance. When the tower arrives at the installation site, the crane is already installed and ready for immediate use in transferring goods, eliminating the preparation delay that would otherwise postpone the rest of the installation work.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a tower (2) for an offshore wind turbine as well as such a tower. The method comprises providing the tower, mounting a crane (5) to an outer surface of the tower, and transporting the tower to the installation site of the wind turbine after the mounting of the crane. The crane comprises a base part (6) fixedly mounted to the tower, and a crane arm (7) pivotally connected to the base part at a first end (8). The method may further comprise a step of testing and certifying the crane according to a predetermined standard before the step of transporting the tower to the installation site. By application of the invention, the amount of installation work to be performed at the installation site can be minimized. In some embodiments of the invention, the crane arm has a shape matching the outer surface of the tower.