Offshore Wind Turbine Lifting Apparatus Bracket Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current offshore wind turbine lift system extension procedures are not optimized in terms of material costs and installation time, particularly due to the handling and movement of heavy pulleys from the tower to the transition piece.
Innovation Solution
A lifting apparatus with configurable brackets that allow the tensioners to be moved from the tower to the hang-off platform in the transition piece, eliminating the need to handle pulleys and reducing material and labor costs by using only tensioners, which are moved between the inner and hang-off platforms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If heavy pulleys are moved from the low voltage platform to the hang-off platform in the transition piece, then the lift system can be extended into the transition piece, but the installation time and labor costs increase considerably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pulley function from the traditional heavy pulley components and relocates it to integrated brackets that are already part of the tower structure. The brackets are designed to accommodate tensioners and guide wires without requiring separate heavy pulley components to be moved between platforms, thereby eliminating the time-consuming relocation process while maintaining lift system extension capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The brackets integrated into the tower structure serve multiple functions: they act as support structures, wire guides, and mounting points for tensioners. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for dedicated heavy pulleys and reduces the complexity of the extension procedure, allowing the lift system to be extended into the transition piece without additional handling operations.
2Adaptability or versatility
If heavy pulleys are handled and relocated during lift system extension, then the lift can operate in the transition piece, but material costs and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the heavy pulley components from the extension procedure by utilizing pre-integrated brackets in the tower structure. This extraction of the pulley function from movable components to fixed structural elements eliminates the need for costly handling, relocation, and reinstallation operations, thereby reducing both material and labor costs associated with extending the lift system.
Solution Approach 2:
The brackets are pre-integrated into the tower structure during initial construction, preparing the lift system for future extension into the transition piece. This preliminary action eliminates the need for expensive on-site assembly and relocation operations when extension is required, as the structural support and wire guidance elements are already in place.
3Ease of operation
If traditional pulley-based lift systems are used, then the lift can operate between platforms, but the system complexity and handling requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pulley components from the lift system and replaces them with integrated brackets that are part of the tower structure. This simplifies the overall system by eliminating separate pulley handling procedures and reduces the number of components that require maintenance and relocation, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the pulley function with the tower structure by integrating brackets into the existing structural elements. This combination eliminates the need for separate pulley components and simplifies the lift system architecture, reducing both device complexity and operational complexity while maintaining the ability to operate the lift between platforms and in the transition piece.
Data Source
AI summary
An offshore wind turbine including a tower, a transition piece and a lifting apparatus for operating a lift inside the wind turbine is provided. The tower includes an inner platform at the bottom end of the tower. The transition piece includes a hang-off platform. The lifting apparatus includes a plurality of wires, a plurality of tensioners, one or more brackets attached to the inner platform and movable between at least a first operative configuration in which the plurality of tensioners are attached to the one or more brackets and the lift is movable from the first station at the inner platform towards the upper end of the tower, a second retracted configuration in which one or more brackets allows the lift to move between the first and the second station, the plurality of tensioners being attached to the hang-off platform.