Recycled Wind Turbine Spar Crane Mat for Heavy Equipment Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a temporary track to drive heavy industrial equipment, and existing solutions fail to provide a stable and durable option that can withstand frequent use without breakage.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for fabricating, hauling, and deploying an industrial crane mat constructed from recycled windmill turbine spars, which involves cutting the spars to specific lengths and widths, pre-perforating them for assembly, and using fastening hardware to create a mat that can articulate and fold for transportation while maintaining structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional wood systems are used for crane mats, then they are easier to manufacture and transport, but they lack sufficient tensile strength and durability for heavy industrial equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining recycled wind turbine spars (fiberglass-reinforced plastic) with metal fastening hardware to create a crane mat that achieves superior tensile strength and durability. The composite construction integrates the high strength-to-weight ratio of fiberglass spars with the structural integrity of metal connectors, resolving the contradiction between strength requirements and manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from traditional wood to recycled composite spars, fundamentally altering the mechanical properties of the crane mat. This parameter change enables the structure to withstand heavy industrial equipment loads while maintaining reasonable manufacturability through standardized spar components and fastening systems.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the crane mat is made substantially longer to cover more ground, then it provides better stability for heavy equipment, but it becomes more difficult to transport and deploy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the long crane mat into multiple modular sections made from standardized spar components. These segmented sections can be easily transported and deployed independently, then connected together to form a stable, extended platform. This resolves the contradiction by allowing the mat to achieve both length for stability and modularity for ease of deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates dynamic elements through articulation points and flexible connections between mat sections, allowing the structure to adapt during deployment and operation. This dynamic design enables the mat to be easily assembled and disassembled while maintaining stability when deployed, resolving the contradiction between length and deployability.
3Reliability
If the crane mat uses recycled wind turbine spars, then it achieves superior durability and tensile strength, but it increases manufacturing complexity compared to traditional wood systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies discarding and recovering by utilizing recycled spars from decommissioned wind turbines as the primary structural component. This approach transforms waste material into a durable, high-performance product, achieving reliability while the standardized recycling process manages manufacturing complexity through established procedures for spar preparation and assembly.
4Ease of operation
If the crane mat is designed to articulate and fold for transportation, then it improves ease of transport and storage, but it may reduce structural integrity during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by creating a modular articulated structure where individual sections can fold for transport but maintain full structural integrity when assembled in operational configuration. The standardized connection points and rigid spar components ensure that the folded state for transport does not compromise the strength and stability required during crane operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for fabricating, hauling, and deploying an industrial crane mat constructed from recycled windmill turbine spars. The system and method comprising: removing outer covering from a wind turbine blade with a trimmer, cutting the wind turbine blade into a plurality of uniform boards using a cutter, connecting the plurality of the plurality of uniform boards side by side into two rows of the plurality of uniform boards, using a plurality of rings, wherein the two rows each have a first end and a second end, and wherein the plurality of rings connects a first end of the first row to a second end of the second row together to form a crane mat, bifolding the crane mat onto itself in half along a latitudinal axis of the crane mat using a loader, loading the bifolded crane mat onto a trailer using a line attached to the bifolded crane mat to pull the bifolded crane mat onto the trailer and pulling the bifolded crane mat onto the trailer using a winch.