Reversible Cradle Elements for Wind Turbine Tower Section Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shipping and storage fixtures for wind turbine tower sections are limited in accommodating a wide range of tower section bolt patterns, diameters, and loads, requiring lengthy engineering analysis and investment for new fixtures, and pose challenges due to increasing weight and pressure on shipping vessel decks.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising reversible cradle elements with bolt slot openings and support members that can accommodate varying tower diameters, allowing for secure stacking and transportation of tower sections with different diameters, and includes features like lifting components, trunnions, and shim plates for stable support and easy handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing shipping fixtures are used for tower sections, then stacking and transportation can be achieved, but the fixtures can only accommodate limited tower types and sizes, requiring lengthy engineering analysis and redesign for new tower designs
Solution Approach 1:
The cradle element is designed with a reversible configuration where opposite sides have different curvatures (first curvature for first diameter, second curvature for second diameter), allowing a single fixture to accommodate multiple tower section diameters by simply reversing the cradle element orientation, thereby achieving multi-functionality without requiring separate fixtures for each tower type
Solution Approach 2:
The cradle element incorporates adjustable support members that can be repositioned along the longitudinal axis to accommodate different tower section lengths and diameters, providing dynamic adaptability that allows the same fixture to handle varying tower configurations without redesign
2Quantity of substance
If larger wind turbine tower sections are used to increase capacity, then more energy can be generated, but the weight of the sections increases and the pressure they exert on shipping floors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The support system is divided into multiple support members distributed along the length of the cradle element, which individually contact and support the tower section at different locations. This segmentation distributes the total load across multiple contact points, reducing the pressure concentration on any single point of the shipping floor while maintaining the ability to transport larger, heavier tower sections
Solution Approach 2:
The support members are positioned to contact the tower section at multiple longitudinal locations rather than at a single point, effectively distributing the load across the longitudinal dimension. This dimensional distribution of support forces reduces the pressure intensity on the shipping floor while accommodating larger tower section weights
3Stability of the object's composition
If conventional locking mechanisms are used for securing tower sections, then stacking is possible, but the mechanisms are spaced intermittently and may not provide adequate support for varying tower diameters and weights
Solution Approach 1:
The cradle element serves multiple functions: it provides structural support for the tower section, acts as a stacking interface with complementary cradles for vertical arrangement, and accommodates varying diameters through its reversible configuration. This multi-functionality ensures stacking stability while adapting to different tower configurations without requiring separate specialized mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is directed to a system for transporting or storing one or more tower sections of a tower of a wind turbine. The system includes at least one pair of cradle elements having a first cradle element configured to support a lower portion of the tower section and a second cradle element configured to support an upper portion of the tower section. The first and second cradle elements are securable to a flange of one of the tower sections and are also reversible in that a first side of the first and second cradle elements is configured to accommodate a tower section having a first diameter and an opposite, second side of the first and second cradle elements is configured to accommodate a tower section having a different, second diameter. The system also includes a pair of support members coupled to each of the first and second cradle elements.