Offshore Wind Rotor Assembly Device with Rotating Hub
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for assembling wind turbines at sea are time-consuming, space-intensive, and pose a risk of damage to fragile rotor blades due to the difficulty in manipulating large, lightweight structures on a small offshore platform.
Innovation Solution
A device with a support structure that allows the hub of the rotor to be rotated and positioned outside the platform's periphery, enabling efficient assembly of wind turbine rotors at sea by connecting blades to the hub in accessible positions, reducing the need for onshore assembly and transport.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rotor assembly is performed onshore and transported to offshore, then assembly reliability is improved, but transport risk and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hub is prepared in advance with attachment means for blades, and the rotating means are pre-installed on the support structure. This preliminary preparation enables efficient onshore assembly of the rotor while reducing transport time, as the rotor can be quickly assembled and deployed at the offshore location without requiring complex on-site assembly operations.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If rotor assembly is performed at sea, then transport risk is reduced, but assembly difficulty and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure incorporates rotating means that enable the hub to be rotated to different positions during blade assembly. This dynamic capability allows the hub to be oriented optimally for each assembly operation, making onshore assembly easier and safer while enabling seamless transition to offshore deployment without requiring the entire assembly process to be completed in constrained offshore conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure extends beyond the platform periphery, creating additional workspace in the horizontal dimension. This extended workspace provides sufficient space for safe and efficient rotor assembly operations onshore, while the modular design allows the completed rotor to be easily transferred to the offshore platform for installation.
3Area of stationary object
If rotor assembly is performed at sea, then platform space is saved, but assembly safety and coordination requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate functional modules: the support structure with rotating means for hub manipulation, the hub with blade attachment means, and the blade assembly process. This segmentation allows the complex assembly operation to be broken down into manageable steps that can be performed safely onshore with adequate space, while the completed rotor is then deployed offshore, achieving space efficiency without compromising safety.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for assembling a rotor of a wind turbine at sea. The device has a support structure that is provided with a rotating table for rotating the hub of a rotor around the hubs longitudinal axis. The support structure is further adapted to be connected to an offshore platform such that the rotating table may be positioned outside the periphery of the platform. The invention also relates to an assembly of an offshore platform and the device, connected thereto. The invention further relates to a method for assembling a rotor of a wind turbine at sea, and to a method of assembling a wind turbine at sea, using the device and assembly. The device and method provide a more efficient assemblage.