Winch Mounting Frame for Wind Turbine Lifting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing winch anchoring systems for wind turbine component lifting are inflexible and heavy, making them unsuitable for conditions with insufficient soil strength or inadequate equipment, as they require rigid anchoring to a concrete block or fork lift truck, limiting their versatility and ease of use.
Innovation Solution
A winch mounting frame that can be selectively connected to a forklift truck or bolted to a fixed attachment point, featuring a sleeve for single-fork mounting, guide rollers to manage tension, and interchangeable winches, allowing for adaptable and lightweight operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a winch is rigidly anchored to a concrete block or fork lift truck using a predefined anchoring device, then the winch remains stationary under high tension, but the device becomes heavy and inflexible, making it unsuitable for conditions with insufficient soil strength or inadequate equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The winch mounting frame is designed with dual mounting capabilities: it can be selectively connected to a forklift truck using a sleeve and set screw mechanism, or bolted to a fixed attachment point such as a concrete block. This multi-functionality allows the same frame to adapt to different anchoring conditions (insufficient soil strength vs. adequate equipment), resolving the contradiction between reliability and adaptability by providing universal applicability across various site conditions
2Reliability
If a frame spans both forks of a forklift to rigidly connect the winch, then the winch is securely anchored, but the device weight increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the spanner bar component that would connect both forks of the forklift. Instead, the sleeve is inserted into a single forklift fork, eliminating the need for a structure spanning multiple forks. This extraction of the unnecessary spanning component significantly reduces the weight of the mounting frame while maintaining secure anchoring through the single-fork insertion and set screw locking mechanism
3Reliability
If the winch mounting frame is designed for rigid connection to heavy structures, then the winch remains stationary under high tension, but the device complexity and handling difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting frame is segmented into modular components: the main frame structure, the removable sleeve for forklift insertion, and the set screw fastening mechanism. This segmentation allows the sleeve to be easily inserted and locked into the forklift fork without moving the entire heavy frame, significantly improving ease of operation and handling while maintaining the reliability of the anchoring system under high tension
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a flexible, lightweight winch mounting frame that can handle significant loads with reduced bending moments and allows for easy switching between manual and motorized winches, enhancing handling and versatility during wind turbine component lifting.
Implementation Method 1
The bending moments acting on the winch mounting frame due to the tension of the guide cable are significantly influenced by the distance between the guide roller and the lower mounting device. Since the at least one guide roller is located near the lower mounting device, the bending moment can be kept low.
Implementation Method 2
The set screw(s) enable secure fastening of the winch mounting frame by means of a friction-fit locking mechanism.
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 1c
AI summary
The invention relates to a winch mounting frame (2) for use in a winch assembly (1) for controlling the orientation of a wind turbine component during lifting operations when erecting a wind turbine, and to a corresponding winch assembly (1). The winch mounting frame (2) comprises an upper mounting device (20) for connecting a winch (3) to it and a lower mounting device (21) which includes a sleeve (23) so that the winch mounting frame (2) can be slid onto a single fork (50) of a forklift truck (5), and screw holes (22) so that the winch mounting frame (2) can alternatively be detachably screwed to a fixed mounting point (4). The winch assembly (1) comprises a winch mounting frame (2) according to the invention and a winch (3) which is detachably connected to the upper mounting device (20) of the winch mounting frame (2).