Wind Turbine Blade Mounting via Horizontal Orientation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for mounting wind turbine blades on a rotor hub face challenges such as requiring large, obstacle-free areas for assembly, complicated rotor lifting, and difficulty in maintaining blade orientation, especially with increasing turbine sizes, where existing systems either lack control over blade orientation during lifting or require personnel to manage ropes, leading to safety and control issues.
Innovation Solution
A method using controllable control wires and a winch arrangement to maintain the wind turbine blade in a substantially horizontal orientation during lifting and mounting, allowing remote control from a safe distance, reducing the need for ground personnel and enhancing control by attaching the winch arrangement to the blade rather than the crane boom, which stabilizes the blade with forces acting on three contact points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the blade is lifted vertically with a lifting device, then the lifting process is simplified, but the blade orientation control is lost and personnel safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the lifting parameter from vertical orientation to horizontal orientation. The blade is lifted horizontally using a crane boom instead of vertically, which maintains orientation control throughout the lifting process and eliminates the need for personnel to manage ropes from ground level, thereby improving both ease of operation and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical rope-handling system operated by personnel with a crane-based lifting system. The crane boom provides mechanical advantage and controlled lifting capability, substituting the manual rope management system that compromised both safety and orientation control
2Stability of the object's composition
If the blade is held horizontally with slings and wires, then the blade axis position is maintained, but wind deflection requires multiple personnel with long ropes for steering control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the steering control function from the ground-level personnel system and integrates it into the crane system itself. The crane operator controls both lifting and orientation from the crane position, eliminating the need for multiple personnel with long ropes and simplifying the overall control system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the lifting function and orientation control function into a single integrated crane system. Instead of separate systems for lifting (slings and wires) and steering (long ropes with personnel), the crane boom provides both functions through its mechanical structure and positioning capability
3Ease of operation
If personnel are stationed on ground to control blade orientation with ropes, then blade orientation can be managed, but personnel are placed in danger zones and the number of persons required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the crane boom as an intermediary between the operator and the blade. The crane operator controls the blade orientation remotely through the crane's mechanical arms and positioning systems, eliminating the need for personnel to be physically present in dangerous zones near the hanging blade
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual rope-handling system operated by ground personnel with a remote-controlled crane system. The crane provides mechanical advantage and controlled positioning capability, allowing orientation management from a safe distance and eliminating personnel exposure to danger zones
4Ease of manufacture
If the rotor is turned by 90° in midair during lifting, then the rotor can be mounted to the nacelle, but the lifting process becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary orientation alignment on the ground before lifting. The rotor is positioned and oriented correctly in the horizontal plane before being lifted by the crane, eliminating the need for complex mid-air 90° turning maneuvers and simplifying the lifting process while maintaining mounting capability
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for mounting a wind turbine blade (3) to a wind turbine hub (1) by use of a crane boom (5) is provided. The orientation of the blade (3) is kept substantially horizontal when the blade (3) is lifted off the ground and mounted to the rotor hub (1). Control wires (13) which connect the blade (3) via the crane boom (5) to a winch arrangement (11) are used for keeping the blade (3) orientation substantially horizontal in addition to at least one bearing wire (15) for bearing the blade weight.