Wind Turbine Crane Tower Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind turbines face a limitation in lifting and lowering loads due to the free lift height constraint, where the crane's reach is insufficient to move loads vertically without colliding with the tower, necessitating a solution to safely maneuver loads around the tower's diameter.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a diagonal pull device with a motorized winch and guide cable, along with sensors and controllers, to deflect loads from a vertical position and maintain a safe distance from the tower, preventing collisions by adjusting the pulling force and speed based on distance and tensile force measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the crane is operated to lift or lower a load vertically, then the load can be moved vertically, but the load collides with the outer wall of the tower when below the free lift height
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a horizontal deflection component to the vertical lifting operation. By using a guide rope and winch system, the load is deflected horizontally away from the tower during lowering operations below the free lift height, transforming a one-dimensional vertical motion into a two-dimensional path that avoids the tower collision while maintaining vertical lifting capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rope acts as an intermediary element between the load and the operator. Instead of directly controlling the load's vertical position, the operator controls the guide rope which transmits force to deflect the load horizontally, providing a mediator that enables safe operation below the free lift height without direct tower contact.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a guide rope is used to deflect the load from vertical position, then the load can be kept away from the tower, but the guide rope is designed for significantly lower load (lower tensile force)
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the counterbalancing effect of the guide rope tension to offset the gravitational force acting on the load during lowering operations. The guide rope tension provides an upward counterforce that prevents the load from accelerating downward too rapidly, while simultaneously providing horizontal deflection force to maintain distance from the tower.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide rope system dynamically adjusts the deflection angle and tension based on the load's position and the operator's input. The winch controls the guide rope length to maintain optimal deflection angle, allowing the system to adapt to varying load conditions and tower proximity requirements while managing tensile forces within the guide rope's design limits.
3Reliability
If sensors and control systems are added to monitor distance and control winch, then the safety and precision are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates distance sensors that continuously monitor the load's distance from the tower and provide feedback to the control system. This feedback enables automatic adjustment of the winch operation to maintain safe distances, improving reliability through real-time monitoring and adaptive control without requiring complex manual coordination.
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
Enables safe and efficient lifting and lowering of loads by maintaining a sufficient distance from the tower, reducing the risk of collision and requiring less coordination between operators, while being adaptable to various terrain conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a guide rope (34) which is designed for a significantly lower load, meaning a lower tensile force
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
System for lifting and lowering loads on a wind turbine (10) comprising a tower (12) and a nacelle (18) arranged on the tower with a crane (22), wherein the tower has a diameter large enough up to a free lift height (50) that a load (30, 40) lifted or lowered vertically by the crane collides with the tower, wherein a slant winch is provided comprising a guided and a motorized winch (44) for one strand of the guide rope (34), wherein the guide rope has one or two strands and the motorized winch is operated when the crane is in operation to deflect the load from its vertical position below the crane via the guide rope at a height below the free lift height.