Windmill Tower Assembly System with Hydraulic Friction Fixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current windmill assembly and disassembly systems require large, costly cranes that are scarce and inefficient, leading to high operational and transportation costs, and pose risks due to complex assembly and stress on the tower.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a main structure with hydraulic arms for frictional attachment, pivoting arms with pulleys and capstans for hoisting, and adjustable counterbalancing equipment, allowing for safe and efficient ascent/descent of windmill components without the need for massive cranes, using conventional truck-crane and available resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If large cranes are used for windmill assembly, then assembly capability and lifting capacity are improved, but transportation cost and operational cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The assembly system is divided into multiple tower segments that can be assembled incrementally. Each segment is equipped with its own lifting mechanism, eliminating the need for a single large crane to lift the entire structure. This segmentation allows standard transportation vehicles to deliver components to the site.
Solution Approach 2:
The lifting system transitions from a static ground-based crane to a dynamic mobile platform that can ascend and descend the tower. The mobile lifting platform attaches to completed tower sections and moves upward as assembly progresses, maintaining optimal lifting position without requiring repositioning of massive equipment.
2Productivity
If taller towers and larger rotors are designed for higher generation capacity, then energy production is improved, but assembly complexity and crane requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tower is divided into multiple transportable segments that can be assembled in a step-by-step manner. Each segment is equipped with integrated lifting mechanisms, transforming a complex single-lift operation into a series of manageable assembly steps that reduce overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Each tower segment is self-sufficient with its own lifting and positioning mechanisms. The segments can be assembled without external crane assistance by using the lifting capacity of already-installed segments to hoist subsequent segments, making the assembly system inherently simpler and more scalable.
3Power
If conventional cranes are used for assembly, then lifting capability is sufficient, but availability and operational efficiency decrease due to weather constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from ground-based static cranes to mobile lifting platforms that operate from elevated positions on the tower itself. This dynamic positioning allows continuous operation in various weather conditions and eliminates the vulnerability of ground-based equipment to environmental constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The assembled tower structure serves its dual purpose of supporting the windmill components and providing the lifting mechanism for assembly. The tower segments themselves become the lifting platform, eliminating the need for separate crane equipment that would be constrained by weather conditions.
4Productivity
If friction fixing is used for tower segment attachment, then assembly speed is improved, but structural integrity requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tower segments are pre-equipped with friction fixing mechanisms and alignment features before assembly. This preliminary preparation allows rapid connection through friction-based attachment without requiring complex fastening operations, while the pre-designed structural interfaces ensure adequate strength and integrity.
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
This system simplifies and reduces costs associated with transportation, assembly, and disassembly, while ensuring safety for components and personnel, by enabling easy transportation and efficient operation of windmill components using existing resources.
Implementation Method 1
A intermediate fixing structure equipped with supports in hydraulic arms circumferentially arranged on the main structure and on the secondary structure used to generate a compression stress on the various tower segments so as to join the bodies by means of friction.
Implementation Method 2
pivoting arms with pulleys and capstans for hoisting
Data Source
AI summary
A system for assembling/disassembling a windmill in a supporting tower, comprising a intermediate fixing structure with hydraulic supports for attachment, by pressure, to the tower; a main structure capable of being attached to the tower at various working positions by absorbing the diametral differences of the latter; two pivoting arms hinged to the main structure and capable of being positioned by hydraulic actuators; a secondary structure for hoisting tower segments, equipped with four cranes of a minor size for handling the main structure and the pivoting arms during hoisting/descent, and a counterbalancing group adjustable in height by means of capstans. The main structure and the intermediate structure include a detachable side for their withdrawal and separation from the tower during disassembly.