Wire Saw Tower Dismantling to Prevent Wedge Recess Jamming
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for dismantling towers, particularly wind turbine towers, involve loud explosions that disturb wildlife or require extensive time and resources, such as thermal separation.
Innovation Solution
A method involving cutting a wedge-shaped recess in the tower's outer wall, installing a wire saw drive unit and pulley blocks, guiding a saw wire to form an endless loop, and sawing from the opposite side to control the direction of fall, without using explosives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If explosives are used to tip the tower, then the dismantling process is quick, but extremely loud explosion noises scare away or injure wild animals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the explosive (chemical) system with a wire saw (mechanical) system to cut the tower and control its fall. The wire saw gradually cuts through the tower structure, allowing controlled dismantling without loud explosions, thus maintaining productivity while eliminating harmful noise to wildlife.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a wire saw as an intermediary tool between the dismantling goal and the tower structure. Instead of directly using explosives on the tower, the wire saw acts as a mediator that gradually separates the tower sections, enabling controlled fall without the harmful effects of explosions.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If thermal separation is used to remove tower segments, then the tower can be dismantled without explosives, but it involves very large expenditure of time and money
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thermal separation process (thermal system) with a wire saw cutting system (mechanical system). The wire saw mechanically cuts through the tower structure much faster than thermal methods, significantly reducing dismantling time while still avoiding the use of explosives and their associated noise problems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of the separation process from thermal energy input to mechanical cutting action. This parameter change transforms the dismantling process from a slow, expensive thermal separation to a fast, efficient mechanical cutting operation using the wire saw.
3Ease of operation
If the saw rope is pulled towards the drive unit during sawing, then the drive unit can be positioned conveniently, but the saw rope becomes jammed in the wedge recess
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional arrangement by positioning the drive unit on the opposite side of the tower from the wedge recess, and guiding the saw rope away from the wedge recess during cutting. This inversion prevents the saw rope from becoming jammed in the wedge recess while maintaining operational convenience through proper routing around the tower.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the tower's outer surface as an intermediary guide for the saw rope. The saw rope is routed along the outer surface of the tower, which acts as a mediator that keeps the rope properly positioned and prevents it from entering the wedge recess, thereby maintaining reliability while allowing flexible drive unit positioning.
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 dismantling of towers by preventing saw rope jamming and minimizing noise and cost, allowing for quick and controlled tower tipping.
Implementation Method 1
Carrying out the sawing process, in which the saw wire cuts into the tower's outer wall
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A method for dismantling a tower, in particular a wind turbine tower, is described, comprising the following steps: a) creating a wedge recess (7) in a section of an outer wall (21) of the tower (2), defining the direction of fall (F); b) installing a drive unit (31) of a wire saw (3) near the outer wall (21) of the tower (2) on a side of the tower (2) facing away from the direction of fall (F); c) installing a first roller support (4) near the outer wall (21) of the tower (2) in a first area (8) lateral to the wedge recess (7); d) installing a second roller support (4) near the outer wall (21) of the tower (2) lateral to the wedge recess (7) in a second area (8) on a side of the tower (2) facing away from the first area (8);e) Arranging a saw wire (32) starting from the drive unit (31) to the first roller block (4), from there along the tower (2) to the second roller block (5) and from there to the drive unit (31) of the wire saw (3); f) Connecting the ends of the saw wire (32) to form an endless wire; g) Carrying out the sawing process in which the saw wire (32) cuts into the outer wall (21) of the tower (2) until the tower (2) tilts in the direction of the wedge recess (7); wherein in process step e) the saw wire (32) is guided along an outer surface (22) of the outer wall (21) of the tower (2) facing away from the wedge recess (7), so that during the sawing process the saw wire (32) is pressed away from the drive unit (31) against the outer surface (22) of the outer wall (21) of the tower (2). Furthermore, an order for carrying out the procedure is described.