Work Platform With Projecting Arms For Wind Turbine Blades
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing work platforms for wind energy plants are not suited for wing blades due to design limitations, wind conditions, and lack of range, making it difficult to perform tasks safely and comfortably, and often require rappelling which restricts tool carrying and duration of work.
Innovation Solution
A work platform with projecting arms equipped with protective contact rollers and articulated joints, allowing secure attachment to the wing blade, providing a stable and adjustable platform for safe and comfortable work, including surface treatment tools and toolboxes, and controlled movement systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a work platform is mounted on an extendable lift arm, then the platform can reach work positions on wing blades, but the platform becomes very expensive in use and has limited range
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the platform from the complex extendable arm system and directly anchors it to the wind turbine structure (tower or hub), eliminating the need for expensive and complex lift arms while maintaining accessibility to wing blade work positions
Solution Approach 2:
The work platform is designed to be universally applicable to different wind turbine structures by providing multiple anchoring options (tower anchoring or hub anchoring), allowing the same platform design to serve various installation scenarios without requiring complex adaptive mechanisms
2Ease of operation
If a work platform is anchored to rest against a flat front like building fronts, then the platform can be hoisted up and down, but the platform cannot be used on structures without a flat front like wind turbine wings
Solution Approach 1:
The platform incorporates movable support arms with rollers that can dynamically adjust their position and angle to conform to the curved surface of the wing blade, allowing the platform to maintain stable contact and be hoisted effectively on non-flat structures
Solution Approach 2:
The support arms with rollers act as intermediaries between the platform and the wing blade surface, enabling the platform to interface with curved surfaces without requiring the surface to be flat, thus bridging the gap between hoisting capability and structural adaptability
3Ease of operation
If work is performed by rappelling on the wing, then great freedom of movement is achieved, but tool carrying capacity is limited and work duration is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The platform provides a stable base that copies the freedom of movement experience of rappelling while eliminating its limitations, allowing workers to move freely along the wing while supported by the platform rather than relying on limited rappelling capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The platform transforms the one-dimensional rappelling approach into a two-dimensional work surface, providing both freedom of movement along the wing and additional vertical support that enables tool carrying and extended work duration
4Ease of operation
If work is performed by rappelling, then freedom of movement is achieved, but safety risks increase and certain processes like grinding are not allowed
Solution Approach 1:
The platform acts as an intermediary safety system between the worker and the wing blade, providing a stable, supported work environment that maintains worker mobility while eliminating the safety risks of rappelling through proper anchoring and support mechanisms
Solution Approach 2:
The platform provides beforehand cushioning by establishing a safe, supported work position before any work begins, with multiple anchoring points and support structures in place to prevent falls and ensure worker safety throughout the work process
Data Source
AI summary
The invention concerns a work platform for use in connection with work on a wing blade for a wind energy plant, where the work platform is typically used for working on a wing blade which is brought to a substantially vertical position, and where the work platform is hoisted up and down from a position above the workplace, typically from a region close to the root end of the wing or from the rotor hub. The work platform is provided with space for a person and is preferably adapted for positioning along a leading or trailing edge of a wing blade, and is further including at least two projecting arms for contact against the surface of the wing, where the projecting arms are provided with protective means between the arm and the wing surface. By such a work platform, the most comfortable working conditions can be achieved, as the work platform itself is particularly adapted for use in connection with wings for wind energy plants, and particularly because the projecting arms bear on the surfaces of the wing, whereby the movements of the work platform are secured in relation to the movements of the wing.