Tool assembly for tensioning tower bolts of a wind turbine tower

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12350773-B2
Application number	US-202017611944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2020
Priority date	May 21, 2019
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

A tool assembly ( 1 ) for tensioning tower bolts ( 12 ) of a wind turbine tower is disclosed. The tool assembly ( 1 ) comprises a connecting arrangement ( 2, 13, 14 ) configured to connect the tool assembly ( 1 ) to a part of a wind turbine tower, and a tool holding part ( 3 ) arranged to hold a tool ( 5 ) for tensioning tower bolts ( 12 ). The tool holding part ( 3 ) is attached to the connecting arrangement ( 2, 13, 14 ) in a rotatable manner, thereby allowing the tool ( 5 ) to be rotated between at least a first orientation and a second orientation. The connecting arrangement ( 2, 13, 14 ) may retain the tool assembly ( 1 ) relative to a tower wall by means of a magnet ( 17 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tool assembly for tensioning tower bolts that connect flanges of two neighboring tower sections of a wind turbine tower, the tool assembly comprising:
a connecting arrangement configured to connect the tool assembly to a part of the wind turbine tower, and
a tool holding part arranged to hold a tool for tensioning the tower bolts,
wherein the tool holding part is attached to the connecting arrangement in a rotatable manner, thereby allowing the tool to be rotated between at least a first orientation and a second orientation,
wherein in the first orientation, the tool is configured to tension tower bolts that are located below the flanges of the two neighboring tower sections of the wind turbine tower, and
wherein in the second orientation, the tool is configured to tension tower bolts that are located above the flanges of the two neighboring tower sections of the wind turbine tower.

2. The tool assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first orientation of the tool arranges a bolt engaging portion of the tool in an upwards direction and the second orientation of the tool arranges the bolt engaging portion of the tool in a downwards direction.

3. The tool assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting arrangement comprises a wire configured to be connected to the wind turbine tower for suspending the connecting arrangement from the wind turbine tower.

4. The tool assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting arrangement comprises a magnet for retaining at least a part of the connecting arrangement relative to a tower wall.

5. The tool assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the connecting arrangement further comprises a trolley, wherein the magnet is provided on the trolley, and wherein the trolley is provided with one or more displacement means allowing the trolley to move along a surface of the tower wall.

6. The tool assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the trolley further comprises adjusting means for adjusting a distance between the magnet and the tower wall.

7. The tool assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting arrangement further comprises a trolley configured to move along a tower wall, the trolley comprising:
a magnet for retaining the trolley relative to the tower wall, and
one or more displacement means allowing the trolley to move along the tower wall.

8. The trolley tool assembly according to claim 7 , further comprising adjusting means for adjusting a distance between the magnet and the tower wall.

9. The tool assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the adjusting means comprises a first threaded portion arranged on the magnet and a second threaded portion arranged in threaded engagement with the thread of the first threaded portion, and wherein rotation of the second threaded portion causes the magnet to move towards or away from the tower wall.

10. The trolley tool assembly according to claim 7 , further comprising a tool holding part.

11. The trolley tool assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the trolley is retained relative to the tower wall by a retaining force, F R =μ·F M , where μ is the coefficient of friction between the displacement means and the tower wall, and F M is a magnetic force provided by the magnet.

12. The tool assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the retaining force, F R , is larger than a gravitational force, F g =m·g, acting on the trolley, where m is the total mass of the trolley and g is the standard gravitational acceleration.

13. A tool assembly for tensioning tower bolts of a wind turbine tower, the tool assembly comprising:
a connecting arrangement configured to connect the tool assembly to a part of a wind turbine tower, the connecting arrangement comprising:
a wire having a first end and a second end, the first end configured to be connected to the wind turbine tower; and
a frame configured to be connected to the second end of the wire such that the frame is suspended from the wind turbine tower, and

a tool holding part arranged to hold a tool for tensioning tower bolts,
wherein the tool holding part is attached to the frame in a rotatable manner, thereby allowing the tool to be rotated between at least a first orientation and a second orientation.

14. The tool assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the tool holding part is attached to the frame in a manner that prohibits translation of the tool holding part relative to the frame.

15. The tool assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the tool holding part is rotatable relative to the frame about a pivot axis that is configured to extend through the tool.

16. The tool assembly according to claim 13 , wherein the second end of the wire is configured to connect to the frame at a location that, in use, is above the tool holding part in the first and second orientations.

Assignees

• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Johansen Rasmus Sanderhoff

Classifications

• F05B2260/301

  Retaining bolts or nuts · CPC title

• F03D13/10 Primary

  Assembly of wind motors; Arrangements for erecting wind motors · CPC title

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title

• F05B2230/00

  Manufacture · CPC title

• B23P19/067 Primary

  Bolt tensioners (for hand tools B25B29/02) · CPC title