Load-handling Means For A Tower Or A Tower Section Of A Wind Turbine And Method For Erecting A Wind Turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016215754-A1
Application number	US-201615004077-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 22, 2016
Priority date	Jan 26, 2015
Publication date	Jul 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a load-handling means for a tower or a tower section of a wind turbine, which load-handling means has tower-attachment means for attachment to an upper end or in the region of an upper end of a tower or a tower section of a wind turbine, and attachment points for attaching at least one anchoring means of a lifting gear unit. The invention also relates to a method for erecting a wind turbine, in particular an offshore wind turbine. The load-handling means according to the invention includes at least one oscillation damper, or at least one oscillation damper is attached, in particular releasably and/or exchangeably, to the load-handling means, the damping frequency of which oscillation damper lies in the region of a natural frequency of a clamped or freestanding tower or tower section without a gondola.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A load-handling means for a tower or a tower section of a wind turbine, which load-handling means has tower-attachment means for attachment to an upper end or in a region of the upper end of the tower or the tower section of the wind turbine, and attachment points for attaching at least one anchoring means of a lifting gear unit, wherein the load-handling means comprises at least one oscillation damper or at least one oscillation damper is releasably and/or exchangeably attached to the load-handling means, and wherein a damping frequency of said at least one oscillation damper lies in a region of a natural frequency of a clamped or freestanding tower or tower section without a gondola.

2 . The load-handling means as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one oscillation damper is a tuned liquid sloshing damper, a tuned liquid column damper (TLCD), a pendulum damper with or without a viscous liquid, or a spring-mass damper.

3 . The load-handling means as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the load-handling means comprises a plurality of oscillation dampers with different damping frequencies.

4 . The load-handling means as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the damping frequency of the at least one oscillation damper lies between 0.2 and 1.5 Hz.

5 . The load-handling means as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the damping frequency of the at least one oscillation damper lies between 0.5 and 1.0 Hz.

6 . The load-handling means as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the damping frequency of each of the plurality of oscillation dampers lies between 0.2 and 1.5 Hz.

7 . The load-handling means as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the damping frequency of each of the plurality of oscillation dampers lies between 0.5 and 1.0 Hz.

8 . The load-handling means as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a natural frequency of the at least one oscillation damper can be adapted to various transportation states, construction states, towers and/or tower sections.

9 . The load-handling means as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the oscillation damper is arranged in an exchangeable fashion between an upper lifting frame and a lower lifting frame, or wherein the oscillation damper is connected in a fixed fashion to a single lifting frame.

10 . The load-handling means as claimed in claim 9 , wherein a housing of the at least one oscillation damper is a load-bearing part of the load-handling means.

11 . The load-handling means as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the plurality of oscillation dampers are arranged in an exchangeable fashion between an upper lifting frame and a lower lifting frame, or wherein the plurality of oscillation dampers are connected in a fixed fashion to a single lifting frame.

12 . The load-handling means as claimed in claim 11 , wherein a housing of the plurality of oscillation dampers is a load-bearing part of the load-handling means.

13 . The load-handling means as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the lower lifting frame is embodied as a transportation frame on which the upper lifting frame with the at least one oscillation damper is adapted to be fitted and attached.

14 . The load-handling means as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the lower lifting frame is embodied as a transportation frame on which the upper lifting frame with the plurality of oscillation dampers is adapted to be fitted and attached.

15 . The load-handling means as claimed in one of claim 9 , wherein the upper lifting frame has attachment points for the at least one anchoring means, or wherein the upper lifting frame has stop points, and the lower lifting frame has attachment points for the at least one anchoring means, and wherein the stop points and the attachment points are arranged offset with respect to one another.

16 . The load-handling means as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least part of the load-handling means is embodied as a cover for the tower or the tower section and has at least one tower hatch for access to an interior of the tower or the tower section.

17 . A method for erecting a wind turbine comprising:
connecting a load-handling means to an upper end or in a region of the upper end of the tower or the tower section of the wind turbine; connecting an anchoring means of a lifting gear unit to the load-handling means; placing the tower or the tower section in an upright and/or raised position; only if the tower is composed of a plurality of tower sections, successively placing the tower sections one on top of another and connecting the plurality of tower sections to one another to form a completely erected tower; removing the load-handling means from the tower or of the tower section while the tower or the tower section is in the upright and/or raised position; and after removal of the load-handling means from the tower or the completely erected tower, fitting a wind turbine gondola onto the tower or completely erected tower; wherein in the upright and/or raised state of the tower or of the tower sections, oscillations of the tower or of the tower sections are damped by one or more oscillation dampers provided in or on the load-handling means.

18 . The method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the load-handling means is connected to the tower or to the tower section before transportation of the tower or of the tower section to an erection site.

19 . The method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the tower is assembled from two or more tower sections before transportation to an erection site or before being placed in the upright and/or raised position, and wherein a load-handling means is connected to the assembled tower, said load-handling means having tower-attachment means for attachment to an upper end or in a region of the upper end of the tower or the tower section of the wind turbine, and attachment points for attaching at least one anchoring means of a lifting gear unit, wherein the load-handling means comprises at least one oscillation damper or at least one oscillation damper is releasably and/or exchangeably attached to the load-handling means, and wherein a damping frequency of said at least one oscillation damper lies in a region of a natural frequency of a clamped or freestanding tower or tower section without a gondola.

20 . The method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein a natural frequency of the at least one oscillation damper is adaptable to various transportation states, construction states, towers and/or tower sections.

Assignees

• Senvion Gmbh

Inventors

• Seidel Marc

Classifications

• B66C1/108 Primary

  for lifting parts of wind turbines · CPC title

• E04H9/0215

  involving active or passive dynamic mass damping systems · CPC title

• F05B2240/912

  on a tower · CPC title

• F05B2240/916

  with provision for hoisting onto the structure · CPC title

• F16F15/023

  using fluid means · CPC title