Transport vehicle for a rotor blade of a wind-energy turbine

• US 20060285937A1
• Filed: 08/25/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aloys Wobben
• Original Assignee: Aloys Wobben
• Inventors: Wobben, Aloys
• Granted Patent: US 7,744,318 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 410/45
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/40 for carrying long loads, e.g. with separate wheeled load supporting elements E04G21/14 takes precedence; signal devices to be attached to overhanging load B60Q7/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/41 for log transport
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/40 Arrangements or methods specially adapted for transporting wind motor components
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 416/06 Supports for natural fluid current motors

Abstract

The invention is relative to a transport vehicle with a tractor and a trailer that are connected to one another during the transport of cargo by the cargo itself. The invention has the problem of making a transport vehicle available that also makes possible the transport on highways of very bulky material, especially such material that exceeds the usual profile height of underpasses and bridges (freeway bridges, etc.). A transport vehicle for a rotor blade of a wind power system with a tractor and a trailer that are connected to one another during the transport of the rotor blade by the rotor blade and that respectively comprise a holding device and/or receiving device for the rotor blade which holding device and/or receiving device is/are designed in such a manner that it/they permit(s) a rotation of the rotor blade about its longitudinal axis and that a drive for rotating the rotor blade is provided on the tractor and/or the trailer.

Claims

1. A transport vehicle trailer, comprising:

a trailer bed mounted on plurality of wheels;

a trailer attach frame rotatably mounted on the trailer bed;

one or more radial frames rotatably mounted on the trailer attach frame; and

a cargo holding frame fixedly coupled to the radial frames to captively receive an outboard end of a rotor blade of a wind power system.

2. A transport vehicle holding device, comprising:

a trailer bed mounted on a plurality of wheels,

a tractor attach frame operably coupled to a tractor and coupled to the trailer bed; and

a cradle coupled to the tractor attach frame to captively receive a rotary support of a root of a rotor blade of a wind power system and being coupled to the rotor blade to permit the rotor blade to rotate.

3. A transport vehicle, comprising:

a rotor blade of a wind power system;

traction means for propelling the transport vehicle and for supporting a first end of the rotor blade;

supporting means for supporting a second end of the rotor blade, the traction means and the supporting means being coupled to each other by the rotor blade during transport of the rotor blade;

holding means coupled to the traction means for holding the rotor blade;

receiving means for receiving the rotor blade coupled to the supporting means and for permitting rotation of the rotor blade about a longitudinal axis of the rotor blade; and

driving means coupled to the rotor blade for rotating the rotor blade.

4. The transport vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising intermediate connecting means coupled to the rotor blade and to the holding means for connecting the rotor blade to the traction means.

5. The transport vehicle according to claim 4 wherein the intermediate connecting means is provided with the driving means for rotating the rotor blade.

6. The transport vehicle according to claim 3 wherein the holding means and the receiving means are associated to the supporting means and include fixture means for at least partially enclosing the rotor blade, the fixture means being rotatably mounted for allowing a rotation around the longitudinal axis of the rotor blade.

7. The transport vehicle according to claim 6 wherein the fixture means comprises at least one rotor blade holding frame adapted to a profile of the rotor blade, the rotor blade holding frame being mounted on at least one radial frame resting on a plurality of rollers.

8. The transport vehicle according to claim 3 wherein at least one of the holding means and the receiving means is associated to the supporting means and includes locking means for locking the rotor blade, which locking means is coupled to the rotor blade.

9. The transport vehicle according to claim 8 wherein the locking means comprises at least one holding bolt extending through the rotor blade for preventing a displacement of the rotor blade along the longitudinal axis of the rotor blade.

10. The transport vehicle according to claim 8 wherein the rotor blade is provided with at least one rotor blade lug and the locking means includes at least one holding frame lug to mate with the rotor blade lug to prevent a displacement of the rotor blade along the longitudinal axis of the rotor blade.

11. The transport vehicle according to claim 3 wherein at least one of the holding means and the receiving means is associated to the supporting means and is rotatably coupled to the supporting means for allowing a rotation thereof around a vertical axis.

12. The transport vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising at least one warning means for sensing a potential collision of the rotor blade and for reporting an appropriate warning of the collision.

13. The transport vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising control means for causing a rotation of the rotor blade upon the warning reported by the at least one warning means.

14. The transport vehicle according to claim 3 wherein a database is provided comprising data of a roadway passage profile, wherein the transport vehicle further comprises computation means for generating an actuation signal for actuating the driving means for the rotation of the rotor blade upon approaching an obstacle.

15. The transport vehicle according to claim 14, further comprising actuation means for actuating the driving means automatically upon occurrence of the actuation signal.

16. The transport vehicle of claim 3 wherein the traction means includes a tractor and wherein the supporting means includes a trailer, the tractor and the trailer being coupled to one another by the rotor blade during the transport of the rotor blade and that respectively include:

at least one of a holding device as part of the holding means and a receiving device as part of the receiving means for receiving the rotor blade, the at least one of the holding device and the receiving device being designed in such a manner that permits rotation of the rotor blade about the longitudinal axis of the rotor blade, wherein said driving means for rotating the rotor blade is provided on at least one of the tractor and the trailer.

17. The transport vehicle according to claim 16 wherein the at least one of the holding device and the receiving device receives an intermediate piece located between the rotor blade and the at least one of the holding device and the receiving device.

18. The transport vehicle according to claim 16 wherein the at least one of the holding device and the receiving device includes a rotatable holding fixture.

19. The transport vehicle according to claim 16 wherein the at least one of the holding device and the receiving device includes a rotor blade locking device coupled to the rotor blade.