Tower assembly system for wind turbines and method thereof

• US 9,127,650 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2014
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Envision Energy (Denmark) ApS
• Original Assignee: Envision Energy (Denmark) ApS
• Inventors: Moestrup, Henning, Westergaard, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chapman, Jeanette E
• Assistant Examiner(s): KENNY, DANIEL J
• Application Number:
  US14/185,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20140237932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 527/411.8, 527/411.7, 526/510.1, 526/510.7, 521/731, 52/40, 528/48, 522/235
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/085 Details of flanges for tubular masts
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/342 Arrangements for stacking tower sections on top of each other E04H12/344 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/10 Assembly of wind motors; Arrangements for erecting wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/20 Arrangements for mounting or supporting wind motors; Masts or towers for wind motors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/728 Onshore wind turbines

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tower assembly system, a method of assembling a wind turbine tower and a wind turbine thereof. Three or more guidance devices may be mounted to a mounting flange in the upper end of a lower tower section and/or in the lower end of an upper tower section. The guidance device comprises a contact surface for contacting a mating contact surface on the opposite tower section. The guidance device comprises a mounting flange for mounting the device to the mounting flange of the tower section using fastening means. This allows the guidance devices to catch and guide the free hanging tower section into the correct position on the stationary tower section. This enables the assembly time to be reduced with up to 50% compared with the present assembly methods. The guidance devices allow the workers to guide the free hanging tower section into position from the ground.

Claims

1. A tower assembly system for a wind turbine, where the system comprises:

a first tower section having a first upper end connected to a first lower end facing away from the first upper end, wherein the first lower end comprises a first flange having multiple first holes configured to receive fastening means for mounting to a second tower section, and comprises a first contact surface for contacting a second contact surface on the second tower section;

the second tower section having a second upper end connected to a second lower end facing away from the second upper end, wherein the second upper end comprises the second contact surface and a second flange having multiple second holes configured to receive the fastening means;

wherein at least one guidance device is configured to be coupled to one of the two ends of the tower sections, wherein the guidance device comprises a guiding element connected to mounting means configured to be mounted to the flange of that tower section, which mounting means comprises a third contact surface for contacting a fourth contact surface on the flange facing away from the contact surface of that flange, and wherein the guiding element has a third end and a fourth end where the third end extends out from the end of that tower section when the guidance device is mounted to the flange of that tower section; and

wherein the fourth end is connected to the third end and faces away from the third end, and further wherein the fourth end comprises a plate having a fifth contact surface for contacting the inner surface of the tower section when mounted.

2. A tower assembly system according to claim 1, wherein the third end comprises a sixth contact surface for contacting a seventh contact surface of the other tower section, wherein the sixth contact surface forms a convex surface facing the other tower section when mounted.

3. A tower assembly system according to claim 1, wherein the third end comprises a sixth contact surface for contacting a seventh contact surface of the other tower section, wherein the sixth contact surface forms a concave surface facing the other tower section when mounted.

4. A tower assembly system according to claim 1, wherein the third end extends out from the first or second contact surface of that tower section at a distance of 20 cm to 60 cm.

5. A tower assembly system according to claim 1, wherein the mounting means is a third flange extending out from the guiding element, wherein the third flange comprises at least one third hole configured to receive second fastening means for mounting to the flange of that tower section.

7. A tower assembly system according to claim 1, wherein the third end comprises a conical shaped element extending in an axial direction relative to that tower section when mounted, wherein the guiding element extends through a hole in the flange of that tower section.

6. A tower assembly system for a wind turbine comprising:

a first tower section having a first upper end connected to a first lower end facing away from the first upper end, wherein the first lower end comprises a first flange having multiple first holes configured to receive fastening means for mounting to a second tower section, and comprises a first contact surface for contacting a second contact surface on the second tower section;

the second tower section having a second upper end connected to a second lower end facing away from the second upper end, wherein the second upper end comprises the second contact surface and a second flange having multiple second holes configured to receive the fastening means;

wherein at least one guidance device is configured to be coupled to one of the two ends of the tower sections, wherein the guidance device comprises a guiding element connected to mounting means configured to be mounted to the flange of that tower section, which mounting means comprises a third contact surface for contacting a fourth contact surface on the flange facing away from the contact surface of that flange, and wherein the guiding element has a third end which extends out from the end of that tower section when the guidance device is mounted to the flange of that tower section;

wherein the mounting means is a third flange extending out from the guiding element, wherein the third flange comprises at least one third hole configured to receive second fastening means for mounting to the flange of that tower section; and

wherein a second guiding element is connected to the third flange and extends in an axial direction relative to that tower section when mounted, wherein the second guiding element extends through the holes in the flange of that tower section.