DK201600128Y4 - Use of a safety net by mounting it in a wind turbine tower, and a wind turbine comprising a safety net - Google Patents

Abstract

The production relates to a safety net (100) for mounting in a wind turbine tower to the existing wind turbine tower bolts with nut (220), guide rail (240) and cable ladder (260), the wind turbine tower comprising at least two tower sections mounted together on a flange section (2018) with bolts with nut (220), wherein the safety net (100) defines a leading edge (300) adjacent the wind turbine tower wall and the flange section (218) with the nuts (220), wherein the safety net (100) defines a rear edge (400) which is adjacent a a line defined by the diameter of the wind turbine tower, wherein the safety net (100) comprises a profile (126) connected to the lower end (125) of the vertically mounted pipe (120) where the profile (126) can be mounted on the front rail (240).

Description

Wind turbine tower comprising a safety net

The present invention relates to the use of a safety net in mounting this in a wind turbine tower on existing bolts with nut, guard rail and cable ladder in the wind turbine tower. The safety net of the present invention is used to secure workers who are under the safety net of the wind turbine while inside a wind turbine under construction or maintenance, with the option of dropped parts, such as loose tools or other parts which are typically parts of a wind turbine. wind turbine tower.

The reason for the creation

A wind turbine under maintenance or renovation is by nature a dangerous environment for people working there. During construction or renovation, it is important to protect the team working inside the wind turbine roof for fallen parts, such as tools.

The present invention provides a safety net to be installed inside the tower on a wind turbine. Today, there are network systems available that can protect people on construction sites. But these network systems have several disadvantages. First, the known grid systems are difficult to install because they are not suitable for fitting into the tower of a wind turbine.

Secondly, the known grid systems are impossible to install properly in the wind turbine tower. In order to do this, you have to make a lot of complicated adjustments.

It is these limitations in the prior art that remedy the present invention. Document US 2006/0112532 describes a safety net with a metal beam. The document introduces an invention which provides an improved way of installing a mesh around a loose or dilapidated object, while still maintaining the mesh overtime. The generation in US 2006/0112532 consists of a mesh constructed of fibers that shrink when wetted. The net is wrapped around the desired object and secured to a building by weaving a rope or metal bar through the net and securing the rope or metal bar to the building with eyebolts, tie knots or lashing. The mesh is then wetted with water, causing it to shrink and fit tightly around the surface area of the object.

But this construction of a mesh made of fibers that shrink when wetted makes it impossible to install it inside a wind turbine tower. CN2849042 describes a safety single tube tower for increasing the safety of workers. A plurality of tubular body sections are connected through a bolt connected to an inner flange and a ladder for inner climbing is located in a single tubular body. To guarantee the safety of the workers, at least three hooks are attached and two safety nets are placed on the same mesh layer on the inner wall of the pipe body to promote safety.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a safety net which can be installed inside a wind turbine bar on existing bolts with nut, rail and cable ladder on the wind turbine.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a safety net having all the necessary parts so that installation of the grid is easy to carry out inside the wind turbine tower.

The new features which are considered to be characteristic of the production are specified in the appended claims. However, the invention itself, both in terms of its structure and operation, as well as the other objects and advantages, will be best understood from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise stated, the intention is that words and expressions in the description and claims must be assigned the ordinary and usual meaning as understood by a person skilled in the art. If the intention is that a word or phrase should have any other meaning, it will be specifically stated in the description.

Furthermore, it is intended that production is not limited only to the specific structures, materials or actions described in the embodiments, but also includes all other structures, materials and actions that perform the same function as described in the claims, together with all other known and later developed similar structures, materials or actions to perform the functions described in the claims.

Brief description of the figures

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a part of the safety net seen from the rear edge with connection to bolts with nut and a forearm.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a part of the safety net seen from the rear edge with connections to nuts with nuts.

Figure 3 shows a horizontal transverse tube.

Figure 4 shows yet another horizontal transverse tube.

Figure 5 shows a connection to a bolt with nut.

Figure 6 shows yet another connection to a bolt with nut.

Figure 7 shows a further connection to a bolt with nut.

Figure 8 shows a holder for a nut with bolt.

Figure 9 shows a connection to a front rail.

Figure 10 shows yet another connection to a front rail.

Figure 11 shows a vertical connection to a horizontal pipe.

Figure 12 shows a vertical connection to two horizontal pipes.

Figure 13 shows a two-part connection from a vertical pipe to a grid.

Figure 14 shows yet another two-part connection from a vertical pipe to a grid

Figure 15 shows how a grid portion is connected to two horizontal pipe ends.

Figure 16 shows a portion of the safety net from above with connections to a cable ladder.

Figure 17 shows a portion of the safety net from above with two connections to a cable ladder.

Description of preferred embodiments

The present invention is further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which reference numbers having the same numbers used in the figures are intended to have the same meaning throughout the following description of the figures.

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a part of the safety net seen from the rear edge with connection to bolts with a nut and a guard. The safety net 100 is intended to be mounted in a wind turbine tower for existing parts of the tower, ie. for bolts with nut 220, a guide rail 240 and a cable ladder 260, see Figure 17. The wind turbine tower where the production is to be used has at least two tower parts which are mounted together on a flange section 218 with bolts with nut 220. A wind turbine tower can have a cylindrical shape with eg. a diameter of 4 or 5 meters.

The safety net 100 defines a leading edge 300 which is adjacent to the wall of the wind turbine tower and the flange section 218 with the bolts with nut 220. The safety net 100 also defines a trailing edge 400 which is adjacent to a line defined by the diameter of the wind turbine tower.

The safety net 100 is made of many parts which are listed based on their relation:

The net 105, which in itself also has a front 300 and a rear edge 400.

To support the net 105 at the trailing edge 400, the safety net 100 is provided with a horizontal transverse tube 110 and a vertically mounted tube 120 - to the right of the figure - which at its upper 122 end is connected to the horizontal transverse tube 110. The vertically mounted tube 120 is connected at a point Iron from the wall of the wind turbine at the horizontal transverse pipe 110.

The vertically mounted tube 120 is intended to support part of the net 105 at its location over a rail 240 in the wind turbine tower, and practically a profile 126 is connected to a lower end of the vertically mounted pipe 120 and the profile 126 is mounted on the rail 240. when the safety net 100 is installed inside the wind turbine tower. Close to the end and opening of the horizontal transverse tube 110 adjacent to the wind turbine tower wall, see left in the figure, is mounted another transverse tube 112.1 In an alternative embodiment, the transverse tube 112 is mounted at the end and at the opening of the horizontal transverse tube 110 nearby wind turbine tower wall. Since the transverse connection is constituted by the tube 112 inserted in the tube 120, the transverse tube 112 can be adjusted in different lengths in the horizontal direction. Hereby, the transverse tube 112 - due to its ability to be adjusted to different lengths - can be placed inside wind turbine towers of various shapes, e.g. different diameters of the wind turbine tower.

The safety net 100 is also provided with a number of straps 420. In one embodiment of the production, the straps are elastic straps. The straps 420 are - in any case - mounted between the rear 400 edge of the net 105 and the vertically mounted tube 120 and / or the transverse tube 112. Both tubes 112 and 120 support the net 105, the net 105 being fixed thereto with the aforementioned straps 420. On the left side of the safety net 100, ie. At the end of the transverse tube adjacent to the wall of the wind turbine tower is mounted a vertically oriented two-part holder 130,132. This holder may also be adjusted to different heights in the vertical direction of the holder 130,132, being made of two vertically mounted tubes 132 and 132 which may be offset relative to each other.

The lower end 131 of the above vertically oriented two-piece holder 130,132 is adapted so that it 131 can be mounted on one of the bolts with nut 220. The latter bolt with nut carries the vertically oriented two-part holder 130,132, which then supports the left end of the transverse tube. 112th

An additional number of holders are used to support and carry the net 105, which is why a number of holders, e.g. two holders, designated 142 and 152, are located adjacent to the wall of the wind turbine tower. These holders are adapted so that they can be mounted at their respective lower ends to two nuts with nut 220, and they are also adapted so that their upper ends can support and support the net 105.1 a practical realization, in other embodiments of the manufacture, the net 105 provided - at a location adjacent to the wind turbine tower wall - with a number, e.g. two, three, four, etc. vertical pipes 140 and 150. The two vertical pipes 140 and 150 as an embodiment of the invention are just one example of a number of vertical pipes adjacent to the wall of the wind turbine tower mounted on their upper ends to the edge of the grid. 105. The two vertical pipes 140 and 150 are adapted at their respective lower ends to be mounted at the top of the two holders 142 and 152, which - when mounted to the two vertical pipes 140 and 150 - can be adjusted to different heights in the vertical direction. This is possible because e.g. the tube 140 has a smaller diameter than the tube 142. In addition, the tube 150 has a smaller diameter than the tube 150, which allows the tube 150 to slide in and out of the tube 152 in the vertical direction. The same functionality applies to pipe pairs 140 and 142.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a part of the safety net seen from the rear edge with connections to nuts with nuts. Rear at the trailing edge 400, ie. adjacent to the wall of the wind turbine tower, two supporting telescopic pairs of vertically oriented tubes 140,142,150 and 152 are mounted on top of two nuts with nuts. The two peaks 140 and 150 of the two pipes support the portion of the grid 105 which is adjacent to the wall of the wind turbine tower. See Figures 13 and 14 for details of how the mesh 105 at these locations is bonded to these two tubes 140,142,150 and 152 at the leading edge 300 of the mesh 105.

Figure 3 shows a horizontal transverse tube. The figure shows an embodiment of the horizontally positioned transverse tube 110, see also Figure 1. The horizontal transverse tube 110 has an inner hole diameter which allows the tube 112, see Figure 1, to slide in and out of the horizontally transverse tube 110 In order to be able to attach the horizontally transverse tube 110 to the tube 112 in a particular position, it is provided with a wing screw 111.

Figure 4 shows yet another horizontal transverse tube. The figure shows an embodiment of the horizontal transverse tube 112, see also Figure 1, which is implemented as a tubular structural element for saving weight compared with e.g. a bar which is a massive element with a higher weight.

Figure 5 shows a connection with a bolt with nut. The figure shows how the lower end 131 of an embodiment of the vertically oriented two-part holder 130 is made so that it 131 can be mounted on one of the bolts with nut 220. The diameter of its end hole 131 fits exactly over a hexagonal nut, and the length of its hole in the vertical direction corresponds to the sum of the height of the nut and the length of the threaded end of the bolt with nut 220. As an example, the bolts with the nut are 42 mm in diameter and the outer tube diameter at the lower end 131 of the two-piece holder 130 is 60 mm.

Figure 6 shows yet another connection to a bolt with nut. The figure shows how, in another embodiment of the vertically oriented two-part holder 130, the lower end 131 is made so that it 131 can be mounted on one of the nuts with nut 220. Contrary to the previous figure, the diameter of its end hole 131 is larger and the diameter fits exactly around and above a larger hexagonal nut, and the length of its hole in the vertical directions corresponds to the sum of the height of the nut and the shorter length of the threaded end of the bolt with screw 220 compared to the bolt with screw in Figure 5.

Figure 7 shows another connection to a bolt with screw. The figure shows how the embodiment of the holder 131 of Figure 6 is placed on a bolt of nut, which in the figure is completely covered by the lower part of the holder 131. In three other embodiments of the production, the end profile of the lower part of the holder 131 in Figure 5 , 6 and 7, the holder 131 is modified, i.e. the 131 is adapted to precisely fit and contact the six faces of a hexagonal nut when positioned over a nut, ie. the profile is similar to the profile of a wrench or pipe wrench, which means that the profile has a hexagonal opening that fits the six faces of the corresponding hexagonal nut.

Figure 8 shows a holder for a bolt with screw. The figure shows the embodiment of the holder 131 of Figure 6 in its full length. In order to enable the top of the holder 131 to be assembled and fixed, the top of the tube body 130 on the holder is provided with a split 129. The split 129 makes it possible to attach another tube, e.g. the lower end of the tube 132, see Figure 1 on the left, inside the hole in the upper end of the tubular holder 130.

Figure 9 shows an embodiment of a connection to a front rail. As the net 105 is to be supported by the rail 240 within the wind turbine tower, see Figure 1, the lower 125 end of the vertical pipe 120 is provided with a profile 126 which fits the shape of the upper part of the rail 240.1 the wind turbine protects the rail 240 from an elevator or a staircase located vertically inside the wind turbine tower.

Figure 10 shows another connection to the front rail. The figure shows yet another embodiment of a connection to the rail 240. The lower 125 end of the vertical pipe 120 is provided with a profile 126 which fits the shape of the upper part of the rail 240 and the top of the vertical pipe 122 can be connected to the horizontal tube 110, see Figure 1.

The two splits 129 make it possible to mount two other tubes on the sides of the T-shaped tubular member 122.

Figure 11 shows a vertical connection to a horizontal pipe. The figure - together with Figure 1 - shows how the left end of the horizontal tube 112 is mounted in a hole on the vertical tube 132. To be able to secure the left end of the horizontal tube 112 to the top of the vertical tube 132 is it is provided with a screw 134.

Figure 12 shows a vertical connection to two horizontal pipes, ie. tubes 110 and 115 of Figure 1. The tubular vertical connector 124 is also shown in Figure 1. Due to the V-shaped top of the tubular vertical connector 124, it allows the horizontal construction, i.e. the tubes 112, 110 and 115 can be mounted at an angle determined by the angle determined by the aforementioned V-shaped top profile.

Figure 13 shows a two-part connection from a vertical pipe to a grid. The figure shows how the two tubes 140 and 142 are connected to each other, the lower end of the tube 140 can be mounted vertically into the upper end of the tube 142. The figure further shows how an edge of the mesh 105, e.g. a rope on the net 105 is connected into a horizontally oriented hole at the upper end of the tube 140. The two tubes 140 and 142 are also shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2. FIG. 14 shows yet another two-part connection from a vertical pipe to a grid. As in the previous figure, Figure 14 shows how the two tubes 150 and 152 are connected to each other, the lower end of the tube 150 being mounted vertically into the upper end of the tube 152. Another edge of the mesh 105, e.g. a rope on the net 105 is connected into a horizontally oriented hole at the upper end of the pipe 150. The pipe pair 140 and 152 are also shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 15 shows how a grid portion is connected to two horizontal pipe ends. The horizontal tube 115 supported by the tubes 122 and 120 has a rope around its right end and the rope is mounted to the net 105. The rope forms a lacing eye which fits the diameter of the right end of the tube 115, even if only the the left portion of tube 115 is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 16 shows a portion of the safety net from above with connections to a cable ladder. The cable ladder, denoted 260 in FIG. 17, carries and supports cables 108 to be used for power control and power generation from and / to the wind turbine generator. Part of the network 105 is also supported by the cable ladder 260, see figure. 17 for further details and explanation.

Figure 17 shows a portion of the safety net from above with two connections to a cable ladder. A portion of the net 105 is supported by the cable ladder 260 by means of two expansion bolts 106 which are mounted into two opposite sides of the cable ladder 260.1 each of the lacing eyes 104 of the two expansion bolts 106 is fitted with a snap hook 103. To support and carry a portion of the net 105 adjacent to the cable ladder 260, the net 105 is mounted in this position - on two opposite parts - to the two snap hooks 103.

The embodiments of the invention are described above in the figures and in the description of the embodiments. While these descriptions directly describe the above embodiments, it should be understood that one skilled in the art can envisage modifications and / or variations to the specific embodiments shown and described herein.

Any such modification or variation which falls within the scope of this specification should be considered as also included herein. Unless otherwise specifically stated, it is the inventor's intention that words and expressions in the specification and claims should be assigned the general and usual meaning as for the relevant skilled person.

The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention known to the applicant and inventor at the time of submission has been presented and is intended to illustrate and describe:

It is not intended to exhaust or limit creation to the exact form described, and many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings.

These embodiments were selected and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, and to enable other professionals to make the best use of the various embodiments of the invention and with various modifications adapted to the particular application being considered.

Claims (3)

A wind turbine tower comprising: - at least two tower sections which are mounted together on a flange section (218) with bolts with nut (220); a front rail (240) and a cable ladder (260); - a safety net (100) defining a leading edge (300) which is adjacent to the wall of the wind turbine tower and the flange section (218) with the bolts with nut (220); wherein the safety net (100) defines a trailing edge (400) which is adjacent to a line defined by the diameter of the wind turbine tower; wherein the safety net (100) comprises: a net (105) having the leading edge (300) and the trailing edge (400); a horizontal transverse tube (110) at the trailing edge (400) of the web (105) and a vertically mounted tube (120) connected at its upper (122) end close to the horizontal transverse tube (110) at a point remote from the wall on the wind turbine tower, a profile (126) connected to the lower end (125) of the vertically mounted pipe (120), where the profile (126) can be mounted on the front rail (240); at the end of and at the opening of the horizontal transverse pipe (110) adjacent the wind turbine tower wall, mounting a transverse pipe (112) which can be adapted to different lengths; a plurality of mounting means (420) mounted between the rear (400) edge of the web (105) and the vertically mounted tube (120) and / or the transverse tubes (112); at the end of the transverse tube (112) which is adjacent to the wall of the wind turbine tower, mounting a vertically oriented two-piece holder (130,132) capable of adjusting different heights of the holder (130,132); a lower end (131) of the vertically oriented bracket (130,132) which can be adapted to be mounted on one of the bolts with the nut (220); a first number of holders (142,152) which are adjacent to the wall of the wind turbine tower, which can be adapted to be mounted on their respective lower ends on a corresponding number of bolts with nut (220); and wherein the mesh (105) comprises, adjacent to the wall of the wind turbine tower, a corresponding first number of vertical tubes (140,150) mounted on their upper ends on an edge of the mesh (105), wherein the first number of vertical tubes (140, 150) at their lower end is adapted to be mounted at the top of the first number of holders (142,152), which together with the first number of vertically mounted pipes (140,150) can be adapted to different heights. Wind turbine tower according to claim 1, wherein the safety net (100) comprises two expansion bolts (106) mounted between two opposite parts of the net (105) at the leading edge (300) of the net (105) and two opposite points on the cable ladder (260) . The wind turbine tower of claim 1, wherein the mounting means (420) comprise a plurality of elastic straps (420).