초록 ▼

A method for controlling the orientation of a load (18) suspended from a bearing wire (16) about said bearing wire (16), comprising the following steps: a.—providing a winch arrangement (10), comprising; one master winch (32), one slave winch (34) and a winch control system (31), each of said winche

A method for controlling the orientation of a load (18) suspended from a bearing wire (16) about said bearing wire (16), comprising the following steps: a.—providing a winch arrangement (10), comprising; one master winch (32), one slave winch (34) and a winch control system (31), each of said winches (32, 34) having a winch motor (58) and a bi-directional rotational spool (54) with a tagline (40, 42), wherein the winches (32, 34) are placed on the ground, on the crane or on the load, wherein each tagline (40, 42) is provided with attachment means (44, 46) for attachment to the load (18) and for applying a controlled torque to the load (18) about the bearing wire (16), and wherein the control system (31) comprises tension sensor means (48) for determining tagline tension and spool rotation sensor means (50) for determining spool rotation, and wherein the control system (31) is controllably connected to each winch motor (58) for controlling spool rotation,b.—connecting the attachment means (44, 46) to the load (18),c.—simultaneous rotating the winch spools (54), until preset tagline tensions are sensed in the two taglines by the tension sensor means (48),d.—during horizontal and/or vertical movement of the load (18), rotating, if necessary, the spools (50) with a rotation speed, for maintaining a desired orientation of the load (18), based on the determined tagline tensions,e.—relieving the tagline tension by rotating the spools (50), andf.—disconnecting the attachment means (44, 46) from the load (18).

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of controlling the orientation of a load (18), the load comprising a wind turbine blade, the load being suspended from a bearing wire (16) about said bearing wire (16), comprising the following steps: a.—providing a winch arrangement (10), comprising; one master winch (32), one slave win

1. A method of controlling the orientation of a load (18), the load comprising a wind turbine blade, the load being suspended from a bearing wire (16) about said bearing wire (16), comprising the following steps: a.—providing a winch arrangement (10), comprising; one master winch (32), one slave winch (34) and a winch control system (31), each of said winches (32, 34) having a winch motor (58) and a bi-directional rotational spool (54) with a tagline (40, 42), wherein the winches (32, 34) are placed on a support surface, a ground, a crane, or the load, wherein each tagline (40, 42) is provided with attachment means (44, 46), wherein the taglines (40, 42) are arranged for applying a controlled torque to the load (18) about the bearing wire (16), and wherein the control system (31) comprises tension sensor means (48) for determining tagline tension and spool rotation sensor means (50) for determining spool rotation, and wherein the control system (31) is controllably connected to each winch motor (58) for controlling spool rotation,b1.—placing the winches (32, 34) free of the load (18) on the crane, or on the ground next to the crane, or on a ship deck next to the crane and connecting the tagline by the attachment means (44, 46) to the load (18), orb2.—placing the winches (32, 34) on the load (18) and connecting the tagline by the attachment means (44, 46) to a land (68),c.—presetting tagline tension levels in the control system and under autonomous control of the control system rotating the winch spools (54), until preset tagline tension levels are sensed in the two taglines (40, 42) by the tension sensor means (48),d.—during operation of the crane by a crane operator with the bearing wire (16) causing horizontal and/or vertical movement of the load (18), continuously operating the tension sensor means and the spool rotation sensor means for providing feedback of the operation in the control system; based on said feedback and under automatic and autonomous control of the control system, without input from the crane operator, rotating the spools (54) with a rotation speed that maintains the preset tagline tension levels during said horizontal and/or vertical movement of the load (18) for applying a controlled torque about the bearing wire and thereby maintaining a desired orientation of the load (18) suspended from the bearing wire (16) about said bearing wire (16), wherein the maintaining of the preset tagline tension levels comprises automatically and autonomously without interference by an operator increasing the tension at the master winch to the preset tagline tension level of the master winch by winding the tagline by the master winch if the tension during the movement decreases below the preset tension level of the master winch, and decreasing the tension at the master winch to the preset tagline tension level of the master winch by unwinding the tagline by the master winch if the tension during the movement increases above the preset tension level of the master winch; wherein the slave winch is set to follow the master winch to assist in maintaining the preset tension level of the tagline of the master winch;e.—relieving the tagline tension by rotating the spools (54), andf.—disconnecting the attachment means (44, 46). 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein in step c., the spools (54) are rotated simultaneously. 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein in step d., the method comprises, after having maintained a desired orientation of the load (18) under autonomous control of the control system (31) during horizontal and/or vertical movement of the load (18), providing an input to the control system (31) for changing the orientation of the load (18) about said bearing wire (16); as a consequence of the input causing adding/subtracting a rotation speed component to/from the rotation speed applied to the slave winch spool (54), for thereby changing the orientation of the load (18) suspended from the bearing wire (16) about said bearing wire (16). 4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said input is user input or pre-programmed input or automatic input from distance measuring equipment. 5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises further steps between step a. and b.: a′.—providing each winch (32, 34) with winch attachment means (36) for attachment of each winch (32, 34) to the support surface,a″.—providing the support surface for each winch (32, 34), anda′″.—attaching each winch attachment means (36) to each support surface. 6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the support surface is provided on the load (18), a lifting frame (30), a ship deck or on the ground. 7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the steps of providing a spool torque sensor means for measuring the spool torque and converting the spool torque to tagline tension, for determining tagline tension. 8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the steps of providing a strain gauge on each tagline for measuring the strain in each tagline and converting the tagline strain to tagline tension, for determining tagline tension. 9. A winch arrangement (10) in combination with a load, the load comprising a wind turbine blade, the winch arrangement being configured for controlling orientation of the load (18) suspended from a bearing wire (16) about said bearing wire (16), the bearing wire extending from a crane boom (14) of a crane, the winch arrangement comprising; winches (32, 34) and a winch control system (31), each of said winches (32, 24) having a winch motor (58) and a bi-directional rotational spool (54) with a tagline (40, 42) not engaging the bearing wire or the crane boom, wherein the winches (32, 34) are placed on a support surface, or a ground, or a ship deck, or the crane, or the load, wherein each tagline (40, 42) is provided with attachment means (44, 46) for attachment and for applying a controlled torque to the load (18) about the bearing wire (16), wherein the winches comprise one master winch (32) and one slave winch (34), and wherein the control system (31) comprises tension sensor means (48) for determining tagline tension and spool rotation sensor means (50) for determining spool rotation, and wherein the control system (31) is controllably connected to each winch motor (58) for controlling spool rotation; wherein the control system contains preset tagline tension levels; wherein the control system is configured for continuously operating the tension sensor means and the spool rotation sensor means for providing continuous feedback in the control system of horizontal and/or vertical movement of the load (18); wherein the control system is configured for autonomous control, on the basis of the feedback, of the rotation of the winch spools (54) with rotation speed that maintains the preset tagline tension levels during said horizontal and/or vertical movement of the load (18) for maintaining a desired orientation of the load (18) suspended from the bearing wire (16) about said bearing wire (16). 10. A winch arrangement (10) according to claim 9, wherein the connection between the control system (31) and the sensors (48, 50) and/or the control system (31) and each winch motor (58) is wireless. 11. A winch arrangement (10) according to claim 9, wherein the control system (31) further comprises an input console (66) for receiving user input for change of the orientation of the load. 12. A method according to claim 1, wherein the wind turbine blade is oriented horizontal. 13. A method according to claim 3, wherein the method comprises further lifting or lowering of the load while changing the orientation of the load, wherein the control system is processing the input and thereby autonomously compensating the rotation of the winches for the influence of further lifting or lowering of the load while changing the orientation of the load. 14. A method according to claim 1, wherein the taglines (40, 42) are passing extending from the tagline winches to the load (18) and thereby extending freely and remotely bypassing and not engaging the crane boom (14). 15. A method according to claim 1, wherein the winches (32, 34) are placed on the crane remotely from the crane boom (14). 16. A winch arrangement (10) according to claim 9, wherein the winches (32, 34) are on the crane remote from the crane boom (14). 17. A winch arrangement (10) according to claim 9, wherein the taglines (40, 42) are extending from the winch to the load (18) and extending freely and remotely bypassing the crane boom (14). 18. A winch arrangement (10) in combination with a load, the load comprising a wind turbine blade, the winch arrangement being configured for controlling the orientation of a load (18) suspended from a bearing wire (16) about said bearing wire (16), the bearing wire extending from a crane boom (14) of a crane; the winch arrangement comprising one master winch (32) and one slave winch (34) and a winch control system (31); each of said winches (32, 24) having a winch motor (58) and a bi-directional rotational spool (54) with a tagline (40, 42) for applying a controlled torque to the load (18) about the bearing wire (16); wherein each tagline (40, 42) is provided with attachment means (44, 46) for attachment of the tagline; and wherein the control system (31) comprises tension sensor means (48) for determining tagline tension and spool rotation sensor means (50) for determining spool rotation; wherein a) the winches (32, 34) are provided on a support surface, or a ground, or a ship deck, or the crane remote from the crane boom; each tagline (40, 42) extending from the winch to the load (18) and extending freely and remotely bypassing and not engaging the crane boom (14); or whereinb) winches (32, 34) are provided on the load; each tagline (40, 42) extending from the winch to a land and extending freely and remotely bypassing and not engaging the crane boom (14). 19. A load suspension control method comprising: providing a crane having a crane boom and a bearing wire,suspending a load from the bearing wire, the load comprising a wind turbine blade,providing a winch arrangement comprising a master winch and a slave winch,providing a first winch motor and a second winch motor,providing a first bi-directional rotational spool on the master winch,driving the first bi-directional rotational spool with the first winch motor,providing a second bi-directional rotational spool on the slave winch,driving the second bi-directional rotational spool with the second winch motor,providing a first spool rotation sensor for the master winch,providing a second spool rotation sensor for the slave winch,providing a first tagline for the master winch extending from the first bi-directional spool,providing a second tagline for the slave winch extending from the second bi-directional spool,providing a first tension sensor along the first tagline and a second tension sensor along the second tagline,attaching the first tagline with a first attachment to a first position on the load independent of, spaced from and not engaging the crane boom or the bearing wire,attaching the second tagline with a second attachment to a second position on the load independent of, spaced from and not engaging the crane boom or the bearing wire,providing an automatically operating autonomous winch control system,functionally connecting the winch control system to the first motor, the first spool rotation sensor, the first tension sensor, the second motor, the second spool rotation sensor, and the second tension sensor,presetting first tagline tension levels in the control system,presetting second tagline tension levels in the control system,applying controlled torque to the load about the bearing wire with the first tagline and the second tagline with the winch control system,controlling the first winch motor and rotation of the first winch spool of the first tagline with the winch control system,determining a first spool rotation of the first tagline with the first spool rotation sensor, controlling the second winch motor and rotation of the second winch spool of the second tagline with the winch control system,determining a second spool rotation of the second tagline with the second spool rotation sensor,sensing a first tagline tension of the first tagline with the first tension sensor and a second tagline tension of the second tagline with the second tension sensor,controlling the rotation of the first winch spool with the control system until the preset tagline tension levels are sensed in the first tagline by the first tension sensor,controlling the rotation of the second winch spool with the control system until the preset tagline tension levels are sensed in the second tagline by the second tension sensor,moving the load during operation of the crane with the bearing wire,continuously operating the first and the second tension sensors and the first and the second spool rotation sensors,providing feedback of the continuously operating to the winch control system,automatically, independently and autonomously operating the winch control system responsive to the feedback provided,rotating the first winch spool and the second winch spool with respective rotation speeds, maintaining the preset first tagline and second tagline tension levels during the moving of the load,maintaining a desired orientation of the load suspended from the bearing wire about the bearing wire,relieving the first tagline tension levels by rotating the first winch spool,relieving the second tagline tension levels by rotating the second winch spool, anddisconnecting the first tagline and the second tagline from the load. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the providing the master winch and the slave winch further comprises disposing the master winch and the slave winch in positions selected from the group consisting of on the crane, on areas proximal the crane, on a ship deck proximal the crane, or on the load. 21. The method of claim 19, wherein the moving the load comprises moving the load in movements selected from the group consisting of horizontal, vertical, or combinations thereof.