Mobile tower crane systems and methods
AssigneeNational Oilwell Varco, L.P.
InventorsAnthony Jason Harms, Travis Miller, Robert Benjamin Donnally
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tower crane for assembling a wind turbine includes a boom assembly including a boom and a hoisting block coupled to the boom, an extendable tower assembly including a plurality of tower sections, and a transport assembly including a central support frame coupled to the tower assembly, a self-propelled transporter configured to transport the tower crane, and a diagonal brace extending between the central support frame and the transporter, wherein the diagonal brace includes a linear actuator configured to selectably extend and retract the diagonal brace.
Claims26
A tower crane for assembling a wind turbine, comprising:
- a boom assembly comprising a boom and a hoisting block coupled to the boom;
- an extendable tower assembly comprising a plurality of tower sections;
- and
- a transport assembly comprising a central support frame coupled to the tower assembly, a plurality of independently self-propelled transporters configured to transport the tower crane, and a plurality of diagonal braces extending between the central support frame and the plurality of transporters, wherein each of the plurality of diagonal braces comprises a linear actuator positioned along the diagonal brace and configured to selectably extend and retract the diagonal brace.
A tower crane for assembling a wind turbine, comprising:
- a boom assembly comprising a boom and a hoisting block coupled to the boom;
- an extendable tower assembly comprising a plurality of tower sections;
- and
- a transport assembly comprising a central support frame coupled to the tower assembly, a plurality of independently self-propelled transporters coupled to the central support frame and configured to transport the tower crane, a plurality of diagonal braces extending diagonally between the central support frame and the plurality of transporters, and a control system comprising a processor and a memory containing instructions executable by the processor to selectably extend and retract the plurality of diagonal braces to maintain a predetermined inclination of a central axis of the tower crane as the tower crane is transported by the plurality of transporters.
A tower crane for assembling a wind turbine, comprising:
- a boom assembly comprising a boom and a hoisting block coupled to the boom;
- an extendable tower assembly comprising a plurality of tower sections;
- and
- a transport assembly comprising a central support frame coupled to the tower assembly, a plurality of independently self-propelled transporters coupled to the central support frame and configured to transport the tower crane, wherein each of the plurality of transporters comprises a guide assembly that is pivotably coupled to and positioned at a front of a body of the transporter, and wherein the guide assembly rides on the terrain ahead of the body of the transporter and comprises an inclination sensor in signal communication with a control system of the transport assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.