Method for lifting or lowering components to or from a location on an off-shore wind turbine generator and handshake-tool for use in the method
AssigneeVestas Wind Systems A/S
InventorAdrian Botwright
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In order to allow for a safe and cost-efficient lifting of components (1) from a service vessel (2) to a location on an off-shore wind turbine generator (3) or lowering of components from a location on an off-shore wind turbine generator to a service vessel a method involving the use of a handshake-tool (10) is provided my means of which the component to be lifted or lowered can easily be transferred from one crane to another.
Claims13
A method for lifting components from a location on a service vessel to a location on an off-shore wind turbine generator and/or for lowering components from a location on the off-shore wind turbine generator to a location on the service vessel, the method making use of at least a service vessel bound lifting apparatus and a wind turbine generator bound lifting apparatus and including a transfer step during which the component is detached from the one of the lifting apparatuses being a primary lifting apparatus and is attached the other one of the lifting apparatuses being a secondary lifting apparatus, the method comprising:
- providing a handshake-tool including:
- a plate like load-transmitting structure;
- and
- a first load engagement structure coupled to the plate like load-transmitting structure and having a remotely activatable release mechanism, wherein the release mechanism includes a bolt and an electromagnetic actuator operatively coupled to the bolt and configured to selectively move the bolt between an advanced position and a released position relative to the plate like load-transmitting structure;
- attaching a rigging of the primary lifting apparatus to the first load engagement structure wherein the bolt is in the advanced position;
- attaching the component to the plate like load-transmitting structure;
- lifting or lowering the component into a transfer position in which the component can be reached by a rigging of the secondary lifting apparatus;
- and
- performing the transfer step, by attaching the component to the rigging of the secondary lifting apparatus via the plate like load-transmitting structure prior to the component being detached from the primary lifting apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.