Transport container for wind turbine blades
A modularly extendible container system for transporting wind turbine blades is disclosed. The extendible container system includes at least one module (50, 52) configured to be connected to other modules. The module includes a box-shaped frame and corrugated side walls attached to the frame. The extendable container system further includes a connecting member positioned at each end of the module for connection between the module and the other module to extend the length of the container system.
The present invention relates to transportation containers. In particular, the present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for containing and transporting wind turbine blades.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONTurbine blades, such as wind turbine blades used to generate electrical power from the wind, are precision made instruments and can be extremely large (e.g., some exceeding 160 feet in length and 12 feet in width). These large turbine blades require protection while being transported from where the turbine blades are manufactured to the site where the turbine blades will be used. Because of their fragility and size, design of containers for transporting wind turbine blades poses many challenges and obstacles that need to be overcome.
One challenge in designing containers for transporting large turbine blades is that the container should protect the blades from damage that would degrade their performance. In other words, strong containers are required to protect the turbine blades during transport.
Another challenge associated with designing a container large enough to contain a wind turbine blade is that the container should be designed to minimize its weight to reduce transportation costs yet still be strong enough to protect the turbine blade. In addition, since the turbine blades come in a variety of different sizes and shapes, a preferred container would be capable of accommodating the various different types of turbine blades. Having all the containers sized to fit the largest blade would create unnecessary weight and space when transporting smaller blades.
An alternative to using containers uniformly sized to the largest blade is to create different containers for different sized blades. This option, however, would create a complex logistical problem of ensuring that a container of the proper size was available for each shipment. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that transport of wind turbine blades is sometimes accomplished by sending the blades across oceans on slow-moving vessels. Further, this option would increase the manufacturing cost of the containers due to size variations in the manufacturing process.
In an attempt to overcome the above-mentioned problems related to variable sized turbine blades, sectional container systems have been proposed. Conventionally, 40-foot sectional containers that can be bolted together to create a longer container have been available for containing wind turbine blades. However, processes involved with connecting and separating the sectional containers are cumbersome and time-consuming. Furthermore, since the conventional containers used for wind turbine blades are constructed with a lattice frame design whose structural strength is typically limited, the conventional containers may be subject to fracture during the loading and offloading processes because long wind turbine containers are loaded on and off of transportation media as one unit. This limitation on the structural strength restricts the length of the container system, preventing accommodation of the largest turbine blades.
Another challenge associated with designing a large container is that the container should be compatible with different modes of transportation. For example, the container should be easily adaptable for transportation by ship, truck, or rail. Conventionally, the containers for wind turbine blades are loaded onto trucks, such as a flat bed truck. One of the problems associated with transporting large loads overland is the height restriction of the load. For example, in some regions, the container height cannot exceed, for example, 4.2 meters (13.7 feet). Such height restriction is to ensure that the container can pass under bridges and overpasses located on the overland transport route. Therefore, reduction in the container height is desirable so that the load height can be made as low as possible.
Another problem associated with the conventional containers for turbine blades is the fact that the containers are not stackable on top of each other. Since conventional containers have their tops opened, the containers cannot be stacked in layers without damaging the blade contained in the bottom container. Furthermore, since the frame of the conventional containers are not strong enough, the conventional containers cannot support another containers on the top. Therefore, to facilitate transportation of the turbine blades in a limited space, e.g., in a ship, it is desirable for a container to be stackable in layers to efficiently utilize the limited space.
A container for a wind turbine blade is reusable and, therefore, should be returned after its use. If the container can be easily adaptable to contain other goods besides wind turbine blades, the valuable shipping space can be efficiently utilized on a return trip by containing other types of goods, rather than wasting the valuable shipping space by returning empty. Therefore, another desirable feature of a container for turbine blades is its adaptability for containing other types of goods besides wind turbine blades.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONTo overcome the drawbacks and problems described above and in accordance with the purposes of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, one aspect of the invention provides an extendable container system for transporting a wind turbine blade comprising at least one module configured to be connected to other modules, and a connecting member positioned at each end of the module for connection between the module and the other module to extend the length of the container system. The module comprises a box-shaped frame and corrugated side walls attached to the frame.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method for shipping wind turbine blades is provided. The method comprises connecting at least two modular containers to form a container that is large enough to fit at least one wind turbine blade, loading the wind turbine blade into the container, and tilting the wind turbine blade so that the widest portion of the wind turbine blade is positioned at oblique angle with respect to the container, such that the height of the container is reduced.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a method of transporting a wind turbine blade container without a wind turbine blade is provided. The method comprises separating interconnected modular containers of the wind turbine blade container, attaching an end piece to the modular containers, and shipping the modules.
Additional aspects and advantages will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The aspects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate various embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the advantages and the principles of the invention.
In the drawings:
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
As shown in
For example, as illustrated in
Referring to
In the preferred embodiment shown in
As shown in
The connection between the modules 50, 52, 54 may also include a guiding pin 93, shown in
A tension bolt 140 can also be provided at the lower portion of the module 50, 52, 54 to adjust the fastening tension between two connected modules 50, 52, 54.
The standard module 50 and the extension modules 52, 54 may include a plurality of telescoping columns 150, as shown in
Referring to
In an embodiment, shown in
The columns 150 are preferably placed in each corner of a module 50, 52, 54 and in the middle portion of the side walls 104, as shown in
In an embodiment, the number and placement of the columns 150 depend on the container balance during the container lifting process. If the balance of the container 100 is located at the center of the container 100 (e.g., when two blades 64 are contained symmetrically with respect to the center of the container 100 as shown in
The wind turbine blade 64 can be secured in the container 100 by a root fitting. An exemplary embodiment of a root fitting is shown in
Blade fitting 78 can be attached on top of a blade holder 74. Blade holder 74 is essentially a frame 116 which is attached to the interior of a module 50, 52, 54. Pins 82 can be used to attach blade holder 74 to interior of a module 50, 52, 54 by communicating with holes 175 (e.g., shown in
The tip portion of the wind turbine blade 64 can be securely attached to the module 50, 52, 54 by a blade tip holder 98. An exemplary embodiment of a blade tip holder 98 is shown in
The loop bands 92 are preferably formed of rubber. Each loop band 92 can have a bar 96 which can be configured to fit in the slot 118 of the tip holder guiding pin 193, shown in
Once the modules 50, 52, 54 are assembled together to form a container 100 and turbine blade 64 is installed in the container 100, the container 100 is hoisted onto and secured to a transportation media. As mentioned previously, a second container may be stacked on top of the first container.
Container 100 permits water- and land-borne transportation. Water-borne transportation can take the form of a vessel with suitable storage area (above or below deck) for at least one container 100. For land-borne transportation, the container 100 can be used as the primary container for the transport. For example, container 100 can be used as a trailer for road transport by attaching wheels or dollies 62 as shown in
Further reductions in container height can be achieved by tilting the turbine blade 64 inside the container 100. By loading the container such that the widest portion of the turbine blade is diagonally fitted in the container 100, the height of the container 100 can be further reduced. Reduction in container height ensures that the transport system can pass through tunnels and under bridges and overpasses located on the transportation route.
As shown in
When deciding whether to convert container 100, portions of the container 100 may be omitted from the highcube container 121. For example, a highcube container 121 may or may not have a roof 124. Alternatively, if a roof is desired and the module used did not include a roof, a roof 124 may be added. Further, if the container 121 has a roof 124, it can be configured to be raised or lowered depending on the required cargo space using on or more of telescoping columns 150. Another optional adaptation is that in order to facilitate draining of liquids, such as, rain water in the container, drain holes (not shown) may be provided, e.g., drilled, in the floor (not shown) of the container 114, preferably in grooved sections of the floor.
Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.
Claims
1. An extendable container system for transporting a wind turbine blade comprising:
- at least one module configured to be connected to other modules, the module comprising: a box-shaped frame; and corrugated side walls attached to the frame, and
- a connecting member positioned at each end of the module for connection between the module and the other module to extend the length of the container system.
2. The extendable container system of claim 1, wherein the at least one module includes at least one standard module and at least one extension module.
3. The extendable container system of claim 2, wherein the standard module is 40 feet in length.
4. The extendable container system of claim 2, wherein the extension module is one of 40 feet in length and 20 feet in length.
5. The extendable container system of claim 1, wherein the modules are stackable on the top of another.
6. The extendable container system of claim 1, wherein the module comprises a roof.
7. The extendable container system of claim 6, wherein the roof is comprised of at least one corrugated sheet.
8. The extendable container system of claim 6, comprising a plurality of telescoping columns for supporting the roof.
9. The extendable container system of claim 8, wherein the telescoping column includes a roof mounting apparatus for attaching the roof to the telescoping column.
10. The extendable container system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of telescoping columns are configured to support the weight of another extendable container system.
11. The extendable container system of claim 10, wherein the telescoping column is configured to structurally communicate with the frame to hold the telescoping column in place.
12. The extendable container system of claim 11, wherein the telescoping column includes a slider for facilitating sliding motion of the column relative to the frame.
13. The extendable container system of claim 11, wherein the frame includes a receiving hole in which the telescoping column is slidably positioned.
14. The extendable container system of claim 10, wherein the telescoping column includes at least one stop hole to which a secure stop is inserted for positioning the telescoping column at a predetermined height.
15. The extendable container system of claim 1, comprising a blade root fitting attached near an end of the module and configured to fasten a root end of a wind turbine blade.
16. The extendable container system of claim 15, wherein the blade root fitting is configured to tilt the wind turbine blade within the module.
17. The extendable container system of claim 16, wherein the blade root fitting includes a cylinder for controlling the tilting of the wind turbine blade.
18. The extendable container system of claim 15, wherein the blade root fitting comprises:
- a blade holder for anchoring the turbine blade to the frame of the extendable container;
- a blade fitting configured to attach to the blade holder, the blade fitting configured to attach to a root of a wind turbine blade; and
- a piston attached to the blade holder and the blade fitting, the piston configured to rotate the blade fitting with respect to the blade holder so as to tilt the wind turbine blade.
19. The extendable container system of claim 1, comprising a blade tip holder attached to the frame for supporting a tip portion of the wind turbine blade.
20. The extendable container system of claim 19, wherein the blade tip holder comprises:
- a loop-shaped band configured to receive the tip of a turbine blade; and
- means for attaching the loop-shaped slings to the frame.
21. The extendable container system of claim 1, comprising a floor.
22. The extendable container system of claim 21, wherein the floor includes at least one drainage hole.
23. The extendable container system of claim 21, wherein the floor is comprised of at least one corrugated sheet.
24. The extendable container system of claim 1, comprising a wheeled member for overland transport.
25. The extendable container system of claim 24, wherein the wheeled member is compatible with road transportation.
26. The extendable container system of claim 25, wherein the height of the container system with the wheeled member installed is not greater than 4.2 meter.
27. The extendable container system of claim 1, wherein the module can be configured to form a stand-alone highcube container.
28. The extendable container system of claim 1, comprising at least one ladder attached to an outside portion of the module and extended to a roof.
29. The extendable container system of claim 1, the module is configured to be secured to a deck of a ship.
30. A method for shipping wind turbine blades comprising:
- connecting at least two modular containers to form a container that is large enough to fit at least one wind turbine blade;
- loading the wind turbine blade into the container; and
- tilting the wind turbine blade so that the widest portion of the wind turbine blade is positioned at oblique angle with respect to the container.
31. A method of claim 30, further comprising supporting a tip portion of the wind turbine blade to the container.
32. A method of claim 30, wherein the tilting is performed by rotating the root portion of the wind turbine blade.
33. A method of claim 30, further comprising attaching wheels to the container for overland transport.
34. A method of claim 30, further comprising loading the container onto a ship and attaching it to the ship's deck.
35. A method of claim 30, further comprising attaching a roof to the container.
36. A method of claim 30, further comprising attaching an end piece to the container.
37. A method of claim 30, further comprising stacking at least one other container on top of the container.
38. A method of transporting a wind turbine blade container without a wind turbine blade comprising:
- separating interconnected modular containers of the wind turbine blade container;
- attaching an end piece to the modular containers; and
- shipping the modules.
39. A method of claim 38, further comprising adjusting a roof height of the modular container to a desired height.
40. A method of claim 38, comprising placing a smaller modular container in a larger modular container.
41. A method of claim 38, comprising forming the separated modular containers into a plurality of stand-alone highcube containers by attaching a roof and end pieces to each modular container.
42. A method of claim 38, wherein the highcube containers are configured to accommodate goods other than the wind turbine blade.
43. A container formed by connecting container modules, comprising:
- a retainer connecting upper portions of ends of two container modules;
- a guiding bolt connecting a middle portion of the ends of the two container modules; and
- a tension bolt connecting a lower portion of the ends of the two container modules.
44. A method of connecting two container modules for forming a large container, comprising:
- connecting upper portions of ends of the container modules with a retainer;
- connecting a middle portion of the ends of the container modules with a guiding bolt; and
- connecting a lower portion of the ends of the container modules with a tension bolt.
45. A method of claim 44, further comprising adjusting the tension of the tension bolt using an arm rotatably coupled to the tension bolt.
46. A method of claim 45, further comprising locking the arm to one of the container modules.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 11, 2003
Publication Date: Aug 18, 2005
Inventor: Preben Almind (Viborg)
Application Number: 10/507,543