Single-Line Guiding System Makes Wind Turbine Work Safer

The single-line guiding system from Liebherr stabilises the rotor blade yoke and blade in the wind

 

December 12, 2018 - Liebherr Cranes, Ehingen/Donau, Germany, says its new single-line guiding system (SLGS) makes wind turbine erection safer by stabilizing rotor blades and eliminating the need for people, vehicles, or winches on the ground to hold taglines. Liebherr also says that the new SLGS reduces the space required for the lifting process.

 

The new system is available for the LR 1750/2 and LG 1750 lattice boom cranes. 

 

The blades on the latest generation of wind turbines are installed individually using yokes.  

 

Liebherr has developed a system that makes the installation process safer, more economical, and in many cases also greener – the SLGS single-line guiding system.  

 

Before SLGS, stabilizing long rotor blades in the wind took long taglines handled by helpers on the ground with vehicles and, in some cases, even rope winches. That method requires a lots of space on the ground because the force needed can only be generated if the taglines are at an adequately low angle. 

 

For erecting wind turbines in forest areas, that means cutting down more trees to create the extra space needed to set up and operate the taglines. Liebherr’s SLGS eliminates the need for taglines because it stabilizes the blades by the crane’s boom. 

Technical Design
The single-line guiding system is attached to the front of the boom facing the load.  

A rope is secured at the top of the boom head and tensioned using a rope winch below in the pivot section.

A cable pulley with two connections to the outsides of the rotor blade yoke runs along the boom rope during hoisting.  

The SLGS has its own power supply in the yoke, and the two connections to the SGLS are tensioned so that the blade is stabilized in the wind and can also be angled correctly for installation on the hub.

Since the horizontal application of force on the blade by the main boom is perfectly aligned, the SLGS significantly improves the load control during blade installation. 

The single-line guiding system from Liebherr can be used with rotor blade yokes from various manufacturers.  

Also, the SLGS can be retrofitted at low cost on all conventional wind power boom systems, including the new SX systems on LR 1750/2 and LG 1750 cranes. The tensioning winch being installed instead of the luffing jib adjustment winch and the existing hydraulic system being used. Only the electrical system and software are added.