Patent Publication Number: US-2010124497-A1

Title: Method for mounting components at a wind turbine

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure generally relates to the construction of a wind turbine, and in particular relates to a method and a device for mounting components at wind turbine support units of a wind turbine. Methods for mounting components at a wind turbine are manifold, such as drilling holes and thread cutting. The mounting components may be used to support units of the wind turbine, e.g. cables, cable tubes, etc. 
     SUMMARY 
     In view of the above a method for mounting components at a wind turbine support unit of a wind turbine is provided, the method including the steps of providing a captive bolt gun, providing a fastening means, inserting a captive bolt into the fastening means, and shooting the captive bolt into the wind turbine support unit by means of the captive bolt gun such that the fastening means is fixed at the wind turbine support unit. 
     According to another aspect a use of a captive bolt for mounting components in a wind turbine is provided. 
     According to yet another aspect a wind turbine including at least one wind turbine support unit is provided, wherein at least one fastening means adapted for mounting components at the wind turbine support unit of the wind turbine is fixed at the wind turbine support unit by means of at least one captive bolt. 
     Further exemplary embodiments are according to the dependent claims, the description and the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       DRAWINGS 
       A full and enabling disclosure, including the best mode thereof, to one of ordinary skill in the art is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification including reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  shows a construction of a captive bolt having a threaded bolt portion according to a typical embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a captive bolt without threaded bolt portion according to another typical embodiment; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates yet another captive bolt having a bushing according to yet another typical embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is an explosive view of the components which are fixed by a captive bolt at a wind turbine support unit; 
         FIG. 5  shows the components shown in  FIG. 4  wherein the captive bolt has been inserted into a fastening means which may be fastened at the wind turbine support unit shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  shows the components shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5  wherein the captive bolt  101  has been inserted into the wind turbine support unit such that the fastening means is fastened; and 
         FIG. 7  is a flowchart illustrating a method for mounting components at a wind turbine support unit of a wind turbine according to a typical embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the various exemplary embodiments, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation and is not meant as a limitation. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used on or in conjunction with other embodiments to yield yet a further embodiment. It is intended that the present disclosure includes such modifications and variations. 
     A number of embodiments will be explained below. In this case, identical structural features are identified by identical reference symbols in the drawings. The structures shown in the drawings are not depicted true to scale but rather serve only for the better understanding of the embodiments. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates a captive bolt  101  according to a typical embodiment. The captive bolt  101  includes a tip portion  107  which may be driven into a support unit (not shown in  FIG. 1 ). The material of the captive bolt  101  may be steel having high chromium and/or nickel content. 
     The captive bolt  101  may be driven into materials such as aluminium, concrete or steel. A washer  106  may be arranged around the axis of the captive bolt  101  in order to fix a fastening means (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) and in order to prevent that the captive bolt is shot through the fastening means. Furthermore, the captive bolt  101  includes a head portion  109  used to fix the fastening means. The captive bolt  101  shown in  FIG. 1  moreover includes a threaded bolt portion  105  which can be used to screw the bolt further into the material of a support unit. 
     It is noted here that a captive bolt gun may be provided in order to drive the captive bolt  101  into the support unit. The use of a captive bolt gun for mounting components of a wind turbine at wind turbine support units saves mounting time and thus costs during the installation of a wind turbine. Components which are mounted at support units of a wind turbine include cables, cable tubes, etc. 
     These components require many fastening means which have to be mounted at the support units. By just shooting the captive bolts  101  onto the support unit using a captive bolt gun, a large amount of the mounting time for mounting the fastening means at the support unit is saved. 
       FIG. 2  exhibits a captive bolt according to another typical embodiment. The captive bolt  101  shown in  FIG. 2  includes a tip portion  107  and a head portion  109 . Furthermore, a washer  106  is provided in order to be able to fix fastening means without punching the captive bolt  101  through the fastening means. The captive bolt  101  shown in  FIG. 2  has no threaded bolt portion as the captive bolt  101  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Thus it is possible to fix a fastening means at a support unit without screwing the captive bolt  101 . The captive bolt  101  is just driven into the material of the support unit by shooting it using the captive bolt gun. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a captive bolt  101  which has no tip portion  107  as the captive bolts  101  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The captive bolt  101  shown in  FIG. 3  has a flattened front end which may be inserted into a hole in a support unit which has been drilled in advance. 
     When the captive bolt  101  is driven into the support unit by means of a captive bolt gun, a portion of increased diameter of the captive bolt  101  shown in  FIG. 3  provides a fixing of the captive bolt  101  in the drilled hole. The captive bolt  101  shown in  FIG. 3  moreover includes a bushing  108  which is used to provide an efficient fixing of a fastening means at a support unit. 
       FIG. 4  is an explosive view of components used for fastening a fastening means  102  at a wind turbine support unit  100 . It is noted here that the wind turbine support unit  100  may be any part of the wind turbine where components such as cables, cable tubes, etc. are mounted. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the fastening means  102  is provided with a cable connector  103  where cables and cable tubes may be fastened. Using a captive bolt gun (not shown in  FIG. 4 ), the captive bolt  101  is driven in a shooting direction  201  along an insertion axis  110  towards the wind turbine support unit  100 . Without drilling the hole into the wind turbine support unit  100 , it is possible to fix the fastening means  102  firmly at the wind turbine support unit  100 . 
       FIG. 5  shows the situation at a step following the mounting step shown in  FIG. 4 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the captive bolt  101  has been inserted into a mounting hole  104  of the fastening means  102  or directly into the fastening means  102  in the insertion direction  201 . 
     With the captive bolt  101  thus inserted into the mounting hole  104  of the fastening means  102  or directly into the fastening means  102 , it is possible to shoot the captive bolt  101 —fastening means  102 —assembly onto the wind turbine support unit  100 . The captive bolt gun is held atop the head of the captive bolt  101  and shoots the captive bolt  101  together with the fastening means  102  towards the wind turbine support unit  100 . 
       FIG. 6  shows the situation after the captive bolt  101  has been shot into the wind turbine support unit  100  in the insertion direction  201 . The fastening means  102  including the cable connector  103  is firmly fixed at the wind turbine support unit  100  by means of the captive bolt  101 . 
     It is noted here that the captive bolt having the threaded bolt portion  105  as shown in  FIG. 1  may be used instead of the captive bolt shown in  FIGS. 4-6  without threaded bolt portion. In this case it is possible, in addition to shooting the captive bolt  101  into the wind turbine support unit  100 , to fasten the captive bolt  101  by screwing it into the wind turbine support unit  100 . Furthermore, a washer  106  (shown in  FIG. 2 ) may be used in the mounting situations shown in  FIGS. 4-6 . 
       FIG. 7  is a flowchart illustrating a method for mounting components at a wind turbine support unit  100  of a wind turbine according to a typical embodiment. 
     The procedure starts at a step S 1 . At a step S 2 , a captive bolt gun is provided which is adapted for shooting captive bolts  101  (shown in  FIGS. 1-6 ) into the wind turbine support unit  100  (shown in  FIGS. 4-6 ). Then the procedure advances to step S 3 . At step S 3 , a fastening means  102  (shown in  FIGS. 4-6 ) which may have a mounting hole  104  is provided. 
     At a step S 4 , a captive bolt  101  (shown in  FIGS. 1-6 ) is inserted into the mounting hole  104  of the fastening means  102  or directly into the fastening means  102 . Then the procedure advances to a step S 5  where the captive bolt gun is used for shooting the captive bolt  101  in a direction shown by an arrow  201  in  FIGS. 4-6 . 
     After having shot the captive bolt  101  into the wind turbine support unit  100  by means of the captive bolt gun, the fastening means  102  is firmly fixed at the wind turbine support unit  100 . At step S 6 , the procedure is ended. 
     The invention has been described on the basis of embodiments which are shown in the appended drawings and from which further advantages and modifications emerge. However, the disclosure is not restricted to the embodiments described in concrete terms, but rather can be modified and varied in a suitable manner. It lies within the scope to combine individual features and combinations of features of one embodiment with features and combinations of features of another embodiment in a suitable manner in order to arrive at further embodiments. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art, based upon the teachings herein, that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the disclosure and its broader aspects. That is, all examples set forth herein above are intended to be exemplary and non-limiting.