10 years ago, a typical wind farm job may have required no more than lifting a 120-tonne nacelle to a height of 80 to 100 meters. that is all changing, the machinery housing alone on wind turbine generators such as Enercon's 7MW e-126 or repower’s 5MW 5M can weigh around 120 tonnes. Add to this its contents, such as the 220-tonne generator and a rotor and hub that can add a further 320 tonnes and you have a fully assembled nacelle that weighs more than 600 tonnes. All of which will need to be placed on top of a 135-meter high tower, ideally all in one go. While such turbines are still very much at the cutting edge of the market three to four-megawatt turbines are rapidly becoming the norm.
This demands both a step-change in lifting capacities at height and new approaches to performing the job. A 120-tonne nacelle could still have been delivered to the site complete using fairly standard trailers or transporters. Today’s larger nacelles must usually be delivered separately and assembled on-site, ideally on the ground, but if not then at height.
Both approaches have their own risks. Assembling the nacelle on the ground reduces the risk of working at height, or installers working in the machinery housing being crushed as the generator drive train is lowered into the open machinery housing at 130 metres. But lifting a fully assembled nacelle requires a substantially larger crane.
Material handling and assist
Bu hikaye Cranes & Access dergisinin December/January 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye Cranes & Access dergisinin December/January 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
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The Changing Face Of The Scissor Lift Market
The majority of self-propelled scissor lifts have been electric powered since the market began to take off in the late 1970s, gathering pace in the mid 1980s. With almost 90 percent of all scissor lifts already battery powered we take a look at the remaining 10 to 15 percent of the market that remains diesel powered – mostly full size Rough Terrain models. This, along with a look at some of the latest new product launches in the rest of the scissor lift market.
Wind safety developments
A serious wind farm accident in 2008 led to a decade long process of safety improvements in the sector and offers a casebook example of how to build an understanding of safety between all those involved. Will North spoke to two of those leading the efforts, Klaus Meissner and Ton Klijn, who explain the resources available to ensure safe lifting on wind farms.
Rising winds
As a new generation of larger, higher, wind turbines become commonplace around the world, wind farm developers will need to look at employing larger lattice and telescopic crawler cranes to install them. Will north reports.
Edilgru MH 1000-30/32
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Bringing Battersea Back To Life
London’s iconic art deco style coal-fired Battersea Power Station was constructed in various stages between 1929 and the mid-1950s. By 1983 however the entire site was decommissioned to be left empty and decaying on the south bank of the River Thames until 2013 when work was approved to begin a long-term restoration and transformation project set to cost £9 billion.
The higher hundreds
In the second of a two-part report, Will North looks at All Terrain cranes between 130 and 180 tonnes. While some models in this class target taxi crane work, it also marks the point where five-axle carriers become standard with most models designed for project work.
Spiders gaining traction
The results from our survey of the tree care sector in last month’s issue of cranes & Access highlighted how spider lifts are the platform of choice for arborists. In the following pages we take a look at the latest spider lift products and features on the market to see why they are proving so popular. We also speak with CMC's UK distributor Tracked Spider Sales and UK rental company Spiderlift.
Unconventional power
Conventional fuels may be the energy source of yesterday, and renewables the innovation of the present, but tomorrow’s fuel could well be fusion power. The name of ITeR, originally the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, puns on the latin ‘The Way'. The project is supported by the european union, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the united States. The global joint venture partners clearly believe fusion power is the way forward.
XCMG XGC220T
The XCMG XGC220T is a telescopic crawler crane with a capacity of 220 tonnes. This model by Yagao comes in an XCMG branded box and includes an instruction sheet printed in Chinese and English.
Luke Reddish - CPA Lifting Technician of the Year
This year’s CPA Stars of the Future ‘Lifting Technician of the Year’ award was won by Luke Reddish, 28, of Wolffkran - one of the first crane companies to adopt the new Lifting Technician Trailblazer Apprenticeship. Wolffkran’s Samuel Slocombe was also highly commended.
