AREVA Wind has highlighted its new single blade offshore installation method at Husum WindEnergy2012. With this new method, AREVA Wind is the first offshore turbine manufacturer to enable the installation of blades on the hub in all positions up to 330 degrees and at wind speeds up to 12 metres per second.
Several sensors, different safety systems, two batteries and seven cameras ensure correct clamping and safe operation of the installation tool. Compared to rotor star blade installation, AREVA’s single blade installation method reduces storage requirements as there is no need to transport a fully assembled, space-consuming rotor star. The 55-tonne remotely controlled yoke and the special installation method was first successfully tested in May at one of AREVA’s prototype sites in Bremerhaven, and since then has undergone several extensive optimisation sequences. The average time to mount or demount a blade is around three hours.
Several sensors, different safety systems, two batteries and seven cameras ensure correct clamping and safe operation of the installation tool. Compared to rotor star blade installation, AREVA’s single blade installation method reduces storage requirements as there is no need to transport a fully assembled, space-consuming rotor star. The 55-tonne remotely controlled yoke and the special installation method was first successfully tested in May at one of AREVA’s prototype sites in Bremerhaven, and since then has undergone several extensive optimisation sequences. The average time to mount or demount a blade is around three hours.
