Hoisting One for Wind Power: Climbing Crane Expected to Keep Vestas Turbines Spinning [Slide Show]
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TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL ITI Energy tested Orangutan on a tower built at one-fifth scale (compared with a normal turbine tower) and is now looking for partners to turn the prototype into a climbing machine that can be commercialized... © ITI ENERGY, PART OF SCOTTISH ENTERPRISE
ORANGUTAN ITI Energy's "Orangutan" wind turbine access system is made up of two friction clamps, connected by a hydraulic structure that allows caterpillar-like motion up and down the turbine tower... © ITI ENERGY, PART OF SCOTTISH ENTERPRISE
TOWER OF POWER The current version of the crane features a single crane arm that can install and remove gearboxes and generators. Future versions are expected to be able to do replacement or repair work to the rotor blades themselves... © VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
ON THE RISE Vestas is developing its climbing crane (still in prototype) to help avoid maintenance delays caused by a shortage of heavy cranes. © VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
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STRONG ARM After the crane reaches the top of the tower it clamps its four claws around the post like a giant robotic hand to provide stability, allowing the crane to operate 100 or more meters above the ground in winds as strong as 15 meters per second... © VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S
A NEW OPTION The Tower Crane, which measures 10 meters long, 2.9 meters high and 3.3 meters wide, ascends through a multistep process. © VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S