EP2857109A1

EP2857109A1 - Robotic machine for painting wind turbine towers and similar structures

Info

Publication number: EP2857109A1
Application number: EP13793711.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ignacio SECADES RIESTRA
Original assignee: Robotics Special Applications SL
Current assignee: Robotics Special Applications SL
Priority date: 2012-05-25
Filing date: 2013-05-22
Publication date: 2015-04-08
Also published as: WO2013175036A1; EP2857109A4; ES2436222B1; ES2436222A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a robotic machine for painting wind turbine towers and similar structures. The machine comprises a booth (2) having a configuration and dimensions suitable for receiving therein the tower (3) to be painted and includes an inner longitudinal structure (5) along which the paint gun (4) of a robot moves. The exterior of the booth (2) is provided with tanks (7) for paint, impulse pumps (8) and pressure pumps (9) which convey the paint to the gun (4). In addition, the interior of the booth (2) comprises a rotary supporting system (10) which supports the tower (3) and rotates same and which, by controlling a user interface with specific software, synchronises with the movement of the paint gun (4) along the longitudinal structure (5).

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The invention, as expressed in the abstract, refers to a robotic machine for painting wind turbine towers and similar structures, which adds several advantages and novel features to its function, which will be described in detail below and which suppose a significant improvement on the current state of the art.
More in particular, the object of the invention is centred on a machine specially designed to paint the exterior of electrical wind turbine towers or windmills, or other similar cylindrical, conical, frustoconical or elongated structures, and configured, on the one hand as a robot adapted to work inside a painting cabin, while on the other hand, on the outside of the cabin there is an installation that prepares and drives the paint toward a painting pistol in the robot, with means to combine the robot's displacement with the movement of the tower.

FIELD OF APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION

The field of application of the present invention is framed in the technical sector of the industry dedicated to the manufacture of robotic machinery with control by means of computer systems and specific software, centred on the field of machinery dedicated to painting operations.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

In the current state of the art there are many types of robotic machines that carry out painting operations, given the special features of the support towers of the wind turbines, the existence of no other machine is known that presents technical, structural and constituent features similar to the specific features presented in the claims by the machine being introduced, at least by the applicant.

EXPLANATION OF THE INVENTION

What the invention proposes specifically, as mentioned above, is a machine specially designed to paint the outside of electrical wind turbine generator towers or windmills, as well as similar structures. It is configured as a robot adapted to work inside a painting cabin with an exterior installation that prepares and drives the paint toward a painting pistol which is in the robot.
For this purpose, said exterior installation is made of paint tanks, pumps to drive the paint from the tanks to some high-pressure pumps, where the paint comes out, ready to be applied to the tower by means of a pistol.
Functioning of the machine. To adapt to the special geometry of the tower and the dimensions of the painting cabin, which is basically an elongated, rectangular cubicle which stretches the length of the tower. The robot comprises a metallic structure which goes from one end of the painting cabin to the other, and is situated on one side of the said cabin, and a pistol which moves along the said metallic structure in order to cover the whole length of the wind turbine generator tower.
Furthermore, in order to adapt itself to the shape of the towers, which are generally of circular, conical or frustoconical cross-section, the pistol fits into the end of an extensible arm which is also capable of a swinging movement for greater precision.
In parallel to this, inside the cabin, the machine has some supports over which the tower to be painted is mounted; and these make the tower rotate while it is painted. Thus, one of said supports makes the tower rotate by means of electrical motors. We refer to this support as the rotator. The other support just acts as a point of support.
The robot is configured by means of a user interface with specific corresponding software, as indicated by the quality team, so as to ensure several coats are painted between two points as the tube rotates until it completes a section of the tower or ferrule. This painting process is repeated for all the ferrules in which the tower is divided so as to complete its painting.
The robot is controlled by means of a tactile HID (Human Interface Device) screen situated in a control cabinet for this purpose.
The functioning of the program is described briefly below.
The user interface program has the following functions:

Status indicators
Control of function modes
Selection of function modes
Selection of function mode display
Function mode display
Menu bar

Thus, the machine has an automatic function mode, by means of which its production progresses. It also incorporates a catalogue data group which is the set of tubes previously configured in the application out of which the corresponding tubes are to be selected.
The machine also incorporates a zone dispensing box which indicates the status of the painting system associated with the layer which is being painted automatically.
The following parameters are used to identify the tube:

Description of tube: name assigned in the catalogue
D1: maximum diameter of tube
D2: minimum diameter of tube
Length: length of the tube

As well as controlling the cross-section of the tower to be painted and the coat of paint, the program also has some check points, which comprise a series of messages which the operator has to check before initiating the automatic function mode. The messages fundamentally refer to the painting system equipment which checks that it is in the appropriate state for the correct application of paint associated with each layer.
The program also shows a graphic representation of the painting system, where the different sets of equipment for the operator to check whether they are in the appropriate state for the correct application of paints associated with each layer are marked.
The program also shows a graphic representation of the painting system, where the different sets of equipment are marked that the operator needs to check before starting to work with the machine in automatic mode.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description given herein, and to help understand better the features that distinguish it, a set of plans is attached to this document as an integral part of the document with an illustrative, non-limiting nature, which represents the following:

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the robotic machine for painting wind turbine generator towers and similar structures, object of the invention, where their general external configuration can be appreciated.
Figure 2 shows a side elevation of the structure over which the robot's pistol moves
Figure 3 shows a front elevation of the cabin, where its interior can be appreciated with the tower situated over the supports which make it rotate.
Figure 4 shows a partial perspective view of the machine that represents one end of the same, where the elements that comprise the interior and the exterior of the cabin can be appreciated in greater detail.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the figures mentioned above, and the numbering system adopted, one example of a preferred embodiment can be appreciated, comprising the parts and elements described below.
Thus, as may be observe in said figures, the machine (1) in question comprises a cabin (2) of appropriate configuration and dimensions to fit inside the tower (3) or similar structure, to be painted by the invention, being made up of a cubicle of rectangular or very elongated cross-section, covering the whole or almost the whole length of the said tower (3).
On the inside of said cabin (2) the machine has a painting robot that comprises a pistol (4) attached to a longitudinal structure (5) along which it moves, this longitudinal structure (5) being a tubular metallic structure, 'situated laterally within the cabin (2) covering its whole length from end to end., and which comprises at least a horizontal crossbar (5a) which acts as a guide for the movement of the pistol (4).
The pistol (4) will preferably be attached to the longitudinal structure (5) by means of an extensible arm (6) which has a swinging movement.
On the outside of the cabin (2), the machine has a number of paint tanks (7) which are connected to booster pumps (8) which, by means of pressure pumps (9), drive the paint to the pistol (4) through their corresponding conducts or tubes (not represented).
In a singularly characteristic way, the cabin (2) uses a system of rotating supports (10) which support the tower (3), comprising a rotator (11) in itself comprising a series of bearings which rotate driven by an electric motor (12), and a support group (13) comprising another series of bearings which rotate freely, both groups of bearings being coupled to a common base (14).
The driving and the movement of this system of rotating supports (10), using the user interface control, is synchronized with the movement of the pistol (4) through the longitudinal structure (5) and the extensible movement and swinging of the arm (6) to which said system is attached, so as to carry out the painting of the tower (3).
Having described sufficiently the nature of the present invention as well as how it is put into practice, it is not considered necessary to further elaborate on the explanation for any expert in the field to understand its scope and the advantages it offers, while drawing attention to the fact that, within its essentiality, it could be put into practice in other embodiments which differ in detail to the example described above, said embodiments being equally covered by the protection claimed, as long as its fundamental principal is not altered, changed or modified.

Claims

ROBOTIC MACHINE FOR PAINTING WIND TURBINE TOWERS AND SIMILAR STRUCTURES which, being specially applicable to the painting of the exterior of electrical wind turbine towers or windmills or other cylindrical, conical, frustoconical or other similar elongated structures, and being the type of machine that comprises a robot with a painting pistol (4), controlled and configured by means of a user interface with specific software wherein a cabin (2) is of configuration and dimensions such that the tower (3) to be painted fits inside said cabin, and within the cabin a longitudinal structure (5) displaces itself, along which the pistol (4) pertaining to the robot; an external part of the cabin (2) has painting tanks (7), booster pumps (8) and pressure pumps (9) that drive the paint to the pistol (4); and within the cabin (2) there is a rotating support system system (10) on which the tower (3) is supported, making it rotate, synchronized with the displacement of the pistol (4) by means of a user interface control through the longitudinal structure (5).
ROBOTIC MACHINE FOR PAINTING WIND TURBINE TOWERS AND SIMILAR STRUCTURES according to claim 1, wherein the cabin (2) is an elongated cubicle of rectangular cross-section.
ROBOTIC MACHINE FOR PAINTING WIND TURBINE TOWERS AND SIMILAR STRUCTURES according to claims 1 or 2, wherein the longitudinal structure (5) is a metallic tubular structure situated laterally within the cabin (2) covering its full length from end to end and comprises at least one horizontal crossbar (5a) that acts as a guide for the displacement of the pistol (4).
ROBOTIC MACHINE FOR PAINTING WIND TURBINE TOWERS AND SIMILAR STRUCTURES according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the pistol (4) is attached to the longitudinal structure (5) by means of an extensible arm (6) and with a swinging movement.
ROBOTIC MACHINE FOR PAINTING WIND TURBINE TOWERS AND SIMILAR STRUCTURES according to claim 1, wherein the rotating support system (10) comprises a rotator group (11) made up of a series of bearings that rotate driven by an electric motor (12), and a support group (13) made up of another series of bearings that rotate freely, both groups of bearings being attached to a common base (14).