Germany-based renewable energy equipment manufacturer Enercon Logistic has purchased three rotor blade transport systems (RBTS) from TII Scheuerle.
Enercon Logistic put one of the RBTS to the test by using it to tackle a route of roughly 50 km. A two-axle jeep dolly, a free-turning device with a root adapter and a four-axle trailing unit was configured for this particular project.
“The drivers had to reverse along a narrow farm track to deliver the approximately 65 m long rotor blade to the construction area,” said Enercon Logistic’s fleet manager, Tino Hülsmeyer, “Our drivers were very impressed by the dolly’s excellent driving dynamics. They were able to quickly pull the combination back into track by simply counter steering without the dolly swerving so far that the drivers would have had to move the vehicle combination forward again.”
The RBTS allows for lateral displacement using the sliding carriage at the front of the dolly, meaning that rotor blades where the centre of gravity of the load is positioned off centre can be transported without any issues. Hülsmeyer also highlights the feature of a gyrostatic transport platform, which absorbs the torsional forces that act on the blade during driving, providing a more secure journey.
With two lifting cyclinders instead of just one, Hülsmeyer said this design “is more stable than other systems and expect lower maintenance costs with this construction”.
The simple load securing procedure also proved to be an advantage. With the help of a lifting device, the blade root is lifted from the ground. The quick coupling solution consists of the free-turning device complete with root adapter and root frame that is connected to the blade root. This frame can then be attached to the free-turning device quickly by using the adapter.
For empty runs, the trailing unit is coupled directly to the free-turning device and, depending on the prime mover, is less than the total combination length of 16.5 m, so special permits are not required, keeping costs lower. “In certain configurations, we have the possibility to drive with lengths less than 16.5 m. We usually operate with a total combination length of around 18 m, and which means we hardly require any special permit authorisations,” said Hülsmeyer.
Enercon Logistic has already successfully transported 75 m rotor blades using the Scheuerle RBTS.
Last week, HLPFI reported that Scheuerle delivered and built K25 axle line combinations for August Alborn.
