ENERCON LOGISTIC HAS PURCHASED THREE ROTOR BLADE TRANSPORT SYSTEMS FROM TII SCHEUERLE FOR TRANSPORTING WIND TURBINE ROTOR BLADES SAFELY, ECONOMICALLY AND FLEXIBLY.
In addition to the in part unique technical features such as the lateral displacement of the blade on the dolly and the likewise simple and convenient operation of the transport solution, ENERCON Logistics Fleet Manager Tino Hülsmeyer was extremely pleased with the professional support provided by the experts at TII SCHEUERLE, beginning with the procurement phase through to the delivery and vehicle training. Drivers are also full of praise for the RBTS’s easy handling and its excellent dynamic driving characteristics.
A challenging endurance test for the Rotor Blade Transport System (RBTS) from the TII Group subsidiary TII SCHEUERLE, the industry expert for on and off-road heavy-duty transportation, saw the combination of a two-axle jeep dolly, a free-turning device with root adapter and a four-axle trailing unit negotiate a route of around 50 kilometres. But this one was certainly something else. “Our truck drivers faced a major challenge at the wind farm,” reported Tino Hülsmeyer, who is responsible for the truck fleet at ENERCON Logistic. The company, which is part of the ENERCON Group, plans and coordinates all component transports for the wind turbine manufacturer and carries out a number of these with its own teams and vehicles.
The vehicle passed its first test with flying colours. “The drivers had to reverse along a narrow farm track to deliver the approximately 65-metre-long rotor blade to the construction area. Nevertheless, the rotor blade reached its destination safely and in a very short time – mainly due to the technical qualities of the RBTS. “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,” said Tino Hülsmeyer. According to the vehicle fleet professional, unloading operations were also quick and easy. His conclusion is therefore unsurprisingly positive: “We are extremely satisfied with the three SCHEUERLE RBTS!”
But it wasn’t just the first transport operation that impressed Tino Hülsmeyer and his colleagues. TII SCHEUERLE convinced the team right from the planning phase. “The process took some time because it involved intensive preparation for the investment and the trailing unit technology. Meanwhile, the experts from Pfedelbach never tired of providing us with information and proposals,” he reported. Ultimately, it was the technical qualities of the RBTS that tipped the scales in favour of TII SCHEUERLE. “Advantages such as the lateral displacement using the sliding carriage at the front on the dolly are unique to the market. This means we can also transport rotor blades where the centre of gravity of the load is positioned off centre without any problems. In addition, TII SCHEUERLE was one of the few companies able to supply us with a gyrostatic transport platform. This absorbs the torsional forces that act on the blade during driving thus protecting the load,” said the fleet expert.
Furthermore, the RBTS has two lifting cylinders instead of just one. “We found that this design is more stable than other systems and expect lower maintenance costs with this construction,” explained Tino Hülsmeyer. The simple load securing procedure also proved to be an advantage. Installation of the wind turbine blade is carried out according to the plug-and-play principle. With the help of a lifting device, the blade root is easily 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 in no time at all using the adapter. A clamping device on the trailing unit in turn fixes the tip of the rotor blade.
Lines of communication also worked perfectly during the construction of the vehicles and TII SCHEUERLE completed the three RBTS on time and within the promised deadline. An additional advantage for the customer was that the vehicles were already scheduled for transportation. According to Tino Hülsmeyer, the training provided by SCHEUERLE personnel at the Pfedelbach plant as well as ahead of the first test drive and during the first loading of the rotor blades at the Jade-Weser-Port in Wilhelmshaven was very professional.
The ENERCON staff were also impressed by the convenient installation of the rotor blade clamps on the trailing unit. “In particular, the release of the swivel bolster on which the rotor blade rests during travel, is extremely convenient to use and easy on the material itself. This also makes it much easier for the loading personnel when they guide the blade hanging from the crane into the clamp,” explained the fleet manager.
The logistics team also had only positive experiences when unloading the cargo and short-coupling the RBTS. 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 metres so that no special permit is required for the return trip, and the costs and effort involved are kept to an absolute minimum. “We were also able to complete this step easily and quickly. In certain configurations, we have the possibility to drive with lengths less than 16.5 metres. We usually operate with a total combination length of around 18 metres and which means we hardly require any special permit authorisations,” said Tino Hülsmeyer.
“With the RBTS, we are able to transport the longest rotor blades currently available and even longer versions in the future safely, reliably and flexibly. We have also already successfully transported the first 75-metre versions with the SCHEUERLE RBTS. This definitely makes the three systems a future-proof investment,” he added.
