- Full title Segmento con múltiples tensionadores para la automatización del cierre de uniones atornilladas para el sector eólico
- Funding entity Xunta de Galicia
- Researchers Fernando López Peña, Juan Luis Crespo Mariño, Álvaro Deibe Díaz, Vicente Díaz Casás, Richard J Duro Fernández, Adolfo Lamas Rodríguez, Santiago Vázquez Rodríguez
- Start date 22/11/2006
- End date 30/09/2009
- Texas Controls S.L
- Universidade da Coruña
Description
Aimed at the wind energy sector, this project has developed a tool that facilitates the closure of bolted joints by tensioning. It was first designed for closing wind turbine hubs. However, this solution can be easily adapted to other types of joints.
The tool consists of a tensioning segment that makes it possible to tighten a number of bolts in a joint simultaneously and automatically. In this way, accurate and quality closures are obtained. Another advantage of this tool is the speed of installation. It makes it unnecessary to place each tensioner on every bolt and the subsequent hydraulic interconnection.
Within the segment is a frame whose geometry is equal to that of the flange to be tightened. Its length depends on the number of bolts to be tensioned; one tensioning unit per bolt is installed on it his frame. The units are interconnected and equipped in such a way that they can perform tightening simultaneously and automatically. Nevertheless, they can also be used individually. Alternatively, they may be installed onto another segment with a different geometry for tightening other types of joints, thus making the segment extremely versatile.