SECTOR SPOTLIGHT Ӏ ABNORMAL TRANSPORT
SCHEUERLE BLADELIFTERS HELP SAVE TREES IN GERMANY
With rotor blade lengths approaching 90 metres the transport of modern wind turbines has evolved into a highly complex operation. At a wind farm project in Bad Berleburg, Germany, a total of 60 rotor
blades – each measuring over 85 metres – are being transported to site using three Scheuerle BladeLifter systems. The route is divided into three sections with a total length of around 45
kilometres. In the fi rst two sections the Scheuerle BladeLifters – mounted on 16 axle lines of fully modular platform trailers – are operated in towed confi guration. On the fi nal eight-kilometre section the same combinations switch to self-propelled mode. The transport combinations reach lengths of up to 103 metres in towed operation and 96 metres in self-propelled confi guration. The blade pitch angle varies between 21 and 46 degrees depending on route requirements; the BladeLifter is capable of pitch angles up to 60 degrees.
Flexibility is the key to execution, says the Tii Group. The transport route includes tight serpentines, underpasses, challenging village sections and an aqueduct along a former railway line. Numerous protected trees along the route must be preserved, adding further constraints to route planning. This is where a key advantage of the Scheuerle BladeLifter becomes
apparent: by actively lifting the rotor blade, obstacles such as trees can be safely cleared. Even in sensitive areas, tree felling can therefore be avoided and environmental impact kept to a minimum. In addition, different elevations as well as demanding gradients within the
wind farm of up to 12 to 16 per cent present further challenges. Wind, fog and, at the beginning of the project, winter conditions including snow and ice, all add to the complexity. Transports are carried out day and night in order to make optimal use of
the available conditions. Two of the three Scheuerle BladeLifters are operated by the heavy haulage specialist Steil Kranarbeiten, with a third operated by Enercon. “These types of transports only work as a team effort and demonstrate how important well-rehearsed processes are,” says Manuel Eck, project manager at Steil Kranarbeiten.
of the vehicle tipping over. It continuously monitors the centre of gravity of the loaded SPMT and shows a direct visualisation of tipping lines on the vehicle display. Status information can be recorded and evaluated using its telematic fleet management system Scheuerle Connect; live transmission of the display content is also possible. A second innovation is
Scheuerle’s Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), which continuously monitors the tyre pressure of all SPMT modules in real time. Pressure deviations are immediately detected and again visualised directly on the display of the module concerned as well as on a central monitor via Scheuerle Connect. This largely eliminates the need for manual inspections, reduces set-up times, and improves the overall lifespan of the tyres because they are always kept within the optimal operating window. Such systems rely heavily
on software; and TII Scheuerle software updates can now be performed independently by customers remotely, making them flexible, fast and without any downtime. This allows vehicles to continuously receive new features and improvements after delivery without requiring an on-site service technician or needing vehicles to be taken out of service for any length of time. This is particularly pertinent for things like sustainability-related updates.
NORTH AMERICA Memmingen, Germany-based Goldhofer was another heavy transport manufacturer exhibiting at ConExpo. A complicating feature of the market in the US – and one repeatedly highlighted by exhibition visitors – is that different states have different regulations; this is particularly relevant in regard to vehicle widths. Consequently, Goldhofer
reports that much interest was shown at the show in its THP/ DC Dual Lane trailer, which is already a well-established solution in the US heavy haul market. Its width adjustment, between 14 and 20 feet, allows operators to react efficiently to varying state
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