Manitowoc 16000 brings wind power to South Korea
13 December 2005A Manitowoc Model 16000 crawler crane has helped install wind power turbines at the Gangwon Wind Power Park, Kangwondo in the northeast of South Korea. Contractors are using a 400t (440 USt) Model 16000, fitted with 84m (275.6ft) of heavy lift-boom, to erect the turbines, each capable of generating 2 MW of electricity.
The Model 16000, owned by Daewon Crane, was fitted with an adjustable 90t (99 USt) capacity pin-on upper boom point to provide an extra 7m (23ft) of reach.
South Korean company Unison Co and Danish wind turbine manufacturer, Vestas, are jointly managing the project. Each wind tower consists of a lower tower, an upper tower, a nacelle, and a rotor (the blades attach to the rotor). The heaviest part of the tower is the 73t (80.4 USt) nacelle, which attaches to the 60m (197ft) upper tower top.
However, the most challenging task is the placement of the 40t (44 USt) rotor, as each of the three blades is 40m (131ft) long.
The terrain of the wind farm requires riggers to move the Model 16000 every week to a different hillside position, which involves disassembling, transportation, and reassembly of the crane. However, this is claimed to be easy and efficient thanks to the crane’s modular design and Manitowoc’s patented FACT connection technology.
The project, which includes 49 wind turbines, will be finished by October 2006. The windmills will provide enough electricity for 40,000 families in the area.
One of the first companies to take delivery of the Model 16000, which was launched at CONEXPO 2005, was Ohio, US-based All Erection and Crane Rental, which purchased four.
The first of these have gone to work on wind turbine installation jobs in Kansas and elsewhere.
The 16000’s basic boom provides 30m (98ft) of reach, which can be enhanced with a luffing jib on boom lengths between 24m (78ft) and 84m (275ft). The maximum main boom available is 96m (315ft), while the maximum allowable combination of main boom and luffing jib is 132m (433ft). Capacity with the luffing jib is 150t (165 USt).
Manitowoc also offers its capacity enhancing MAX-ER attachment for the 16000. MAX-ER is designed to eliminate the time and expense of transporting and setting up a larger crane by offering additional lift and reach capabilities. The system retains the crane’s operational abilities while carrying any load within its rated capacity. The MAX-ER attachment can increase the Model 16000’s maximum boom length to 120m (394ft).
The Model 16000 boasts a line pull of 15.8t (17.4 USt) and hoist speeds of up to 212 m/minute (697 ft/minute) on the main drum. Optional auxiliary drums offer line pulls of 15.8t (17.4 USt) and 13.6t (15 USt) respectively. Inside the cab, new EPIC dual LCD color monitors display important operational information through easy to read graphics, such as radius, boom position, and load-moment conditions.
