The transport of wind turbine components is a challenge due to the physical dimensions of the components. Especially nacelles has to be transported as whole component, while typical nacelles, being used for an offshore site, may show a length up to 12 meters or more and a diameter up to 5 meters.
For a transportation on roads it is necessary, to plan the road-connection carefully, as a transport-vehicle has to circumvent or has to cope with all barriers like curves, tunnels, bridges, traffic lights, etc.
One example is the Elbe-tunnel, which is close to Hamburg, Germany. The tunnel shows a minimum height of 4.20 m, thus a transported component and the used vehicle has to comply with this height.
In Europe a standard height of new bridges is 4.50 m, but there are many older bridges, which show a lower height of clearance.
Thus the transport vehicle and the transported component have to be constructed in a way that they comply with all of those traffic barriers or traffic restrictions along the way to a planned site for the wind turbine.
Thus the construction of wind turbine components with a high diameter is limited in a certain way.
It is well-known that a radiator arrangement is arranged on top of a wind turbine.
FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B show a nacelle N and a radiator arrangement RA according to the known state of the art.
Due to the transport limitations the radiator arrangement and the nacelle are transported separately to the planned site. At the site the radiator arrangement is placed on top of the nacelle and is connected with the nacelle.
This work is done by a crane, which lifts up the radiator arrangement to the top of the nacelle. Additionally personal has to work on top and outside of the nacelle, thus the mounting of the nacelle is dangerous due to the height of the nacelle, the height of the tower and due to the weather-conditions outside of the nacelle.
It is also necessary to do service work at the radiator arrangement during the lifetime of the wind turbine. Even this service and maintenance work needs to be done by personal on top of the nacelle and thus outside of the nacelle. This work is dangerous as described above.
There is an additional limitation to do this work, as bad weather restricts the maintenance time.