A method of handling the pitch bearing unit of a rotor blade mounted to the hub of a wind turbine, the method including the steps of providing an extension assembly at the interface between the rotor blade and the hub, moving the rotor blade outward from the hub by means of the extension assembly to open a gap large enough to accommodate the pitch bearing unit while maintaining a connection between the rotor blade and the hub, and removing the pitch bearing unit through the gap.

The present invention relates to a wind turbine comprising a lightning protection system comprising a waveguide interconnecting a communication device and a signal-carrying structure. In other aspects, the present invention relates to the use of a waveguide in a lightning protection system of a wind turbine, a power splitter and its use in a lightning protection system of a wind turbine.

A wind turbine is described which includes a support structure, a rotor which includes one or multiple rotor blades and which is situated on the support structure so that the rotor is freely rotatable about a rotation axis, and a generator which is connected to the rotor and which converts the wind energy into electrical energy when the rotor is rotating. The support structure includes a stationary ring on which the rotor is rotatably guided and on which the stator of the generator is situated.

A rotor blade of a wind turbine including at least one vortex generator is provided. The vortex generator is attached to the surface of the rotor blade and is located at least partially within the boundary layer of the airflow flowing across the rotor blade. The vortex generator is exposed to a stagnation pressure, which is caused by the fraction of the airflow passing over the vortex generator and of which the magnitude depends on the velocity of the fraction of the airflow passing over the vortex generator. The vortex generator is arranged and prepared to change its configuration depending on the magnitude of the stagnation pressure acting on the vortex generator. Furthermore, an aspect relates to a wind turbine for generating electricity with at least one such rotor blade.

A wind turbine, including a hub, a blade, a blade bearing which is connected to the hub and which enables a rotational movement of the blade relative to the hub, and an adjustment device for adjusting a pitch angle of the blade, wherein the adjustment device includes at least one actuator and wherein an effective direction of an adjustment force of the at least one actuator when adjusting the pitch angle of the blade is tilted in an angle relative to a bearing plane of the blade bearing. One advantage of the wind turbine is that the adjustment force for adjusting the pitch angle is transmitted directly into the blade bearing or the bearing plane. Further, an offset of the attacking point of the adjustment force can be reduced or completely avoided.

A wind turbine blade includes a base member formed of FRP and having a blade shape, an intermediate layer arranged on the base member and formed of metal, cermet, ceramic, or a mixture of at least one thereof and resin as a major constituent, and an erosion-resistant overcoat arranged on the intermediate layer and formed of a spray film having a porosity of 5% or lower.

In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of making a wind turbine blade. The method comprises providing a blade shell mould, providing a plurality of 5 substantially planar strips of reinforcing material, and arranging the plurality of strips in the mould in a first stack to form at least part of a first spar cap. The method further comprises providing a retaining clip having a substantially planar body and upper and lower flanges projecting transversely to the planar body, wherein the flanges and the body together define a first receiving region on a first side of the retaining clip, and the 10 method further comprises arranging the retaining clip on a side of the first stack such that the strips in the first stack are received in the first receiving region. [Figure 5 to accompany abstract]

A horizontal axis wind turbine comprising a rotor having a plurality of blades, the rotor having a radius of at least 80 meters, the blades comprising: a root end and a tip end; a leading edge and a trailing edge; a shoulder between the root end and the tip end where a chord length defined between the leading edge and the trailing edge is at a maximum; wherein: Sol.sub.r is at least 0.0140 at 0.7R; Sol.sub.r is at least 0.0116 at 0.8R; Sol.sub.r is at least 0.0090 at 0.9R; Sol.sub.r being the combined radius specific solidity of the blades.

A horizontal axis wind turbine comprising a rotor having a plurality of blades, the rotor having a radius R of at least 80 meters, the blades comprising: a root end and a tip end, the blades extending in a spanwise direction from the root end to the tip end; a leading edge and a trailing edge, the blades extending in a chordwise direction along a chord from the leading edge to the trailing edge; a shoulder between the root end and the tip end where a chord length defined between the leading edge and the trailing edge is at a maximum; the blades being twisted between the root end and the tip end and the twist is defined by a twist distribution curve along the spanwise direction of the blades, each blade further comprising: an inboard region between the root end of the blade and the shoulder of the blade; an outboard region between a rotor radius 0.9R and the tip end of the blade; and a mid-board region located between the inboard region and the outboard region; a noise reduction feature in the mid-board region of the blade, the noise reduction feature projecting from the trailing edge and extending from a first radial position R1 toward the tip end; wherein the twist distribution curve comprises a first inflection point in the vicinity of the first radial position R1.

A method is provided for reducing the noise emission of a wind turbine rotor blade. The rotor blade has a leading edge, a trailing edge, a suction side, a pressure side and an attachment part at least partially on the pressure side. A pressure-side transition is present between the pressure side and the attachment part. The pressure-side transition is leveled by applying a leveling compound.