A method is provided for handling wind turbine blades aboard a vessel, the method including providing on the vessel a blade rack assembly configured to accommodate more than one blade, the rack assembly having at least a root rack and a tip rack, and the root rack and tip rack defining between them a blade support plane. The method also includes providing a jack acting between the vessel and one of the root or tip rack; and raising or lowering one of the root or tip rack aboard the vessel by the jack to thereby move the blade support plane through an elevation angle θ. A jack assembly on a wind turbine installation vessel and an offshore wind turbine installation vessel are also provided, each capable of raising or lowering a rack of wind turbine blade root or tip support frame elements.

A fixed-wing cargo aircraft having a kinked fuselage is disclosed. The fuselage contains a continuous interior cargo bay, and includes a forward portion, an aft portion, and a kinked portion forming a junction in the fuselage between the forward and aft portions. The kinked portion contains a transition region of the cargo bay and defines a bend between a forward centerline and an aft centerline. The kinked portion is formed with a forward transverse frame section, a separate aft transverse frame section, and a plurality of longitudinal frame elements extending between the forward and aft frame sections, the forward frame being coupled to an aft end of the forward portion and the aft frame section being coupled to a forward end of the aft portion such that the aft frame section is angled with respect to the forward frame section about a lateral axis of the cargo aircraft.

Provided is a transport assembly for use in the transport of a large heavy load, including a frame unit realized to lie on a load platform of a transport vehicle; a number of first load-positioning beams, wherein a first load-positioning beam is realized to span a single frame unit; and/or a number of second load-positioning beams, wherein a second load-positioning beam is realized to span a pair of adjacent frame units; and a part adapter realized to engage with a load-positioning beam and to engage with the load. The embodiments further describe a method of securing a large heavy load on a load platform during a transport maneuver.

A Flettner rotor that employs localized suction over its surface improves performance and fuel efficiency. Simulations and analysis show that such a method can significantly improve the performance of the Flettner rotor. Improvements in rotor performance enable reduction in fuel costs and greenhouse gas emission by ships or other modes of transport. Improvements in rotor performance can also reduce noise for applications such as drones or other devices having rotors.

A nacelle-mountable lift system for mounting and dismounting a rotor blade of a wind turbine involves a jib crane, the jib crane having a base removably mountable on a nacelle of the wind turbine and a jib mounted on the base. The jib has a boom arm supported on the base by at least one support strut extending between the base and the boom arm. A winch is mounted on the boom arm. At least two sheaves are rotatably mounted on the boom arm. A holder is connectable to the blade. At least two lift cables pass over the at least two sheaves connecting the holder to the winch. The boom arm is positionable to position the holder beyond a rotor hub of the wind turbine when the crane is mounted on the nacelle.

A fixed-wing cargo aircraft having a kinked fuselage is disclosed. The fuselage contains a continuous interior cargo bay, and includes a forward portion, an aft portion, and a kinked portion forming a junction in the fuselage between the forward and aft portions. The kinked portion contains a transition region of the cargo bay and defines a bend between a forward centerline and an aft centerline. The kinked portion is formed with a forward transverse frame section, a separate aft transverse frame section, and a plurality of longitudinal frame elements extending between the forward and aft frame sections, the forward frame being coupled to an aft end of the forward portion and the aft frame section being coupled to a forward end of the aft portion such that the aft frame section is angled with respect to the forward frame section about a lateral axis of the cargo aircraft.

The disclosed subject matter provides a system and method for facilitating bonding of various turbine blade components, including trailing edge inserts, or flatbacks, to the trailing edge of a wind turbine blade. The system disclosed herein ensures a consistent force is applied from root to top thereby preventing defects, e.g. paste voids, from forming. Additionally, a consistent bonding gap can be achieved due to the consistent application of force from the root to tip of the blade.

Fixation arrangement adapted to releasably fix a wind turbine tower segment (4) to a support (3) of a transport vessel (20), comprising at least two fixation means (2), wherein each fixation means (2) comprises a base member (6) fixed or to be fixed to the support (3), a lever arm (8) connected to the base member (2) and pivotable around a pivot axis (9), and a tensioning means (13) for clamping the lever arm (8) with a clamping section (10) against the tower segment (4), wherein the tensioning means (13) comprises at least one tensioning element (14) supported relative to the base member (6) and movable from a non-clamping position in a clamping position and back, wherein the tensioning element (14) directly or indirectly interacts with the lever arm (8) which is pivoted into a clamping engagement of the clamping section (10) with the tower segment (4) when the tensioning element (14) moves from a non-clamping position into a clamping position and which is released when the tensioning element (14) moves back to the non-clamping position.

Disclosed embodiments relate to systems and methods for mating a wind turbine off-shore to a spar buoy without the use of a crane barge. The system may include a spar buoy, wherein the spar buoy is secured to a foundation, and a wind turbine to be installed on the spar buoy. The system may also include a first truss affixed to the top of the spar buoy and a second truss affixed to the bottom of the wind turbine. The first truss may comprise either stabbings or receptacles configured for mating to the second truss and the second truss may comprise either receptacles or stabbings configured for mating to the first truss.

A multifunctional carrying device for a tidal stream generator and a using method thereof, the multifunctional carrying device for a tidal stream generator comprises: an elongated main floating body; carrying frames, horizontally extending towards the left side and the right side from the center part of the elongated main floating body, an end part of the carrying frames being used for carrying the tidal stream generator; the elongated main floating body being a central floating control pipe (100) with two ends sealed, cable tying locations being positioned at the two ends of the central floating control pipe (100), a pipe air inlet/outlet (702) being disposed above one end of the central floating control pipe (100) and a pipe water inlet/outlet (704) being disposed below the other end of the central floating control pipe (100); a remote air pipe (700), having one end connected to the pipe air inlet/outlet (702) and the other end connected to a control switch (707); the central floating control pipe (100) being connected to the carrying frames using orthogonal node components; and automatic depth-fixing and stabilizing parts (400), evenly disposed, along a vertical bisection plane of the orthogonal node components, on rigid parts that are directly connected to the orthogonal node components. The device has an efficient floating and sinking control function and an automatic depth-fixing and stabilizing function.