A gripper for holding a wind turbine blade when the wind turbine blade is being transported. The gripper comprises a lower blade holding structure configured to engage an underside of the wind turbine blade, an upper blade holding structure configured to engage an upper side of the wind turbine blade and a force transfer mechanism operatively coupled to at least one of the lower or upper blade holding structures. The force transfer mechanism is configured to increase the force applied between the lower blade holding structure and the underside of the wind turbine blade and/or between the upper blade holding structure and the upper side of the wind turbine blade when the wind turbine blade is accelerated during movement along a central longitudinal axis of the wind turbine blade.

A transportation arrangement (10) includes a dolly and a clamp (20) secured to the dolly (14). The clamp (20) includes a frame (30) having a lower portion (32) coupled to the dolly (14) and an upper portion (34) selectively rotatable relative to the lower portion (32), a saddle (100) positioned on the lower portion of the frame, a jaw (130) movably positioned on the upper portion (34) of the frame (30), and an actuator (150) operatively coupled to the jaw (130) and configured to move the jaw (130) relative to the saddle (100) to apply a clamping force on a blade (16). The actuator (150) is configured to extend the jaw (130) toward the saddle (100) in response to the clamping force being less than or equal to a minimum threshold clamping force, and may be configured to retract the jaw (130) away from the saddle (100) in response to the clamping force being greater than or equal to a maximum threshold clamping force. A method of transporting a blade (16) is also disclosed.

A rail fixture system for wind turbine blades on a consist three flatcars, includes a root-support fixture that enables lateral movement, a mid-support fixture with a pair of lateral guides on opposing sides of the to limit the blade's lateral movement, and blade-pusher posts adjacent a curved portion of the blade, coupled to gravity weights, that intermittently engage sides of the blade and apply gravity forces in response to relative lateral movement thereof around rail curves, and which bends the blade, applies a fulcrum force against the lateral guides, and translates the root end of the blade in an opposing lateral direction.

A system and method are used for transporting a plurality of tower sections of a wind turbine on beds of transport devices, such as flat railcars. Supports affix at support locations on beds to accommodate at least one of the tower sections on each of the transport devices. The supports can include bed supports, such as tabs, extending from the beds, and can include cradle supports with slots that engage on the tabs. A circumferential dimension of a cradle is adjusted on each of the supports against which the tower section rests. Each of the tower sections is then supported with at least two of the supports by loading the tower sections on the transport devices. An end of each of the tower sections is then affixed to a flange on at least one of the supports on each of the transport devices.

The invention relates to a floating windmill installation (1, 1′, 1″), wherein the floating windmill installation (1, 1′, 1″) comprises: —a windmill (10, 10′) comprising a tower (14), —a floating installation (20, 20′) comprising an aperture (22) penetrating the floating installation (1, 1′, 1″) for accommodating the tower (14), and—means for raising and lowering the tower (14) up and down through the aperture (22).

A fixture system for rail transport of wind turbine blades upon a consist of flatcars using a root-support fixture, a blade-support fixture, and first and second guide post that intermittently engage the tip-end portion of the wind turbine blade to limit lateral movement thereof, such that movement of the consist around a curved railway section urges the wind turbine blade against the first or second guide posts, which urges the wind turbine blade to urge the blade-support fixture to move laterally, thereby laterally reorienting the blade upon the consist.

Systems, methods, and aircraft for managing center of gravity (CG) while transporting large cargo are described. Management of CG is achieved in many ways. In some instances, the aircraft itself is designed to assist in managing CG by providing fuel tanks that minimize the impact of fuel on the net CG of the aircraft. The fuel tanks utilize only a small amount of available volume in the wings for fuel. Disclosures related to properly managing CG while loading wind turbines onto cargo aircraft are also provided. The CG management techniques provided for herein allow for the transportation of wind turbine blades via aircraft, running counter to the typical rail or truck transportation of the same. One such management technique includes accounting for how a rotation of the blades when loading impacts the CG of the blades, and thus taking this into account when placing the blades in the aircraft.

The present disclosure is directed to a system and methods for the service and exchange of a yaw bearing for a machine head of a wind turbine. The yaw bearing servicing and exchange system has a support stand. The support stand includes a base assembly and at least one support post extending perpendicularly from the base assembly. The support stand also includes at least one first post cap removably coupled to the support post and at least one leveler operably coupled to the at least one first post cap for establishing a level orientation of a support surface with respect to a horizontal plane.

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.

The following describes a supporting system for supporting a tower section of a wind turbine. The supporting system includes a connection plate including a tower connection portion and a support connection portion, wherein the support connection portion is configured for being coupled to a tower support device for supporting the tower section. The tower connection portion includes a tower connection hole for being coupleable to a tower hole extending through a shell section of the tower section. The supporting system further includes a clamping device being partially insertable in the tower connection hole of the tower connection portion and the tower hole for detachably clamping the connection plate to the tower section.