A tower assembly system can include a self-climbing platform that can carry a load to a determined height, which once attained, can place the load into position. A method for assembling a wind turbine can involve placing a first tower section in an upright position on a tower base and using an elevator assembly platform attached to the first tower section to elevate, position and connect subsequent tower sections until the subsequent tower sections are located directly above the first tower section in a vertical tower assembly. The elevator assembly platform can perform vertical displacement operations and lateral displacement operations with respect to one or more components of the wind turbine, such as, for example, the first and subsequent tower sections, nacelle, blades, etc.

A device and a method are for assembling a wind turbine. The device has an assembling structure including a space for assembling a tower and a nacelle of a wind turbine, the space being defined by side portions of the assembling structure, and a hoisting device configured for handling the wind turbine tower and for hoisting the nacelle onto a top of the wind turbine tower while being positioned within said space, the hoisting device being movably connected to a hoisting device support structure arranged on top of the assembling structure. The device further includes a support arrangement for supporting a portion of the wind turbine at least when being within said space and a rotor blade manipulator for bringing rotor blades in contact with the nacelle.

A vessel for use in installation of a wind turbine on a floating foundation is provided, where both the vessel and the floating foundation are in floating condition and subject to sea-state induced motions. The vessel includes a floating hull; a crane including a hoisting system to suspend the wind turbine; a mast alignment system provided to engage on the wind turbine mast of the suspended wind turbine, and bring and maintain the wind turbine mast in alignment with the mounting axis of the floating foundation in order to compensate for sea-state induced motions; and a restraining system arranged to restrain the floating foundation only in a horizontal plane relative to the floating hull of the vessel and to allow for both sea-state induced heave motion and sea-state induced tilt motions in one or more vertical planes of the mast mounting structure relative to the hull of the vessel.

A method for installing at least one damper unit in a tower section of a wind turbine tower is disclosed. The tower section is arranged with its centre axis in a substantially horizontal orientation, and a guiderail is introduced into the tower section. A trolley is mounted on a part of the guiderail extending out of the tower section, the damper unit is mounted on the trolley, and the trolley with the damper unit is moved along the guiderail to a position inside the tower section. The damper unit is positioned in an installation position being vertically offset from the centre axis of the tower section, wherein the positioning comprises elevating the damper unit, and the damper unit is attached to the tower section at the installation position.

A method for installing at least one damper unit in a tower section of a wind turbine tower is disclosed. The tower section is arranged with its centre axis in a substantially horizontal orientation, and a guiderail is introduced into the tower section. A trolley is mounted on a part of the guiderail extending out of the tower section, the damper unit is mounted on the trolley, and the trolley with the damper unit is moved along the guiderail to a position inside the tower section. The damper unit is positioned in an installation position being vertically offset from the centre axis of the tower section, wherein the positioning comprises elevating the damper unit, and the damper unit is attached to the tower section at the installation position.

A windmill construction (10), comprising a rotor-nacelle assembly (12) with blades (14), a tower (16), a substructure (20) and a foundation (22). The substructure (20) comprises a first guide collar (24) and a second guide collar (26) for support of the tower (16), said first guide collar (24) being located in a lower part of the substructure (20) and said second guide collar (26) being located in an upper part of the substructure (20). The substructure (20) comprises a jack-up assembly (30) for receipt of modular tower segments (18), said tower segments (18) are arranged to be assembled in the substructure (20) and erectable by the jack-up assembly (30) to produce an assembled tower (16). The invention is also directed to a method for assembly of a windmill construction.

For installing a blade on a horizontal axis rotational hub of an offshore wind turbine, use is made of a blade installation device that is temporarily installed on the offshore wind turbine. A mounting part is mounted on the foundation of the offshore wind turbine and/or on a lower portion of the wind turbine mast. A crane mast is erected vertically and is supported by the mounting part. The crane mast has a track. A blade manipulator assembly includes a trolley moving over the track and one or more blade root engagement members that engage a root end of the blade. The blade installation device includes a hoist system with a crane boom that is mounted to a top end of the crane mast, a winch, and a winch driven cable. In the method, the trolley is brought in a lower position thereof and the blade root engagement members engage on the root end of the blade that is in the lower receiving position thereof. The cable of the hoist system is attached to the blade at a distance remote from the root end, preferably at a center of gravity of the blade. The method includes the lifting of the blade to the blade installation position by operating the winch of the hoist system and simultaneously moving the trolley along the track by the trolley drive.

A tower assembly system can include OEM supplied tower sections and intermediate flange(s) that facilitate the lifting of the tower sections over a previous section without the use of conventional overhead lifting systems. A method and system for assembling a wind turbine can involve placing intermediate flanges on the top and bottom of each section without permanently modifying existing components or using OEM supplied connection points.

A system and method are provided for manufacturing a tower structure. Accordingly, a first printed layer of a wall element is deposited with a printhead assembly, and an actual midline perimeter length of the first printed layer is determined. A horizontal reinforcement assembly is then formed based, at least in part, on the actual midline perimeter length. The formed horizontal reinforcement assembly is positioned in a horizontal orientation on the first printed layer and in axial alignment with the vertical axis of the tower structure. With the horizontal reinforcement assembly positioned on the first printed layer, a second printed layer of the wall element is deposited via the printhead assembly on the horizontal reinforcement layer.

A wind turbine with a rotating tower preferably includes a stationary base, a rotating tower, a plurality of motor systems, a nacelle and a blade assembly. The stationary base preferably includes a support ring, a support structure and a base bearing. The support ring includes a peripheral gear rack. The support structure supports support ring. The rotating tower preferably includes a tower body, a plurality of tower gussets and a bearing shaft. The plurality of motor systems are secured to the bottom of the plurality of tower gussets and the tower body. Each motor system preferably includes a drive motor unit and a plurality of support rollers. The support ring includes a cross-section, which is sized to be received by the plurality of support rollers. A drive gear of the drive motor unit rotates the rotating tower.