Provided is a lifting tool for lifting a wind turbine blade by means of a crane for subsequent assembly with a wind turbine, the lifting tool having at least one attachment means for attachment to the crane and at least one holding device for holding the wind turbine blade, whereby the at least one holding device is connected to a controller of the lifting tool and the holding device includes at least one movable supporting element for supporting the wind turbine blade and at least one actuator connected to the at least one movable supporting element and controlled by the controller so that the movable supporting element is movable by means of the actuator. Further provided is a lifting arrangement, a wind turbine installation environment and a method for assembling a wind turbine blade with a hub of a wind turbine.

A lift system mountable in a nacelle of a wind turbine has a boom having a proximal end mountable in the nacelle and a distal end extending over a hub of a rotor of the wind turbine when the lift system is mounted in the nacelle. The lift system has a frame structure for mounting the proximal end of the boom in the nacelle, a winch mounted to the boom, a fastener situated below the boom and operatively connected to the winch by at least one cable, and a trolley movably mounted to the boom to permit translation of the trolley longitudinally along the boom thereby permitting longitudinal movement of the fastener with respect to the boom.

A method for mounting a blade root of a blade on a blade flange of a wind turbine rotor, the method comprising: attaching a control line between a hold structure at the blade flange and the blade root; lifting the blade with a blade lifting crane while the blade root is guided towards the blade flange by use of said control line, and connecting said blade root to said blade flange.

The crane is hoisted from the ground to the nacelle by operating a cable winch at ground whereby a cable extends from the crane to a roller at the nacelle and to the cable winch. A hoist block with the roller is arranged on a jib at a first hoist block position above a second hinge part of a crane base and extended in horizontal direction from the nacelle. When a first hinge part of the crane is positioned at a corresponding second hinge part of the crane base, the cable extends in a downward direction directly from the roller of the hoist block and through a central opening in a pedestal. After mutual connection of the first and second hinge parts, the hoist block is removed from its first hoist block position.

An installation arrangement with a barge and a jack-up rig which floats in a first position on the sea and has a hull which is slotted vertically from the surface of the sea and has a slot width which is greater than that of the barge so that the barge can move into a slot, wherein the jack-up rig has supporting legs which can move to and from along a height relative to the hull and can be set down on the seabed. The hull and the barge can be lifted along the support legs. The slot extends along the entire longitudinal extent of the barge over the entire height of the hull, and securing means are arranged on the barge and on the slot and said securing means interact and secure the barge in the raised position in a fixed position on the jack-up rig.

A lift machine includes a machine chassis, a boom extending from the machine chassis, and a connector extending from the boom for coupling to a load. The machine further includes a control system that determines a lift capacity of the machine based on a skew of the connector caused by the load.

A lift machine includes a machine chassis, a boom extending from the machine chassis, and a connector extending from the boom for coupling to a load. The machine further includes a control system that determines a lift capacity of the machine based on a skew of the connector caused by the load.

A tagline control system for handling a wind turbine component during an operation on a wind turbine using a lifting apparatus. The tagline control system includes a tagline control module (74, 164) having a housing (80), at least two winches (126,128) disposed within the housing and each having a tagline cable (130, 132), a controller (146) disposed within the housing and operatively coupled to the at least two winches, and a power source (148) disposed within the housing (80) and operatively coupled to the at least two winches. A method of handling a wind turbine component during an operation on a wind turbine using the lifting apparatus includes coupling the tagline control module to the lifting apparatus and to a wind turbine component, and operating the tagline control system to effectuate the position of the wind turbine component.

Disclosed are tower erection systems and tower climbing systems and associated methods of operation. A tower erection system, in accordance with various embodiments, includes a ground-installed lifting structure, and a lifting frame configured to latch onto individual tower sections and traveling vertically inside the ground-installed lifting structure, lifted by a winch-and-cable or other lifting mechanism. Using this system, a tower may be assembled from multiple sections from the top down. A tower climbing system, in accordance with various embodiments, includes upper and lower climbers that can latch onto the lateral surface of a tower and a lifting mechanism that can move the climbers vertically relative to each other. The system can be used to carry a crane or other heavy equipment up and down along the tower. A climbing crane may be used, for example, during tower construction, or to reach the top of the tower for maintenance or repair.

The invention provides a lifting assembly comprising a support structure (4) arranged to support a load (2) suspended from the support structure, a guide line (501) arranged to extend from a first location, to a second location, a wheel assembly (601) with one or more wheels (621, 622, 623) arranged to engage, and roll along, the guide line (501), and a control line assembly (701) arranged to extend from the wheel assembly (601) to the load (2), wherein the lifting assembly comprises a retainer (801) arranged to connect, between the first and second locations, the guide line (501) to the support structure (4).