The present disclosure is directed to a lift system for a rotor blade of a wind turbine. The lift system includes a lifting device having at least one cradle. The cradle has a profile that corresponds to at least one of the exterior surfaces of the rotor blade so as to support at least a portion of the rotor blade. Further, the lift system includes a positioning assembly having at least one distance sensor mounted to the hub and at least one visual sensor mounted to the lifting device. Thus, the distance sensor is configured to identify a distance from the hub to the lifting device and the visual sensor is configured to identify a position of the rotor blade in the cradle.

A method of erecting a wind power installation which has an aerodynamic rotor having rotor blade connections. A lifting beam having a ballast unit is fixed to a crane hook of a crane. A rotor blade is fixed to a second crane hook at an underside of the ballast unit by means of lifting cables. The lifting beam and the rotor blade are lifted by the crane for mounting the rotor blade at one of the rotor blade connections.

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.

Method and apparatus for weighing an elongate object extending between a root end and a tip end thereof, said method including: providing a respective tip load measurement gauge and root load measurement gauge; and providing a suspending arrangement configured for suspending said elongate object from said tip load measurement gauge and from said root load measurement gauge; and suspending said object in a horizontal orientation; and recording a tip load and a root load from respective said load measurement gauges, said method being additionally characterised by: providing a weighing area; and fixing an inclinometer to said suspended blade and load gauge arrangement; and suspending said elongate object from said tip load gauge and from said root load gauge; and adjusting the horizontality of said elongate object in response to signals from said inclinometer prior to said step of recording said tip load and said root load. Alternatively, an inclinometer may be replaced by placing a first distance sensor at a first location on a ground surface; and placing a second distance sensor at a second location on said ground surface; and suspending said elongate object from said tip load gauge and from said root load gauge such that a said root end thereof is suspended proximate said first distance sensor and a said tip end thereof is suspended proximate said second distance sensor; and measuring a first distance between said first distance sensor and a said root portion of said elongate object and; and measuring a second distance between said second distance sensor and a said tip portion of said elongate object; and then adjusting the horizontality of said elongate object in response to said first and second distance readings prior to said step of recording said tip load and said root load.

The invention relates to a closed strap collar for securing cargo by means of friction, a device for lifting cargo and a lifting method, the collar being formed by a strap and a tensioner which, by tightening the strap around an element, allows cargo to be secured to the element being held or the held element to be raised by pulling the strap collar.

A solid mast raiser system is disclosed herein. The solid mast raiser system may include a slot configured to house a mast. Further, the slot may be further configured to be inserted in to a predrilled bore in the ground. Further, a length of the slot may be matched to a depth of the predrilled bore in the ground. Further, the solid mast raiser system may include a stanchion configured to be attached to the slot. Further, the stanchion may be concentrically aligned with the slot. Further, the stanchion may rest upon a cable. Further, the solid mast raiser system may include a launcher coupled to the stanchion through a cable. Further, the launcher may be configured to raise and retract the stanchion. Further, the launcher may be configured to be affixed to the ground. Further, the launcher may comprise a first hole concentrically aligned with the slot.

A lifting tool used during lifting and mounting of a rotor blade on a rotor hub of the wind turbine which facilitates repositioning of the crane's main wire. Thus, a lifting bracket, having an elongated element with a first through-going outlet configured to take up a part of a first link, which is connected with the main wire, and a second through-going outlet configured with a spherical bearing to take up a part of a second link on the load, and wherein the elongated element adjacent to the spherical bearing is provided with a measuring instrument with a signal transmitter for registering the angle between the lifting wire and the vertical direction, wherein the signal transmitter is configured to transmit a signal containing measurements for visualization on an external unit with a screen placed at the crane operator and/or near the crane supervisor.

Provided is a support structure for a wind turbine blade and a method for manufacturing a support structure for a wind turbine blade The support structure includes a frame structure including a first section and a second section which are spaced apart with respect to each other along a first direction such that a section of a wind turbine blade is arrangeable in-between the first section and the second section. The support structure further includes two seesaw elements being pivotably fixed to a respective section and having a respective pivoting axis parallel to the first direction and four belt elements being fixed with their respective first end to a respective end of the respective seesaw element Furthermore, a respective second end of the respective belt element are each fixed to the respective other section of the frame structure.

Described is a device for placing a component of a wind turbine on a wind turbine tower. The device includes a hoisting frame which is suspended from a hoisting hook of a hoisting means, and which is provided with take-up cables whereby the component is taken up in the hoisting frame. The hoisting frame is embodied such that in a first position of the hoisting frame relative to the hoisting hook the centre of gravity of the taken-up component and a centre of gravity of the hoisting frame are situated on either side of a vertical plane which runs through the hoisting hook and which does not comprise any of the centres of gravity. The invention likewise relates to a method which makes use of the invented device.

A method of lifting a rotor of a wind turbine, the rotor having a center of gravity and including a hub and first, second, and third blades projecting outwardly from the hub at locations circumferentially distributed thereabout, includes positioning first and second slings around the first and second blades, respectively, to define first and second lifting zones delineating a lifting envelope, wherein the lifting envelope encompasses the center of gravity. The method also includes lifting the rotor above a surface via the first and second slings wherein the rotor is in one of a substantially horizontal or substantially vertical orientation, with the aid of at least one of the first and second slings while continuing to fully support the rotor by the first and second slings.