A system and method for removing or installing wind turbine blades, comprising a single spreader-type bar fitted with specialized end units with rotatable chain and/or cable for supporting the blade at two or more lift points. The inventive device allows for a single-crane lift of a wind turbine blade, with the ability to remotely control and fine tune the level and pitch of the blade during all portions of the lifting, lowering, installation and/or removal operations.

The invention relates to a system (1) for use with a crane (4) on a surface vessel (3), comprising a crane tool (15) attached or attachable to a hoisting cable (5) of the crane (4) and one or more adaptors (16) attached or attachable to one or more tools (11-14, 25) for carrying out operations or to one or more components (2, 10), the crane tool (15) comprising a connector (17) and at least one of the adaptors (16) comprising a connector-counterpart (18).

The system (1) for lifting and controlling the horizontal orientation and/or position of components (90), such as wind turbine main components, during installation and/or dismounting of said components comprises: a crane boom arrangement (3) and one or more lifting lines (3a) guided by said crane boom arrangement (3) for lifting said components. The system moreover comprises a lifting device (10) comprising a crane connection arrangement (11) connected to said one or more lifting lines (3a), a frame arrangement (12) connected to said crane connection arrangement (11), a first and a second steering wire guide (13a, 13b) configured for guiding steering wires (20a, 20b), and a component connection arrangement (30) connected to said frame arrangement and configured to be connected directly or indirectly to the component to be lifted. The system (1) further comprises a guiding arrangement (4) connected to said crane boom arrangement (3), and said steering wires (20a, 20b) are connected to said guiding arrangement (4) and extend from the guiding arrangement (4) in a direction towards the lifting device (10) with a mutual angle (a1) between the steering wires (20a, 20b). A relative displacement between said frame arrangement (12) and one or both of the first and second steering wire guides (13a, 13b) is configured to be provided to control the mutual angle (a1) between the steering wires (20a, 20b).

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.

A method of assembling a structure, such as a wind turbine, is disclosed. The method comprises a step of providing a lifting arrangement comprising a gantry disposed over and/or directly above a rail, and lifting means coupled to the gantry. The method further comprises stacking portions of the structure by: conveyably disposing a first portion of the structure relative to the rail; lifting a second portion of the structure using the lifting means; disposing the first portion underneath the second portion by conveying the first portion along the rail; and lowering the second portion onto the first portion. Also disclosed is a corresponding system for assembling a structure, such as a wind turbine, and corresponding clamping and/or gripping system.

A method (800,900) of assembling or disassembling a rotor blade of a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising a tower, a nacelle mounted on the tower and a rotor coupled to the nacelle, the rotor having a rotor hub and a rotor blade, the rotor blade comprising a first blade segment connected with the rotor hub, a second blade segment, wherein the second blade segment is configured for joining to the first blade segment such that the second blade segment extends from the first blade segment towards a blade tip of the rotor blade, and a releasable locking device configured for joining the second blade segment to the first blade segment, the releasable locking device comprising a structural member of the second blade segment, the structural member being configured for engaging a further structural member of the first blade segment for releasable locking with the further structural member, wherein a fastening device of the second blade segment is arranged on the structural member; the method comprising raising (950) or lowering (860) the second blade segment using a connecting device fastened to the fastening device of the second blade segment, wherein the connecting device extends through a root of the rotor blade and at least partially through the first blade segment to the second blade segment.

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.

A nacelle-mountable lifting system has a mounting interface mountable on a main bearing, a securement interface connected to the mounting interface and securely mountable to a bedplate of the nacelle, a longitudinally oriented lifting arm connected to the mounting interface and extendible over a hub of the wind turbine, a transversely oriented spreader bar mounted on the lifting arm and extending past sides of the hub, at least one winch mounted on the mounting interface and lifting lines operatively connected to the at least one winch and extending from the spreader bar downward past each of the sides of the hub. The lifting system may be used as a component subsystem of a rotor blade handling system, which further includes one or both of a rotor blade separating subsystem and a rotor blade clamping subsystem.

Lifting apparatus for a lifting crane (1), adapted to carry an elongated component, especially a rotor blade (8) of a wind turbine (12), comprising a frame (6) with at least two support arms (7) for carrying the component, wherein at least one flap-like interaction means (17) for interacting with blowing wind is provided at the frame (6) or a support arm (7), which flap-like interaction means (17) is movable from a non-working position in a working position, in which it is set against the wind.

A method of assembling a structure, such as a wind turbine, is disclosed. The method comprises a step of providing a lifting arrangement comprising a gantry disposed over and/or directly above a rail, and lifting means coupled to the gantry. The method further comprises stacking portions of the structure by: conveyably disposing a first portion of the structure relative to the rail; lifting a second portion of the structure using the lifting means; disposing the first portion underneath the second portion by conveying the first portion along the rail; and lowering the second portion onto the first portion. Also disclosed is a corresponding system for assembling a structure, such as a wind turbine, and corresponding clamping and/or gripping system.