A device for mounting wind turbine components and mounting method using the device is disclosed. The device is used to lift the components, such as the segments (1) forming the tower and the nacelle (2) of a wind turbine, these components are mounted to the structure of the wind turbine, the device having a lower portion (3) and an upper portion (4) coupled by a swivel joint (5), the lower portion (3) associated with a telescopic assembly (6) fastening to the segments (1) of the already-mounted tower portion of the wind turbine, while a lift (10) is movable along the whole of both portions (3) and (4), securing the components (1, 2) of the wind turbine to be mounted, to lift these components (1, 2) of the wind turbine to be mounted to the mounting positions thereof, in movements from the lower portion of the tower.

A load guiding arrangement realized for mounting to a crane, which load guiding arrangement comprises a number of load guides, wherein a load guide comprises a guide wire extending from a lower level of the crane to an upper level of the crane; a bridging connector realized to bridge a gap between the guide wire and a control wire, which bridging connector is free to travel along the guide wire and the control wire according to a vertical displacement of a load; and a control wire extending from a lower level of the crane, through the bridging connector to a lifting connector for connecting to the load (4), and through the bridging connector again to an upper level of the crane is provided.

A rotating tower crane for erecting a wind turbine, having a tower and a tower substructure, which is connected to the tower and is intended for supporting the tower, wherein the tower substructure has a supporting cross frame, which has three or more, preferably four, legs, extending from the tower. It is proposed that each leg has fastened on it, on the ground side, a load-distributor plate, which is not connected to the foundation, wherein the load-distributor plates together form the ballast of the tower.

A crane capable of handling major components during installation or servicing of wind turbines includes a main body on which is mounted a crane arm, and a lifting point at or near an upper end of the main body to which a hoisting cable assembly is joined or around which a lifting cable is passed and which carries a major part of the crane weight as it is hoisted up a tower of the wind turbine, wherein the lifting point is laterally adjustable relative to the main body in a direction which is generally towards or away from the tower when in its lifting orientation in order to allow control of the crane balance.

The invention provides a method for handling a load (2) comprising a wind turbine component (202), the method comprising,—while a crane (1) is supported by a supporting element (G), arranging a control arrangement (501, 502), which is at least partly elongated and flexible, so as to extend, while the load (2) is lifted in a suspended manner with the crane (1), from the load (2) to an actuator (511, 512), located on the supporting element (G), at a distance from the crane (1),—the actuator (511, 512) controlling the orientation of the load (2) by means of the control arrangement (501, 502),—wherein the control arrangement (501, 502) is extended, during the load orientation control, via a redirection device (531, 532) which is connected to the supporting element (G).

A method for installing a rotor blade on a wind turbine, the rotor blade comprising a blade root for fastening the rotor blade to a hub, a blade tip facing away from the blade root, and a longitudinal axis running from the blade root to the blade tip, and the method comprising the steps of: hoisting the rotor blade using a crane, recording measurement data relating to the position and/or orientation of the rotor blade using at least one measuring means during the hoisting, and transmitting the measurement data to at least one monitoring station for monitoring the hoisting and/or to at least one control facility for controlling the position and/or orientation of the rotor blade.

Tower erection systems and methods utilizing a load-sharing support member (LS support member) are disclosed. The LS support member can have a first end coupled to a crane tower and a second end configured to repeatably couple to the upper-most tower section of a partially assembled tower stack during assembly. During lifting, a portion of the vertical load is transferred to the partially assembled tower stack.

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 present disclosure is directed to a lifting device for a rotor blade of a wind turbine. The lifting device includes at least one cradle and a vacuum sealing system configured with the 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. The vacuum sealing system is configured to secure the rotor blade to the cradle as the rotor blade is lifted and/or lowered from a hub mounted atop a tower of the wind turbine.

A jack-up crane vessel or semi-submersible crane vessel is provided including a hull with a deck, and a crane on the hull for hoisting a load outside the deck. The crane includes a slewing crane base with a first suspension, an elongated boom that is rotatable around a horizontal rotation axis with respect to the first suspension, at least two pendants between the boom and the first suspension that mutually converge toward the distal boom section, a boom spacer between the boom and the first suspension, and a boom luffing installation for driving the rotation of the boom around the horizontal rotation axis between a lowered transport position and a raised operational position. In the direction of the vertical rotation axis the first suspension extends at least in the lowered transport position of the boom above the boom heel of the boom.