The present invention relates to a lifting assembly (1) for elevating components to a wind turbine (5). The lifting assembly comprises a plurality of tower segments (13) which together form an elongated tower (9), a support frame (11) for supporting the tower (9), a securing assembly (32) securing the tower (9) to the wind turbine (5). The lifting assembly (1) further comprises an upper platform (7) provided with and a crane (21) and vertically movable along the tower (9), and a lower platform (8) provided with a storage area (16) for supporting components and vertically movable along the tower (9) between the upper platform (7) and the support frame (11). The crane is adapted to move components to and from the storage area (16) of the lower platform (8).

A nacelle-mountable lift system for mounting and dismounting a rotor blade of a wind turbine involves a jib crane mountable on the nacelle and a blade sheath. The blade sheath is connectable to the hook of the jib crane by lines attachable to the top end of the sheath. The holder is raiseable and lowerable by a winch mounted on the crane to raise and lower the sheath with the rotor blade retained therein when the rotor blade is disconnected from the hub or to raise and lower the sheath to retain the rotor blade in or release the rotor blade from the sheath when the rotor blade is connected to the hub.

A hoisting system for the at least one of an installation, a decommissioning and a maintenance of a wind turbine which comprises at least a foundation, a tower, a yawing part and a rotor of at least 80 m diameter with at least one blade, comprising a first hoisting device which comprises measures to establish a load carrying joint with an already built part of the wind turbine which is located above the foundation, wherein the hoisting system is characterized in that the ratio between the maximum hoist load of the hoisting device and the mass of the heaviest part is larger than 0.2 and smaller than 1 and in particular smaller than 0.8 and more in particular smaller than 0.7 and preferably smaller than 0.6, with the heaviest part being a heaviest part which is hoisted as one piece and which belongs to the yawing part of wind turbine.

Methods and apparatuses for onshore or offshore erecting an upstanding construction comprising longitudinal construction parts, comprising the steps of providing the longitudinal construction parts, transporting the longitudinal construction parts on a vehicle to an erection site, providing a crane for hoisting the longitudinal construction parts, using the crane for placing the respective longitudinal construction parts on top of each other on a construction base at the erection site, providing the construction base and/or the longitudinal construction parts with a support and guide facility for the crane, arranging that the crane is mountable on the support and guide facility, and mounting the crane on the support and guide facility of at least one of the construction base and the longitudinal construction parts that is placed on the construction base, so as to arrange that the crane is movable up and down along the support and guide facility of the construction.

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.

Provided is a method for moving an object between a platform of a wind turbine and a deck of a vessel, wherein the platform is located at a tower the wind turbine, wherein the object is moved vertically by a hoist coupled between the object and at least one fixation site the wind turbine located above the platform and the deck, wherein the object is deflected radially from the tower by a puller coupled between the object and the vessel.

A crane system for a wind turbine is disclosed. The crane system includes a support structure, a movable structure, a slidable device, a first actuator unit, and a plurality of second actuator units. The slidable device includes a base, a retention component, and first, second, third, and fourth pairs of clamping arms. The base is coupled to the support structure. The retention component is coupled to either side of the base to define a channel between the retention component and the base. The first and second pairs of clamping arms are spaced apart and coupled to each other and to the base. The third and fourth pairs of clamping arms are disposed within the channel, spaced apart, and coupled to each other. The first actuator unit is coupled to the slidable device and each second actuator unit is coupled to the first, second, third, and fourth pairs of clamping arms.

Methods for onshore or offshore erecting an upstanding construction comprising longitudinal construction parts, comprising the steps of providing the longitudinal construction parts, transporting the longitudinal construction parts on a vehicle to an erection site, providing a crane for hoisting the longitudinal construction parts, using the crane for placing the respective longitudinal construction parts on top of each other on a construction base at the erection site, providing the construction base and/or the longitudinal construction parts with a support and guide facility for the crane, arranging that the crane is mountable on the support and guide facility, and mounting the crane on the support and guide facility of at least one of the construction base and the longitudinal construction parts that is placed on the construction base, so as to arrange that the crane is movable up and down along the support and guide facility of the construction.

In a method 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. The device includes a mounting part that is mounted on the foundation of the offshore wind turbine and/or on a lower portion of the wind turbine mast. A guide mast having a track is supported by the mounting part and extends parallel and adjacent to the wind turbine mast. A support bracket laterally supports the guide mast. The blade installation device further includes a blade manipulator assembly with a trolley that is movable along the track and a blade manipulator including blade engagement members. The blade manipulator is supported by the trolley via an actuating assembly including actuators. A positioning system controls the actuators.

A lift system for performing operations on a structure includes a base and rack assembly mounted on the base. The rack assembly includes at least two legs. A carriage is engaged with the rack assembly, and is configured to travel vertically along the legs of the rack assembly. A crane is configured for transverse movement on the carriage. In some implementations, the base is moved under self-propulsion. In some implementations, the base includes a leveling assembly that is operable to adjust an orientation of the rack assembly with respect to the structure.