A method of retrofitting a wind turbine having a tower and a first energy generating unit with a second energy generation unit is disclosed. The wind turbine has been operated for a first period of time at a first tower life rate and has a first tower life expectancy design value. The method includes determining the tower life of the wind turbine tower used during the first period of time; determining the remaining tower life of the wind turbine tower; replacing the first energy generating unit with the second energy generating unit; and operating the retrofitted wind turbine at a second tower life rate less than the first tower life rate so as to extend the life expectancy value of the tower beyond the first tower life expectancy design value.

In a main bearing replacement method for a wind turbine power generation facility including a nacelle, a rotor head rotatably supported by the nacelle, a drive shaft to which rotation of the rotor head is transmitted, a main bearing disposed between the rotor head and the nacelle, and a coupling connecting the rotor head and the drive shaft on a radially inner side of the main bearing, the wind turbine power generation facility includes a main bearing sleeve fitted and fixed to an inner ring of the main bearing and mounted with the rotor head, and the main bearing is replaced at least while the main bearing sleeve is fitted and fixed to the inner ring of the main bearing.

Provided is a leading-edge protector for a wind turbine rotor blade, including a curved body shaped for attachment to the rotor blade along at least a section of its leading edge; a plurality of fins, each fin extending radially outward from the curved body and terminating in a blunt outer face; and a plurality of reinforcement bands, wherein a reinforcement band is attached to the blunt outer face of a fin. Also provided is a method of manufacturing such a leading-edge protector.

The present disclosure is directed to an internal reinforcement assembly for a tower of a wind turbine. The reinforcement assembly includes a plurality of reinforcing rod members spaced circumferentially about the tower. Each of the plurality of reinforcing rod members includes a first end and a second end. The reinforcement assembly also includes an adjustable mounting component configured with each of the second ends of the plurality of reinforcing rod members. As such, the adjustable mounting components are mounted to an interior wall of the tower at a location to be reinforced. Thus, the reinforcing rod members interact with the tower to reinforce the tower at the location to be reinforced.

A system and method are provided for reducing vibrations and loads in one or more rotor blades on a rotor hub of a wind turbine when the rotor hub is in a locked or idling condition. An electronically tunable mass damper is attached to a fixed location on one or more of the rotor blades. The mass damper is maintained on the rotor blades during the locked or idling condition of the rotor hub. The method includes sensing movement of a mass component of the mass damper from vibrations or oscillations induced in the rotor blade. The mass damper is automatically tuned based on the sensed movements of the mass component by automatically varying an electrical characteristic of the mass damper.

A method of handling the pitch bearing unit of a rotor blade mounted to the hub of a wind turbine, the method including the steps of providing an extension assembly at the interface between the rotor blade and the hub, moving the rotor blade outward from the hub by means of the extension assembly to open a gap large enough to accommodate the pitch bearing unit while maintaining a connection between the rotor blade and the hub, and removing the pitch bearing unit through the gap.

A displacement system for a submersible electrical system such as a tidal turbine system, the displacement system comprising a base for the turbine or related electrical components, a vessel having a buoyant body and at least three rigid legs each displaceable relative to the body between a raised and a lowered position, and in which the base is adapted to be secured to and displaceable by the three legs in order to allow the base to be deployed or retrieved from the seabed using the legs, which legs can also be utilised to raise the body of the vessel out of the water to provide a stable work platform above the deployment site.

Systems and methods enable yaw offsets on wind turbines in a wind farm. A wind turbine yaw controller receives a present wind direction signal from a local wind direction sensor and aligns the wind turbine in a substantially perpendicular direction based upon the present wind direction signal. A yaw controller is retrofitted between the wind direction sensor and the yaw controller to provide an adjusted wind direction signal to the yaw controller based upon the present wind direction signal and a yaw offset signal. An offset table relating yaw offsets with wind direction signal values may be stored locally at a wind turbine or at a site controller in communication with the wind tribune. Each wind turbine in the wind farm may be retrofitted with the yaw controller to enhance the power output of the wind farm by adjusting the wake effect between wind turbines of the wind farms.

Provided is an arrangement for removing and/or exchanging a hydraulic fluid accumulator installed within a hub of a wind turbine, the arrangement including: a first pair of mounting legs each having at an upper portion connector for connecting to a hub component; a second pair of mounting legs each having at an upper portion connector for connecting to a hub component; a first bar connecting the first pair of mounting legs at a lower portion; a second bar connecting the second pair of mounting legs at a lower portion; an elongate resting structure for carrying an accumulator, the resting structure being at one end slidably supported by the first bar and at another end slidably supported by the second bar and being movable in a parallel manner traverse, in particular perpendicular, to a longitudinal direction the resting structure.

A method for planning repowering of a wind energy plant is disclosed. The wind energy plant is positioned at a site and comprises a plurality of original wind turbines arranged at distributed positions within the site. Historical data related to the original wind turbines is retrieved. The historical data is collected over a previous time period and during operation of the original wind turbines. Meteorological conditions at the site of the wind energy plant are estimated based on the retrieved historical data. The repowering of the wind energy plant is planned based on the estimated meteorological data, including planning replacement of the original wind turbines by replacement wind turbines to be positioned at the positions of the original wind turbines.