TOOL FOR MOUNTING A SEAL IN A GROOVE OR GAP ON A WIND TURBINE

Abstract

Provided is a tool for mounting a seal in a groove or gap on a wind turbine, the tool including: a roller configured for rolling along the seal and in contact therewith, and a hammer unit configured for exerting a hammering action on the roller to push the seal or a portion thereof into the groove or gap as the roller rolls along the seal, wherein the tool includes a battery powering the hammer unit. Advantageously, the tool combines a rolling action with a hammering action to provide for easy mounting of the seal on the wind turbine.

Claims

1. A tool for mounting a seal in a groove or gap on a wind turbine, the tool comprising: a roller configured for rolling along the seal and in contact therewith, and a hammer unit configured for exerting a hammering action on the roller to push the seal or a portion thereof into the groove or gap as the roller rolls along the seal, wherein the tool comprises a battery powering the hammer unit.

2. The tool of claim 1, wherein the roller is configured to engage the seal in a direction transverse with respect to the rolling direction.

3. The tool of claim 2, wherein the roller has, on its circumference, a groove configured to engage a protrusion on the seal.

4. The tool of claim 1, wherein the tool is a hand-held tool.

5. The tool of claim 1, wherein the roller is releasably connected to the hammer unit.

6. The tool of claim 5, further comprising a roller unit comprising the roller and a mount, wherein the hammer unit has a chuck receiving the mount for providing the releasable connection.

7. The tool of claim 1, further comprising a bracket comprising two legs and a dowel pin, wherein the roller is held rotatably by the dowel pin between the legs.

8. The tool of claim 2, wherein the seal is a blade bearing seal.

9. A method for mounting a seal in a groove or gap on a wind turbine using a tool, the method comprising: rolling a roller of the tool along the seal and in contact therewith, exerting, by a hammer unit of the tool, a hammering action on the roller to push the seal or a portion thereof into the groove or gap as the roller rolls along the seal, wherein the tool comprises a battery powering the hammer unit.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the roller engages the seal in a direction transverse with respect to the rolling direction.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the roller has, on its circumference, a groove engaging a protrusion on the seal.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the tool is a hand-held tool.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the roller is releasably connected to the hammer unit prior to the step of rolling the roller along the seal.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the seal is a blade-bearing seal.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the wind turbine has a hub, a blade and a blade bearing connecting the blade to the hub, wherein the blade bearing has an inner and outer race forming a gap therebetween, wherein the outer race has the groove in which a portion of the seal is mounted to seal the gap.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0048] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with references to the following Figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0049] FIG. 1 shows, in a perspective exploded view, a hub, a blade bearing, bolts for mounting the blade bearing to the hub and a blade;

[0050] FIG. 2 shows, in a perspective view, a seal being mounted to the blade bearing of FIG. 1;

[0051] FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of the seal shown in FIG. 2, and a portion of the outer race, the inner race and the blade;

[0052] FIG. 4 shows, in a cross-section, a seal according to a further embodiment;

[0053] FIG. 5 shows, in a cross-section, a seal according to a further embodiment;

[0054] FIG. 6 shows, in a perspective view, a worker mounting a seal on a wind turbine using a tool in accordance with an embodiment;

[0055] FIG. 7 shows a view VII from FIG. 6;

[0056] FIG. 8 shows, in a perspective view, a roller unit of the tool used in FIGS. 6 and 7; and

[0057] FIG. 9 shows a lengthwise cross-section through the roller unit of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] FIG. 6 shows, in a perspective view, a tool 20. The tool 20 is held by a maintenance person (worker) 21 standing or kneeling inside a glass fiber housing 22 housing the hub 2 (see FIG. 1). Further, FIG. 6 shows the blade 11 connected to the inner race 6 (see FIG. 1). The outer race 5 is connected, using bolts 8, to the flange portion 7 (FIG. 1) of the hub 1. After having removed the worn seal (not shown) using, for example, a screwdriver, the new seal 10 is fitted to the blade bearing 4 using the tool 20.

[0059] The tool 20 comprises a hammer unit 23. Helves or grips 24 (for example three helves or grips) are provided allowing the tool 20 to be held by hand when operated. The helves or grips 24 are connected to the hammer unit 23. Also, a rechargeable battery pack 25 is connected to the hammer unit 23 and provides electrical energy for its operation (hammering action).

[0060] Further, the tool 20 comprises a roller unit 26 connected to the hammer unit 23 as also shown in FIG. 7 illustrating a view VII from FIG. 6. Details of the roller unit 26 will be explained referring to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the roller unit 26. FIG. 9 shows a cross-section of the roller unit 26.

[0061] The roller unit 26 has a roller 27. The roller unit 27 is configured to rotate around an axis 28 defined by a dowel pin 29. The roller 27 may be formed as, for example, a wheel, having a width W smaller than a diameter D. Therein, the width W refers to a dimension of the roller 27 parallel to the axis 28. The diameter D refers to a direction radial with respect to the axis 28.

[0062] Furthermore, the roller unit 26 comprises a bracket 30. The bracket 30 has two legs 31. The dowel pin 29 holds the roller 27 between the legs 31. A bearing 32 may hold the roller 27 rotatably on the dowel pin 28.

[0063] Further, the roller unit 26 may comprise a mount 33. The mount 33 is, at its one end, provided with a thread 34 by which it is screwed into a threaded bore 35 in the bracket 30 on the side opposite of the legs 31. At its other end, the mount 33 has grooves 36 or other means which allow the roller unit 26 to be connected to a chuck 37 (see FIG. 7) of the hammer unit 23.

[0064] Returning to FIG. 7, it can be seen that the roller 27 is brought into contact with an upwards facing upper surface 38 of the seal 10 with its circumferential surface 39 (see FIGS. 8 and 9). The outer surface 38 of the seal 10 is also indicated in FIG. 3.

[0065] As the worker 21 now moves the tool 20 in the lengthwise direction L of the seal 10, the roller 27 rotates around the axis 28 due to frictional forces between the roller 27 and the seal 10. The lengthwise direction L runs parallel to the perimeter of the blade 11 and is, effectively, a circle, since the seal 10 is connected at its free ends, for example, by an adhesive.

[0066] The circumferential surface 39 (see FIG. 8) of the roller 27 may be formed as a flat surface in cases where the corresponding outer surface 38 of the seal 10 is configured flat as shown for the seal 10 of FIG. 3. On the other hand, seals 10 may be used with protrusions 40 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Such protrusions 40 may have a constant cross-section in the lengthwise direction L of the seal 10. The roller 27 may comprise, on its circumferential surface 39, a groove 41 (FIG. 8) for engaging the protrusion 40 in the vertical direction V (direction of engagement). Thus, the roller 27 is guided along the seal 10 as it moves in the lengthwise direction L. The groove 41 engaging the protrusion 40 reduces the likelihood of slipping off in the transverse direction T with respect to the lengthwise direction L.

[0067] Also, as the roller 27 rolls along the seal 10 and in contact therewith, the hammer unit 23 exerts a hammering action on the roller 27. For example, the hammer unit 23 may comprise a crank mechanism (not shown) driven by an electric motor (not shown) powered in turn by the battery pack 25. The crank mechanism transforms the rotational movement of the electric motor into a reciprocating linear movement of the roller unit 26. The direction of the linear movement of the roller unit 26 is indicated by reference numeral R in FIGS. 7 and 9. The axis R passes at right angle through the rotational axis 28 of the roller 27. Also, that reciprocating movement is at right angles or substantially at right angles with the outer surface 38 of the seal 10. The axis R may be colinear with the direction of engagement V of the groove 41 and the protrusion 40.

[0068] The hammering action causes the roller 27 to push the seal 10 into its mounted position on the blade bearing 4. For example, the first portion 12 (see FIG. 3) is pushed into the groove 13 in the outer race 5. In addition, the second portion 14 (see again FIG. 3) of the seal 10 is pushed at least partially into the gap 9 between the outer race 5 and the inner race 6. Therein, the arms 15, 16 spread out elastically to provide the sealing of the gap 9. When the first portion 12 gets pushed into the groove 13, lips 42 on the first portion 12 get deformed to provide for a frictional connection between the seal 10 and the outer race 5.

[0069] When it is referred to the outer and inner race 5, 6 herein, this can also mean a respective outer and inner housing holding the outer and inner race 5, 6, respectively.

[0070] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0071] For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements.