Wind turbine blade lifting device and a method for lifting a wind turbine blade

Abstract

A wind turbine blade lifting device having a length, a width and a height and is suitable for lifting and handling a wind turbine blade or a part of a wind turbine blade, also having a length, a width and a height, where the lifting device has a chassis with at least one set of connection for coupling to a lifting apparatus, and a mechanism for engaging a wind turbine blade or blade part. Also, a method for installing at least a part of a wind turbine blade, e.g. a full wind turbine blade or an inner blade part for a partial pitch wind turbine blade having an inner blade part and an outer blade part.

Claims

1. A wind turbine blade lifting device having a length, a width and a height and arranged for arranging and fixating at least a part of a wind turbine blade in said wind turbine blade lifting device for lifting and handling a wind turbine blade or a part of a wind turbine blade that also has a length, a width and a height, where the lifting device comprises: a chassis having at least one set of connection means for coupling to a lifting apparatus, and means for engaging the wind turbine blade or the part of a wind turbine blade, said chassis comprising a top structure at which four connection means are situated, one at each corner, and a power pack comprising at least one weight element being provided on said chassis, and wherein said lifting device further comprises: means for adjusting the point of gravity of at least the lifting device by adjusting at least one of the following parameters: the position of said at least one weight element in the length direction of the chassis; and the position of said at least one weight element in the width direction of the chassis.

2. A wind turbine blade lifting device according to claim 1, wherein the chassis of the lifting device comprises a track arrangement, where the at least one weight element is arranged movable along said track arrangement.

3. A wind turbine blade lifting device according to claim 1, wherein said chassis further comprises a side structure and a bottom structure, where the chassis comprises an open side opposite said side structure.

4. A wind turbine blade lifting device according to claim 3, wherein said side structure comprises blade surface support pads.

5. A wind turbine blade lifting device according to claim 3, wherein said bottom structure comprises blade surface support pads.

6. A wind turbine blade lifting device according to claim 3, wherein said chassis comprises at least one adjustable locking arm, where said at least one locking arm, at a first end, is arranged at the chassis and, at a second end, comprises means for supporting the wind turbine blade or the part of a wind turbine blade.

7. A wind turbine blade lifting device according to claim 1, wherein said power pack comprises at least one of: accumulated hydraulic energy, pneumatic energy, and electric energy.

8. A method for installing at least a part of a wind turbine blade or part of a wind turbine blade with the wind turbine blade lifting device of claim 1, comprising at least the following steps: arranging at least a part of a wind turbine blade in a wind turbine blade lifting device comprising a chassis which has a top structure at which four connection means are situated, one at each corner, and a power pack comprising at least one weight element and being provided on said chassis, fixating the at least a part of a wind turbine blade in the wind turbine blade lifting device, fixating said wind turbine blade lifting device to a lifting apparatus by engaging the lifting device to said four connection means, adjusting the balance of said at least a part of a wind turbine blade and the wind turbine blade lifting device by adjusting the point of gravity by adjusting one of the following parameters: the position of at least one weight element, in at least one of the length and width direction of the wind turbine lifting device, and performing and terminating the installation.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the method further comprises at least the following additional step: adjusting the balance of the at least a part of a wind turbine blade and the wind turbine blade lifting device by remote operation of the adjusting the point of gravity.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a wind turbine.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a lifting device for a wind turbine blade or a part of a wind turbine blade.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a lifting device engaging a part of a wind turbine blade.

(4) FIG. 4 shows a lifting device with two liquid containers at the top frame.

(5) FIG. 5 shows a lifting device holding a part of a wind turbine blade.

(6) FIG. 6 shows parts of a lifting device comprising adjustable connection means.

(7) FIG. 7 shows a lifting device comprising adjustable connection means and two individual sets of locking arms, each comprising two locking arms.

(8) FIG. 8 shows a crane operating a lifting device during installation of a wind turbine blade at a wind turbine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(9) In the following text, the figures will be described one by one and the different parts and positions seen in the figures will be numbered with the same numbers in the different figures. Not all parts and positions indicated in a specific figure will necessarily be discussed together with that figure.

Detailed Description of the Invention

(10) In FIG. 1, a typical wind turbine 1 is seen comprising a tower 2 installed at a foundation 3. At the top of the tower 2, a nacelle 4 comprising e.g., a gearbox, a generator and other components is seen, where the mentioned components are covered by a nacelle cover. At the nacelle 4, there is also installed a shaft for carrying a rotor comprising a hub 5 and three wind turbine rotor blades 6. The rotor blades 6 are arranged at the hub 5 at a first end 7 called the root end of the rotor blade 6. The second end 8 of the rotor blades 6 constitutes a tip end.

(11) FIG. 2 shows a lifting device 9 for a wind turbine blade 6 or a part of a wind turbine blade, where the chassis 10 comprises a top structure 11, a side structure 12 and a bottom structure 13. At the top structure 11, four connection means 14 are situatedone at each cornerfor a crane to engage. Centrally at the top structure 11, a power pack 15 is seen here also comprising weight elements 16 that can be positioned along a track arrangement 17 in as well the length as the width direction of the lifting device 9. Furthermore, two locking arms 18 are arranged at the top structure 11 and support pads 19 are seen at the side structure 12 and at the bottom structure 13. The support pads 19 are shaped to accommodate certain areas of a wind turbine blade 6.

(12) In FIG. 3, a lifting device 9 is seen engaging a part of a wind turbine blade 6, where the leading edge 20 is accommodated in the support pads 19 at the bottom structure 13, and where the locking arms 18 are ready to be engaged in order to hold the suction side 22 against the support pads 19 at the side structure 12 allowing the trailing edge 23 to remain untouched.

(13) FIG. 4 also shows a lifting device 9 for a wind turbine blade 6 or a part of a wind turbine blade, where the chassis 10 comprises a top structure 11, a side structure 12 and a bottom structure 13. At the top structure 11, four connection means 14 are situatedone at each cornerfor a crane to engage. Centrally at the top structure 11, a power pack 15 is seen here also comprising weight elements 16 that can be positioned along a track arrangement 17 in as well the length as the width direction of the lifting device 9. Furthermore, two containers 24 are seen, where a liquid such as water, oil or any other liquid can be moved from one container 24 to another container 24 in order to change the point of gravity of the lifting device with or without a wind turbine blade or blade part 6. The system for moving liquid from one container 24 to one or more other containers can be used as an individual solution, but it can also be combined with an adjustable weight element 16, where both systems support each other in changing the point of gravity.

(14) In FIG. 5, a lifting device 9 is seen engaging a part of a wind turbine blade 6, where the leading edge 20 is accommodated in the support pads 19 at the bottom structure 13, and where the pressure side 21 is supported by the engaged locking arms 18 holding the suction side 22 against the support pads 19 at the side structure 12 allowing the trailing edge 23 to remain untouched.

(15) FIG. 6 shows parts of a lifting device 9 comprising adjustable connection means 14, where the connection means 14 comprises an arm 25 arranged at the top structure 11 via a pivot joint 26 and is movable via an actuator 27 arranged between the arm 25 and the top structure 11. By extending or retracting the actuator 27, the connection means 14 will move and consequently the point of gravity will change. In this embodiment, the arm is allowed to move in the length direction of the lifting device 6, but could also be arranged to be able to move in the width direction or even in both of the length and width direction of the lifting device 6 in order to have maximum adjustability. The illustrated actuator 27 may be a hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical or any suitable type of actuator and it might be powered by a power pack 15 as seen in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 at the lifting device 6 or from an external source. In this embodiment, it is further seen that two sets of locking arms 18 are present, where each set comprises two locking arms 18, namely one set at the top structure 11 and one set at the side structure 12here seen disengaged.

(16) FIG. 7 shows a lifting device 9 comprising adjustable connection means 14 and two individual sets of locking arms 18, each comprising two locking arms 18, as also seen in FIG. 6. Here, the locking arms are engaged and the locking arms 18 at the top structure 11 are in contact with the pressure side 21 at the trailing edge 23, and the locking arms 18 at the side structure 12 are in contact with the suction side 22, also at the trailing edge 23.

(17) FIG. 8 shows a crane 28 comprising a crane arm 29 with a wire 30 hooked to a wire sling 31. The wire sling is connected to the connection means 14 at the top structure 11 of the chassis 10. The crane 28 is used to operate a lifting device 9 during installation of a wind turbine blade 6 at a wind turbine 1. The wind turbine blade 6 is controlled at the tip end 8 via a support line 32 held manually.

(18) The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein, and may be modified or adapted without departing from the scope of the present invention.