BLADE ACCESS ARRANGEMENT FOR A ROTOR BLADE OF A WIND POWER PLANT

Abstract

A blade access arrangement for a rotor blade of a wind power plant is described, the arrangement including a platform (1) having at least two sub-platforms (3, 4, 5, 6) which are moveably connected to each other by means of a connecting arrangement. In such a platform the sub-platforms should keep a predetermined orientation to the rotor blade. To this end the connection arrangement comprises at least two connectors (9, 10), the connectors (9, 10) having the same length and at least at their ends the same distance to each other.

Claims

1. A blade access arrangement for a rotor blade of a wind power plant, the arrangement comprising a platform having at least two sub-platforms which are movably connected to each other by means of a connecting arrangement, wherein the connecting arrangement comprises at least two parallel connectors, the connectors having the same length and at least at their ends the same distance to each other.

2. The blade access arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the two sub-platforms form a trapeze.

3. The blade access arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the two sub-platforms comprise sides which are perpendicular to each other.

4. Blade The blade access arrangement according to claim 1, wherein an actuator is arranged between one of the sub-platforms and one of the connectors.

5. The blade access arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a space between the two sub-platforms is covered by a decking having a variable width.

6. The blade access arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the decking comprises a plurality of slats spaced apart from each other.

7. The blade access arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the slats are directed in a direction from one sub-platform to the other sub-platform.

8. The blade access arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the slats are arranged in parallel to the connectors.

9. The blade access arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the slats are supported by supports extending from the connectors.

10. The blade access arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the supports are connected alternately to one connector and to another connector.

11. The blade access arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least four sub-platforms are pro- vided, the sub-platforms surrounding an opening.

12. The blade access arrangement according to claim 11, wherein one sub-platform comprises two sub-platform parts.

13. The blade access arrangement according to claim 12, wherein two sub-platform parts are detachably connected to each other.

14. The blade access arrangement according to claim 12, wherein each of the sub-platform parts is connected to an- other sub-platform by means of the connecting arrangement which in turn is con- nected to a common sub-platform by means of the connecting arrangement.

15. The blade access arrangement according to claim 11, wherein at least four actuators are provided.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] An embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawing, wherein:

[0024] FIG. 1 shows a top view of a platform of a blade access arrangement,

[0025] FIG. 2 shows a detail B of FIG. 1 and

[0026] FIG. 3 shows the detail of FIG. 2 with a decking.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] FIG. 1 shows schematically a platform 1 of a blade access arrangement for a rotor blade of a wind power plant. The wind power plant or “windmill” is not shown in the drawing.

[0028] The platform comprises an opening 2 which is used to accommodate the blade, when access to the blade is necessary to inspect, maintain or repair the blade.

[0029] The platform 1 comprises four sub-platforms 3, 4, 5, 6, wherein the sub-plat- form 6 comprises two sub-platform parts 7, 8.

[0030] Two adjacent sub-platforms are connected by means of two parallel connect- ors 9, 10 which have the same length and the same distance to each other, at least at their ends.

[0031] The connectors 9, 10 are part of a connecting arrangement. The distance be- tween the two connectors 9, 10 is the width of the connecting arrangement.

[0032] In the embodiment shown the connecting arrangement comprises two connect- ors 9, 10. It is, however, possible to use more than two connectors 9, 10.

[0033] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the connectors 9, 10 together with the sub-platforms 3, 5 which are connected by the connectors 9, 10 form a parallelogram. The sub-platform 3 comprises a side 11 and the sub-platform 5 comprises a side 12, wherein the sides 11, 12 are perpendicular to each other. This perpendicular orientation of the two sub-plat- forms 3, 5 is not changed when the sub-platforms 3, 5 are moved in relation to each other.

[0034] Movement of the sub-platforms 3, 5 in relation to each other can be caused by actuating an actuator 13. The actuator 13 is arranged between the sub-platform 5 and the connector 9. The sub-platform 5 is in form of a trapeze and the actuator 13 is connected to a side 14 of the trapeze connecting two parallel sides of the trapeze, one of which is the above-mentioned side 12.

[0035] The side 14 of the sub-platform 5 is always kept parallel to a side 15 of the sub-platform 3. When the actuator 13 is actuated, only an angle between the connectors 9, 10 and the respective sides 14, 15 is changed, however, not the angular orientation between the sub-platforms 3, 5.

[0036] When the two sub-platform parts 7, 8 of the sub-platform 6 are connected to each other, one actuator 13 is sufficient to change the form of the platform 1.

[0037] However, in order to catch the above-mentioned blade of the windmill, the opening 2 can be opened. To this end, the sub-platform parts 7, 8 are detachably con- nected to each other. In the configuration shown, the sub-platform parts 7, 8 are held together by the detachable connection. However, when the detachable connection is un- locked, the parts 7, 8 can be moved away from each other.

[0038] To this end further actuators 16, 17, 18 are provided. Actuator 16 can move the sub-platforms 3, 4 in relation to each other. Actuator 17 can move the sub-platform part 7 in relation to the sub-platform 4. Actuator 18 can move the sub-platform part 8 in relation to the sub-platform 5.

[0039] The sub-platforms 3, 4, 5, 6 form a walkable area, i.e. an operator is fully supported by each of the sub-platforms 3, 4, 5, 6.

[0040] In order to make it possible that the operator can cross the distance between the respective sub-platforms 3-6, the spaces between each pair of sub-platforms 3, 4; 3, 5; 4, 6; 5, 6 is closed by a decking 19 (FIG. 3). The decking 19 comprises a plurality of slats 20 which are spaced apart from each other, i.e. a space 21 is arranged between ad- jacent lamellas 20. The slats 20 are arranged in parallel to the connectors 9, 10, i.e. in lengthwise direction of the space between the sub-platforms 3, 5. In other words, the slats 20 are directed in a direction from one sub-platform 3 to the other sub-platform 5. The same is true for the other pairs of sub-platforms.

[0041] When the sub-platforms 3, 5 are moved in relation to each other, the spaces 21 between the slats 20 vary their width. The consequence is that the decking 19 in total has a variable width as well. The spaces 21 between the slats 20 are in any case so small that the decking 19 forms likewise a walkable floor.

[0042] The slats 20 are supported by supports 22-25, wherein one half of the supports 22-25 is connected to the connector 9 and the other half is connected to the connector 10.

[0043] The supports of the two halves are arranged alternately i.e. the support 22 is connected to the connector 9, the support 23 is connected to the support 10, the support 24 is connected to the support 9 and the support 25 is connected to the connector 10.

[0044] In order to access a blade of a windmill, the platform 1 is raised to a height in which the blade is close enough to the tower of the windmill, so that only a small move- ment of the platform 1 away from the tower is necessary to accommodate the blade in the opening 2. Before moving the platform 1 in a direction towards the blade, the parts 7, 8 of the sub-platform 6 are moved away from each other to bring the platform 1 in an open condition. Once the blade has entered the opening 2, the parts 7, 8 of the sub-platform 6 are again connected to each other.

[0045] In a region near the root of the blade the section of the blade approaches a circle. In order to adapt the form of the platform 1 to the form of the blade, the actuators 13, 16-18 are actuated to increase the distance between the sub-platforms 4, 5 and to minimize the distance between the sub-platforms 3, 6. When the platform 1 is moved downwardly to the tip of the blade, the actuators 13, 16-18 can be actuated as well to bring the platform 1 in the form shown in FIG. 1, in which the distance between the sub- platforms 3, 6 has been increased and the distance between the sub-platforms 4, 5 has been decreased.

[0046] While the present disclosure has been illustrated and described with respect to a particular embodiment thereof, it should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications to this disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.