Methods and systems for removing and/or installing wind turbine rotor blades

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10113530-B2
Application number	US-201414538891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2014
Priority date	Feb 20, 2014
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

In one aspect, a method for installing a blade sock onto a rotor blade of a wind turbine may generally include positioning the blade sock adjacent to a blade tip of the rotor blade, wherein the blade sock comprises a sock strap forming a closed-shape. In addition, the method may include moving the blade sock relative to the rotor blade such that the blade tip is received within the closed-shape formed by the sock strap and moving the blade sock spanwise along the rotor blade towards a blade root of the rotor blade until the blade sock is positioned at an intermediate location defined between the blade root and the blade tip, wherein the sock strap is configured to fit tightly around an outer perimeter of the rotor blade at the intermediate location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for installing a blade sock onto a rotor blade of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
positioning the blade sock adjacent to a blade tip of the rotor blade, the blade sock comprising a sock strap forming a closed-shape;
moving the blade sock relative to the rotor blade such that the blade tip is received within the closed-shape formed by the sock strap; and,
moving the blade sock spanwise along the rotor blade towards a blade root of the rotor blade until the blade sock is positioned at an intermediate location defined between the blade root and the blade tip,
wherein the sock strap is a closed-shape with a fixed perimeter length defining an internal area generally corresponding to a cross-sectional area of the rotor blade at the intermediate location such that the blade sock is prevented from being moved further towards the blade root when it reaches the intermediate location, and
wherein the intermediate location is defined at an outboard location on the rotor blade that is spaced apart from the blade root by a spanwise distance greater than 50% of a blade span of the rotor blade such that the entirety of the blade sock is located at least the spanwise distance from the blade root.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the blade sock spanwise along the rotor blade towards the blade root comprises moving the blade sock spanwise along the rotor blade towards the blade root until the sock strap tightens around the rotor blade at the intermediate location, the tightening of the sock strap around the rotor blade occurring due to the spanwise movement of the blade sock towards the blade root without any adjustments to the fixed perimeter length of the blade sock.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the blade sock further comprises at least one edge support configured to be positioned between the sock strap and the rotor blade.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the at least one edge support comprises a trailing edge support configured to be positioned between the sock strap and a trailing edge of the rotor blade.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the trailing edge support comprises side portions and an edge portion extending between the side portions, the edge portion being configured to extend around the trailing edge of the rotor blade such that a gap is defined between the trailing edge support and the trailing edge.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotor blade is disposed in a vertical orientation for installation of the blade sock onto the rotor blade.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotor blade is disposed in a horizontal orientation for installation the blade sock onto the rotor blade.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spanwise distance is from 65% of the blade span of the rotor blade to 95% of the blade span of the rotor blade.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the spanwise distance is from 75% of the blade span of the rotor blade to 95% of the blade span of the rotor blade.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Neumann Ulrich Werner
• Holloway Brent Hamilton
• Willman Stephanie
• Foster Michael Cade

Classifications

• Y02E10/721

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F03D13/40

  Arrangements or methods specially adapted for transporting wind motor components · CPC title

• F03D1/0658

  Arrangements for fixing wind-engaging parts to a hub · CPC title

• F03D13/10 Primary

  Assembly of wind motors; Arrangements for erecting wind motors · CPC title

• F03D1/001 Primary

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic