Self-aligned tilt and yaw system for wind turbine blade rotating device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11027412-B2
Application number	US-201916373292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2019
Priority date	Apr 2, 2018
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A wind turbine blade apparatus comprising a root device including: a base having an upper surface with a radius of curvature and configured to receive a root portion of a blade, with housings disposed on lateral sides of the base. The housings including a groove configured to receive a bearing and a shaft extending at least partially through the base and housing. A tip device is also provided which includes a base, a rotatable support frame having: a first support configured to receive a pressure side of a wind turbine blade, a second support configured to receive a suction side of a wind turbine blade, and an opening, the opening configured to receive a portion of a wind turbine blade.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wind turbine blade apparatus comprising:
a root device, the root device including:
a base, the base having a root support member with an upper surface with a radius of curvature and configured to receive a portion of a wind turbine blade,
at least one housing disposed on a lateral side of the base, the housing including a groove configured to receive a bearing,
a shaft extending at least partially through the base and housing,
at least one bearing, the at least one bearing disposed at least partially within the housing, wherein the shaft can be displaced within the housing,
at least one roller at least partially disposed above an upper surface of the base,
wherein the housing is disposed below at least one roller; and

a tip device, the tip device including:
a base,
a template,
a rotatable support frame, the rotatable support frame having:
a first support configured to receive a first template side engaging a pressure side of a wind turbine blade,
a second support configured to receive the first template side engaging a suction side of a wind turbine blade, and
an opening, the opening configured to receive a portion of a wind turbine blade.

2. The wind turbine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable support frame of the tip device has an external radius of curvature.

3. The wind turbine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein base of the tip device includes a bottom surface and a top surface, the top surface having a curved geometry.

4. The wind turbine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein displacement of the shaft within the housing of the root device and movement of at least one dampener provides two degrees of freedom of the turbine blade.

5. The wind turbine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein displacement of at least one set of adjustable balancers provides two degrees of freedom of the turbine blade about the tilt and yaw axes of the turbine blade.

6. The wind turbine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the root device and tip device are separate components.

7. The wind turbine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the root device or tip device includes a plurality of casters.

8. The wind turbine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the root device or tip device includes at least one balancer.

9. The wind turbine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the root device or tip device includes a propulsion mechanism for rotating the wind turbine blade.

10. The wind turbine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the root device and the tip device are aligned with a common longitudinal axis.

11. The wind turbine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the root device includes at least one roller, the roller having a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade.

12. The wind turbine apparatus of claim 11 , wherein at least one roller is at least partially disposed above the upper surface of the base of the root device.

13. The wind turbine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the groove of the housing guides movement of the blade about an axis perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the blade.

14. The wind turbine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the root device has a radius of curvature generally equivalent to the outer surface of the blade.

15. The wind turbine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first and second supports of the tip device are selectively actuatable to engage with a surface of a wind turbine blade.

16. The wind turbine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rotatable support frame of the tip device is rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the blade.

17. The wind turbine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tip device includes a base having at least one roller.

18. The wind turbine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one roller of the tip device has a concave outer surface.

19. The wind turbine apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tip device includes at least one ball transfer unit, the ball transfer unit configured to inhibit axial deflection of the support frame during rotation.

Assignees

• Tpi Composites Inc

Inventors

• Üyünük Mehmet
• Ünal Furkan
• Alper Ata M

Classifications

• B25B1/205

  Vices of the chain or strip type · CPC title

• F03D13/40

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

• B62B5/0086 Primary

  arranged independently on either side of the transported load · CPC title

• F16M11/18

  with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand · CPC title

• F16M2200/028

  by positive interaction, e.g. male-female connections · CPC title