Support frame and method for determining movements of a wind turbine blade during transport to an installation site

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11236729-B2
Application number	US-201816957782-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2018
Priority date	Dec 28, 2017
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A support frame ( 44 ) and method are described herein for support of a wind turbine blade ( 22 ) on a vehicle during transport to an installation site. A load indicator ( 46 ) is provided adjacent one or more support pads ( 52 ) when using the support frame ( 44 ), with the load indicator ( 46 ) being configured to determine and communicate an amount of movement of the wind turbine blade ( 22 ) relative to the support frame ( 44 ) during initial loading into the support frame ( 44 ) and during transport. To this end, the load indicator ( 46 ) helps assure that the wind turbine blade ( 22 ) is properly loaded into the support frame ( 44 ) in a desired transport position, while also confirming whether significant shocks or other movements have occurred during transport that could lead to a higher likelihood of internal or external damage at the blade ( 22 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A support frame for retaining a wind turbine blade on a vehicle during transport to an installation site, the support frame comprising:
an outer framework;
a plurality of support pads operatively connected to the outer framework and configured to engage the wind turbine blade when the blade is positioned within the outer framework; and
a load indicator operatively connected to the outer framework and adjacent to at least one of the support pads, the load indicator including a contact element configured to abut the blade when the blade is positioned into engagement with the plurality of support pads, a base, a support element extending from the contact element to the base, and a biasing member configured to bias the contact element away from the base,
wherein the contact element and the support element are moveable relative to the base such that the load indicator is configured to determine and communicate an amount of movement of the wind turbine blade relative to the support pads and the outer framework during loading of the blade into the outer framework and during transport.

2. The support frame of claim 1 , wherein the contact element of the load indicator includes a plate-like member having a planar abutment surface configured to abut the blade.

3. The support frame of claim 1 , wherein the support element of the load indicator includes an elongate rod extending through a receptacle mounted on the base, and wherein movement of the contact element is detected by an amount of movement of the elongate rod relative to the receptacle.

4. The support frame of claim 1 , wherein the biasing member of the load indicator includes a spring sandwiched between the contact element and the base.

5. The support frame of claim 1 , wherein the load indicator further comprises:
a movement indicator located on the support element, wherein a position of the movement indicator relative to the base is visible such that the movement indicator confirms the amount of movement of the wind turbine blade relative to the support pads and the outer framework.

6. The support frame of claim 5 , wherein the movement indicator includes differently-colored segments of the support element, and a position of the differently-colored segments relative to the base provides information indicative of the amount of movement of the wind turbine blade relative to the support pads and the outer framework.

7. The support frame of claim 6 , wherein the differently-colored segments of the support element include a first portion that is configured to indicate whether the wind turbine blade has moved into a desired transport position upon initial loading of the wind turbine blade into the outer framework, and a second portion that is configured to indicate whether the wind turbine blade has moved more than a desired amount during transport.

8. The support frame of claim 5 , wherein the movement indicator includes distance indicia provided on the support element such that a precise measurement of the amount of movement of the wind turbine blade relative to the support pads and the outer framework is visible.

9. The support frame of claim 1 , wherein the support frame comprises a plurality of load indicators positioned at different portions of the outer framework and configured to determine and communicate an amount of movement of different portions of the wind turbine blade relative to the support pads and the outer framework.

10. A method for supporting a wind turbine blade on a vehicle during transport to an installation site, the method comprising:
inserting the wind turbine blade into a support frame including an outer framework, a plurality of support pads, and a load indicator adjacent to at least one of the support pads, such that the wind turbine blade engages the plurality of support pads to be retained within the outer framework;
contacting the wind turbine blade with the load indicator during insertion of the wind turbine blade into the support frame, the load indicator configured to determine and communicate whether the wind turbine blade has moved into a desired transport position within the support frame; and
measuring, using the load indicator, an amount of movement of the wind turbine blade relative to the outer framework and the support pads during transport to the installation site.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
repositioning the wind turbine blade within the support frame after insertion of the wind turbine blade into the support frame, when the load indicator communicates that the wind turbine blade has not moved into the desired transport position.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
inspecting the wind turbine blade for damage caused during transport, when the load indicator measures that the amount of movement of the wind turbine blade relative to the outer framework and the support pads exceeds a predetermined threshold.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the load indicator further includes a contact element configured to contact the blade, a base, a support element extending from the contact element to the base, and a biasing member configured to bias the contact element away from the base, the method further comprising:
communicating the amount of movement of the wind turbine blade relative to the outer framework and the support pads with a movement indicator on the support element showing a distance the contact element has moved relative to the base against bias from the biasing member.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the movement indicator includes differently-colored segments of the support element, and communicating the amount of movement of the wind turbine blade further comprises:
visually verifying which of the differently-colored segments is positioned adjacent the base, following blade loading into the support frame or following transport of the blade, to identify the amount of movement of the wind turbine blade.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the movement indicator includes distance indicia provided on the support element, and communicating the amount of movement of the wind turbine blade further comprises:
visually verifying by reading the distance indicia positioned adjacent the base, following blade loading into the support frame or following transport of the blade, to provide a precise measurement of the amount of movement of the wind turbine blade.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
returning the contact element to an original position spaced apart from the base with the biasing member, only after the wind turbine blade is transported to the installation site and removed from the support frame.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the support frame includes a plurality of load indicators positioned at different portions of the outer framework, and the method further comprises:
contacting the wind turbine blade with the plurality of load indicators during insertion of the wind turbine blade into the support frame; and
measuring, using the plurality of load indicators, an amount of movement of the wind turbine blade in multiple directions relative to the outer framework and the support pads during transport to the installation site.

Assignees

• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Kastrup Michael
• Nielsen Kennet Hvid
• Jensen Kurt

Classifications

• F05B2270/808

  Strain gauges; Load cells · CPC title

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title

• F03D13/40 Primary

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

• F05B2270/80

  Devices generating input signals, e.g. transducers, sensors, cameras or strain gauges · CPC title

• F05B2270/821

  Displacement measuring means, e.g. inductive · CPC title