Blade sling apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9488156-B2
Application number	US-201314057028-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2013
Priority date	Oct 18, 2013
Publication date	Nov 8, 2016
Grant date	Nov 8, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus is provided having a sling or sock configured for contacting a wind turbine blade. A reinforcement member attached to the sling or sock. The reinforcement member configured to resist sling or sock collapse and maintain the sling or sock in an open configuration. A method is also provided for moving a wind turbine part, such as a rotor or blade. The method includes the step of attaching a sling or sock to the wind turbine part, where the sling includes a reinforcement member attached thereto.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a sling configured for contacting a wind turbine blade; and
a reinforcement member attached to the sling, the reinforcement member configured to resist sling collapse and maintain the sling in an open configuration, the reinforcement member comprising an inner reinforcement member attached to an outer reinforcement member, the inner reinforcement member comprised of a planar element, and the outer reinforcement member is a pipe or conduit, and
wherein both the inner reinforcement member and the outer reinforcement member are bent into a circular, airfoil or teardrop shape.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , the sling further comprising:
a plurality of straps connected together, wherein the plurality of straps are configured to conform to a portion of the wind turbine blade; and
wherein the sling is generally tapered in shape having a first end with a larger diameter and a second end with a smaller diameter, and the reinforcement member is attached to the first end.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement member is sewn into the sling.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one vertical reinforcement member.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the reinforcement member extends in a chordwise direction, and the at least one vertical reinforcement member extends in a spanwise direction.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more tag lines attached to the sling or reinforcement member.

7. An apparatus comprising:
a sock configured for contacting a wind turbine blade, the sock is configured to conform to a portion of the wind turbine blade; and
a reinforcement member attached to the sock, the reinforcement member configured to resist sock collapse and maintain the sock in an open configuration, the reinforcement member comprising an inner reinforcement member attached to an outer reinforcement member, the inner reinforcement member comprised of a planar element, and the outer reinforcement member is a pipe or conduit, and
wherein both the inner reinforcement member and the outer reinforcement member are bent into a circular, airfoil or teardrop shape.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the reinforcement member is sewn into the sock.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising at least one vertical reinforcement member.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the reinforcement member extends in a chordwise direction, and the at least one vertical reinforcement member extends in a spanwise direction.

11. A method for moving a wind turbine part, the method comprising the steps of:
attaching a sling or sock to a rotor blade;
wherein the sling or sock includes a reinforcement member attached thereto, the reinforcement member configured to resist sling or sock collapse and maintain the sling or sock in an open configuration, the reinforcement member comprising an inner reinforcement member attached to an outer reinforcement member, the inner reinforcement member comprised of a planar element, and the outer reinforcement member is a pipe or conduit, and both the inner reinforcement member and the outer reinforcement member are bent into a circular, airfoil or teardrop shape.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
attaching one or more tag lines to the sling or sock, the one or more tag lines configured for controlling the moving of the wind turbine part.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
positioning the sling or sock on the rotor blade and near a tip of the rotor blade.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Rose Jr Raymond Francis
• Johnson Michael Royce
• Schmitt Neils Christian
• Holloway Brent Hamilton

Classifications

• F05B2230/70

  Disassembly methods · CPC title

• F03D1/003 Primary

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F05B2240/916

  with provision for hoisting onto the structure · CPC title

• Y10T29/4932

  Turbomachine making · CPC title

• Y02E10/728

  Onshore wind turbines · CPC title