Assembly with handling unit for moving a wind turbine component, such as a wind turbine hub, from a transportation position to a wind turbine assembly position in or on the nacelle, the main shaft or the hub

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9850879-B2
Application number	US-201615007680-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2016
Priority date	Jan 24, 2007
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for moving a wind turbine component, such as a wind turbine hub, from a transportation position to a wind turbine assembly position. The method comprises the steps of: attaching a handling unit to a structural part of the wind turbine component, operatively connecting the handling unit to a wire of a crane system, lifting the wind turbine component with the crane system to an assembly position of the wind turbine, the handling unit and the wind turbine component being suspended from a wire of the crane system, and rotating the wind turbine component with the handling unit during the lifting of the wind turbine component in order to orientate the wind turbine component for assembly. The invention also relates to a handling unit and a wind turbine hub and use hereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for a wind turbine, comprising:
a wind turbine hub having a blade bearing; and
a handling unit attached to said wind turbine hub at said blade bearing, said handling unit for moving said wind turbine hub from a transportation position to a wind turbine assembly position, said handling unit comprising:
at least one connection point located outside said wind turbine hub and configured for connection to a wire of a crane system;
at least two attachment points configured for attachment to said wind turbine hub; and
an actuator configured for actuating said wind turbine hub around a unit rotational centre in order to perform a rotation of said wind turbine hub from the transportation position to the wind turbine assembly position, said actuator operating to rotate said wind turbine hub while said actuator and said wind turbine hub are suspended with the wire of the crane system,

wherein said at least two attachment points are directly attached to said blade bearing without any additional special mounting arrangement being coupled to said blade bearing.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said at least two attachment points are spaced apart from one another so as to be configured for attachment to said wind turbine hub at two spaced apart locations.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , wherein said actuator is spaced from said at least two attachment points and is configured to move relative to said at least two attachment points during rotation of said wind turbine hub.

4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein said actuator is configured to remain in a stationary position relative to said at least one connection point during movement relative to said at least two attachment points, thereby actuating rotational movement of said wind turbine hub relative to said at least one connection point.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said at least two attachment points are directly attached to said blade bearing by bolting said handling unit to the blade bearing with bolt fasteners.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rotation of the wind turbine hub is restricted to a rotation angle of between 80 and 90 degrees.

7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said actuator is spaced from said at least one connection point such that the wire of the crane system is spaced from said actuator during rotation of the wind turbine component.

Assignees

• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Pedersen Gunnar Kamp Storgaard

Classifications

• F05B2230/60

  Assembly methods · CPC title

• F03D1/0658

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

• B66C1/108

  for lifting parts of wind turbines · CPC title

• F03D13/10 Primary

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

• Y02E10/728

  Onshore wind turbines · CPC title