Apparatuses for wind turbine blade railroad transportation and related systems and methods
AssigneeVestas Wind Systems A/S
InventorsKurt Jensen, Henrik Timm Sørensen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tip bolster (32) for supporting a wind turbine blade (40) on a railcar (14) includes a clamp (360) including first and second clamp arms (364, 366) having first and second jaws (384, 386), respectively, and being configured to be selectively movable relative to each other in a clamping direction for applying and releasing a clamping force on the blade (40) interposed therebetween, via the first and second jaws (384, 386), wherein the first and second clamp arms (364, 366) are configured to be urged relatively toward each other in response to a decrease in the clamping force.
Claims20
A tip bolster for supporting a wind turbine blade on a railcar, the tip bolster comprising:
- a clamp including first and second clamp arms having first and second jaws, respectively, and being configured to be selectively movable relative to each other in a clamping direction for applying and releasing a clamping force on the blade interposed therebetween, via the first and second jaws, wherein the first and second clamp arms are configured to be urged relatively toward each other in response to a decrease in the clamping force.
A method of transporting a wind turbine blade, comprising:
- providing a railcar and a tip bolster mounted to the railcar, wherein the tip bolster includes a clamp having first and second clamp arms having first and second jaws, respectively;
- interposing the blade between the first and second clamp arms;
- selectively moving the first and second clamp arms relatively toward each other in a clamping direction for applying a clamping force on the blade via the first and second jaws;
- and
- urging the first and second clamp arms relatively toward each other in the clamping direction in response to a decrease in the clamping force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.