Nacelle for wind turbine and method for transferring components

A method for transferring components to a wind turbine generator, the method comprising:

• providing a nacelle including:
• a housing surrounding an internal volume of the nacelle, the housing having a maintenance opening;
• and
• a carriage affixed to the nacelle and configured to hold one or more components, the carriage being movable between a first position and a second position to transfer the one or more components through the maintenance opening, wherein when the carriage is in the first position, the one or more components are configured to be entirely held within the internal volume of the nacelle, and wherein when the carriage is in the second position, the one or more components are configured to be adjacent to but entirely outside the housing, and wherein the carriage is configured to perform only one of:
• (i) a rotation about a first axis to move between the first position and the second position;
• or (ii) a translation along a second axis to move between the first position and the second position,
• operating an aerial vehicle to navigate from a base station to the wind turbine generator;
• positioning the carriage in the second position;
• transferring the one or more components from a mounting position on the aerial vehicle to the carriage;
• moving the carriage from the second position to the first position to locate the one or more components within the internal volume of the nacelle, and
• operating the aerial vehicle to return to the base station.

A method for transferring components from a wind turbine generator, the method comprising:

• providing a nacelle including:
• a housing surrounding an internal volume of the nacelle, the housing having a maintenance opening;
• and
• a carriage affixed to the nacelle and configured to hold one or more components, the carriage being movable between a first position and a second position to transfer the one or more components through the maintenance opening, wherein when the carriage is in the first position, the one or more components are configured to be entirely held within the internal volume of the nacelle, and wherein when the carriage is in the second position, the one or more components are configured to be adjacent to but entirely outside the housing, and wherein the carriage is configured to perform only one of:
• (i) a rotation about a first axis to move between the first position and the second position;
• or (ii) a translation along a second axis to move between the first position and the second position,
• operating an aerial vehicle to navigate from a base station to the wind turbine generator;
• moving the carriage from the first position to the second position to locate the one or more components entirely outside the housing of the nacelle, and
• transferring the one or more components from the carrier to a mounting position on the aerial vehicle;
• and
• operating the aerial vehicle to return to the base station.