Cabins and methods for wind turbine maintenance
AssigneeGE Vernova Renovables Espana, S.L.
InventorJaco Nies
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to cabins (100) and methods (200, 300) for performing maintenance on wind turbines (10). A cabin (100) for performing maintenance on an uptower component (110) of a wind turbine (10) is provided. The cabin (100) is configured to support an operator and/or a tool inside the cabin (100). The cabin (100) is attachable to the wind turbine (10) such that it is rotatable with respect to the uptower component (110).
Claims16
A device for performing maintenance on an exterior of an uptower component of a wind turbine, the device comprising:
- a cabin structure defining an internal space to accommodate an operator and tools therein;
- and
- means for attaching the cabin structure to the uptower component of the wind turbine so that the cabin structure is variably positionable around the uptower component, wherein the means for attaching the cabin structure to the uptower component comprises a plurality of attachment points spaced circumferentially around the cabin structure in a first arcuate arrangement and a plurality of corresponding attachment points spaced circumferentially around the uptower component in a second arcuate arrangement, wherein a subset of the plurality of attachment points spaced circumferentially around the cabin structure in the first arcuate arrangement align and join together with a subset of the plurality of attachment points spaced circumferentially around the uptower component in the second arcuate arrangement,
- wherein the device is configured to sequentially rotate the cabin structure along a tangential direction of the uptower component.
A method for performing maintenance on an uptower component of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
- attaching a cabin structure externally to the uptower component via a subset of a plurality of attachment points spaced circumferentially around the cabin structure in a first arcuate arrangement that align and join with a subset of a plurality of corresponding attachment points spaced circumferentially around the uptower component in a second arcuate arrangement, the cabin structure configured to support an operator and tools therein;
- sequentially rotating the cabin structure along a tangential direction of the wind turbine to a desired maintenance position;
- and
- performing maintenance on the uptower component in the maintenance position of the cabin structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.