US 2016/0258422 A1 · SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TRANSPORTING WIND TURBINE BLADES

Abstract

A system for transporting wind turbine blades includes a root support structure for supporting a wind turbine blade root and a tip section support structure for supporting a wind turbine blade tip. Each of the root and tip support structures includes upper and lower frames, first and second side frames, a set of upper corner fittings disposed at upper corners of the support structure, and a set of lower fittings disposed at lower corners of the support structure. The sets of corner fittings allow the root and tip support structures to be coupled to vertically or horizontally adjacent root and tip support structures to form an array of support structures for transporting multiple wind turbine blades. The sets of corner fittings also allow for attachment to handling equipment, as well as to reinforcing structures for reinforcing an array of tip support structures.

Claims29

Dependent claims

A system for transporting wind turbine blades, comprising:

a first support structure for supporting a cylindrical root section of a wind turbine blade and a second support structure aligned with and spaced from the first support structure for supporting a tip section of the wind turbine blade, each of the first and second support structures comprising:
a substantially rectangular upper frame spaced from an opposing substantially rectangular lower frame by first and second opposing substantially rectangular side frames;
a first pair of upper corner fittings disposed at a corner of a first end of the upper frame and a first end of the first side frame and a second pair of upper corner fittings disposed at a corner of a second end of the upper frame and a first end of the second side frame;
and
a first pair of lower corner fittings disposed at a corner of a first end of the lower frame and a second end of the first side frame and a second pair of lower corner fittings disposed at a corner of a second end of the lower frame and a second end of the second side frame.

2 more elements

A system for transporting wind turbine blades comprising:

a first transportation cell for transporting a first pair of wind turbine blades, comprising:
a first pair of support structures disposed at opposing ends of the first transportation cell, each for supporting a cylindrical root section of a corresponding one of the first pair of wind turbine blades and each having a plurality of corner fittings;
and
a first pair of tip support structures disposed between and aligned with the first pair of root support structures, each for supporting a tip section of a corresponding one of the first pair of wind turbine blades and each having a plurality of corner fittings;
and
a second transportation cell disposed adjacent the first transportation cell for transporting a second pair of wind turbine blades, comprising:
a second pair of root support structures disposed at opposing ends of the second transportation cell, each for supporting a cylindrical root section of a corresponding one of the second pair of wind turbine blades and each having a plurality of corner fittings aligned with and coupled to the plurality of corner fittings of a corresponding one of the first pair of root support structures of the first transportation cell;
and
a second pair of tip support structures disposed between and aligned with the second pair of root support structures, each for supporting a tip section of a corresponding one of the second pair of wind turbine blades and each having a plurality of corner fittings aligned with and coupled to the plurality of corner fittings of a corresponding one of the first pair of root support structures of the first transportation cell.

6 more elements

A system for transporting wind turbine blades comprising:

a root support structure for supporting a cylindrical root section of a first wind turbine blade, comprising:
an upper frame including a plurality of upper corner fittings;
a lower frame including a plurality of lower corner fittings;
a first side frame extending between the upper and lower corner fittings at a first end of the upper and lower frames;
and
a second side frame extending between the upper and lower corner fittings at a second end of the upper and lower frames;
and
a tip support structure for supporting a tip section of a second wind turbine blade horizontally interleaved with the first wind turbine blade, comprising:
an upper frame including a plurality of upper corner fittings;
a lower frame including a plurality of lower corner fittings;
a first side frame extending between the upper and lower corner fittings at a first end of the upper and lower frames;
and
a second side frame extending between the upper and lower corner fittings at a second end of the upper and lower frames.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Systems and methods for transporting wind turbine blades

Life of this patent

Systems and methods for transporting wind turbine blades

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29