Hoisting accessories for wind turbines, kits and methods
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorGomez Daniel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosure relates to hoisting accessories for wind turbines. The hoisting accessory is configured to be rotatably attached to the rotor hub and is further configured to assume a hoisting configuration and a passive configuration, wherein in the hoisting configuration, a wind turbine blade can be hoisted and mounted substantially vertically to the rotor hub, and wherein in the passive configuration, the rotor hub carrying one or more wind turbine blades can be rotated. The present disclosure also relates to kits including such hoisting accessories and methods of hoisting wind turbine blades.
Claims21
-15. (canceled)
A hoisting accessory for a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising a rotor hub positioned on a wind turbine tower such that the rotor hub is configured to rotate around a rotational axis, the rotor hub comprising one or more blade mounting surfaces, the hoisting accessory comprises:
- a connector configured for being rotatably attached to the rotor hub,
- a hoist guide comprising one or more wire guides for guiding hoisting wires to a wind turbine blade, wherein
- the hoist guide is pivotally connected to the connector and
- the hoisting accessory further comprising a first steering mechanism for controlling an orientation of the hoist guide with respect to the connector.
A method for hoisting a first and second wind turbine blade to a rotor hub of a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising a rotor hub positioned on a wind turbine tower such that the rotor hub is configured to rotate around a rotational axis, the rotor hub comprising one or more blade mounting surfaces, the method comprising:
- rotatably attaching a connector to the rotor hub, a hoist guide comprising one or more wire guides for guiding hoisting wires being pivotally connected to the connector;
- hoisting the first wind turbine blade using the hoist guide in a hoisting position;
- attaching a root of the first wind turbine blade to a first blade mounting surface of the blade mounting surfaces;
- pivoting the hoist guide to a passive position;
- rotating the hub;
- and
- pivoting the hoist guide to the hoisting position;
- and
- hoisting the second wind turbine blade.
A hoisting accessory for a wind turbine, the wind turbine comprising a rotor hub positioned on a wind turbine tower such that the rotor hub is configured to rotate around a rotational axis, the rotor hub comprising one or more blade mounting surfaces, the hoisting accessory is configured to be rotatably attached to the rotor hub and is further configured to assume a hoisting configuration and a passive configuration,
- wherein in the hoisting configuration, a wind turbine blade can be hoisted and mounted substantially vertically to the rotor hub, and
- wherein in the passive configuration, the rotor hub carrying one or more wind turbine blades can be rotated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.