Lubricant retention systems

A lubricant retention system for a pitch bearing of a wind turbine, the pitch bearing having a first bearing component to be coupled to a wind turbine blade and a second bearing component coupled to a rotor hub of a wind turbine, the first bearing component rotatable with respect to the second bearing component, the lubricant retention system comprising:

• a base for coupling to the wind turbine blade, the base comprising a base outer surface having a shape that contours a surface of the wind turbine blade;
• and
• a plurality of annular seal segments connected to the base, wherein each annular seal segment of the plurality of annular seal segments is connected to an adjacent annular seal segment to form an annular seal assembly, each of the plurality of annular seal segments comprising a distal end portion,
• wherein, when the lubricant retention system is mounted on the wind turbine blade, the distal end portions extend towards the second bearing component for defining a chamber for retaining lubricant from the pitch bearing, and
• wherein the plurality of annular seal segments comprises a releasable annular seal segment to be releasably connected to another of the annular seal segments of the plurality of annular seal segments.

A method for mounting a lubricant retention system for a pitch bearing in a wind turbine blade, the pitch bearing having a first bearing component and a second bearing component, the first bearing component rotatable with respect to the second bearing component, the method comprising:

• connecting a base of the lubricant retention system to a blade root portion of the wind turbine blade, the blade root portion configured for coupling to the first bearing component;
• connecting a plurality of annular seal segments to the base such that a distal end portion of the plurality of annular seal segments extends towards the second bearing component for defining a chamber for retaining lubricant from the pitch bearing;
• and
• connecting the plurality of annular seal segments to each other to form an annular seal assembly, wherein connecting the plurality of annular seal segments comprises releasably connecting a releasable annular seal segment of the plurality of annular seal segments to another of the annular seal segments of the plurality of annular seal segments.