US 7,944,079 B1 · Systems and methods for assembling a gearbox handling assembly for use in a wind turbine

Abstract

A method of assembling a gearbox handling assembly to facilitate removal of a gearbox from a wind turbine uptower from the wind turbine. The wind turbine includes a rotor rotatably coupled to the gearbox with a rotor shaft. The gearbox and the rotor shaft are supported from a support frame. The method includes coupling a support assembly between the gearbox and the support frame for supporting the gearbox from the support frame. A positioning assembly is coupled to the support frame. The positioning assembly is configured to contact the gearbox to move the gearbox between a first position wherein the gearbox is operatively coupled to the rotor shaft and a second position wherein the gearbox is operatively decoupled and spaced from the rotor shaft to facilitate removing the gearbox from the wind turbine without removing the rotor from the wind turbine.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of assembling a gearbox handling assembly to facilitate removal of a gearbox from a wind turbine uptower from the wind turbine, the wind turbine including a rotor rotatably coupled to the gearbox with a rotor shaft, the gearbox and the rotor shaft supported from a support frame, said method comprising:

coupling a support assembly between the gearbox and the support frame for supporting the gearbox from the support frame;
and,
coupling a positioning assembly to the support frame, the positioning assembly configured to contact the gearbox to move the gearbox between a first position wherein the gearbox is operatively coupled to the rotor shaft and a second position wherein the gearbox is operatively decoupled and spaced from the rotor shaft to facilitate removing the gearbox from the wind turbine without removing the rotor from the wind turbine.

A wind turbine, comprising:

a tower;
a nacelle coupled to said tower;
a gearbox positioned within said nacelle;
a rotor;
a rotor shaft rotatably coupling said rotor to said gearbox;
a support frame coupled to said gearbox and to said rotor shaft for supporting said gearbox and said rotor shaft within said nacelle;
and,
a gearbox handling assembly coupled to said rotor shaft and to said gearbox, said gearbox handling assembly comprising:
a support assembly coupled between said gearbox and said support frame for supporting said gearbox from said support frame;
and,
a positioning assembly coupled to said support frame, said positioning assembly configured to contact said gearbox to move said gearbox between a first position wherein said gearbox is operatively coupled to said rotor shaft and a second position wherein said gearbox is operatively decoupled and spaced from said rotor shaft to facilitate removing said gearbox from said nacelle uptower of said wind turbine.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Systems and methods for assembling a gearbox handling assembly for use in a wind turbine

Life of this patent

Systems and methods for assembling a gearbox handling assembly for use in a wind turbine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20