Method for handling and/or servicing components of a wind turbine and a gripping apparatus for performing the method
AssigneeVestas Wind Systems A/S
InventorsClaus Ahler, Jesper Stærke Rosengren, Hans-Christoph Paul
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and an apparatus for handling and/or servicing components of a wind turbine, such as installing and/or dismantling components into or from a wind turbine nacelle or such as servicing exterior components such as blades, hub, tower and nacelle of the wind turbine are disclosed. The gripping apparatus comprising at least one arm for gripping around the wind turbine tower, the at least one arm capable of forming a gap between gripping elements of the gripping apparatus. The at least one arm extends around the entire outer circumference, seen perpendicular to a horizontal plane, of the wind turbine tower.
Claims37
A method of handling and/or servicing components of a wind turbine, said method comprising the steps of:
- positioning a handling and/or servicing equipment in vicinity of a lower part of a wind turbine tower previously having been installed at a wind turbine site,
- connecting the handling and/or servicing equipment to an upper part of the wind turbine with at least one cable being suspended from the upper part,
- raising the handling and/or servicing equipment to a position of use by means of the at least one cable by use of cable winding or hoisting equipment, and
- holding the handling and/or servicing equipment onto a side wall of the wind turbine tower by use of at least one gripping apparatus,
- said at least one gripping apparatus comprising at least one arm for gripping around the wind turbine tower, said at least one arm including a plurality of sections and capable of forming a gap between gripping elements of the apparatus,
- one of said gripping elements being provided at an outer end of the at least one arm, and said gripping elements capable of being mutually joined,
- said at least one arm being encircled around the wind turbine tower, thereby reducing the gap between the gripping elements of the gripping apparatus,
- mutually joining said gripping elements, and when the gripping elements are mutually joined, forming an annular circumferential gripping of the handling and/or servicing equipment to the wind turbine tower, said annular gripping extending around the entire outer circumference, seen perpendicular to a horizontal plane, of the wind turbine tower, and
- activating an actuator coupled to at least one section of the plurality of sections to move the at least one section in a circumferential direction of the at least one arm.
A gripping apparatus for mounting equipment to a wind turbine tower, said gripping apparatus comprising:
- at least one arm for gripping around the wind turbine tower and including a plurality of sections, said at least one arm, in one configuration, forming a gap, and in a second configuration, forming a mutual joining, between a first gripping element and a second gripping element, one of said gripping elements being provided at an outer end of the at least one arm, where
- the first gripping element and the second gripping element are capable of being mutually joined, said at least one arm, when the first gripping element and the second gripping element are mutually joined, forming an annular gripping apparatus intended for encircling the outer circumference of a wind turbine tower, and
- an actuator coupled to at least one section of the plurality of sections and configured to move the at least one section in a circumferential direction of the at least one arm when the actuator is activated.
A method of installing a wind turbine, said wind turbine comprising a wind turbine tower, a nacelle and a rotor, and said method comprising the steps of:
- positioning a gripping apparatus in immediate vicinity of a lower part of the wind turbine tower below a position of use,
- connecting the gripping apparatus to an upper part of the wind turbine with at least one cable being suspended from the upper part,
- raising the gripping apparatus to the position of use by means of the at least one cable by use of cable winding or hoisting equipment, and
- holding the gripping apparatus onto a side wall of the wind turbine tower by use of at least one arm of the gripping apparatus, said at least arm including a plurality of sections,
- said at least one arm having a first configuration where a gap is provided between a first gripping element and a second gripping element,
- said at least one arm having a second configuration where the first gripping element and the second gripping element are mutually joined,
- said at least one arm, in the second configuration, forming an annular circumferential gripping extending around the entire circumference of the wind turbine tower, and
- activating an actuator coupled to at least one section of the plurality of sections to move the at least one section in a circumferential direction of the at least one arm.
A wind turbine comprising a gripping apparatus for handling and/or servicing components of a wind turbine, said gripping apparatus comprising:
- at least one arm intended for gripping around the entire circumference of a wind turbine tower and including a plurality of sections, said at least one arm, in one configuration, forming a gap between a first gripping element and second gripping element, and said at least one arm capable of being displaced for enlarging and for reducing said gap, where
- the first gripping element and the second gripping element are capable of being mutually joined, said at least one arm, when the first gripping element and the second gripping element are mutually joined, forming an annular gripping apparatus intended for encircling the entire circumference of the wind turbine tower, and
- an actuator coupled to at least one section of the plurality of sections and configured to move the at least one section in a circumferential direction of the at least one arm when the actuator is activated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.