Methods and systems for removing and/or installing wind turbine rotor blades

A method for lowering a rotor blade relative to a hub of a wind turbine, the wind turbine including a pitch bearing coupled to the hub, the method comprising:

• installing a plurality of cable translation devices within the hub, wherein each of the plurality of cable translation devices comprises a cable hoist;
• inserting a plurality of support nuts through a circumferential wall of a blade root of the rotor blade at locations spaced apart from a root end of the blade root;
• installing a plurality of support cables in operative association with the plurality of cable translation devices;
• coupling each of the plurality of support cables to one of the plurality of support nuts;
• and
• operating the plurality of cable translation devices such that the plurality of support cables are moved relative the plurality of cable translation devices in a manner that causes the rotor blade to be lowered relative to the hub.

A method for removing a rotor blade from a wind turbine, the method comprising:

• coupling a support cable to a blade root of the rotor blade, wherein the support cable extends from the blade root and into a hub of the wind turbine;
• lowering the rotor blade relative to the hub using the support cable such that the rotor blade is spaced apart from the hub by an initial vertical distance;
• coupling a first blade pulley and a second blade pulley to the blade root;
• coupling at least one up-tower pulley to an up-tower component of the wind turbine, wherein the at least one up-tower pulley is vertically aligned with at least one of the first blade pulley or the second blade pulley;
• coupling at least one pulley cable to the first and second blade pulleys and the at least one up-tower pulley, the at least one pulley cable extending from the rotor blade to a location on or adjacent to a support surface of the wind turbine;
• and
• moving the at least one pulley cable relative to the first and second blade pulleys and the at least one up-tower pulley to lower the rotor blade relative to the hub beyond the initial vertical distance.