Vestas Wind Systems A/s

Aksel Petersen

Ivar J B K Jensen

Claus Engholm Nielsen

Anton Bech

Gunnar K Storgaard Pedersen

Thomas S Bjertrup Nielsen

Kurt Jensen

Peter Bjørn Andersen

Raul Garcia Tapia

Jack Zhen-zhe Chen

Balachandra Udayavara

Anders Tuxen

Per Larsen Barklin

Søren Bjørnsgaard Kristensen

Lean Frandsen

Peng Wang

Bjarne Korshøj Mathiasen

Christian Skov

Rasmus Sole Nørgaard

Ivar JBK Jensen

A repair device and method for repairing damage around the leading edge of a wind turbine blade () are provided. The repair device includes a robotic maintenance device () and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) () that can move the maintenance device () between a storage position and an operation position, the former being mounted on a blade () of the wind turbine (). The UAV () hovers and remains connected to the maintenance device () during operations at the blade () to minimize a total operational downtime needed to conduct the repair actions. The UAV () is secured to the maintenance device () by at least one support line () that carries the weight load of the maintenance device () and at least two control lines () that prevent undesired rotations of the maintenance device (), thereby improving precision and accuracy of UAV-driven movements of the maintenance device (). A transport container () may also be provided to define the storage position, the transport container () including an elongated slot () for guiding movement of the lines () and the maintenance device () during movements into and out of a storage space within the container ().

System and method for repairing leading edge damage on a wind turbine blade

The invention relates to a grinding tool for grinding a leading edge of a wind turbine blade. It comprises two parallel shafts of which at least one is rotationally driven and a frame for holding the two shafts in a fixed mutual relationship. An annular abrasive belt is arranged around a tension device mounted to the frame and guides of which there is one on each of the two shafts. The abrasive belt runs in a plane perpendicular to the shafts and has a longer length than an imaginary curve formed by outer surfaces of the tension device and of the guides. The grinding tool further comprises two abrasive belt retainers movably mounted to the frame. They are shaped and arranged to move between a retaining position in which they retain the abrasive belt along at least parts of the abrasive belt which is in contact with the guides, and a release position in which they are out of contact with the abrasive belt.

Grinding tool for grinding a leading edge of a wind turbine blade

In a first example there is provided a method of servicing a wind turbine rotor blade. The blade comprises an outer shell defining an interior cavity, and the rotor blade is part of a rotor connected to a wind turbine. The method comprises arranging the rotor such that the 5 blade is in a first orientation, installing a work platform in the interior cavity of the blade when the blade is in the first orientation, and subsequently arranging the blade in a second orientation. The method further comprises using the work platform, when the blade is in the second orientation, to support a technician performing a service operation on the blade.

Method of servicing a wind turbine rotor blade

A wind turbine () comprising a tower (), a nacelle () and a hub () is disclosed. The hub () comprises a blade canying structure () with one or more wind turbine blades () connected thereto. Each of the wind turbine blades () is connected to the blade canying structure () via a hinge () at a hinge position of the wind turbine blade (), each wind turbine blade () thereby being arranged to perform pivot movements relative to the blade carrying structure () between a minimum pivot angle and a maximum pivot angle. The wind turbine () further comprises a stop mechanism arranged to move the wind turbine blades () to a safe pivot angle in the case of an emergency, the stop mechanism comprising a release mechanism () and at least one wire () interconnecting the release mechanism () and each of the wind turbine blades (). Activation of the release mechanism () causes an abrupt change in a pulling force applied to the wind turbine blades () by the wire(s) (), the change in pulling force causes the wind turbine blades () to move immediately to the safe pivot angle.

Wind turbine with a pivoted rotor blades, wire and release mechanism for stopping

An applicator tool () for repairing damage () to a wind turbine blade () includes a spatula () including a flexible extrusion plate () and one or more spacers () positioned proximate an inner surface () of the extrusion plate (). The one or more spacers () are configured to define a gap between an outer surface () of the wind turbine blade () and the inner surface () of the extrusion plate (). A feed tube () is provided for supplying a coating material to the spatula (), wherein the spatula () is configured to shape the coating material into a coating () over a damaged area () of the wind turbine blade ().

Coating applicator tool and method for repairing leading edge damage on a wind turbine blade

The invention provides a turning stand for turning a rotor hub from a position having its prospective axis of rotation oriented vertically to a position having its prospective axis of rotation oriented inclined or transversally to a vertical orientation. The turning stand comprises a base frame, a curved support frame and a second attachment structure for attachment of a lifting device to the rotor hub. The base frame has a support plane and a first attachment structure for attachment to a rotor shaft link of a rotor hub, the support plane and the first attachment structure being arranged on opposite sides of the base frame. The curved support frame comprises a curved frame section and a straight frame section having a curved support surface section and a straight support surface section, respectively. The straight frame section with the straight support surface section is arranged laterally of the prospective axis of rotation of the rotor hub and the straight support surface section is angled to the prospective axis of rotation of the rotor hub by less than 15&#xb0;. The curved frame section is connected between the base frame and the straight frame section such that the curved support surface section curves from the support plane to the straight support surface section. The second attachment structure is arranged laterally to the prospective axis of rotation of the rotor hub and is arranged on an opposite side of the position for the rotor hub with respect to the straight frame section. The invention further provides a method for turning a rotor hub from a position having its prospective axis of rotation oriented vertically to a position having its prospective axis of rotation oriented inclined or transversally to a vertical orientation. A rotor hub is provided in an inventive turning stand with a rotor shaft link of the rotor hub being attached to the first attachment structure. The second attachment structure is attached to the rotor hub. A lifting device is attached to the second attachment structure and lifts the second attachment structure, thereby rolling off the rotor hub on the curved support surface section until the prospective axis of rotation of the rotor hub is oriented in an angle with respect to ground corresponding to the angle of the axis of rotation of the rotor shaft with respect to ground.

Turning stand for a rotor hub of a wind turbine and method for turning the rotor hub

A production facility for forming elongated products, in particular wind turbine blades, includes elongated mould assemblies that may be accessed on the basis of an appropriate transport system which includes at least one support member laterally positioned between the elongated mould assemblies. The support member is positioned so as to enable a rotational movement of an arm or is configured to change position or includes a rotatable carrier element. The support member may be positioned in a non-interference position, in which one or both mould assemblies can be moved into a position so as to form a composite mould assembly.

Production facility comprising a transport system for processing elongated products, in particular wind turbine blades, with elongated mould assemblies

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Rinkøbing, Denmark

Aksel Petersen