Vestas Wind Systems A/s

Claus Engholm Nielsen

Ivar J B K Jensen

Aksel Petersen

Anders Tuxen

Christian Skov

Rasmus Sole Nørgaard

Lean Frandsen

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

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

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Ringkøbing, Denmark

Claus Engholm Nielsen