General Electric Company

Raytheon Company

Ge Infrastructure Technology, LLC

General Electric Renovables Espana, S.l.

Parion Sciences, Inc.

Michael Royce Johnson

Ulrich Werner Neumann

Gaylon Mitchell Pfeiffer

Bruce E Peoples

Forrest Christopher Hach

Kevin Thomas Costain

Brent Hamilton Holloway

Gregory Clarence Thomas

Stephanie Lohberg Willman

Jonathan Paul Signore

Jonathon P Smith

Brian William Manikas

Hunter Ryan Anderson

Adam Sean Davis

Howard Lee Hansen, Jr

Jianzhong Zhang

Richard C Boucher

Bruce Francis Molino

Charles Van Buchan

Jay F Leonard

Michael M Smith

Theodore Steven Wilmot

Darrick Adam Vanderwalker

Paul Howard Davidson

Michael Garry

Don Conrad Johnson

Kevin Tyler Eherts

Michael Frederick Sander

Raymond Francis Rose, Jr

Jacob Thomas Hoyt

John Carl Bell

Garrett L Hall

Christoph Lammen

Kathleen Lynne Bentzel

Joshua Adam Klinghagen

Arianna Abram

Rodney Robert Redd, Ii

Brian J Simpson

Christoph Graf

Brian J Lukow

Santiago Murcia

Dean Thomas Roney

Brian Thomas Misavage

Richard Jenkins

Nicholas Joseph Cleveland

Sebastian Freiheit

Daniel Gomez Mora

Nicolas Joseph Cleveland

Bruce J Sargent

Neils Christian Schmitt

Adam Sean Philip David Davis

Ward Anthony Buffkin

Ii Redd Rodney Robert

Adam Sean Phillip David Davis

Rodney Redd Ii

A mounting tool includes a base component and an attachment means. The base component includes a mounting portion defining an attachment location for receiving and securing a repair tool so as to maintain the repair tool at a desired repair location and a first receiving portion defining a first cavity for receiving a portion of a wind turbine so as to be externally secured to the wind turbine. The attachment means may be adjustably secured to the first receiving portion of the base component and securable to the portion of the wind turbine so as to secure the mounting tool to the wind turbine at the desirable repair location.

Mounting tool for fastener assembly and disassembly within wind turbine hubs

A rotor turning device for balancing a rotor secured atop a tower of a wind turbine during installation and/or repair of one or more rotor blades of the wind turbine includes a hydraulic drive mechanism for operably engaging with a brake disc of the wind turbine. The brake disc is positioned adjacent to a gearbox of the wind turbine. The rotor turning device also includes a mounting device for securing the rotor turning device adjacent to the brake disc of the wind turbine. Thus, when the hydraulic drive mechanism engages the brake disc, the rotor is rotated to a desired position so as to position one or more rotor blades of the wind turbine in a balanced configuration.

Rotor turning device for balancing a wind turbine rotor

A system for enabling servicing of a rotor of a wind turbine has a rotor blade sling with at least one strap configured to be placed over the top of a rotor blade in a ten o'clock position or a two o'clock position. One or more rigid bars extend from the hub and out away from the hub, and the one or more rigid bars are coupled to the at least one strap. One or more support straps are coupled to the at least one strap, and the one or more support straps are configured to couple and support a rotor blade in a six o'clock position.

Method and system for servicing wind turbine rotor

The present disclosure is directed to a hub crane assembly for a wind turbine. The hub crane assembly includes an adjustable articulating arm mountable at a first height on a hub of the wind turbine at a hinge point, a first hoist mountable at a second height of the wind turbine, the second height being greater than the first height, and a support component secured to the first hoist and a first attachment point of the articulating arm. Further, the first hoist is configured to rotate the articulating arm about the hinge point via the support component such that, as the articulating arm rotates, a clearance distance between the wind turbine and the articulating arm changes.

Hub crane assembly for a wind turbine

A method and associated system are provided for removing a drive train component, such as a gearbox, from a rotor shaft uptower in a wind turbine, wherein the component is supported by transversely extending mounting arms at mount locations on the wind turbine frame. The drive train component is supported from above or below and the mount locations. At each mount location, a removal fixture is installed that includes an actuator that moves linearly essentially parallel to the rotor shaft. The mounting arms are simultaneously engaged with the respective actuators, which are controlled to linearly push the mounting arms until the drive train component disengages from the rotor shaft.

System and method for removal of a wind turbine gearbox from a main rotor shaft

A method for detaching or installing a rotor blade from or to a hub of a wind turbine includes positioning the rotor blade toward a ground location between a three o'clock position and a nine o'clock position. The method also includes mounting a mechanical arm to an uptower location of the wind turbine. Further, the mechanical arm includes a torqueing tool at a distal end thereof. Thus, the method also includes removing or installing, via the torqueing tool, each of the plurality of hub fasteners so as to detach or attach the rotor blade from or to the hub.

System and method for removing or installing rotor blade hardware of a wind turbine

A method for replacing an existing generator frame that supports a generator of a wind turbine includes removing the generator from atop the existing generator frame. The method also includes dismounting a control cabinet of the wind turbine from the existing generator frame. More specifically, the control cabinet is electrically connected to one or more wind turbine components via a plurality of cables. The method further includes relocating and securing the control cabinet to an uptower location within a nacelle of the wind turbine with the plurality of cables remaining electrically connected. As such, the method includes removing the existing generator frame from within the nacelle. Moreover, the method includes installing a new generator frame in place of the removed existing generator frame. Thus, the method also includes remounting the control cabinet to the new generator frame.

Method for replacing a generator frame of a wind turbine

A method for removing a rotor blade from a wind turbine may generally include installing a blade sock around an outer perimeter of the rotor blade, coupling a support cable to the blade root, lowering the rotor blade relative to the hub using the support cable, coupling at least one pulley cable between the rotor blade and a winch using at least one pulley, moving the pulley cable relative to the pulley to lower the rotor blade relative to the hub, applying a force through the blade sock as the pulley cable is moved relative to the pulley in order to control an orientation of the rotor blade and further lowering the rotor blade to a location on or adjacent to the support surface.

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

A maintenance tool and method for detaching mechanically-connected components of a drive train in a wind turbine is disclosed. The method involves positioning the maintenance tool below a hoist and hoisting only the lift assembly portion of the maintenance tool into a nacelle of a wind turbine. Connecting the lift assembly portion to a power source in the nacelle and extending at least two induction cables from an induction generator disposed on the lift assembly portion to wrap at least a portion of a component of the mechanically-connected components. Then operating the induction generator to pass alternating current through the induction cables and inductively heat the wrapped component such that thermal expansion creates a clearance between the mechanically-connected components thereby assisting in separating the mechanically-connected components.

Hoistable induction and cooling unit for wind turbine maintenance

A method for enabling servicing of a wind turbine rotor includes coupling a support cable to the blade root, the support cable extends from the blade root to a hub of the wind turbine. A lowering step lowers a rotor blade relative to the hub using the support cable so the rotor blade is spaced apart from the hub by an initial vertical distance. An installing step installs a rotor blade sling on the rotor, the rotor blade sling supports the rotor blade. Other steps are used for coupling the rotor blade to the rotor blade sling, lowering the rotor blade such that the rotor blade is spaced apart from the hub by a distance greater than the initial vertical distance, de-coupling the support cable from the blade root, and interposing a rotor servicing fixture between the rotor blade and hub. The rotor servicing fixture is configured to transport a rotor part.

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for removing or installing a pitch bearing of a wind turbine. The method includes installing a first pulley block at an up-tower location of the wind turbine and configuring a second pulley block with the pitch bearing. A pulley cable is routed from a ground location over the first pulley block to the second pulley block such that the second pulley block is configured to slide along the pulley cable. The method also includes rotating the pitch bearing to a tilted position. Thus, the method further includes lowering or lifting the pitch bearing in the tilted position so as to prevent the pitch bearing from colliding with the tower.

System and method for replacing a pitch bearing

A method of replacing a wind turbine blade includes connecting a plurality of first hoisting devices between a wind turbine support hub and the wind turbine blade, suspending the wind turbine blade from the wind turbine support hub through the plurality of first hoisting devices, connecting a plurality of second hoisting devices between the wind turbine support hub and the wind turbine blade, supporting the wind turbine support blade with the plurality of second hoisting devices, disconnecting the plurality of first hoisting devices from the wind turbine blade, and lowering the wind turbine blade to the ground.

Method and system for replacing a single wind turbine blade

The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for lifting and/or removing a rotor blade to and from a wind turbine. In one embodiment, the system includes an up-tower pulley mounted on an up-tower location of the wind turbine, first and second ground winches, a pulley cable from the first ground winch over the up-tower pulley and attached to the rotor blade, a guide line attached between an up-tower location of the wind turbine and the second ground winch, a guide pulley mounted on the guide line, and a guide cable from the guide line over the guide pulley to the rotor blade. Thus, the guide pulley is configured to move along the guide line during lifting and removing of the rotor blade so that the guide cable can control an orientation of the rotor blade relative to the tower during lifting and removing of the rotor blade.

System and method for removing and/or installing a rotor blade of a wind turbine

An apparatus is provided having a sling or sock configured for contacting a wind turbine blade. A reinforcement member attached to the sling or sock. The reinforcement member configured to resist sling or sock collapse and maintain the sling or sock in an open configuration. A method is also provided for moving a wind turbine part, such as a rotor or blade. The method includes the step of attaching a sling or sock to the wind turbine part, where the sling includes a reinforcement member attached thereto.

Blade sling apparatus and method

Growing community of inventors

Campton, NH, United States of America

Michael Royce Johnson