Liftra IP Aps

Inventus Holdings, LLC

Liftra Aps

Per Eske Fenger

Daniel M Brake

Martin E Lohan

Miguel A Gonzalez

Charles Asheim

Alexander Becsei Christiansen

A base for supporting a portable crane for handling components of a wind turbine is described. The base is mountable on the wind turbine, and configured to be switched between a first configuration and a second configuration. In the first configuration the base is configured for being supported by a main bearing of the wind turbine to allow the portable crane to lift a gearbox of the wind turbine. In the second configuration the base is configured for being supported by a bed plate of a nacelle of the wind turbine to allow the portable crane to lift the main bearing. The base is configured for supporting the portable crane while switching between the first configuration and the second configuration. A method for removing a main bearing of a wind turbine is also disclosed.

Base for supporting a portable crane and a method for removing a main bearing of a wind turbine

A hoisting system includes an upper cable support system to be mounted on a top end of a wind turbine, a lower cable support system at a lower end of the wind turbine, and left and right cables extended between the cable support systems. A clamping yoke arranged approximately at the centre of gravity of a rotor blade includes left and right climbing systems adapted to climb on the cables with first and second rollers spaced in a longitudinal direction of the blade whereby the first rollers are nearer a root end of the blade than the second rollers. A position at least in the longitudinal direction of the blade of the first roller of at least one of the left and the right climbing systems is adjustable by an actuator.

Rotor blade hoisting system and method of installation and/or deinstallation of a rotor blade

A counterweight tool comprising an attachment element, a lever arm, a weight element, a first locking mechanism, and a first crane connection point. The attachment element being arranged to be attachable to a component of a wind turbine. The lever arm is pivotably connected to the attachment element about a pivot point, said lever arm being pivotable between a first position where the lever arm is arranged at a first angle with respect to the attachment element and a second position where the lever arm is arranged at a second angle with respect to the attachment element, the difference between the first and second angles being greater than 25 degrees. The weight element is attached to the lever arm at a distance from the pivot point, the first locking mechanism being arranged to lock the position of the lever arm with respect to the attachment element in the second position. The first crane connection point being arranged such that when a crane lifts the counterweight tool, by the first crane connection point, the lever arm will be arranged at an angle to the vertical of less than 30 degrees and when the attachment element is fixed in position relative to the crane then lifting or lowering by the crane via the first crane connection point will cause the lever arm to pivot about the pivot point from the first position to the second position. In this way a counterweight tool is provided which has a small horizontal dimension during the initial lifting phase, but which can easily be changed into an effective counterweight tool by just using the lifting capabilities of the crane.

Counterweight tool

A method for performing uptower maintenance of a wind turbine in order to replace the main bearing on the turbine shaft is disclosed. Embodiments of this method to perform maintenance may include installing a rotor lock to resist rotation of the main shaft during maintenance, providing a lifting device in order to elevate the main shaft, removing the main bearing from its main bearing housing, and installing a replacement split main bearing. A crane may also be installed uptower to assist in the maintenance.

Uptower main bearing replacement

The present invention relates to a method for lifting a wind turbine component, such as a rotor blade, gearbox or a rotor, with a lifting yoke comprising

Method and yoke for lifting a wind turbine component

A crane system for moving a burden, such as a wind turbine component, between the nacelle or rotor of a wind turbine and a location at a lower end of the wind turbine at a distance from the wind turbine, wherein the crane system includes a crane, said crane being adapted to be mounted near or in the nacelle of the wind turbine, wherein said crane includes a boom and wherein the crane has at least one rotational axis, about which sections of the crane can rotate. The disclosure further relates to a method for moving a burden, such as a wind turbine component, between the nacelle or rotor of a wind turbine and a location at a lower end of the wind turbine at a distance from the wind turbine.

Crane system for hoisting of wind turbine components

The self-hoisting crane is adapted to be hoisted from a container to a nacelle by operating a cable winch in the container, at least one cable is adapted to extend from the cable winch, around an exit sheave arranged in the container, and exit the container from the exit sheave in an upward direction in order to pass around at least one roller arranged at a crane base on the nacelle and continue in a downward direction to the crane, enter through a central opening in the crane pedestal and continue to the hook block. The exit sheave is located at a longitudinal position of the container deviating not more than 10 percent of the length of the container from the longitudinal position of the centre of gravity of the container.

Self-hoisting crane system and method of hoisting a self-hoisting crane

A main shaft fixture for fixing a main shaft on a wind turbine during installation and repair work on heavy parts of the wind turbine nacelle, in the case where the fixture is formed of several sections for mounting on stable structural parts in the nacelle, including the nacelle's bottom frame. The main shaft fixture has adjustable pressure mandrels with tap shoes, which cause the fixture to be usable regardless of the turbine main shaft geometry, such that it can be mounted without fixing the rotor. The main shaft fixture also has facilities for mounting of a lightweight crane and a self-hoisting crane with a ground-based winch, respectively, as well as a rotor lock which, in combination with actuators of the main shaft fixture, enables the main shaft and the main shaft bearing to be sufficiently displaced vertically from its bearing in the nacelle to service or replace the bearing.

Main shaft fixture

A crane () comprising a base portion (), two arms () displaceably connected to the base portion and a lifting boom () displaceably connected to the base portion, said lifting boom being provided with a lifting wire () and a lifting member (), for example a lifting hook, for lifting a load, wherein the two arms and the base portion in combination comprise at least three tower flange connection element () is arranged to be detachably connectable to cooperating crane connection elements on a flange of a wind turbine tower section, wherein each arm comprises one of the tower flange connection elements, and wherein the vertical distance between any two tower flange connection elements in the normal operating position of the crane is less than 1 m, less than 50 cm or less than 25 cm. In this way a crane is provided which can be attached to a flange located at the upper portion of a tower section.

Wind turbine tower with crane connection elements and a crane with tower flange connection elements

A rotor blade clamping tool includes a first and a second clamping element connected by a clamping mechanism and each including a first and a second balancing lever being arranged pivotally about a pivot axis and having a first end flexibly connected with a corresponding first rotor blade contacting surface and a second end flexibly connected with a corresponding second rotor blade contacting surface. At least one clamping element includes a main balancing lever arranged pivotally about a main pivot axis and having a first end on which the corresponding first balancing lever is arranged pivotally and a second end on which the corresponding second balancing lever is arranged pivotally. First and second balancing levers arranged on the same main balancing lever are aligned in their longitudinal direction.

Rotor blade clamping tool

The crane is hoisted from the ground to the nacelle by operating a cable winch at ground whereby a cable extends from the crane to a roller at the nacelle and to the cable winch. A hoist block with the roller is arranged on a jib at a first hoist block position above a second hinge part of a crane base and extended in horizontal direction from the nacelle. When a first hinge part of the crane is positioned at a corresponding second hinge part of the crane base, the cable extends in a downward direction directly from the roller of the hoist block and through a central opening in a pedestal. After mutual connection of the first and second hinge parts, the hoist block is removed from its first hoist block position.

Method of mounting a self-hoisting crane on a wind turbine and self-hoisting crane

A rotor blade clamping tool includes a first and a second clamping element connected by by a clamping mechanism and each including a first and a second balancing lever being arranged pivotally about a pivot axis and having a first end flexibly connected with a corresponding first rotor blade contacting surface and a second end flexibly connected with a corresponding second rotor blade contacting surface. At least one clamping element includes a main balancing lever arranged pivotally about a main pivot axis and having a first end on which the corresponding first balancing lever is arranged pivotally and a second end on which the corresponding second balancing lever is arranged pivotally. First and second balancing levers arranged on the same main balancing lever are aligned in their longitudinal direction.

Uptower crane and rotor lock for wind turbine component replacement

A rotor blade replacement system for mounting and/or unmounting of a rotor blade in a wind turbine, and a method for replacing, installing or detaching a rotor blade. The blade replacement system has first and second clamps for detachable attachment to a rotor blade at a first position near a rotor hub mounting end of the rotor blade and at a second position near the tip of the rotor blade. The clamps have substantially U-shaped frame elements with a fixed first leg and a second leg which is rotatably and lockably mounted to a base portion of the frame elements. The second leg is displaceable between open and closed positions by a first actuator. The U-shaped frame element at least partially encloses and clamps the rotor blade, wherein the first and second legs have at least one pulley for interacting with a wire from a winch placed on the ground.

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Terndrup, Denmark

Per Eske Fenger