The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Feb. 23, 2021

Filed:

Nov. 16, 2018
Applicant:

General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);

Inventors:

Shiraj Sen, Clifton Park, NY (US);

Todd William Danko, Niskayuna, NY (US);

John Robert Hoare, Latham, NY (US);

Charles Burton Theurer, Alplaus, NY (US);

Douglas Forman, Niskayuna, NY (US);

Judith Ann Guzzo, Niskayuna, NY (US);

Assignee:

General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
F03D 17/00 (2016.01); F03D 80/50 (2016.01); B25J 11/00 (2006.01); G01M 11/08 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
F03D 17/00 (2016.05); B25J 11/00 (2013.01); F03D 80/50 (2016.05); G01M 11/081 (2013.01);
Abstract

A system and method for inspecting, repairing and upgrading wind turbine rotor blades of a wind turbine. The system including deploying one or more cables via an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a balloon, a ballistic mechanism or a catapult to position the one or more cables in draping engagement with a portion of the wind turbine. A climbing robot is positioned to ascend the one or more cables and perform a task related to inspecting for indications, repair of indications or upgrading the rotor blade. A slave robot system, disposed at the base location and anchored to the one or more cables, provides modulation of the cables for positioning of the climbing robot relative to the wind turbine as it ascends and descends the one or more cables. After completion of the task, the climbing robot descends the one or more cables and the cables are removed from the wind turbine.


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