Abstract: A method of handling a wind turbine component (54) for assembly or maintenance, comprises coupling one or more unmanned air vehicles (20) with the wind turbine component (54) so that at least a portion of the weight of the wind turbine component (54) can be supported and lifted by the one or more unmanned air vehicles (20). The method further comprises coupling one or more cranes (50) with the wind turbine component (54) so that at least a portion of the weight of the wind turbine component (54) can be supported and lifted by the one or more cranes (50). The method further comprises controlling the one or more unmanned air vehicle (20) and crane (50) in coordination to lift the wind turbine component (54) and manoeuvre said component (54) with respect to a wind turbine (52).

Abstract: A method for mounting a blade root of a blade on a blade flange of a wind turbine rotor, the method comprising: attaching a control line between a hold structure at the blade flange and the blade root; lifting the blade with a blade lifting crane while the blade root is guided towards the blade flange by use of said control line, and connecting said blade root to said blade flange.

Abstract: A method of installing a rotor on a nacelle (44) on a wind turbine generally includes providing a rotor hub counterweight assembly (10, 10?) which are rotated and lifted from a downtower location to an uptower location at which wind turbine blades (50, 52, 54) are progressively attached and the counterweights (14, 16), (14?, 16?) are progressively removed. The rotor hub and counterweight assembly (10, 10?) for use when installing a rotor on a wind turbine (46) generally includes a rotor hub (12) having first, second and third flanges (18, 20, 22), a first counterweight (14, 14?), a second counterweight (16, 16?), and a lifting apparatus connecting member (26, 26?). A lifting apparatus connecting member (26) is configured with at least two connection points (60, 62) being configured for allowing at least two of three operations including installation, rotating and lifting the rotor hub (12), and removal of the lifting apparatus connecting member (26?).

Abstract: A method for mounting a blade root of a blade on a blade flange of a wind turbine rotor, the method comprising: attaching a control line between a hold structure at the blade flange and the blade root; lifting the blade with a blade lifting crane while the blade root is guided towards the blade flange by use of said control line, and connecting said blade root to said blade flange.

Abstract: A method of handling a wind turbine component for assembly or maintenance, comprising moving one or more unmanned air vehicles to respective positions proximal to a wind turbine component so that the wind turbine component can be supported by the one or more unmanned air vehicles; and controlling the one or more unmanned air vehicles to lift the wind turbine component and manoeuvre said component with respect to a wind turbine. The invention extends to a system for handling a component of a wind turbine, comprising a plurality of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs); a UAV ground station computer system; and one or more lifting harnesses for carrying by the plurality of unmanned air vehicles.

Abstract: A system for a wind park including: a control system in communication with a plurality of unmanned air vehicles, wherein the control system is configured to deploy one or more unmanned air vehicles during a triggering condition; and wherein the deployed unmanned air vehicles are guided towards an assigned wind turbine and to interact with a blade of that wind turbine in order to control oscillation of the blade. The invention also embraces a method for reducing blade oscillations of a wind turbine, comprising: monitoring for a triggering condition associated with the wind turbine; on detecting the triggering condition, deploying unmanned air vehicles towards a wind turbine and interacting with a blade of the wind turbine using the unmanned air to control oscillation of the blade. The invention therefore provides an efficient approach to controlling blade oscillations with minimal human operator involvement.

Abstract: A method for mounting a blade root of a blade on a blade flange of a wind turbine rotor, the method comprising:—attaching a control line between a hold structure at the blade flange and the blade root; —lifting the blade with a blade lifting crane while the blade root is guided towards the blade flange by use of said control line, and—connecting said blade root to said blade flange.

Abstract: A method and a lifting arrangement for mounting a blade on a wind turbine rotor carried by a wind turbine structure. The method comprises providing a control line guide at the wind turbine structure, the control line guide forming a control line point configured to restrain the control line attaching the control line to the control line point; lifting the blade with an external blade lifting crane while a root end of the blade is guided towards the rotor by use of said control line restrained at said control line point, and connecting said blade to said rotor.

Abstract: A multirotor wind turbine comprising a tower, a suspension arm, a nacelle, and a rotor carried by the nacelle and configured to rotate about a rotor axis to drive a drive train in the nacelle, wherein the tower holds the suspension arm, and the suspension arm holds the nacelle. To facilitate safer and better access to the nacelle or drive train, the suspension arm is configured as a platform to provide support for personnel e.g. during maintenance and repair of the nacelle.

Abstract: Equipment for handling a wind turbine component includes a lifting cable and a mounting block having a block main body with a cable passage and a pair of bushings coupled to the mounting block. Each bushing has an aperture defined by an aperture wall and the lifting cable extends through the aperture of each of the bushings. At least an outer region of the aperture wall forms a closed loop about the lifting cable and is substantially circumferentially continuous. This allows the lifting cable extending the bushings to move in a circumferential direction along the aperture wall relative to the bushings during use. A method of assembling such handling equipment and a method of using such equipment for handling a wind turbine component is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of installing a rotor on a nacelle (44) on a wind turbine generally includes providing a rotor hub counterweight assembly (10, 10?) which are rotated and lifted from a downtower location to an uptower location at which wind turbine blades (50, 52, 54) are progressively attached and the counterweights (14, 16), (14?, 16?) are progressively removed. The rotor hub and counterweight assembly (10, 10?) for use when installing a rotor on a wind turbine (46) generally includes a rotor hub (12) having first, second and third flanges (18, 20, 22), a first counterweight (14, 14?), a second counterweight (16, 16?), and a lifting apparatus connecting member (26, 26?). A lifting apparatus connecting member (26) is configured with at least two connection points (60, 62) being configured for allowing at least two of three operations including installation, rotating and lifting the rotor hub (12), and removal of the lifting apparatus connecting member (26?).

Abstract: A method for mounting a rotor to a drive shaft of a wind turbine, the method comprising placing a hub on a surface, attaching a first, a second, and a third rotor blade to the hub to thereby make a rotor in situ. To protect the blades and to avoid fixed lifting lugs on the rotor, the method includes the step of wrapping a sling about each of the blades, attaching each sling to a fitting, lifting each fitting to thereby raise the rotor from the surface, and attaching the rotor to the drive shaft while the position and orientation of the rotor is controlled by the slings.

Abstract: A wind turbine comprising a tower structure configured to hold a nacelle with a rotor and a parking structure for holding the rotor. To improve the ability to carry out maintenance and to allow easier assembly and disassembly of the wind turbine, the parking structure is configured to connect the rotor directly to the tower structure to thereby allow removal of the nacelle while the rotor remains fixed to the tower structure.

Abstract: A method of handling a wind turbine component (54) for assembly or maintenance, comprises coupling one or more unmanned air vehicles (20) with the wind turbine component (54) so that at least a portion of the weight of the wind turbine component (54) can be supported and lifted by the one or more unmanned air vehicles (20). The method further comprises coupling one or more cranes (50) with the wind turbine component (54) so that at least a portion of the weight of the wind turbine component (54) can be supported and lifted by the one or more cranes (50). The method further comprises controlling the one or more unmanned air vehicle (20) and crane (50) in coordination to lift the wind turbine component (54) and manoeuvre said component (54) with respect to a wind turbine (52).

Abstract: A multirotor wind turbine comprising a tower, a suspension arm, a nacelle, and a rotor carried by the nacelle and configured to rotate about a rotor axis to drive a drive train in the nacelle, wherein the tower holds the suspension arm, and the suspension arm holds the nacelle. To facilitate safer and better access to the nacelle or drive train, the suspension arm is configured as a platform to provide support for personnel e.g. during maintenance and repair of the nacelle.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A method and a lifting arrangement for mounting a blade on a wind turbine rotor carried by a wind turbine structure. The method comprises providing a control line guide at the wind turbine structure, the control line guide forming a control line point configured to restrain the control line attaching the control line to the control line point; lifting the blade with an external blade lifting crane while a root end of the blade is guided towards the rotor by use of said control line restrained at said control line point, and connecting said blade to said rotor.

Abstract: A method for mounting a blade root of a blade on a blade flange of a wind turbine rotor, the method comprising:—attaching a control line between a hold structure at the blade flange and the blade root;?lifting the blade with a blade lifting crane while the blade root is guided towards the blade flange by use of said control line, and—connecting said blade root to said blade flange.

Abstract: This application relates to tower segment handling methods and apparatus and, in particular, to methods and apparatus for handling segments of steel wind turbine towers. The wind turbine tower comprises a plurality of cylindrical vertical tower sections, which in the finished tower are mounted on top of one another. The vertical section of the tower has a longitudinal axis and comprises a plurality of wind turbine tower segments, the tower segments have vertical and horizontal edges and combine to form a complete vertical tower section by joining along their vertical edges. Adjacent vertical tower sections are joined to each other along the horizontal edges of the wind turbine tower segments. The tower segments are combined into a tower section using a flat roller bed on which the segments can be assembled. A method of assembling a tower section is discussed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for lifting a component (1a, 1b) of a multirotor wind turbine (100) from an initial position to an operating position. The initial position is near a base (2a) of a tower structure (2) of the wind turbine (100) while the operating position is arranged at a distance from the tower structure (2), on a load carrying structure (3) connected to the tower structure (2) and extending away from the tower structure (2). By operating a first hoisting mechanism provided at or near a connecting point between the tower structure (2) and a load carrying structure (3), and a second hoisting mechanism provided at or near the operating position, the component (1a, 1b) is moved from the initial position to the operating position along a predetermined path. The component (1a, 1b) is finally mounted on the load carrying structure (3) at the operating position.