Abstract: In a method for balancing a wind turbine where a plurality of blades are mounted on a rotor hub an annular blade bearing which allows the blade to pivot, in response to a detection of an imbalance caused by unbalanced loads applied by the blades weight is added to one or more of the blades to counter the imbalance. The weight is added by mounting a weight body to the blade at the blade bearing. The weight body comprises a plurality of individual arcuate weight elements in a stack attached to the outer race of the bearing a plurality of brackets, each engaged onto a selected one of the screw fasteners connecting the bearing to the hub. Each bracket includes a collar engaged onto a selected one of the screw fasteners and a post forming the engagement portion onto which the weight body is engaged.

Abstract: In a method for balancing a wind turbine where a plurality of blades are mounted on a rotor hub an annular blade bearing which allows the blade to pivot, in response to a detection of an imbalance caused by unbalanced loads applied by the blades weight is added to one or more of the blades to counter the imbalance. The weight is added by mounting a weight body to the blade at the blade bearing. The weight body comprises a plurality of individual arcuate weight elements in a stack attached to the outer race of the bearing a plurality of brackets, each engaged onto a selected one of the screw fasteners connecting the bearing to the hub. Each bracket includes a collar engaged onto a selected one of the screw fasteners and a post forming the engagement portion onto which the weight body is engaged.

Abstract: In a wind turbine of the type including a tower and a nacelle with the rotor being rotatably connected to the nacelle for rotating about a rotor axis and having a plurality of equally spaced blades, there is provided a method of detecting damage to a rotor requiring replacement. The method includes positioning video cameras on each of the blades at a root of a respective one of the blades so as to provide a line of sight of the camera along the respective one of the blades to the tip to obtain a video image of the rotor and tip as they rotate. From the videos an analysis is carried out of the images of the tip at a common location spaced away from the tower to determine a position of the tip and hence the deflection of the tip which is indicative of damage.

Abstract: An amount of the deflection of the blades of a rotor of a wind turbine of the type including a tower and a nacelle mounted to the top of the tower, the rotor being rotatably connected to the nacelle for rotating about a rotor axis and having a plurality of equally spaced blades includes positioning video cameras on the rotor at a root of a respective one of the blades so as to provide a line of sight of the camera along the respective one of the blades to the tip to obtain a video image of the rotor and tip and carrying out an analysis of the images of the tip to determine a position of the tip and hence the deflection of the tip time synchronized analyzed optionally with external data providing load, capacity, power produced or environmental data.

Abstract: A wind of the type having a tower and a nacelle with a rotor rotatably connected to the nacelle for rotating about a rotor axis and having a plurality of equally spaced blades has the rotor balanced by firstly taking a measurement of torsional vibration and then by using photographic techniques to analyze dynamic imbalance caused by differences in the angle of attack of the blades. The torsional vibration is detected using two sensors at positions mirrored exactly in distance to the left and right of the rotor axis and detecting vibration in the axial direction. The angle of attack is measured by analyzing images of the tip of the blade where, during the analysis, distortion in angles at different locations in the image are corrected, in dependence upon a prior analysis of an image taken by the camera relative to a known image.

Abstract: A wind of the type having a tower and a nacelle with a rotor rotatably connected to the nacelle for rotating about a rotor axis and having a plurality of equally spaced blades has the rotor balanced by firstly taking a measurement of torsional vibration and then by using photographic techniques to analyze dynamic imbalance caused by differences in the angle of attack of the blades. The torsional vibration is detected using two sensors at positions mirrored exactly in distance to the left and right of the rotor axis and detecting vibration in the axial direction. The angle of attack is measured by analyzing images of the tip of the blade where, during the analysis, distortion in angles at different locations in the image are corrected, in dependence upon a prior analysis of an image taken by the camera relative to a known image.

Abstract: An amount of the deflection of the blades of a rotor of a wind turbine of the type including a tower and a nacelle mounted to the top of the tower, the rotor being rotatably connected to the nacelle for rotating about a rotor axis and having a plurality of equally spaced blades includes positioning video cameras on the rotor at a root of a respective one of the blades so as to provide a line of sight of the camera along the respective one of the blades to the tip to obtain a video image of the rotor and tip and carrying out an analysis of the images of the tip to determine a position of the tip and hence the deflection of the tip time synchronized analyzed potentially with external data providing load, capacity, power produced or environmental data.

Abstract: A wind of the type having a tower and a nacelle with a rotor rotatably connected to the nacelle for rotating about a rotor axis and having a plurality of equally spaced blades has the rotor balanced by firstly taking a measurement of torsional vibration and then by using photographic techniques to analyze dynamic imbalance caused by differences in the angle of attack of the blades. The torsional vibration is detected using two sensors at positions mirrored exactly in distance to the left and right of the rotor axis and detecting vibration in the axial direction. The angle of attack is measured by analyzing images of the tip of the blade where, during the analysis, distortion in angles at different locations in the image are corrected, in dependence upon a prior analysis of an image taken by the camera relative to a known image.