TRANSPORT FRAME FOR A WIND TURBINE BLADE

• US 20190010931A1
• Filed: 12/28/2016
• Published: 01/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
• Original Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/S
• Inventors: Thomsen, Peter Frans, Botwright, Adrian, Vahle, Troels, Quintana, Lucia, Antonsen, Jacob, Fredriksen, Kristoffer Lolk
• Granted Patent: US 10,641,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 3/40 for carrying long loads, e.g. with separate wheeled load supporting elements E04G21/14 takes precedence; signal devices to be attached to overhanging load B60Q7/02
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 13/40 Arrangements or methods specially adapted for transporting wind motor components
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2230/604 using positioning or alignment devices for aligning or centering, e.g. pins
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/02 Transport, e.g. specific adaptations or devices for conveyance transport of wind turbines or equipments therefore F03D13/40
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/30 Retaining components in desired mutual position
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

Transport frame and method; the transport frame having a longitudinal, lateral and upright extent, and being configured for receiving a tip or root portion of a longitudinally extending wind turbine blade, said frame being stackable with similar frames, said frame comprising four upright frame struts which together define a generally cuboid internal space having a longitudinal extent between two pairs of said upright struts; said frame having, within said generally cuboid internal space, a tip or root saddle assembly comprising a saddle with a support surface shaped to receive a respective blade root or tip; said frame furthermore having four top shoulders and four feet, said feet of said frame being conformed to be stackable on corresponding said shoulders of another frame; and wherein said frame, proximate one or more said top or bottom corner thereof, comprises a retractable arm arrangement; wherein said frame further comprises, proximate at least one said top or bottom corner thereof, a claw arrangement; said retractable arm arrangement being configured to fixingly engage a corresponding claw arrangement at an adjacent similar frame in a stacked arrangement of the frames.

Claims

1. A transport frame having a longitudinal, lateral and upright extent, and being configured for receiving a tip or root portion of a longitudinally extending wind turbine blade, said frame being stackable with similar frames,

said frame comprising four upright frame struts which together define a generally cuboid internal space having a longitudinal extent between two pairs of said upright struts;

said frame having, within said generally cuboid internal space, a tip or root saddle assembly comprising a saddle with a support surface shaped to receive a respective blade root or tip;

said frame furthermore having four top shoulders and four feet, said feet of said frame being conformed to be stackable on corresponding said shoulders of another frame; and

wherein said frame, proximate one or more said top or bottom corner thereof, comprises a retractable arm arrangement;

wherein said frame further comprises, proximate at least one said top or bottom corner thereof, a claw arrangement;

said retractable arm arrangement being configured to fixingly engage a corresponding claw arrangement at an adjacent similar frame in a stacked arrangement of the frames.

2. The transport frame according to claim 1, wherein a retractable arm and a claw comprise a tensioner capable of creating a fixed engagement between them under tension.

5. The transport frame according to claim 1, wherein a retractable arm is hingedly retractable at said frame thereby not to protrude beyond said frame when in a retracted position.

6. The transport frame according to claim 1, wherein said retractable arm arrangement comprises a gang of two or more retractable arms and wherein said claw arrangement comprises two or more fixed claws.

7. The transport frame according to claim 5, wherein each said retractable arm at said retractable arm arrangement is individually movable into engagement with a corresponding claw at said claw arrangement.

8. The transport frame according to claim 1, wherein said retractable arm arrangement is provided at two or more, preferably at three or four said top or bottom corners thereof.

9. The transport frame according to claim 1, wherein said claw arrangement is provided at two or more, preferably at three or four said top or bottom corners thereof.

10. The transport frame according to claim 1, wherein each said shoulder is additionally provided with a raised abutment having a height above said shoulder, and wherein each said foot is provided with a recess conformed to receive a said abutment in a locating engagement in a stacked configuration of similar frames.

11. The transport frame according to claim 1, wherein two or more or each said shoulder is additionally provided with an upwardly protruding locating finger, each said finger having a height above said shoulder, and wherein each said finger is provided with a lifting aperture configured as a load bearing lifting point for lifting a said frame or a stack of said frames.

12. The transport frame according to claim 11, wherein one or more said finger includes an anchor portion extending below said shoulder, into a strut of said frame.

13. The transport frame according to claim 1, wherein said retractable arm assembly additionally comprises, for each retractable arm thereof, a catch configured to securely retain said retractable arm in a retracted position at said frame.

14. A method of transporting a stack of wind turbine blades, said method including providing a first frame according to claim 1, said frame containing a first wind turbine blade, and

placing a second, similar frame, said frame also containing a second wind turbine blade, atop and adjacent said first frame by placing a foot of said second frame on a shoulder of said first frame, and

releasing a said retractable arm of said arm arrangement from a retracted position thereof and placing it over a claw of said claw arrangement of said adjacent frame in said stack, and actuating a tensioner at said retractable arm to create a connection under tension between said two adjacent frames in a stack;

and

transporting said stack of wind turbine blades aboard a transport platform.

15. The method according to claim 14, said method further including the step of individually releasing each one of a gang of said retractable arms of said arm arrangement from a retracted position thereof and placing each one over a corresponding claw of said claw arrangement of said adjacent frame in said stack, and manually actuating each said tensioner at each said retractable arm to create a said connection under tension between said two adjacent frames in a stack.

16. The method according to claim 14, further including lifting a said stack of two or more said wind turbine blades by connecting a lifting element to the topmost frame of said stack and lifting the frame stack, wherein each frame in each frame stack is suspended from and lifted by the frame immediately above it.

17. The method of lifting a wind turbine blade frame or stack of said frames according to claim 11, the or each said frame comprising a wind turbine blade, said method including connecting a lifting element to two or more said load bearing lifting apertures at a said locating finger and lifting said frame or stack of frames suspended by said load bearing lifting apertures.

18. A stack of wind turbine transport frames, each frame in said stack being a frame according to claim 1, wherein each said frame in said stack is interconnected to an immediately adjacent frame by means of said a retractable arm arrangement engaging with a said claw arrangement.

3. The transport frame according to claim 3, wherein said tensioner is provided at a said retractable arm.

4. The transport arm according to claim 3, wherein said tensioner is manually operable by an operator, to apply tension between two adjacent stacked frames.