Positioning assembly for a wind turbine rotor blade lifting device

US10822207B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• General Electric Company · US

Inventors

• Daniel Lopez-Benedito · Barcelona, ES
• John Carl Bell · Chesapeake, US
• Gaylon Mitchell Pfeiffer · Tampa, US
• Theodore Steven Wilmot · Fort Collins, US
• Adam Sean Davis · Livermore, US
• Marc Cavallé · Barcelona, ES
• Jordi Escola Belarte · Barcelona, ES
• Bart Jan Veldkamp · Enschede, NL
• Christoph Lammen · Salzbergen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 1, 2018
• Grant date: Nov 3, 2020
• Expiry date: Aug 21, 2038

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P70/50
• WIPO field: Handling
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a lift system for a rotor blade of a wind turbine. The lift system includes a lifting device having at least one cradle. The cradle has a profile that corresponds to at least one of the exterior surfaces of the rotor blade so as to support at least a portion of the rotor blade. Further, the lift system includes a positioning assembly having at least one distance sensor mounted to the hub and at least one visual sensor mounted to the lifting device. Thus, the distance sensor is configured to identify a distance from the hub to the lifting device and the visual sensor is configured to identify a position of the rotor blade in the cradle.