Modular Systems for Wind Turbine Assembly

A foundation for offshore wind turbines that allows for easier and more efficient installation compared to traditional steel pile foundations. The foundation has a concrete support structure that attaches to the top of a driven pile. The concrete structure extends above the water surface and supports the wind turbine. This allows the turbine to be installed in sections on the concrete structure rather than directly on the pile. This eliminates the need to transport and install large steel piles at remote sites, as the concrete structure can be manufactured locally and assembled on site. It also allows for easier adjustment of the pile alignment during installation.

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Stabilizing wind turbines using tether cables attached to an intermediate interface module between the lower and upper sections of the tower. The module has ears that connect to the cables and bores aligned with the tower section through-holes. Threaded fasteners secure the module to the lower section. This allows tensioning the cables before attaching the upper section. The cables stabilize the tower by providing additional load support beyond the tower's self-weight. The module provides a convenient attachment point for the cables and avoids tower modifications.

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Balancing a wind turbine rotor without permanent weight additions or removal by using temporary weight balancing cartridges that can be easily inserted and removed from the blade tip. The method involves detecting rotor imbalance, calculating required counterweight, manufacturing custom cartridges with that weight, inserting them into the blade tips, and then removing them after balancing is achieved. This allows dynamic balancing without modifying the blade structure or causing long-term imbalance issues.

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Wind turbine blade with an improved access window and method for manufacturing. The blade has an access window through the shell with a recessed area at the inner surface. A closing panel with a thicker center and thinner outer tongue fits into the recess. Straps attach the tongue to the shell to prevent rotation. This provides access to internal blade parts without needing a separate hatch. The recess prevents water ingress and pressure leakage. The panel can be inserted through the window, rotated, and fixed in place. The blade segments can be separated, joined, and the panel inserted/removed to access internal structures like spar beams.

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System for manufacturing large scale composite structures like wind turbine blades using molds that provide precise placement and assembly of internal components like spar caps. The molds have apertures for pins to extend into the molded layers. The pins engage the internal components during layup to hold them in place. After layup, the pins can extend beyond the molded section to be trimmed. This prevents internal component misalignment during mold closure. Additional features like studs, cams, and actuators enable further component positioning and measurement.

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Wind-driven electricity generation system with vertical towers and rotating blades inside. The towers have protruding walls that create wind collection sections. Air pressure builds in the sections and releases through openings into an inner compartment. Drive shafts rotate from the airflow. This turns generators, pumps, or transmission gear inside. Multiple tower levels allow scaling. The rotating blades inside eliminate the need for external blades. Closable openings allow maintenance. The system captures more wind pressure and uses it inside for efficient electricity generation.

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A method for assembling wind turbine components to reduce assembly time and costs by allowing personnel to remain in the tower during lifts instead of evacuating and repositioning. The method involves lowering the component to overlap the mounting interface vertically with a threshold separation. If the separation exceeds the threshold, an indicator alerts. This ensures the component can be connected without needing to evacuate and reposition personnel between lifts. The indicator uses a transmitter/receiver to verify separation during overlapping.

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A modular mold for producing wind turbine blades that allows easy adaptation of blade length without needing to cut and replace the mold. The mold has a modular design with interchangeable tip sections that can be swapped to match updated blade geometries. The mold has a main body shell element and multiple exchangeable tip shell elements that can be fixed to the support. This allows changing the tip sections to match blade length changes without needing to modify the entire mold. The tip sections connect using flanges with aligned bolt holes for easy assembly. The modular tip sections can be different lengths to cover a range of blade tip geometries.

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Improved assembly and installation method for wind turbines on floating foundations that allows for more effective assembly of the wind turbine on-board the crane vessel. The method involves using the crane vessel's hull to receive and lift portions of the turbine's mast during assembly. This reduces the crane's height requirement when installing the turbine on the floating foundation. The crane also has a mast-engaging device to precisely position the mast on the foundation. The blades are handled using a specialized system that tilts them during installation/removal. This allows lifting the blades horizontally to the root end instead of vertically. It also involves sinking part of the mast into the vessel's hull during assembly. This reduces the crane's lifting height requirement.

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Tool for handling wind turbine tower sections during transportation and erection to make it easier and more efficient compared to traditional methods. The tool has two wheeled platforms with a frame connecting them. The frame has sections that support the ends of a sling. The tower section hangs between the sling ends supported by the frame. This allows the tower section to be moved and upended using the tool as a single unit, without needing frames or supports on each end. The tool's parallel bases and sling-hanging frame enable the tower section to be centered and balanced during handling.

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Modular wind turbine blade design with improved lightning protection at joints. The blade has multiple sections that can be transported separately and assembled on-site. To prevent lightning strikes from damaging the joints, the blade has an electromagnetic shield that extends across the joints. This shield isolates the joints from the main lightning current path, protecting the blade sections from voltage flashovers. The shielded joints allow lightning strikes to be received and safely discharged to ground without damaging the blade.

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Industrialized, cost-effective method for constructing and assembling offshore wind turbines using self-erecting lift structures, modular floating turbine sections, and specialized installation vessels. The method involves: 1) building modular floating turbine sections in a shipyard, 2) towing the sections to an offshore platform, 3) assembling the turbine on the platform using a self-erecting lift structure, 4) connecting the floating turbine to an installation base on the seafloor, 5) disconnecting the turbine from the base and raising it to float, 6) towing the assembled turbine to its final location. This allows serial production of modular turbine sections, transporting them to a central hub for assembly, and then deploying them from a fixed platform.

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A connection system for attaching a blade access system to a wind turbine nacelle that allows quick and repeated attachment without cutting holes in the nacelle housing. The system uses locking connectors that can be engaged and disengaged between the blade access system and nacelle. The connectors have compatible locking mechanisms to secure the access system to the nacelle when engaged, but allow disconnection by repositioning the connectors. This provides a repeatable and easy way to attach/detach the blade access system without needing to cut into the nacelle housing each time.

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A modular blade root cover system for wind turbines that seals the gap between the blade and spinner to prevent water ingress into the hub. The system uses interconnecting blade root cover segments that can be joined together in a loop around the blade. Each segment has a curved flange to fit against the blade surface, a cover wall extending radially, and tensioning bands to connect adjacent segments. This allows the segments to be installed sequentially around the blade without requiring precise fitting. The tensioning bands apply tension between segments to maintain a tight seal.

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Control network for a multi-rotor wind turbine system with multiple rotor-nacelle assemblies (RNAs) on a support tower. The control network has two layers to balance safety and flexibility in the complex multi-RNA configuration. The first layer is a set of local networks, one per RNA, for safety-critical functions like blade pitch, arc detection, and emergency stops. The second layer is a central network connecting the local networks for coordinated control of the RNAs. This allows scaling safety functions to the multi-RNA case while retaining local RNA functionality. Synchronization ensures deterministic safety behavior across the network.

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Cargo aircraft with removable and replaceable tailcones that allow extending the interior cargo bay length to accommodate extremely long payloads like wind turbine blades. The aircraft has a fixed cargo bay in the fuselage and a removable tailcone at the rear that encloses the opening. Multiple tailcones of different lengths can be swapped to match payload sizes. This lets payloads with long protrusions extend beyond the fixed cargo bay into the removable tailcone. The tailcone tail can then be the terminal end of the aircraft. This enables carrying very long payloads in a shorter aircraft. The tailcone segments can also telescope for variable length.

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A multiple-appliance lift system for wind turbines that allows simultaneous lifting of heavy components from the nacelle using two dedicated lifting appliances without requiring additional support structures in the nacelle. The system involves mounting the two lifting appliances on common attachment points like bearing housings or gearbox pillar blocks. This allows sharing of the nacelle structure for lifting instead of needing separate mounting platforms. It provides a compact and efficient way to lift heavy items like main bearings, shafts, and blades from the nacelle without requiring external cranes or multiple appliances in the nacelle.

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Method for constructing a wind turbine without using cranes or heavy equipment. The wind turbine is designed by optimizing blade area instead of swept area. This involves shorter blades with more surface area. The turbine can be manually erected, lowered to the ground for maintenance, shipped in a container, and the container becomes the turbine base. This allows a smaller, more compact turbine that can generate significant power. The container also provides storage for generated electricity and electrical distribution equipment.

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A floating offshore wind turbine assembly unit that enables efficient installation and maintenance of floating wind turbines in deep water offshore. The assembly unit consists of two modified oil tankers joined together by an extended deck. This forms a drydock that can be positioned near a wind farm. Wind turbine components like the hull, tower, nacelle, and blades can be assembled on the drydock. This avoids needing large crane vessels or working in high winds. The assembled turbine can then be lowered into the water for wet tow installation.

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A foundation system for offshore wind turbines that allows easier and more efficient installation compared to traditional weighted foundations. The system uses a hollow concrete foundation with columns that projects above the water. The foundation can be filled with fluid like water to sink it onto the seabed. This allows the tower to be assembled on the hollow foundation instead of separately sinking a solid weighted foundation. After sinking, the fluid can be pumped out to leave the foundation solid. The reversible pumping allows the foundation to be transported in a hollow state, then filled to sink it, and emptied to remove it.

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