阅读说明：本技术 在毂上安装风力涡轮机叶片 (Mounting wind turbine blades on a hub ) 是由 V·卡塞纳韦 于 2020-10-14 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供了一种用于将风力涡轮机叶片(10)安装在风力涡轮机毂(30)上的方法,该方法包括将叶片(10)朝向毂(30)提升；通过可适应弹性体(50)使叶片和毂接触,使得可适应弹性体(50)在叶片(10)和毂(30)之间被压缩；减小可适应弹性体(50)的尺寸,使得叶片(10)接近毂；并将叶片安装到毂。此外,提供了用于辅助将风力涡轮机叶片安装到风力涡轮机毂的组件以及合适的风力涡轮机毂。(A method for mounting a wind turbine blade (10) on a wind turbine hub (30) is provided, the method comprising lifting the blade (10) towards the hub (30); contacting the blade and the hub by means of the adaptable elastomer body (50) such that the adaptable elastomer body (50) is compressed between the blade (10) and the hub (30); reducing the size of the adaptable elastomer (50) such that the blade (10) is proximate to the hub; and mounting the blades to the hub. Furthermore, an assembly for assisting mounting of a wind turbine blade to a wind turbine hub and a suitable wind turbine hub are provided.)

1. A method for mounting a wind turbine blade on a wind turbine hub, comprising:

lifting a blade towards the hub;

contacting the blade and the hub with an adaptable elastomer such that the adaptable elastomer is compressed between the blade and the hub;

reducing the size of the conformable elastomer such that the blade is proximate to the hub; and

mounting the blade to the hub.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the conformable elastomer is mounted on the hub.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein mounting the blade to the hub comprises introducing a plurality of fasteners on the blade into holes of a pitch bearing mounted on the hub.

4. A method according to claim 3, further reducing the size of the adaptable elastomer after at least one or more of the bolts on the blade have been introduced into the holes on the pitch bearing of the hub.

5. The method of claim 3 or 4, wherein one or more of the plurality of fasteners are guide fasteners that are longer than other fasteners of the plurality of fasteners, and wherein,

one of the guide fasteners is first introduced into a corresponding hole on the pitch bearing.

6. The method of any of claims 1-5, further comprising aligning and/or orienting the blade with respect to the hub when the adaptable elastomer is compressed between the blade and the hub.

7. The method according to any of claims 1-6, wherein lifting the blade towards the hub comprises:

attaching a blade holder to the wind turbine blade; and

lifting the blade holder with a crane.

8. An assembly for assisting in mounting a wind turbine blade to a wind turbine hub, the assembly comprising:

one or more shock absorbers having a body with a proximal end for mounting to one of the blade and the hub and a contact surface for contacting the other of the blade and the hub, wherein

The assembly is configured to vary a distance between the contact surface and the proximal end.

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the body is expandable.

10. The assembly of claim 8 or 9, wherein the body is inflatable.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a method for mounting a wind turbine blade on a wind turbine hub. The present disclosure also relates to an assembly for assisting in mounting a wind turbine blade on a wind turbine hub. And the present disclosure also relates to a wind turbine hub adapted for use in a process for mounting a wind turbine blade on the hub.

Background

Modern wind turbines are commonly used to supply power to the grid. Such wind turbines typically include a tower and a rotor arranged on the tower. A rotor, which typically includes a hub and a plurality of blades, rotates under the influence of wind on the blades. The rotation produces torque that is typically transferred to the generator through the rotor shaft, either directly ("direct drive") or through the use of a gearbox. In this way, the generator produces electrical energy, which can be supplied to the grid.

Due to the general trend of increasing the size and weight of modern wind turbines, the installation of wind turbine blades has become increasingly challenging. The blades of modern wind turbines may be over 70 or 80 meters, or even over 100 meters long. During installation, the wind turbine blade may be lifted towards the rotor hub.

A known method of installing a wind turbine comprises the steps of: transporting the different elements to the site of the wind turbine; assembling a tower section and a tower; lifting the wind turbine nacelle with a large crane; and mounting the nacelle on top of the tower. The wind turbine rotor hub may then be lifted and mounted to the rotor shaft and/or nacelle with a crane. Alternatively, the hub may be mounted to the nacelle and the nacelle-hub assembly may then be lifted.

Thereafter, one or more blades are mounted to the wind turbine rotor hub. The rotor hub typically includes a plurality of annular mounting flanges. The pitch bearing may be arranged with the mounting flange. The blade may comprise a plurality of fasteners, such as bolts, or pins or studs, at its blade root. During the mounting process, these fasteners should fit in openings in the mounting flange or in the pitch bearing on the hub.

It is also known to lift a complete rotor assembly, i.e. a hub with a plurality of blades, and mount it to, for example, a nacelle. However, in order to install a complete rotor assembly, a large surface area is required, which is not generally available, for example, in the case of off-shore wind turbines.

It is also known to mount an incomplete rotor assembly, such as a hub with two blades, on the nacelle and then mount the remaining blades. In these cases, a rotor with two lobes is typically mounted with the two lobes pointing upward, i.e., a "rabbit ear" configuration. Thus, there is no need to rotate the wind turbine rotor, since the third blade can be mounted vertically from below. However, in order to be able to perform these operations, the prevailing wind speed (sometimes also referred to as the prevailing wind speed) must be below a predetermined value for a long period of time. The time period depends on the expected length of the installation step and the safety factor to be considered.

As previously mentioned, the blades may also be mounted individually. It is known to mount each of a plurality of blades substantially horizontally (e.g., -30 ° - +30 ° with respect to horizontal) or substantially vertically. This means that a single installation step may require less time and may be performed in higher winds, thus increasing the time window available for installation.

Wind is variable in nature, and wind from different directions, turbulent wind and gusts may act on the wind turbine blades during lifting and may cause sudden movements of the blades and may cause the blades to oscillate during the lifting operation. Thus, fitting the blades to the hub can be complicated and time consuming.

For offshore installations, the installation may be even more complicated. A vessel carrying a crane may move under the influence of wind and wave forces. The wind turbine tower and the nacelle mounted on top of the tower may also be moved by the forces of wind and waves.

Wind turbine farms may also be located in remote areas, for example on the tops of mountains, and often in these places the lifting of the wind turbine blades may be subject to strong winds.

During the lifting operation, difficulties often arise due to oscillations. Manual assistance is often required in order to perform the mounting of the blade. This may increase the risk to the operator.

Oscillations during the lifting operation may also lead to possible damage to the wind turbine blades or other parts of the wind turbine. For example, if sudden movements occur when the wind turbine blade is close to the hub, parts or components, such as the blade, pitch bearing, blade fasteners, may be damaged.

In order to reduce the vibrations of the blade during lifting and installation, it is known to use a tagline system (sometimes also referred to as a tagline system), i.e. to tie control lines from a vessel or crane to the blade to prevent vibrations. However, they may not completely prevent wind-induced motion and blade vibration.

The present disclosure provides examples of methods and tools that at least partially address some of the above disadvantages.

Disclosure of Invention

In one aspect, a method for mounting a wind turbine blade on a wind turbine hub is provided. The method includes lifting the blade toward the hub and contacting the blade and the hub with the conformable elastomer such that the conformable elastomer is compressed between the blade and the hub. The method also includes reducing the size of the conformable elastomer such that the blade is proximate to the hub, and mounting the blade to the hub.

According to this aspect, the adaptable elastomer may be used to absorb shocks in case of sudden movements of the blade when lifting the blade towards the hub. Once contact has been made with the elastomer, the body can be reduced in size (in at least one dimension) so that the blade approaches the hub. During this process, the elastomer is compressed to the extent between the blade and the hub, and thus supports the blade relative to the hub and serves to absorb relative movements between the hub or nacelle and the blade. This relative movement may be due to wind gusts or wave impacts, for example in the case of offshore installations. Once the blades have sufficiently approached the hub, the blades may be mounted to the hub.

Elasticity as used herein may be particularly understood as the property of a material or body to spring back or spring back to a shape after bending, stretching or compressing. The term "elastomer" is to be understood as covering a body that is substantially flexible or elastic. The elasticity of the body allows the body to absorb shock or impact while maintaining its structural integrity and the structural integrity of the blade and hub.

And adaptable as used herein may be understood specifically as the ability of a body to change shape, size, volume or position. Adaptable is to be understood as covering for example flexible, variable, transformable.

In another aspect, an assembly for assisting in mounting a wind turbine blade to a wind turbine hub is provided. The assembly includes one or more dampers having a body with a proximal end for mounting to one of the blade and the hub, and a contact surface for contacting the other of the blade and the hub. The body is configured to vary a distance between the contact surface and the proximal end.

"damper" as used throughout this disclosure should be considered any structure that has some flexibility or resilience due to material properties, structure or shape and thus allows for the absorption of shocks, vibrations, oscillations, vibrations and relative movements of the blade with respect to the hub.

In yet another aspect, a wind turbine rotor hub is provided comprising a mounting surface for mounting a wind turbine blade, a support plate and a damper mounted on the support plate. The shock absorber is configured to change between a retracted configuration in which the shock absorber does not protrude beyond the mounting surface and a deployed configuration in which the shock absorber protrudes beyond the mounting surface.

Technical solution 1. a method for mounting a wind turbine blade on a wind turbine hub, comprising:

lifting a blade towards the hub;

contacting the blade and the hub with an adaptable elastomer such that the adaptable elastomer is compressed between the blade and the hub;

reducing the size of the conformable elastomer such that the blade is proximate to the hub; and

mounting the blade to the hub.

Solution 2. the method of solution 1 wherein the conformable elastomer is mounted on the hub.

Solution 3. the method of solution 1 or 2, wherein mounting the blade to the hub comprises introducing a plurality of fasteners on the blade into holes of a pitch bearing mounted on the hub.

Solution 4. according to the method of solution 3, after at least one or more of the bolts on the blade have been introduced into the holes on the pitch bearing of the hub, the size of the adaptable elastomer is further reduced.

Claim 5 the method of claim 3 or 4, wherein one or more of the plurality of fasteners are guide fasteners that are longer than other of the plurality of fasteners, and wherein,

one of the guide fasteners is first introduced into a corresponding hole on the pitch bearing.

Solution 6. the method of any of solutions 1-5, further comprising aligning and/or orienting the blade with respect to the hub when the adaptable elastomer is compressed between the blade and the hub.

Solution 7. the method of any of solutions 1-6, wherein lifting the blade toward the hub comprises:

attaching a blade holder to the wind turbine blade; and

lifting the blade holder with a crane.

An assembly for assisting in mounting a wind turbine blade to a wind turbine hub, the assembly comprising:

one or more shock absorbers having a body with a proximal end for mounting to one of the blade and the hub and a contact surface for contacting the other of the blade and the hub, wherein

The assembly is configured to vary a distance between the contact surface and the proximal end.

Claim 9. the assembly of claim 8, wherein the body is expandable.

Claim 10. the assembly of claim 8 or 9, wherein the body is inflatable.

The assembly of any of claims 8-10, wherein the body is configured to be mounted to the hub.

The assembly of any of claims 8-10, wherein the body is configured to be mounted to a bulkhead or mounting flange of a wind turbine blade.

Solution 13. the assembly of any of solutions 8-12, wherein the body comprises a plurality of individually expandable compartments.

Claim 14. the assembly of any of claims 8-13, wherein the body is resilient.

Claim 15. the assembly of any of claims 8-14, comprising a plurality of shock absorbers.

Drawings

Non-limiting examples of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a wind turbine according to an example;

FIG. 2 shows a simplified interior view of a nacelle of a wind turbine according to an example;

3A-3C illustrate one example of a method for mounting a wind turbine blade to a wind turbine hub;

FIGS. 4A and 4B schematically illustrate two examples of wind turbine blades carrying dampers;

5A-5E schematically illustrate examples of dampers for mounting a wind turbine blade on a hub;

FIGS. 6A and 6B schematically illustrate another example of a shock absorber in an expanded state and a folded state; and is

Fig. 7 shows yet another example of a damper, which may be mounted on the hub during use for mounting a wind turbine blade.

Detailed Description

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an example of a wind turbine 160. As shown, wind turbine 160 includes a tower 170 extending from support surface 150, a nacelle 161 mounted on tower 170, and a rotor 115 coupled to nacelle 161. Rotor 115 includes a rotatable hub 110 and at least one rotor blade 120 coupled to hub 110 and extending outwardly from hub 110. For example, in the illustrated example, the rotor 115 includes three rotor blades 120. However, in alternative embodiments, rotor 115 may include more or less than three rotor blades 120. Each rotor blade 120 may be spaced from hub 110 to facilitate rotating rotor 115 to enable kinetic energy to be transferred from the wind into usable mechanical energy, and subsequently, electrical energy. For example, hub 110 may be rotatably coupled to a generator 162 (fig. 2) located within or forming a portion of nacelle 161 to allow electrical energy to be generated.

The wind turbine 160 may also include a wind turbine controller 180 located centrally in the nacelle 161. However, in other examples, the wind turbine controller 180 may be located within any other component of the wind turbine 160 or at a location external to the wind turbine. Moreover, the controller 180 may be communicatively coupled to any number of components of the wind turbine 160 in order to control the operation of such components.

Further, the wind turbine 160 may include a pitch system 107 for adjusting a blade pitch (sometimes also referred to as blade pitch). Alternatively, the auxiliary drive system may comprise a yaw system (sometimes also referred to as a steering system) 20 for rotating the nacelle 161 about an axis of rotation with respect to the tower. Details of two examples of the auxiliary drive system will be provided below. Dedicated controller 190 may be located in the center of nacelle 161. However, in other examples, the dedicated controller 190 may be located within any other component of the wind turbine 160 or at a location external to the wind turbine. The dedicated controller 190 may control a single auxiliary drive system or alternatively at least two of them.

The wind turbine 160 of FIG. 1 may be placed at an offshore or onshore location.

Wind turbine controller (or "central control system") 180 may include one or more processors and associated memory devices configured to perform various computer-implemented functions (e.g., perform methods, steps, calculations, etc., and store relevant data as disclosed herein). The wind turbine controller may perform various functions, such as receiving, sending, and/or executing wind turbine control signals and controlling the overall operation of the wind turbine. The wind turbine controller may be programmed to control the overall operation based on information received from the sensors, the information being indicative of: such as load, wind speed, wind direction, turbulence damage to components, etc.

The wind turbine controller may also include a communication module to facilitate communication between the controller and the components of the wind turbine and their respective control systems. That is, the wind turbine controller may be in operative communication with the pitch control system, the yaw control system, the converter control system, and other controllers and components.

Further, the communication module may include a sensor interface (e.g., one or more analog-to-digital converters) to allow for the conversion of signals transmitted from one or more sensors into signals that can be understood and processed by the processor. It should be appreciated that the sensors may be communicatively coupled to the communication module using any suitable means, such as a wired connection or a wireless connection. As such, the processor may be configured to receive one or more signals from the sensor.

As used herein, the term "processor" refers not only to integrated circuits referred to in the art as being included in a computer, but also refers to controllers, microcontrollers, microcomputers, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), application specific integrated circuits, and other programmable circuits. The processor is also configured to compute advanced control algorithms and communicate with various ethernet or serial-based protocols (Modbus, OPC, CAN, etc.). Additionally, the one or more storage devices may include one or more storage elements, including, but not limited to, a computer-readable medium (e.g., Random Access Memory (RAM)), a computer-readable non-volatile medium (e.g., flash memory), a magnetic disk, a floppy disk read only memory (CD-ROM), a magneto-optical disk (MOD), a Digital Versatile Disk (DVD), and/or other suitable storage elements. Such one or more storage devices may be configured to store suitable computer-readable instructions that, when implemented by one or more processors, configure the controller to perform various functions as described herein.

FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified interior view of one example of a nacelle 161 of the wind turbine 160 of FIG. 1. As shown, the generator 162 may be disposed within the nacelle 161. Generally, the generator 162 may be coupled to the rotor 115 of the wind turbine 160 for generating electrical energy from the rotational energy generated by the rotor 115. For example, the rotor 115 may include a main rotor shaft 163, the main rotor shaft 163 coupled to the hub 110 for rotation therewith. Generator 162 may then be coupled to rotor shaft 163 such that rotation of rotor shaft 163 drives generator 162. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the generator 162 includes a generator shaft 166, the generator shaft 166 rotatably coupled to the rotor shaft 163 through a gearbox 164.

It should be appreciated that rotor shaft 163, gearbox 164, and generator 162 may generally be supported within nacelle 161 by a support frame or bedplate 165 located atop wind turbine tower 170.

Nacelle 161 is rotatably coupled to tower 170 by yaw system 20 in such a manner that nacelle 161 is rotatable about a rotation or "yaw axis" RA. The yaw system 20 includes a yaw bearing having two bearing components configured to rotate relative to each other. Tower 170 is coupled to one of the bearing components, and a bedplate or support frame 165 of nacelle 161 is coupled to the other bearing component. The yaw system 20 includes a ring gear 21 and a plurality of yaw drives 22 with motors 23, a gearbox 24 and a pinion gear 25, the pinion gear 25 meshing with the ring gear 21 to rotate one of the bearing components relative to the other.

Blade 120 is coupled to hub 110 with pitch bearing 100 between blade 120 and hub 110. Pitch bearing 100 includes an inner ring and an outer ring (shown in FIG. 2). The wind turbine blade may be attached at the inner bearing ring or at the outer bearing ring, while the hubs are connected to each other. When pitch system 107 is actuated, blades 120 may perform relative rotational motion with respect to hub 110. The rotational movement is about the pitch axis PA and can therefore be measured in degrees, as will be explained in further detail in connection with fig. 3. Thus, the inner bearing ring may perform a rotational movement relative to the outer bearing ring. The pitch system 107 of fig. 2 comprises a pinion gear 108, which pinion gear 108 meshes with a ring gear 109 provided on the inner bearing ring to rotate the wind turbine blade.

Even though the pitch axis is shown for only a single blade, it should be clear that each blade has such a pitch axis. And a single pitch system or a plurality of individual pitch systems may be used to rotate the blade about its longitudinal axis.

3A-3C illustrate an example of a method for mounting a wind turbine blade to a wind turbine hub.

According to one aspect, a method for mounting a wind turbine blade 10 on a wind turbine hub 30. The method comprises lifting the blade 10 towards the hub 30. Then, the blade 10 and the hub 30 are brought into contact by the adaptable elastic body 50, so that the adaptable elastic body 50 is compressed between the blade and the hub.

Fig. 3A shows the blade and hub just touching. The size of the conformable elastomer 50 is then reduced so that the blade approaches the hub. This is schematically illustrated in fig. 3B. The blades may then be mounted to hub 30.

In this and in other examples, the body may in particular be adaptable in a controlled or active manner, i.e. the actuator may be actuated and/or controlled such that the blades may approach the hub in a controlled manner.

In some examples, as in the example of fig. 3, the adaptable elastomer may be mounted on the hub 30. In this example, the hub 30 has a mounting flange 34. Pitch bearing 40 is mounted on flange 34. An adaptable elastomer 50 is mounted on support plate 32. The support plate 32 may be a pitch carrier plate carrying a pitch mechanism. In particular, the pitch carrier plate may support a motor and gearbox assembly configured to drive a pinion gear. The pinion may be engaged with a ring gear for pitching the blade, i.e. for rotating the blade about its longitudinal axis. The ring gear may be arranged with the blades or the pitch bearing.

The support or pitch carrier plate 32 may be integrally formed with the hub. Alternatively, the pitch carrier plate 32 may be arranged between the hub and the pitch bearing.

The pitch bearing may comprise an inner bearing ring and an outer bearing ring with one or more rows of rolling elements between the rings. The rolling elements may be, for example, balls or cylindrical rollers.

One of the bearing rings may be fixedly mounted to the hub and the other bearing ring may be fixedly mounted to the blade. With this arrangement, the blades can rotate relative to the hub.

The bearing ring to be fixed to the blade may have a plurality of holes 42 (only two are shown for clarity). The hub may carry a pitch bearing before lifting the blade towards the hub.

The blade 10 may comprise a mounting flange 16 at the blade root 11. The flange 16 of the blade may carry a plurality of fasteners 18 adapted to cooperate with the holes 42. The fasteners may be, for example, pins, bolts or studs. The adaptable elastomer 50 may act as a shock absorber and may be arranged on the pitch carrier plate 32. The blade 10 may carry a bulkhead 14 at or near the blade root 11. When bringing the blade towards the hub, the body 50 may be compressed between the spacer plate 14 and the pitch carrier plate 32.

In some cases, the blade may be aligned and/or oriented with respect to the hub when the adaptable elastomer is compressed between the blade and the hub. The elastomer 50 may serve as a support for the blade.

Mounting the blade to the hub may comprise introducing a plurality of fasteners on the blade into holes of a pitch bearing mounted on the hub. This is schematically illustrated in fig. 3C.

In some examples, one or more of the plurality of fasteners are guide fasteners that are longer than other of the plurality of fasteners, and one of the guide fasteners is first introduced into a corresponding hole on the pitch bearing. The guide pin may be larger than the other fasteners and thus introduced into a corresponding hole on the hub. Once the guide pins are introduced, the blade is correctly oriented with respect to the hub.

In some examples, the size of the adaptable elastomer may be further reduced after at least one or more of the fasteners on the blade have been introduced into the holes on the pitch bearing of the hub. The remaining fasteners may then be introduced. That is, in some examples, the conformable elastomer avoids any contact between the fastener and the hub when it is in its fully expanded or deployed state, including a potentially longer leading fastener. Then, a first reduction of the elastic body can be performed to bring the guide fasteners closer and enable their introduction into the corresponding holes. After introducing these guide fasteners, at least one dimension of the adaptable elastomer may be further reduced so that other fasteners may be attached. It is possible that during or after insertion of the fastener, there may be a further reduction before removal of the adaptable elastomer.

In some examples, lifting the blade 10 towards the hub 30 may include attaching a blade holder (sometimes also referred to as a blade cradle) to the wind turbine blade and lifting the blade holder with a crane. In particular, the blade holder may be configured to hold the blade near its center of gravity. The vane holder may be or comprise a strap. In some examples, the blade holder may be a grasping unit configured to grasp the blade. And in some examples, the grasping element may include one or more degrees of freedom. For example, the grasping unit may be used to rotate and/or move the blade to align the blade with the hub.

The crane and the wires and the blade holder may be used to control the movement of the blade. This applies both before the blade and the hub (by the elastomer) are in contact and after they are in contact.

As can be seen in fig. 3c, the size of the body 50 can be reduced to the extent that it does not protrude beyond the mounting surface of the hub to which the blade is mounted.

Once the blade has been mounted, the body 50 may be removed from the pitch carrier plate to which it is mounted. In some examples, the same body 50 is attached to the pitch carrier plate of the subsequent blade to be mounted. The assembly may be done on the ground and the pitch carrier plate may then be lifted to the corresponding flange of the hub. In other examples, multiple bodies are attached, i.e., at least one for each rotor blade.

Fig. 4A and 4B schematically show two examples of wind turbine blades carrying dampers. In an alternative example, one or more elastomers 60 or dampers may be mounted to the blade 10 instead of the hub. The blade 10 may carry a plurality of fasteners 18 at the blade root 11. In the example of FIG. 4A, the shock absorber 60 may be mounted on the bulkhead 14.

In another example, as shown in FIG. 4B, one or more shock absorbers 60 may be attached to the mounting flange 16 of the blade 10. The blade flanges 16 may be relatively wide to provide sufficient surface area for mounting the damper 60.

5A-5E schematically illustrate examples of dampers for mounting a wind turbine blade on a hub.

According to one aspect, an assembly for assisting in mounting a wind turbine blade to a wind turbine hub is provided. The assembly includes one or more shock absorbers 70 having a body with a proximal end 74 for mounting to one of the blade and the hub, and a contact surface 72 for contacting the other of the blade and the hub. The body is configured to vary a distance between the contact surface and the proximal end.

In some examples, the body may be expandable. In particular, the body may be inflatable. In some examples, the assembly may include a pneumatic system for inflating and deflating the body of the shock absorber. Such a pneumatic system may be mounted on the hub or on the blades.

Another example of an inflatable body 80 is shown in fig. 5B. In the example of fig. 5B, the body includes a plurality of individually expandable compartments 81,82,83 and 84. Each compartment may comprise a gas supply with a dedicated compressor to provide compressed air to the compartment.

Fig. 5B shows the inflatable body in a fully deployed state. Fig. 5C shows the same inflatable body, with some of the compartments no longer inflated. When the inflatable body is fully deployed, a first contact may be established between the blade and the hub. By releasing the compressed air, the height of the inflatable body can be controllably reduced, one compartment after the other. The blades can thus be brought closer to the hub.

Figure 5D shows another inflatable body 90 having a plurality of individual compartments 91-98. In this example, the compartments are not only arranged on top of each other as in fig. 5B and 5C, but also adjacent to each other. By selectively inflating and deflating specific cells, the shape of the inflatable body 90 may be changed. In the first case, to absorb the first impact, the body 90 may be fully inflated as in fig. 5D. As in fig. 5E, the selective cells may be partially or fully deflated depending on the orientation and position of the vanes. At the same time, the blade may be pushed towards the hub using a crane and/or a blade holder. As the size and shape of the body 90 changes, corrective motions may be applied to the blades so that the blades are properly aligned and/or oriented with the hub.

In another example, an adaptable elastomer, such as inflatable body 90, may include compartments in various directions. A first direction has been described, for example in fig. 5B and 5C, where the compartments are stacked on top of each other in a direction substantially along the longitudinal axis of the blade to be mounted. The second direction has been illustrated, for example in fig. 5D and 5E, where the compartments are provided in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the blade. In a further example, such a compartment may also be arranged in another direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the blade to be mounted. For example. In the mounting plane or in the plane of the pitch carrier, the compartments may be provided in two directions perpendicular to each other.

In another aspect, a wind turbine rotor hub is provided comprising a mounting surface for mounting a wind turbine blade, a support plate and a damper mounted on the support plate. The shock absorber is configured to change between a retracted configuration in which the shock absorber does not protrude beyond the mounting surface and a deployed configuration in which the shock absorber protrudes beyond the mounting surface.

In some examples, the wind turbine rotor hub may further comprise a pitch bearing, and wherein the support plate is arranged between the hub and the pitch bearing.

In some examples, the support plate may be integrally formed with the hub.

In some examples, the shock absorber may have an inflatable body. In some examples, the wind turbine rotor hub may further comprise a pneumatic system for inflating and deflating the body of the damper.

Fig. 6A and 6B schematically show another example of the shock absorber in the expanded state and the folded state. In the examples shown so far, the shock absorber has been shown in an inflatable or pressurized configuration. However, other arrangements are possible. For example, in fig. 6A, a telescoping elastomer 200 is shown. Such an elastomer 200 may for example be mounted to a hub or a blade, as shown before.

Shock absorber 200 may include a mounting surface at a proximal end and a resilient distal end 205 to absorb hub and blade impacts. In this particular example, three separate bodies are shown. The base 201 may be attached to, for example, a hub. The intermediate body 203 may slide or otherwise move relative to the base 201. The base 201 may include suitable guides. The distal body 205 may perform similar movements relative to the central body 203. In its deployed state, the damper may protrude beyond the mounting surface of the hub. Once contact has been made with the blades, the height of the body 200 can be reduced so that the blades can approach the hub.

In the folded or retracted state, the damper 200 does not protrude beyond the mounting surface of the hub, and thus the blade can be mounted. Transitioning from the retracted state to the deployed state may include inflation (in the case of an inflatable body or shock absorber), deployment, telescopic extraction, expansion, hydraulic actuation, or otherwise.

Fig. 7 shows another example of a damper 5, which damper 5 may be mounted on a hub during use for mounting a wind turbine blade. In the example of fig. 7, the shape of the damper or at least a portion of the shape of the damper may be complementary to a portion of the wind turbine blade. A male-female coupling may be established between a portion of the damper (e.g., the distal-most portion) and a portion of the blade (e.g., the inner edge 16 of the blade flange). .

In this particular example, the shock absorber may include two separate substantially cylindrical compartments 52 and 54. However, this is only one possible example.

In other examples, the damper may be mounted on the wind turbine blade and may be shaped to engage with a portion of a pitch carrier plate, for example.

The male-female coupling as schematically described herein may help to center the wind turbine blade with respect to the hub.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the preferred embodiments, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims. Those of ordinary skill in the art may mix and match aspects from the various described embodiments and other known equivalents for each such aspect to construct other embodiments and techniques in accordance with the principles of the application. If reference signs associated with the figures are placed in parentheses in the claims, they are used only for the purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.