Wind turbine blades lifting device and associated method

1. A wind turbine blades lifting device ( 100 ) comprising a structure ( 1 ) for supporting a blade ( 3 ) during lifting, wherein the structure ( 1 ) is made of a rigid material and defines a hollow closed contour with a geometry suitable for surrounding the blade ( 3 ), the device ( 100 ) further comprising:

a pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) attached to the structure ( 1 ) and arranged in the hollow area of the closed contour defined by said structure ( 1 ), such that said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) surrounds the blade ( 3 ) at least partially, said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) being inflatable and being arranged in the closed contour defined by the structure ( 1 ) such that when said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) is inflated, said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) retains the blade ( 3 ), immobilizing the blade ( 3 ) and preventing direct contact between the structure ( 1 ) and the blade ( 3 ),

wherein the structure ( 1 ) comprises a plurality of segments ( 1 . 1 ) fixed to one another in series in a specific manner to form the hollow closed contour with the required shape,

wherein the structure ( 1 ) comprises two parallel sub-structures ( 1 . 2 ) spaced from one another, each of them defining a hollow closed contour and both contours being equal, each sub-structure ( 1 . 2 ) comprising a plurality of segments ( 1 . 1 ) attached in series to form the corresponding hollow closed contour, and a plurality of sections ( 1 . 3 ) attaching both sub-structures ( 1 . 2 ) to one another,

wherein said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) comprises a respective pneumatic sub-chamber ( 4 . 1 ) for each sub-structure ( 1 . 2 ) of the structure ( 1 ), each pneumatic sub-chamber ( 4 . 1 ) being attached to the corresponding sub-structure ( 1 . 2 ), and

wherein each sub-structure ( 1 . 2 ) of the structure ( 1 ) comprises an inner surface on which the corresponding pneumatic sub-chamber ( 4 . 1 ) of the pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) is supported, each sub-structure ( 1 . 2 ) comprising a housing ( 1 . 2 . 1 ) on the inner surface thereof for housing the corresponding pneumatic sub-chamber ( 4 . 1 ) of said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ), each housing ( 1 . 2 . 1 ) comprising a substantially U-shaped cross-section.

2. A wind turbine blades lifting device ( 100 ) comprising a structure ( 1 ) for supporting a blade ( 3 ) during lifting, wherein the structure ( 1 ) is made of a rigid material and defines a hollow closed contour with a geometry suitable for surrounding the blade ( 3 ), the device ( 100 ) further comprising:

a pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) attached to the structure ( 1 ) and arranged in the hollow area of the closed contour defined by said structure ( 1 ), such that said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) surrounds the blade ( 3 ) at least partially, said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) being inflatable and being arranged in the closed contour defined by the structure ( 1 ) such that when said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) is inflated, said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) retains the blade ( 3 ), immobilizing the blade ( 3 ) and preventing direct contact between the structure ( 1 ) and the blade ( 3 ),

wherein the structure ( 1 ) comprises a plurality of segments ( 1 . 1 ) fixed to one another in series in a specific manner to form the hollow closed contour with the required shape,

wherein the structure ( 1 ) comprises two parallel sub-structures ( 1 . 2 ) spaced from one another, each of them defining a hollow closed contour and both contours being equal, each sub-structure ( 1 . 2 ) comprising a plurality of segments ( 1 . 1 ) attached in series to form the corresponding hollow closed contour, and a plurality of sections ( 1 . 3 ) attaching both sub-structures ( 1 . 2 ) to one another,

wherein said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) comprises a respective pneumatic sub-chamber ( 4 . 1 ) for each sub-structure ( 1 . 2 ) of the structure ( 1 ), each pneumatic sub-chamber ( 4 . 1 ) being attached to the corresponding sub-structure ( 1 . 2 ), and

wherein each pneumatic sub-chamber ( 4 . 1 ) is attached to the corresponding sub-structure ( 1 . 2 ) by means of an attachment element ( 5 ) surrounding both the pneumatic sub-chamber ( 4 . 1 ) and the corresponding sub-structure ( 1 . 2 ), said attachment element ( 5 ) comprising elastic properties to allow inflating the corresponding pneumatic sub-chamber ( 4 . 1 ).

3. A wind turbine blades lifting device ( 100 ) comprising a structure ( 1 ) for supporting a blade ( 3 ) during lifting, wherein the structure ( 1 ) is made of a rigid material and defines a hollow closed contour with a geometry suitable for surrounding the blade ( 3 ), the device ( 100 ) further comprising:

a pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) attached to the structure ( 1 ) and arranged in the hollow area of the closed contour defined by said structure ( 1 ), such that said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) surrounds the blade ( 3 ) at least partially, said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) being inflatable and being arranged in the closed contour defined by the structure ( 1 ) such that when said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) is inflated, said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) retains the blade ( 3 ), immobilizing the blade ( 3 ) and preventing direct contact between the structure ( 1 ) and the blade ( 3 ),

wherein the structure ( 1 ) comprises a plurality of segments ( 1 . 1 ) fixed to one another in series in a specific manner to form the hollow closed contour with the required shape,

wherein the structure ( 1 ) comprises two parallel sub-structures ( 1 . 2 ) spaced from one another, each of them defining a hollow closed contour and both contours being equal, each sub-structure ( 1 . 2 ) comprising a plurality of segments ( 1 . 1 ) attached in series to form the corresponding hollow closed contour, and a plurality of sections ( 1 . 3 ) attaching both sub-structures ( 1 . 2 ) to one another,

wherein said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) comprises a respective pneumatic sub-chamber ( 4 . 1 ) for each sub-structure ( 1 . 2 ) of the structure ( 1 ), each pneumatic sub-chamber ( 4 . 1 ) being attached to the corresponding sub-structure ( 1 . 2 ), and

a fluid distributor ( 7 ) fixed in an upper part of the structure ( 1 ) and attached to the two sub-structures ( 1 . 2 ), said distributor ( 7 ) being in fluid communication with both pneumatic sub-chambers ( 4 . 1 ) of the pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) for inflating them with a corresponding fluid.

4. A wind turbine blades lifting device comprising a structure ( 1 ) for supporting the blade ( 3 ) during lifting, wherein the structure ( 1 ) is made of a rigid material and defines a hollow closed contour with a geometry suitable for surrounding the blade ( 3 ), the device ( 100 ) further comprising:

a pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) attached to the structure ( 1 ) and arranged in the hollow area of the closed contour defined by said structure ( 1 ), such that the pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) surrounds the blade ( 3 ) at least partially, said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) being inflatable and being arranged in the closed contour defined by the structure ( 1 ) such that when it is inflated, said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) retains the blade ( 3 ), immobilizing it and preventing direct contact between the structure ( 1 ) and the blade ( 3 ); and

a plurality of rollers ( 6 ) attached to the structure ( 1 ) with freedom of rotation with respect to their own respective axes, said rollers ( 6 ) being attached to the structure ( 1 ) such that with said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) deflated and the structure ( 1 ) surrounding the blade ( 3 ), said rollers ( 6 ) contact the blade ( 3 ) before the structure ( 1 ) contacts the blade ( 3 ), said rollers ( 6 ) projecting from at least one side of the structure ( 1 ), and the material of said rollers ( 6 ) being selected so that it is strong enough to roll stably over the blade ( 3 ) and soft enough to not damage the blade ( 3 ) during rolling.

5. The device according to claim 4 , comprising at least one transverse coupling ( 1 . 4 ) that is attached to an outer surface of the structure ( 1 ) and is suitable for being supported by lifting means ( 2 ) which lift the device ( 100 ) and the associated blade ( 3 ), the coupling ( 1 . 4 ) being attached to the structure ( 1 ) at at least two distant points and the coupling ( 1 . 4 ) comprising a section ( 1 . 4 . 1 ) between both points which is separated from the structure ( 1 ), such that said separation is used for said lifting means ( 2 ) to support the device ( 100 ).

6. A method of fixing a wind turbine blade to a device according to claim 4 , wherein the hollow closed contour defined by the structure ( 1 ) of the device ( 100 ) is arranged facing the tip of the blade ( 3 ), and with said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) of the device ( 100 ) deflated, the structure ( 1 ) slides longitudinally on the outer surface of the blade ( 3 ) to the desired position.

7. The method of fixing a wind turbine blade according to claim 6 , wherein with the structure ( 1 ) being in the desired position, said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) is inflated so that said pneumatic chamber ( 4 ) retains the blade ( 3 ) immobilizing the blade ( 3 ), and causes the lifting of the device ( 100 ), and therefore of the blade ( 3 ) immobilized by the device ( 100 ).

8. The device according to claim 4 , wherein the structure ( 1 ) comprises a substantially inverted U shape in an upper part suitable for receiving the trailing edge of the blade ( 3 ).