General Electric Company
Counterweight Assembly for Use During Single Blade Installation of a Wind Turbine

Abstract:

A method for installing a plurality of rotor blades to a rotatable hub secured atop a tower of a wind turbine includes providing a counterweight assembly having, at least, an arm member and a counterweight mass secured at a distal end of the mounting assembly. The method also includes securing the arm member of the counterweight assembly to the hub of the wind turbine. Further, the method includes consecutively installing the plurality of rotor blades onto the hub of the wind turbine. Moreover, the method includes rotating the arm member about a rotation axis of the hub to continuously adjust a position of the counterweight mass between each consecutive installation of the plurality of rotor blades to change a center of gravity of the hub and maintain a balanced rotor of the wind turbine during installation of the plurality of rotor blades.