Abstract:
A method and apparatus for stabilizing a piece of equipment, especially a wind turbine blade when removed from a wind turbine tower, the method and apparatus including a stabilizer bag placed on the ground, having one or more interior inflatable cavities surrounded by a durable exterior membrane having welded seams and at least one valve for purposes of inflation and deflation.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application 61/220,251 filed Jun. 25, 2009 by the present inventor and the application is hereto incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     NAMES OF PARTIES TO JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING 
     Not Applicable 
     DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The disclosed invention relates to a method and system for stabilization and support of equipment, specifically wind turbine blades when they are removed from a wind turbine for cleaning or maintenance tasks. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Wind turbines are rapidly gaining respect as a viable source of energy needs and consequently, the production and installation of these structures is exploding. Accompanying their growth is a host of challenges including the need to develop better and easier ways to perform cleaning and maintenance tasks. 
     The traditional wind turbine is a three bladed turbine mounted on a tower. Horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWT) are common and typically comprise a main rotor shaft and electrical generator at the top of a tower. Larger turbines generally use a wind sensor coupled with a servo motor and often a gearbox to speed the blade rotation to a suitable speed for an electrical generator. 
     On commercial wind turbines, towers are tall, at times nearly 90 meters. Turbine blades are extremely large and stiff to prevent the blades from being pushed into the tower by high winds. Cleaning and maintenance to the blades, hub, axles, bearings, and or the generator, motor or gearbox is critical to ensure efficient performance. The most common method of accessing the blades for these routine tasks is to remove the entire bladed turbine from the tower. Due to the height of the tower, coupled with the cumbersome size and rigidity of the turbine and blades, removal and maintenance becomes a challenging feat, requiring tall and expensive cranes and skilled operators. Once the turbine and blades are removed from the tower they are typically lowered to the ground for the cleaning or maintenance tasks. The turbine sits on the ground, however the design of the overall structure results in the blades being suspended in the air rather than touching the ground. In this position the blades, with their extreme length unsupported, are extremely vulnerable to catching and twisting in the wind, torquing, bending or breaking. 
     Workers, in a desperate attempt to support and stabilize the blades during cleaning or maintenance tasks, are resorting to hay bales or huge foam blocks on which to set the blades. These methods come with significant inherent disadvantages. Hay is an impractical solution because often the wind turbines are located on ranches and farms where range animals are present. Cows, horses, goats, sheep and other animals then mill about the blades in an attempt to eat the hay or, in some cases, even the foam blocks. This situation creates a nuisance and a danger to the contractors. The hay bales are large and difficult to move. The hay itself is rough and scratchy and can damage the blades. Foam blocks weigh less than hay but they are still bulky and must be transported on large trailers from site to site, resulting in unnecessary equipment and fuel expense, certainly contradicting the purpose of creating wind energy. 
     There is a need for quick and easy system to support and stabilize wind turbine blades during maintenance efforts. The solution must be relatively inexpensive, lightweight and small for purposes of packaging and transport, but yet capable of supporting and stabilizing great weight and large bulk. 
     Notation and Nomenclature 
     Certain terms are used throughout the following description to refer to particular method components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, design and manufacturing companies may refer to a component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function. 
     In the following discussion, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to . . . .” Also, the term “couple” or “couples” is intended to mean either an indirect or direct connection. Thus, if a first device couples to a second device, that connection may be through a direct connection or through an indirect connection via other intermediate devices and connections. Moreover, the term “method” means “one or more components” combined together. Thus, a method can comprise an “entire method” or “sub methods” within the method. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The disadvantages shown in the prior art are solved by a method and system for stabilizing equipment. The disclosed method and apparatus is an inflatable stabilization system that quickly, easily, and inexpensively stabilizes wind turbine blades during routine cleaning and maintenance tasks. The system is deflatable for high efficiency packing and transport. It is an objective of the disclosed invention to overcome the disadvantages in the current methods used for supporting and stabilizing equipment, and especially wind turbine blades. 
     It is an objective of the disclosed invention to provide a stabilizer and support for a wind turbine blade when the turbine and blades are removed from the tower. 
     It is an objective of the disclosed invention to provide an equipment stabilizer and support method and apparatus that has high packaging and travel efficiency. 
     It is an objective of the disclosed invention to provide an equipment stabilizer and support method and apparatus that is easy and fast to set up and that is relatively inexpensive. 
     It is an objective of the disclosed invention to provide an equipment stabilizer and support method and apparatus that does not damage the wind turbine blades. 
     It is an objective of the disclosed invention to provide an equipment stabilizer and support method and apparatus that neither harms nor attracts animals. 
     It is an objective of the disclosed invention to provide an equipment stabilizer and support method and apparatus that can withstand harsh weather extremes such as sun and high winds. 
     It is further an objective of the disclosed invention to provide an equipment stabilizer and support method and apparatus that is durable enough to last from jobsite to jobsite and to withstand terrain. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The application makes no claim for the structure of certain objects depicted in the photos and drawings, such as drawings of windmill turbines, and they are considered prior art. 
       The drawings contained herein represent preferred embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope. For a detailed description of various embodiments, reference will now be made to the accompanying illustrative drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  depicts a view a preferred embodiment of the disclosed invention. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a preferred embodiment of the disclosed invention. 
         FIG. 3  depicts a preferred embodiment of the disclosed invention. 
         FIG. 4  depicts a preferred embodiment of the disclosed invention. 
         FIG. 5  depicts a preferred embodiment of the disclosed invention. 
         FIG. 6  depicts a preferred embodiment of the disclosed invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The terrain where wind turbines are most popular are rural, arid, windy regions that can be harsh. The terrain and circumstances require a stabilizer system that is specifically designed to be heavy duty and can withstand the rough ground and weather elements. 
     Disclosed is an invention for stabilizing a piece of equipment using a specially constructed inflatable stabilizer bag system. The system comprises, in combination, a plurality of inflatable and deflatable stabilizer bags, a ground cover, an anchoring kit, and a means for inflating the stabilizer bags. 
       FIG. 1  depicts a close up view of the disclosed invention in place under a wind turbine blade  10 . The depicted embodiment shows a stabilizer bag  12  in its inflated state, resting atop a protective ground tarp  14 . In the preferred embodiment, ground tarps are a part of the system as they protect the bottom of the stabilizer bag from rough or rocky ground. The ground tarps may be further defined as heavy duty vinyl coated polyester and are of a width and length at least a few inches larger in dimension than that of the base of the bag itself. 
     The stabilizer bag  12  is made of heavy duty materials which, in a preferred embodiment, are vinyl coated polyester  22  ounce and UV resistant. The preferred dimensions for adequate stabilization of the wind turbine blades are 10′L by 5′W by 6.5′H, although other dimensions may certainly be used depending on the size of the blade being stabilized. 
     The stabilizer bag  12  is secured to the ground by anchor stakes  16 . The tarp  14  may be staked down as well as the bag  12  if desired. 
     If necessary, and specifically in high wind areas, the blade  10  itself may be strapped or tied down to the bag  12  using straps  18  adhered to the bag  12 , although this is not an essential step under most conditions as the weight of the blade  10  typically holds the blade  10  in place on the bag  12 . The blade  10  may be secured to the ground by a strap  18  around the free end of the blade  10  and anchored with an anchor stake  16  securely placed in the ground. The bag  12  can also be secured to the ground using tie downs  20  with anchor stakes  16  securely placed in the ground. It is helpful to secure the bag  12  to the ground prior to placing the wind turbine blade  10  on it or after removing the wind turbine blade  10  for purposes of holding the bag  12  in place, especially in high wind conditions. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the stabilizer bag  12  is deflated for packing and transportation and inflated on the jobsite prior to use. 
       FIG. 2  reflects the preferred embodiment of the disclosed invention with a more perspective view. The wind turbine  22  sits on the ground and the blade  10  sits securely on the stabilizer bag  12  once it is in its inflated state. The blade  10  rests on the bag  12  at a point where the weight is best supported which, in a preferred embodiment for a wind turbine blade, may be a point somewhere between the midpoint of the blade  10  and the far end of the blade  10 . The ground tarp  14  and anchor stakes  16  are noted in the view. The stabilizer bag  12  keeps the blade  10  from twisting, torquing or bending, especially in wind. 
       FIG. 3  depicts an outer view of a two way valve  24  which is the preferred embodiment for the entry and exit point for both the inflation and deflation of air in the bag. The two-way valve  24  extends from the inner cavity of the bag to the external surface of the bag for inflation and deflation of the interior of the bag  12 . The two way valve  24  is preferably heavy duty to accommodate the frequent inflation and deflation required as the bags are transported from jobsite to jobsite. 
       FIG. 4  depicts the seam  26  of the inflatable bag  12 , which, in the preferred embodiment is heavy duty and wide due to the nature of this use requiring significant durability, although it may be of any width to support the intended use. The seams used in the preferred embodiment are  1  ½″ wide and are welded, providing a much higher level of durability consistent with the demands of the disclosed use. 
       FIG. 5  reflects the D ring  28  of the air bag  12 , which, in the preferred embodiment is welded from behind to provide additional support and durability such that the materials will hold up well when used repetitively and in high wind areas. The concept of welding the D rings from behind on an inflatable air bag is a novel concept conceived by this inventor in order to provide the strength and support to withstand heavy winds and repeated use. 
       FIG. 6  reflects the rounded corner  30  design of the inflatable air bag  12  which offers additional durability and minimizes the risk of corner tears and holes. 
     The method disclosed herein represents a novel method and system to stabilize a piece of equipment  10 , specifically a windmill turbine blade  10 , during cleaning and maintenance. The stabilizer bag  12  system, represents novel aspects of construction specifically designed to withstand the rigors associated with the bag being repetitively inflated, deflated, transported, bearing significant weight and being utilized in areas of rough terrain and high wind. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the wind turbine stabilizing system is packaged as a kit comprising three stabilizer bags, twenty four plastic stakes, twenty four bungee cords, three ground tarps, a repair kit consisting of HH-66 glue and vinyl scraps, and a shop vacuum for inflation and deflation of the bags at the jobsite. A 5 hp motor shop vacuum is sufficient power for inflation and deflation of bags of the dimensions described. Once the bags are deflated the entire kit is small, light and easily transportable. 
     In the preferred embodiment, as a matter of practice, the user would first unpack the kit and inflate all three stabilizer bag by attaching the shop vacuum or other air supply to the two way valve. The user would then place the ground tarp on the ground in the desired location corresponding to where each of the three wind turbine blades would be. 
     The user then places each inflated stabilizer bag on each ground tarp. In the preferred embodiment, the bags further comprise anchoring points, preferably at each corner, which may further be defined by metal D rings through which anchoring straps can be threaded and staked to the ground. The user may secure each bag to the ground using the supplied plastic stakes and bungee cords. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the metal D rings are welded from behind for additional strength and stability. The anchoring straps may comprise any sturdy material sufficient to stabilize the bag in high wind situations and may be nylon, rubber, rope or elastic bungee cord construction. 
     In the preferred embodiment the stakes are of sufficient length and size to adequately hold the bag dimensions in windy conditions. Stakes of 12″ in length, and of plastic construction have been found to sufficiently hold the bag in a stable position and are less costly than stakes of heavier material such as iron or other materials. Other sizes may be appropriate, provided they hold the bag securely. 
     In operation, once the bag is securely in place, the user may lower the wind turbine to the ground, allowing each blade to come to rest on its corresponding stabilizer bag. The user may then proceed to clean and maintain the blades or the turbine. 
     Upon completion, the user may remove the wind turbine and deflate the stabilizer bags. The bags, anchor stakes, bungee cords and air supply may be packed and compactly stored in an accompanying storage bag. 
     The disclosed method, system and apparatus solves the problems depicted in the background of the specification and provides a compact, easily transportable, inexpensive and easy to use solution for stabilizing wind turbine blades during cleaning or maintenance tasks. The disclosed invention may be used to support other types of equipment and is not limited to use with wind turbine blades. 
     While the disclosed method and apparatus has been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments thereof, many changes, modifications, alterations and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The invention should therefore not be limited to the particular preferred embodiment disclosed but should include all embodiments that could fall within the scope of the claims. 
     Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings and described in detail above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting, and various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims set forth below.