Patent ID: 8397382

Claim:
A method of repairing a wind turbine blade ( 100 ) while mounted on a tower ( 500 ) without removing the blade ( 100 ) from the tower ( 500 ), comprising: positioning the blade ( 100 ) in a substantially vertical orientation; suspending a blade reinforcement structure ( 600 ) from a nacelle ( 400 ) via a hoisting system ( 1600 ) including a sinistral cable ( 1610 ), a dextral cable ( 1620 ), a sinistral hoist ( 1630 ), and a dextral hoist ( 1640 ), and further including the step of operating the sinistral hoist ( 1630 ) and the dextral hoist ( 1640 ) to raise the blade reinforcement structure ( 600 ) to the damaged portion ( 230 ); securing the blade reinforcement structure ( 600 ) to the blade ( 100 ) to reduce stress on a portion of the blade ( 100 ) further including the step of securing a clamping structure ( 700 ) to the blade ( 100 ) including securing a primary proximal clamp ( 800 ) and a primary distal clamp ( 1000 ) to the blade ( 100 ), and further includes the step of rigidly interlocking the primary proximal clamp ( 800 ) and the primary distal clamp ( 1000 ) with a clamp interlock structure ( 1200 ) so that the blade reinforcement structure ( 600 ) applies a load to the blade ( 100 ) in at least two locations, wherein the damaged portion ( 230 ) is located between the primary proximal clamp ( 800 ) and the primary distal clamp ( 1000 ); removing a damaged portion ( 230 ) of the blade ( 100 ); installing a repair portion ( 240 ) to the blade ( 100 ) where the damaged portion ( 230 ) was removed; and removing the blade reinforcement structure ( 600 ) from the blade ( 100 ).