Patent ID: 7993103

Claim:
A method of assembling a wind turbine system comprising: providing a blade root hub fitting defining a fitting open passage that includes a plurality of fastener open passages in flow communication with the fitting open passage; providing a wind turbine blade including a fitting cavity defined therein; inserting the blade root hub fitting into the fitting cavity such that the blade root hub fitting is positioned within the wind turbine blade; coupling the wind turbine blade to the blade root hub fitting using a plurality of fasteners that each extend through a respective one of the plurality of fastener open passages and into the fitting open passage, wherein the fitting open passage remains substantially unobstructed, wherein the blade root hub fitting is a stepped joint blade root hub fitting that contacts an inner surface of a wind turbine blade root end portion and an end surface of the wind turbine blade root end portion, when the wind turbine blade is coupled to the blade root hub fitting, such that a blade coupling portion does not extend over a radially outer surface of the wind turbine blade; and coupling the blade root hub fitting to a rotatable hub.