BLADE ACCESS CLEANING SYSTEM FOR WIND TURBINES - Click to open brochure in new window

The Pro-Bel Wind Turbine Blade Access System is an innovative, engineered, suspended maintenance solution to blade cleaning that is typically offered under a maintenance service contract.

Typically, a Pro-Bel crew arrives at the turbine site with specialized rigging equipment consisting of a square-shaped modular aluminum platform with a “hole” in the center (square donut). The platform, configured to suit the size of the blade, is suspended using twin traction hoists and a four cable system secured to a single anchor point (upper suspension points) at the top of the turbine tower on the underside of the nacelle or generator housing. The cables from the hoists (two primary and two secondary) are also connected on the ground to “pulling frame” structures mounted on a flatbed truck or trailer that reels the cables in and out to access the blades.

A movable counterbalance weight mounted to outriggers keeps the platform horizontal during use. The complete system is controlled from either the platform mounted central control box or the ground and includes anti-tilt safety devices, emergency stop buttons, overload protection, top limit switches and safety brakes connected to the two secondary steel wire ropes.

Maintenance personnel employ industry standard fall protection harnesses, lifelines and anchorages.

Another area of concern over time is the maintenance of the tube itself; this requires another smaller platform that is set up in the same manner as the blade access platform. With this unit two smaller baskets are on the end in order to have some access to the blade if required.

A pull back unit is located on the trailer in order to pull the unit towards the blade.