transporter

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a transporter for transporting a wind turbine blade which is 5 configured to account for bending and torsional stresses which may be applied to the blade during transportation by allowing for rotation of the turbine blade about three perpendicular axes.

Description

[0001] TRANSPORTER

[0002] FIELD

[0003] The present invention relates to a transporter for transporting a wind turbine blade.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] As the global demand for clean energy continues to increase, so does the demand for larger capacity wind turbines capable of meeting this demand. However, high capacity (>3MW) wind turbines require very large rotor diameters to allow the wind turbines to sweep greater areas and hence produce larger amounts of electricity. As such, the span lengths of the turbine blades which make up modern wind turbine rotors are also very large which can make transporting modern wind turbine blades a significant challenge.

[0006] The significant lengths of wind turbine blades mean that continuous constraint of the wind turbine blade along its length is impractical, and the blade is therefore typically held at discrete points along its length. Yet wind turbine blades are not only becoming longer but are also inherently stiff structures, and this causes any misalignments between these discrete points to potentially result in significant bending and torsional loads on the blade.

[0007] As such, it is an aim of the present invention to provide a means for reducing the bending and / or torsional stresses exerted on a wind turbine blade during transportation.

[0008] SUMMARY

[0009] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a transporter for transporting a wind turbine blade, the transporter comprising: a support frame; and a cradle arrangement configured for supporting a portion of the wind turbine blade on the support frame, wherein the cradle arrangement is rotatably coupled to the support frame by a ball joint mechanism comprising a ball and socket between the cradle arrangement and support frame and configured to allow the cradle arrangement to rotate about three perpendicular axes relative to the support frame.

[0010] The transporter may further comprise a locking mechanism configured to releasably retain the ball in the socket, wherein the locking mechanism in a locked configuration holds the ball captive in the socket. When the ball is held captive, the locking mechanism is configured to allow the cradle arrangement to rotate, such as rotate about three perpendicular axes relative to the support frame. Thus, the locking mechanism when set to hold the ball captive, still allows the ball to rotate freely. In some examples, the locking mechanism is further configured so that in an unlocked configuration, the locking mechanism allows removal of the ball from the socket and separation of the cradle arrangement from the support frame.

[0011] Thus, the locking mechanism may comprise a locking means such as locking bars configured to hold the ball captive, but freely rotatable, in the socket in a locked configuration and / or to enable removal of the ball from the socket and thereby separation of the cradle arrangement from the support frame in an unlocked configuration.

[0012] In some examples, the transporter may further comprise three or more resilient support elements about the ball joint mechanism and configured to bias the cradle arrangement into an orientation relative to the support frame.

[0013] In some examples, the cradle arrangement may comprise a plate defining a bearing surface configured to slidably engage with each of the resilient support elements.

[0014] In some examples, the plate may have a central aperture through which the ball joint mechanism extends.

[0015] In some examples, each of the resilient support elements may include a spring.

[0016] In some examples, the transporter may be configured such that the load or substantially the entire load of the cradle arrangement is supported by the ball joint mechanism.

[0017] In some examples, the cradle arrangement may have a receiving surface configured to conform to an outer aerodynamic surface of a wind turbine blade.

[0018] In some examples, the cradle arrangement and support frame form part of a first transporter portion for supporting a portion of a wind turbine blade outboard of a root end of the wind turbine blade, and the transporter further comprises a second transporter portion comprising a further support frame, and a clamping arrangement for supporting the root end of the wind turbine blade.

[0019] In some examples, the support frame may be mounted on a wheeled chassis moveable on a plurality of wheels.

[0020] In some examples, the wheeled chassis may comprise a drive unit configured to drive the plurality of wheels. In some examples, one or more of the plurality of wheels may be height adjustable.

[0021] In some examples, the support frame may be fixed relative to the wheeled chassis to substantially prevent translation of the support frame relative to the wheeled chassis.

[0022] In some examples, the support frame may be slidably mounted on the wheeled chassis to permit longitudinal translation of the support frame relative to the wheeled chassis.

[0023] In some examples, the support frame may comprise two or more legs for supporting the support frame on the ground.

[0024] In some examples, the legs may each have an adjustable length configured to extend relative to ground.

[0025] In some examples, the clamping arrangement may be configured to rotate relative to the support frame of the second transporter portion about a generally horizontal axis.

[0026] In some examples, the rotation between the clamping arrangement and the support frame of the second transporter portion may be controlled by one or more actuators.

[0027] In some examples, the second transporter may be configured to provide rotation of the clamping arrangement about a generally vertical axis. The relative rotation may be provided by a rotatable mount attached to a chassis of the second transporter portion.

[0028] In some examples, the support frame of the first and / or second transporter includes a guideway, track or like arrangement on which the support frame is slidably mounted. The guideway, track or like arrangement may be configured to permit translation of the support frame relative to a chassis of the transporter along a longitudinal axis of the respective transporter.

[0029] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a use of the transporter of the first aspect for transporting a wind turbine blade from a mould during manufacture of the wind turbine blade.

[0030] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Examples will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0032] Figure 1 illustrates a front view of a wind turbine;

[0033] Figure 2 illustrates an exploded view of a transporter portion for supporting a portion of a wind turbine blade outboard of the root end of the wind turbine blade; Figure 3 illustrates a support frame of the transporter portion;

[0034] Figure 4 illustrates a ball joint mechanism of the transporter portion;

[0035] Figure 5 illustrates a top-down view of the support frame;

[0036] Figure 6 illustrates a side view of the support frame;

[0037] Figure 7 illustrates a perspective view of the ball joint mechanism in a disengages configuration in which a ball of the ball joint mechanism is not engaged with a socket of the ball joint mechanism;

[0038] Figure 8 illustrates a perspective view of the ball joint mechanism in an engaged configuration in which the ball of the ball joint mechanism is inserted into the socket;

[0039] Figure 9 illustrates a perspective view of a locking mechanism configured to releasably retain the ball of the ball joint mechanism in the socket;

[0040] Figure 10 illustrates a schematic planform view of the ball joint mechanism locking into the engaged configuration by the locking mechanism;

[0041] Figure 11 illustrates a transporter for transporting the wind turbine blade;

[0042] Figure 12 illustrates an exploded view of a second transporter portion for supporting a root end of a wind turbine blade;

[0043] Figure 13 illustrates a perspective view of the second transporter portion attached to a root end of the wind turbine blade in a mould;

[0044] Figure 14 illustrates a wind turbine blade transport system transporting the wind turbine blade from a mould of the wind turbine blade.

[0045] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Figure 1 shows a wind turbine 1 including a nacelle 2 supported on a tower 3 that is mounted on a foundation 4. The wind turbine 1 depicted here is an onshore wind turbine such that the foundation 4 is embedded in the ground, but the wind turbine 1 could be an offshore installation in which case the foundation 4 would be provided by a suitable marine platform, such as a monopile or jacket.

[0047] The nacelle 2 supports a rotor 5 comprising a hub 6 to which three blades 7 are attached. The blades 7 which make up the rotor 5 of the wind turbine 1 each comprise a tip end, which is located distal from the hub 6, and a root end, which is located proximal to the hub 6. It shall be noted that the wind turbine 1 is the common type of horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) such that the rotor 5 is mounted at the nacelle 2 to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis defined at the centre at the hub 6. As is known, the blades 7 are acted on by the wind which causes the rotor 5 to rotate about its axis thereby operating generating equipment through a gearbox (not shown) that is housed in the nacelle 2. The generating equipment is not shown in Figure 1 since it is not central to the examples of the invention. Wind turbine blades, such as those displayed in Figure 1 , are typically manufactured from glass or carbon fibre reinforced composite materials and hence can be prone to damage due to bending or torsional forces, particularly when such forces are applied in a direction which is perpendicular to the orientation of the fibre reinforcements within the blade. One of the most common scenarios in which bending or torsional forces may be applied to a wind turbine blade is during transportation. Even relatively small differences between the vertical position, horizontal position or orientation of the root end of the turbine blade relative to the tip end of the turbine blade can lead to large torsional and bending stresses being applied to the blade.

[0048] The present disclosure relates to a transporter for transporting a wind turbine blade.

[0049] In some examples, the transporter comprises a transporter portion. The transporter portion may be a self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT) having a drive unit. Alternatively, the transporter may be externally propelled with the drive assistance of an external unit, such as a road vehicle.

[0050] In the illustrated examples, a first horizontal axis (X) is defined which extends in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the transporter portion, and hence extends along a length of the transporter portion. A second horizontal (Y) axis is also defined which extends in a direction parallel to a transverse axis of the transporter portion, and hence extends across a width of the transporter portion, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. However, it shall be appreciated that in some examples, the first and second horizontal axis may have different orientations. In some examples, the first horizontal axis may be defined as an axis which is parallel to a transverse axis of the transporter portion and the second horizontal axis may be defined as an axis which is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the transporter portion. It shall also be appreciated that in some examples, the angle formed between the first and second horizontal axes may be more than 90 degrees or less than 90 degrees.

[0051] An example of a suitable transporter portion 10 which may be used for supporting a wind turbine blade 7 during transportation is shown in Figure 2.

[0052] The transporter portion 10 is provided with a cradle arrangement 20 configured for supporting a portion of the wind turbine blade 7. The transporter portion 10 may be adapted for supporting a portion of the wind turbine blade 7 having an aerodynamic profile. Accordingly, the cradle arrangement 20 may have a receiving surface 21 configured to conform to an outer aerodynamic surface of a wind turbine blade 7. In the illustrated examples, an aerodynamic profile is a streamlined profile configured to produce significantly more lift than drag. In some examples, the transporter portion 10 may be configured to support a tip end of a wind turbine blade 7, or a portion of the wind turbine blade 7 proximate the tip end. In other examples, the transporter portion 10 may be configured to support a portion of the blade 7 at least a third of the length of the blade away from the root end, proximate to a centre position of the blade 7, or outboard of the centre position of the blade 7.

[0053] The transporter portion 10 shown in Figure 2 is a self-propelled modular transporter portion (SPMT) having a drive unit 11 that is arranged to move independently, i.e. in the absence of any pulling vehicle, although it shall be appreciated that the SPMT may be arranged to be moved by a pulling vehicle alternately or in addition to independent movement.

[0054] The transporter portion 10 includes a chassis 12 which may be supported on a plurality of wheels 14 disposed along the length of the chassis 12, and otherwise referred to as a wheeled chassis 12. At least some of the wheels 14 may be driven by the drive unit 11. It shall be appreciated that in some examples, the transporter portion may comprise a different form of ground contacting element to wheels 14, such as a crawler track.

[0055] The chassis 12 comprises a substantially flat load bed 15 on which a support frame 16 can be mounted. The support frame 16 sits upon a platform 17 that can be selected to determine a height of the support frame 16 relative to the load bed 15. The support frame 16 in the present example is fixed relative to the chassis 12 to substantially prevent translation of the support frame 16 relative to the chassis 12, although in other examples the support frame 16 may be slidably mounted on the chassis 12 to permit longitudinal translation of the support frame 16 relative to the chassis 12, such as discussed in relation to the second transporter portion 50 of Figure 12.

[0056] The cradle arrangement 20 is rotatably coupled to the support frame 16 by a ball joint mechanism 30 configured to allow the cradle arrangement 20 to rotate about three perpendicular axes relative to the chassis 12. The ball joint mechanism 30 comprises a ball 31 and socket 32, each of the chassis 12 and cradle arrangement 20 attached to a respective one of the ball 31 and socket 32. In the present example, the ball 31 is attached to the support frame 16 and the socket is attached to the cradle arrangement 20 (See the socket in Figure 7), although it shall be appreciated the socket 32 may be attached to the support frame 16 and the ball 31 attached to the cradle arrangement 20.

[0057] When in use, the cradle arrangement 20 is used to receive a portion of a wind turbine blade 7. In the present example, the cradle arrangement 20 is configured such that the wind turbine blade 7 rests on the receiving surface 21 in the absence of any clamping force, such that the wind turbine blade 7 is pressed on the receiving surface 21 using only the weight of the blade 7 itself.

[0058] In some examples, the transporter portion 10 may comprise a set of springs 34 that are configured to bias the cradle arrangement 20 into an orientation relative to ground. In the present example, the transporter portion 10 comprises four springs 34 arranged to orient the cradle arrangement 20 substantially horizontally relative to ground. A horizontal orientation of the cradle arrangement 20 in this instance is an orientation of the cradle arrangement 20 that orients the chord of the wind turbine blade 7 to a substantially horizontal orientation. It shall be appreciated that, in other examples, the set of springs 34 may bias the cradle arrangement 20 to an orientation other than horizontal. The cradle arrangement 20 may be biased by the springs 34 into an orientation that allows easier access to the wind turbine blade 7 as it is lowered into the cradle arrangement 20.

[0059] In some examples, the transporter portion 10 is configured such that the load or substantially the entire load of the cradle arrangement 20 is supported by the ball joint mechanism 30. In other words, a majority of the weight of the cradle arrangement 20, and wind turbine blade 7 when supported by the cradle arrangement 20, is directed vertically through the ball joint mechanism 30.

[0060] In the present example, the transporter portion includes four springs 34. In other examples, the transport 10 may include a different number of springs, for example three or more. The springs 34 may be evenly distributed radially about the ball joint mechanism 30, such as shown in Figure 5, and will typically be vertically oriented, such as shown in Figure 6. It will be appreciated that in other examples, alternative resilient support elements to springs 34 may be provided, such as pistons.

[0061] The springs 34 may be attached to a mounting bracket 33 of the support frame 16. The springs 34 be configured to slidably engage a bearing surface of the cradle arrangement 20. At a distal end of the springs 34 relative to the mounting bracket 33, the springs 34 may include a contact element 35 configured to engage the bearing surface of the cradle arrangement 20. The contact element 35 may include a smoothly curved upper surface configured to slidably engage the bearing surface. The curved upper surface is arranged to accommodate rotation of the bearing surface as the cradle arrangement 20 rotates relative to the support frame 16. The upper surface may be spherical to substantially match the rotation provided by the ball joint mechanism 30. The cradle arrangement 20 may include a plate 25 that defines the bearing surface, as will be discussed further in relation to Figures 7 and 8.

[0062] The support frame 16 may include one or more ground support elements arranged to support the support frame 16 on the ground in the absence of the wheeled chassis 12. In some examples, the ground support elements may include a legs 19 that extend vertically towards the ground. The legs 19 can maintain the cradle arrangement 20 in a sufficiently elevated position such that the wind turbine blade 7 can be supported on the cradle arrangement 20 in the absence of the wheeled chassis 12, when required. In some examples, the legs 19 may each have an adjustable length configured to extend relative to ground. In the example shown in Figures 3-6, the transporter portion 10 include four legs 19 although it will be appreciated that the transporter portion 10 may include any suitable number of legs 19, as required.

[0063] Figures 7 shows the ball joint mechanism 30 in a disengaged configuration in which the ball 31 is not engaged with the socket 32. In other words, the cradle arrangement 20 is not supported on the support frame 16.

[0064] Figure 8 shows the ball joint mechanism 30 in an engaged configuration in which the ball 31 is inserted into the socket 32, such that the cradle arrangement 20 is supported on the support frame 16. In this configuration, the springs 34 engage the bearing surface to bias the cradle arrangement 20 to a generally horizontal orientation. In particular, the contact elements 35 of the springs 34 can engage a plate 25 of the cradle arrangement 20, as discussed previously.

[0065] The plate 25 may include a central aperture 26 through which ball 31 is insertable, such that the plate 25 extends radially around the ball joint mechanism 30. In this manner, each spring 34 may engage the same plate 25, although it shall be appreciated that multiple plates may be provided in other examples, such that each plate is engage by one or more of the springs 34.

[0066] To releasably retain the engaged configuration in which the ball 31 in inserted into the socket 32, the transporter portion 10 may include a locking mechanism 40. Figures 7 and 8 show the locking mechanism 40 in an unlocked configuration in which the ball 31 is removeable from the socket 32. Figures 9 and 10 show the locking mechanism 40 in a locked configuration in which the ball 31 is captive in the socket 32 such that the ball 31 cannot be disengaged from the socket 32 without moving the locking mechanism 40 to the unlocked configuration.

[0067] In some examples, the locking mechanism 40 may include one or more locking bars 41 that are slidable through respective apertures 32a in the socket 32 to locate in an undercut 31 a of the ball 31 of the ball joint mechanism 30 (See Figures 7 and 8). In this manner, the ball 31 can be prevented from exiting the socket 32 without restricting rotational movement of the ball 31 in the socket 32.

[0068] The transporter portion 10 may form part of a transporter 100. The transporter 100 may form part of a wind turbine blade transport system that transports the wind turbine blade 7. The transporter portion 10 may be a first transporter portion 10 of the transporter 100, and the wind turbine blade 7 is further supported by a second transporter portion 50 of the transporter 100 for supporting a root end of the wind turbine blade 7, such as shown in Figure 11 .

[0069] The second transporter portion 50 may be similar to the first transporter portion 10 in having a drive unit 11 so as to be moveable independently of a pulling vehicle. The second transporter portion 50 may be a self-propelled modular transporter portion (SPMT). The second transporter portion 50 includes a chassis 12 which may be supported on a plurality of wheels 14 disposed along the length of the chassis 12. At least some of the wheels 14 may be driven by the drive unit 11 .

[0070] The second transporter portion 50 is provided with a clamping arrangement 70 configured for supporting a root end of the wind turbine blade 7. The clamping arrangement 70 may be fixed to a support frame 66 of the second transport 50 that is itself mounted on the chassis 12. The chassis 12 may comprise a substantially flat load bed 15 on which the support frame 66 is mountable.

[0071] The support frame 66 may be rotatable relative to the chassis 12 about the vertical axis Z. The clamping arrangement 70 attached to the support frame 66 is thereby rotatable on the support frame 66 relative to the chassis 12. Figure 12 shows the support frame fixed to a rotatable mount 65 that rotatably mounts the clamping arrangement 70 relative to the chassis 12. In other words, the rotatable mount 65 can provide for relative rotation of the root end of the wind turbine blade 7 about the vertical axis Z. The rotatable mount 65 may be configured to permit approximately 360-degree rotation of the clamping arrangement 70 relative to the chassis 12, although in some examples the degree of rotation permitted by the rotatable mount 65 may be less than 360 degrees.

[0072] The support frame 66 may be translatable along the horizontal axes of the transporter portion X, Y via a guideway, track or like arrangement. In some examples, the rotatable mount 65 may be secured to the chassis 12 in a manner that permits translation of the support frame 66 through translation of the rotatable mount 65, such as via a guideway or track. In the example shown in Figure 12, the rotatable mount 65 is secured to the chassis 12 via a guideway 68 that permits translation along the first horizontal axis X (i.e. the axis that extends along the length of the transporter portion 50). In alternative examples, the rotatable mount 65 may be fixed relative to the chassis 12 to substantially prevent translation of the rotatable mount 65 relative to the chassis 12, although in other examples, the support frame 66 may be fixedly or slidably secured directly to the chassis 12, in the absence of a rotatable mount.

[0073] The clamping arrangement 70 is configured for attachment to the root end of the wind turbine blade 7. The clamping arrangement 70 may be configured to rotate relative to the support frame 66 about a hinge axis extending along the second horizontal axis Y. The rotation of the clamping arrangement 70 can assist in aligning the clamping arrangement 70 relative to the root end of the blade 7 during assembly. The rotation between the clamping arrangement 70 and the support frame 66 may be controlled by one or more actuators 67 that extend across the hinge axis between the support frame 66 and the clamping arrangement 70. The transporter 100 is arranged to support a wind turbine blade 7. The second transporter portion 50 is arranged to support a root end of the wind turbine blade 7 and the first transporter portion 10 is arranged to support a portion of the wind turbine blade 7 outboard of the root end of the wind turbine blade 7, for example a tip end of the wind turbine blade 7.

[0074] In some examples, the transporter 100 may be used during the demoulding process of a wind turbine blade 7, such as illustrated in Figures 13 and 14.

[0075] The second transporter portion 50 may be attached to the root end of the wind turbine blade 7 via the clamping arrangement 70, such as shown in Figure 13. The clamping arrangement 70 may be fixed to the root end of the wind turbine blade 7 via existing root end connection points on the root end of the blade 7, such as attachment pins for attaching the blade 7 to the hub 6. The clamping arrangement 70 may be positionable into a clamping position by any suitable means, including movement of the second transporter portion 50 on its wheels 14, rotation of the rotatable mount 65, and translation provided by the guideways 68.

[0076] The tip end of the wind turbine blade 7, or any other suitable portion of the wind turbine blade 7 outboard of the root end, may be attached to a crane (not shown). Upon attachment to the second transporter portion 50 and the crane, the wind turbine blade 7 can then be lifted out of the mould 80. The crane and second transporter portion 50 may then move in cooperation to transport the wind turbine blade 7 to a suitable location proximate the first transporter portion 10. Once the wind turbine blade 7 is aligned with the cradle arrangement 20 of the first transporter portion 10, the wind turbine blade 7 can then be lowered until the wind turbine blade 7 is securely supported by the cradle arrangement 20.

[0077] Once the wind turbine blade 7 is supported by the first and second transporter portion 10, 50, the crane or similar supporting means, can be detached from the wind turbine blade 7 such that the wind turbine blade 7 is supported only by the transporter portions 10, 50. The wind turbine blade 7 may then be moved as required, without the constraints that may be imposed by a crane or similar fixed structure. It will be appreciated that the cradle arrangement 20 is particularly suited to simply supporting the wind turbine blade 7 around a factory site, where transport speeds and rough terrain can be minimal, although it will be appreciated that the cradle arrangement 20 may be adapted so as to securely fix the wind turbine blade 7 into the cradle arrangement 20 for road or rail transport.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A transporter for transporting a wind turbine blade, the transporter comprising: a support frame; a cradle arrangement configured for supporting a portion of the wind turbine blade on the support frame, and a locking mechanism, wherein the cradle arrangement is rotatably coupled to the support frame by a ball joint mechanism comprising a ball and socket between the cradle arrangement and support frame and configured to allow the cradle arrangement to rotate about three perpendicular axes relative to the support frame, and wherein the locking mechanism is configured to releasably retain the ball in the socket, wherein the locking mechanism in a locked configuration holds the ball captive in the socket.

2. The transporter of claim 1 , further comprising a locking mechanism configured to releasably retain the ball in the socket, wherein the locking mechanism in a locked configuration holds the ball captive in the socket, and in an unlocked configuration allows removal of the ball from the socket and separation of the cradle arrangement from the support frame.

3. The transporter of claim 1 or 2, further comprising three or more resilient support elements about the ball joint mechanism and configured to bias the cradle arrangement into an orientation relative to the support frame.

4. The transporter of claim 3, wherein the cradle arrangement comprises a plate defining a bearing surface configured to slidably engage with each of the resilient support elements.

5. The transporter of claim 4, wherein the plate has a central aperture through which the ball joint mechanism extends.

6. The transporter of any one or claims 3 to 5, wherein each of the resilient support elements includes a spring.

7. The transporter of any preceding claim, wherein the transporter is configured such that the load or substantially the entire load of the cradle arrangement is supported by the ball joint mechanism.

8. The transporter of any preceding claim, wherein the cradle arrangement has a receiving surface configured to conform to an outer aerodynamic surface of a wind turbine blade.

9. The transporter of any preceding claim, wherein the cradle arrangement and support frame form part of a first transporter portion for supporting a tip end of a wind turbine blade, and the transporter further comprises a second transporter portion comprising a further support frame, and a clamping arrangement for supporting a root end of the wind turbine blade.

10. The transporter of any preceding claim, wherein the support frame is mounted on a wheeled chassis moveable on a plurality of wheels.11 . The transporter of claim 10, wherein the wheeled chassis comprises a drive unit configured to drive the plurality of wheels.

12. The transporter of claim 10 or 11 , wherein one or more of the plurality of wheels are height adjustable.

13. The transporter of any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the support frame is fixed relative to the wheeled chassis to substantially prevent translation of the support frame relative to the wheeled chassis or wherein the support frame is slidably mounted on the wheeled chassis to permit longitudinal translation of the support frame relative to the wheeled chassis.

14. The transporter of any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the clamping arrangement is configured to rotate relative to the support frame of the second transporter portion about a generally horizontal axis, and wherein rotation between the clamping arrangement and the support frame of the second transporter portion is controlled by one or more actuators.

15. Use of the transporter of any preceding claim for transporting a wind turbine blade from a mould during manufacture of the wind turbine blade.

Images