WO2023117008A1

WO2023117008A1 - Module for supporting a blade for a wind turbine during transport and corresponding method

Info

Publication number: WO2023117008A1
Application number: PCT/DK2022/050288
Authority: WO
Inventors: Carsten SOMMER; Peter KRONBERG THOMSEN
Original assignee: Dansk Gummi Industri A/S
Priority date: 2021-12-20
Filing date: 2022-12-19
Publication date: 2023-06-29

Abstract

A module for supporting a blade for a wind turbine during transport said module having a main body and a base plate characterized in that the module comprise means for heating or cooling of the material of the main body and/or that the module comprises at least one sensor for detecting material properties of the module.

Description

MODULE FOR SUPPORTING A BLADE FOR A WIND TURBINE DURING TRANSPORT AND CORRESPONDING METHOD

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to detecting, adapting and control of the conditions of a module for transport of for example a blade for wind turbine. The surface of the module is pressed in tight contact with the surface of the blade and the result produce a friction force for holding the blade in a fixed position. The friction force is reliant on several conditions due to the material, physical dimensions and surface design of the module. Additionally, ambient conditions (temperature, moisture etc) also influence the friction. Resilience, temperature, flexibility and stretch of the module are examples of conditions for detection. Heating or cooling of the module are examples of actions. Detection, action and control of the conditions of the module in order to secure and control a specific and defined friction force between the surface of the blade and the surface of the module under changing conditions of the environment and different challenges due to transport, are important in order to assure a safe handling and transport of the blade.

Background of the Invention

A blade for a wind turbine is a large construction and the transportation from factory facilities to the storage place or the site where the wind turbine is to be built, can have many challenges due to for example dimensions, weight and logistics. The blade is often placed in racks/consoles, where the blade has two-point support - a base support near the root where the blade is to be mounted to the nacelle and the dynamic support near the tip of the blade or along the length of the blade. The racks/consoles can be placed on a truck or ship for transportation or on the ground for storage.

The base support is often fixed in the rack/console.

The dynamic support can be placed at a point along the centre line of the blade, where it may give the most optimal support to the blade, and then it is fixed in this position. It is important that the dynamic support is fixed. Partly for preventing the blade from sliding when it is handled and partly to ensure that the blade is fixed in the rack/console to secure a safe transport or storage.

The blade has two surfaces. The dynamic support often has two brackets or plates which are installed with one shield/plate on each surface of the blade. In order to give the best contact between the shield/plate and the surface of the blade it is very common to mould the shield/plate in the shape of the blade. This is very expensive, and the moulding form can only be used for a few times and for that particular cross-section of a blade. The design and shape of the blade, i.e. the overall contour of the blade, is a parameter for optimization and every time the design of the blade is changed, new forms for moulding the shield/plate s are made.

The moulded plates are, in order to give strength, not very resilient. When there are issues with the transport due to vibration, lifting the rack/console or when the truck is driving on bumpy roads the blade will be twisted. If the shield/plate has less resilience it can cause damages on the blade and less friction force between the surface of the blade and the shield/plate when the area of friction is not complete.

In order to ensure a good contact for the friction area of the blade and/or a gentle support for the blade the shield/plate has often a cushion layer between the surface of the shield/plate and the surface of the blade. As an example, textiles, rubber or composite material can be used. Due to the large area of friction, less resilience in the shield/plate, the large forces, the weight of the blade and the issues as a result of weather conditions and transportation the layer in between will often crumple, slip, loosen or slide with damages to the surface of the blade as a result.

The dynamic support can have some challenges due to changing conditions of the environment and the transportation. The weather issues can be windy, stormy or quiet, wet or dry, hot or cold or all of this in combination. The transportation issues can be on bumpy or curved roads, at sea on ships with vibrations and a lot of mechanical stress forces to the cargo due to the movement of the ship in the waves.

When the dynamic support with the shields/plates and/or with a layer in between is fastened around the blade there is created a friction force. This friction force is determined by the force of fastening, the area of friction and the friction coefficient of the layer in between and/or shield/plate and material of the blade. The friction force is also determined/influenced by the external conditions for example of the weather. The material has often different friction coefficient when the temperature is high or low or when the weather is wet, dry or moist or there can be dust or dirt involved when the condition of transportation is windy or slippery.

If the blade is mounted for transport in the rack/console in the geographic north and is heading for a geographic place in the south the condition for producing a friction force for keeping the blade fixed can be very different, and this may cause damage to the blade. In the known solutions for the dynamic support there is no detection of external and internal conditions such as for example temperature, stretch/tension, bending, humidity or pressure. This lack of detection has the result that there cannot be compensated for these conditions, by for example heating/cooling of the shield/plate or the layer in between for the loss of friction force. This can have the consequence that a blade correctly fastened with respect to for example the friction force in the country or place of departure arrives at the destination and the friction force has changed, and has the consequence that the blade has moved, slipped or been scratched with damages, repairs at great cost as a result.

It is very advantageous to have a modular and scalable solution usable for many different forms and designs of the blade that can adapt with flexibility and resiliency and has low weight, high stability for temperatures and good drainage in wet conditions and give no staining to the surface, and at the same time makes it conceivable to detect for example temperature, stretch, mechanical stress, load, friction, resilience, force or movements between contacting surfaces, which gives the possibility for control of the specified and needed friction to the blade surface to fixate the blade in a wanted and specified position by actions of for example heating and/or cooling of the module.

Object of the Invention

The object of this invention is a solution and a method to make it possible to control the conditions required to ensure the friction force needed for support and fixation of a blade for a wind turbine under storage or transportation by means of at least one sensor for detection of for example temperature, stretch/tension, mechanical stress, load, friction, resilience, force or movements between contacting surfaces and/or by the means of components used for heating/cooling to be able to control the optimal temperature for the material of the main body of the module with respect to the surrounding weather conditions (ex. temperature, humidity, moist).

Description of the Invention

Support for a blade for a wind turbine with a base support and a dynamic support is well-known and this invention relates to a module with a main body and a base plate used for transport of a blade for a wind turbine where the module comprises means for heating or cooling of the material of the module and/or at least one sensor for detecting physical conditions of the module.

The module comprises a main body of a resilient material.

The main body is in tight and strong contact with the base plate. The main body and the base plate can for example be glued or vulcanized together, to give a strong and non- stretchable fixation/bond. I.e. the baseplate is integral with the main body. Additionally, the apertures extend through the module - both through the main body and the base plate.

The modules can be mounted to an external shield or plate via the apertures in the module. When the bolted modules mounted on the shield/plate are pressed and fastened in contact with the surface of the blade, the resilient material of the module can adapt to the form of the blade and give the surface of the modules mounted on the shield/plate a close and tight contact to the surface of the blade. This will ensure that a large and sufficient friction force can be produced for the purpose of fixating the blade in position.

The modules may be arranged in arrays to have a substantially continuous surface on at least two flexible shields/plates and then mounted in a rack/console where the two shield/plate are turned opposite each other so the resilient material of the modules is facing and in contact with the surface of the blade. The array of modules on the shield/plate makes it possible to have an optimal friction area for surface contact. The rack is positioned relative to the blade such that the shields/plates may be brought into firm engagement with the surface of the blade and fastened in this position.

The design of the arrays of modules, and the tight contact to surfaces in combination creates friction between the surfaces and makes it possible to have an adaptable, gentle, and secure support for a blade for a wind turbine during transport and/or storage.

In use, there is at least one module on a shield/plate, but mostly there are more than one module bolted on a shield/plate arranged in an array so the modules can provide as large area of friction as possible to the blade surface. The shield/plate is often formed closely to the shape of the blade to give a uniform distribution force hence friction force between the surface of the module and the surface of the blade.

In another embodiment the shield/plate is flexible and resilient so the shield/plate can adapt to the design of the surface of the blade when the shields/plates are fastened around the blade.

The module is mostly used in the dynamic support of the blade. The module comprises a main body with a base plate with sensor and/or with means for heating or cooling integrated in said module, where the sensor can be mounted on the surface of a module and/or inserted into the module.

The base plate is mostly produced in metal partly to give strength to the module and partly to give a strong base for the module to be mounted by ex. bolts, glue or adhesive to the shield/plate. Mostly there are at least one aperture for mounting to the shield/plate. In other embodiments the base plate is produced ex. in rubber, plastic or composite material to ensure a stable, stretchable and resilient mounting to the shield/plate.

The main body is mostly produced in Polyurethan (PUR).

In another embodiment the main body is produced of e.g. composite material, textile or rubber. The main body in some embodiments may be a solid with apertures that comply with the apertures in the base plate.

In another embodiment the main body comprises an array of hollow sections to give more flexibility (ex. stretch, resilience) and attenuation and for reducing the amount of material hence reduce costs.

The at least one sensor is attached to the module. The sensor can detect e.g. temperature or mechanical stress or load or friction or viscosity or mechanical stretch/tension (straingauges) or resilience or force or load or movements between contacting surfaces

In another embodiment the module has more sensors with equal and/or a combination of sensors.

The sensor is integrated in the module. It can be placed in the main body and/or the base plate.

In another embodiment the sensor is mounted on the surface of the main body and/or the base plate.

In another embodiment the sensor is external (not integrated) and inserted into the main body.

In another embodiment the sensor is external (not integrated) and detect the condition of the module and have no physical contact to the module ex. infrared temperature or heat detection camera.

The means for heating is a heating element integrated in the main body. The element is often a tread provided with electrical energy and when the electricity is activated the thread is getting warm and the heat is transmitted to the material of the main body. By controlling the temperature - ex. by a thermostat - of the main body, the friction of the material can be controlled hence the friction force.

In another embodiment the heating module is a tube containing fluid for heating. In another embodiment a heating plate is integrated in the main body which is plugged to electrical energy and by controlling the temperature - ex. by a thermostat - of the main body the friction of the material can be controlled hence the friction force.

In another embodiment there is an external heating of the material of the main body ex. heating fan.

The means for cooling is a cooling element attach to or integrated in the main body. It is mostly a plate where the cooling emerges when the plate is provided with electrical energy and by controlling the temperature - ex. by a thermostat - of the main body the friction of the material can be controlled hence the friction force.

In another embodiment there is an external cooling of the material of the main body ex. cooling fan.

In another embodiment the cooling element is a thread integrated in in the main body and provided with electrical energy.

In another embodiment the cooling element is a tube integrated in the main body and with a fluid used for cooling.

In a further embodiment, one or more of the modules may form part of a support system adapted for condition monitoring. The support system may be configured for proactively generating reports and/or documents to relevant stakeholders with information gathered from the at least one sensor for tracking or verifying the condition of the wind turbine blade during transportation. The reports and/or documents may be autogenerated. The reports and/or documents may be communicated to one or more relevant stakeholder, such as a carrier of the wind turbine blade, a wind turbine manufacturer, an owner of a wind turbine adapted for receiving the blade, and/or an insurance company.

The objective of the invention may be achieved by a support system comprising one or more modules, wherein some of the modules comprise intelligent electronics for condition monitoring the wind turbine blade during transportation. The support system may comprise one or more modules comprising intelligent electronics, local GPS positioning units, data storage media, transmitters and/or receivers configured for communicating with a central server and means for generating reports and/or documents concerning the transport of one or more wind turbine blades.

The support system may comprise a combination of modules respectively with and without intelligent electronics. The support system may furthermore comprise ‘dummy’ modules neither comprising intelligent electronics, means for heating or cooling of the material of the main body nor sensors. The modules comprising intelligent electronics or a part of the module comprising intelligent electronic may have a colour differentiating themselves from the other categories of modules. A specific colour may indicate that the module is an ‘intelligent module’ i.e. a module comprising intelligent electronics, or different colours may refer to a specific function of the module i.e. if the module comprises a ‘GPS unit’. One effect of using colour-coding of the module is to achieve easier handling of the modules securing that the modules are arranged in the most suitable position on the shield/plate relative to the wind turbine blade, the measurements to be performed and/or data to be collected and/or transmitted. Another effect is that the colour-coding provides visual documentation and or verification. For example, an image of the intelligent modules position on the shield/plate may be sent to the central server to be used as documentation for an autogenerated report and/or document.

The modules comprising intelligent electronics may comprise a battery or battery pack configured for powering the intelligent electronics. The battery or battery pack may be rechargeable or non-rechargeable.

The modules may comprise intelligent electronics such as, but not limited to: strain-gauge sensor for measuring the stress induced in the module by the blade and for measuring appropriate G-forces of interest to for example the wind turbine blade manufacture, xyz sensors, which may have built-in shock sensor and configured for measuring directional induced stress applied to the module by the blade, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, data communication means, which may communicate with external transmitters and/or receivers. The data communication may be low cost, low power radiocommunication such as Zigbee or other free of cost radio channels. The data communication means in a module may act as a repeater for one or more of the other modules in the support system in case the data communication means of one or more of the other modules are unable to connect with the GPS unit or the data storage media located on the wind turbine blade transport means. power management unit, which may comprise a battery health indicator adjusting the intensity of the radio signal or turning the radio signal off completely to allocate the remaining battery capacity for measuring and locally storing data in the electronic components in the modules. rf-tag/serial numbers for identifying the module(s) that need(s) service because of but not limited to battery change, error messages, service interval, and wear and tear, and/or

GPS unit.

By using a support system with modules comprising intelligent electronics it is possible to continuously monitor the condition of the wind turbine blade during transportation to help optimise future blade transport.

The intelligent electronics may be connected to the module in various ways, such as being integrated in the module, being mounted on the surface of the module or inserted into the module. One module may comprise multiple different pieces of intelligent electronics and/or the intelligent electronics may be distributed across multiple modules.

The intelligent electronics may be connected to the module, both physically and/or non- physically, depending on the optimal placement of each piece of intelligent electronics. The intelligent electronics may be; integrated in the module and may be placed in the main body and/or the base plate; mounted on the surface of the main body and/or the base plate; an external component and be inserted into the main body; and/or an external component, such as an infrared temperature or heat detection camera, thus having no physical contact with the module. The local GPS positioning unit may be comprised in a GPS unit further comprising a communication module, at least one data storage media, and if necessary, a power supply unit.

The GPS unit may comprise data storage media, such as a flash drive, with a capacity to contain all the data gathered from the intelligent electronics during the transportation from beginning to end. Thereby the storage medium ensures that no data is lost in case the communication with the central server fails during transportation, loading and unloading, or relocation from one wind turbine blade transport means to another. Furthermore, the data storage media may send the data gathered from the intelligent electronics to the central server after the contact has been reestablished or by the end of transportation. To increase security and ensure that no data is lost, one storage medium may contain the gathered data from the intelligent electronics while another storage medium may contain the data which was last send to the central server.

The GPS unit may be configured for ensuring that the data gathered from the intelligent electronics get time and date stamps. The GPS unit may send time and GPS coordinates to the modules comprising intelligent electronics as a heartbeat to determine the position as well as the condition of the wind turbine blade during transportation. Alternatively, the data gathered from the intelligent electronics may be sent continuously to the data storage media or be sent if the intelligent electronics measure a value above a threshold value.

The communication unit may alternatively be comprised in an individual module.

The communication unit or module may send the gathered data from the modules comprising intelligent electronics or from the data storage media to the central server at regular intervals and/or by ‘heartbeat’ or ‘wake-up’ activation.

The GPS unit and data storage media may be connected to a 12V/24V/48V power supply from the wind turbine blade transport means. The GPS unit and data storage media may further comprise a battery or battery pack configured for supplying power during interruptions from the main power supply in situations such as unplanned power outage, during loading and unloading from the wind turbine blade transport means, or during relocation from one wind turbine blade transport means to another.

The power supply unit may convert an incoming voltage of 12V/24V/48V to a voltage compatible with the intelligent electronics comprised in the modules. Additionally, the power supply unit may charge the battery pack in a controlled manner to avoid the negative effects that constant charging may have on the battery pack.

The central server configured for communicating with the data storage media of the support system may have storage capacity to store accumulated data collected by multiple wind turbine transport means, over a period of time, and across multiple wind turbine manufactures. Furthermore, the storage capacity may be expandable if needed over time.

The central server may store data such as type of wind turbine blade, transportation type, carrier of the wind turbine blade, upload of image documentation, serial numbers of the GPS unit and the sensors, and GPS coordinates related to sensor data such as pressure/vibration/shock, temperature, humidity, movements from GPS coordinates, and the battery status from the different intelligent electronics.

The means for autogenerating reports and documents may extract data from the central server and generate a report and/or document using the data gathered from the intelligent electronics concerning the transport of a specific wind turbine blade. Different types of reports and/or documents may be generated depending on the specific customer and/or service level agreement. The autogenerated reports and documents may be specific to the intended stakeholder such as a carrier of the wind turbine blade, a wind turbine blade manufacturer, an owner/developer of the wind turbine farm adapted for receiving the blade, or an insurance company.

The means for autogenerating reports and documents may be a computer program. Said computer program may be created by python implemented programming.

The autogenerated reports and documents may be reviewed and commented before being sent to the intended stakeholder. The special reports and/or documents may be generated on-demand. The special reports and documents may comprise verification/warranty reports for an owner/developer of the wind turbine farm adapted for receiving a blade based on the data gathered from the intelligent electronics during transport of the wind turbine blade, position of the wind turbine blade transport means in case of delay, and/or health/service status of the intelligent electronics such as low battery and of the general wear and tear.

The object of the invention may furthermore be achieved by a computer program comprising instructions, which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to autogenerate reports and documents concerning the condition of the wind turbine blade during transportation.

An object of the invention may be achieved by computer-readable media comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to autogenerate reports and documents concerning the condition of the wind turbine blade during transportation.

An object of the invention may be achieved by data storage media for storing data received from modules comprising intelligent electronics during transportation of a wind turbine blade.

Description of the Drawing

FIG 1A - IB: Illustrate respectively the situation before and after mounting the dynamic support to the blade.

FIG 2A - 2B: Illustrate examples of embodiments of arrays for the modules when the modules are mounted on the shield/plate.

FIG 3A: Illustrates a module where of the main body of the module is upward.

FIG 3B: Illustrates a module where the base plate of module is upward

FIG 3C: Illustrates a sectional drawing (A- A) of the module FIG 4: Illustrates as an example various kind of sensors mounted respectively on the surface on the module, integrated in the module and stitched in the module.

FIG 5 : Illustrates an example of an embodiment where heating/cooling plates are integrated in the module

FIG 6: Illustrate an embodiment of the module with an example of hollow sections

FIG 7: Illustrates a sketch of one embodiment of the support system.

Detailed Description of the Invention

FIG 1A - IB illustrate the situation before and after mounting the dynamic support to the blade (150), respectively. The blade (150) is placed in two consoles/racks (100) and mounted respectively in a base support (210) and a dynamic support (220). The dynamic support (220) comprises of a rack (100) and two shields/plates (300). The shields/plates have several modules (400) mounted in arrays modified to the design/contour of the surface of the blade (150). The tip of the blade (150) is placed between the two shields/plates (300), and the rack (100) with the dynamic support (220) is then pulled over the tip of the blade (150) and placed in position where the dynamic support (220) can give fixation and the best support to the blade (150). The modules (400) are now in tight contact with the surface of the blade (150), and with the dynamic support (220) in position the shields/plates (300) are fastened. The blade (150) is tight, gently and sufficiently secured for transportation or storage.

FIG 2A - 2B: Illustrate examples of embodiments of arrays for the modules (400) when the modules (400) are mounted on the shield/plate (300). The modules (400) are placed in an array that gives the best support and contact to the blade (150) and with an area in contact with the blade (150) that gives sufficient friction force for a secure fixation under transport and in storage.

FIG 3 A - 3B: Illustrate a module (400) in two positions. In FIG. 3 A the main body (430) is upwards (relative to the base plate) and the apertures (435) of the main body (430) is illustrated. In FIG. 3B the module (400) is turned upside down and the base plate (450) with apertures (455) is shown. FIG 3C: Illustrates a section (A- A) through the module. The main body (430) is in tight and strong contact with the base plate (450). The main body (430) and the base plate (450) can for example be glued or vulcanized together, to give a strong and non-stretch- able fixation/bond. Additionally, the apertures (435) may be seen extending through the module - both through the main body (430) and the base plate (450).

FIG 4: Illustrates as an example various kind of sensors (510, 520, 530, 540) mounted respectively on the surface on the module (400), integrated in the module (400) and inserted in the module (400). These sensors (510, 520) could in another embodiment have a position on the surface of the base plate (FIG. 3B pos. 450). The integrated sensor (540) could have different position in the main body (430) and is typically integrated when the moulding of the main body (430) takes place. It could be place between the surface of the main body (430) and the surface of the base plate (450) when for example the main body and the base plate are glued or vulcanized together. The inserted sensor is a possibility for example when the blade (150) is in place in position and fixed in the brackets, and there is a need for determining if the characteristics of the module (400) are insufficient to comply with the requirements - for example a desired degree of friction. Then a sensor (530) can be inserted into the main body (430) for detection.

FIG 5: Illustrates an example of an embodiment where heating/cooling plates (610) are integrated in the module (400). The heating/cooling plates (610) are typically integrated when the moulding of the main body (430) takes place. The one or more plates could be placed between the surface of the main body (430) and the surface of the base plate (FIG. 3B pos. 450) when for example the main body and the base plate are being glued or vulcanized together. The heating/cooling plates (610) can provide temperature up or down to the main body (430). With the control (ex. thermostatic) of the temperature an optimal condition for providing the friction force between the surface of the main body (430) and the surface of the blade (150) can be ensured.

FIG 6: Illustrates an embodiment of the module (400) with an example of hollow sections (610). The hollow sections (610) are primarily provided for optimizing the use of material in the main body (430). The hollow sections (610) can also contain different types of sensors. These sensors can be integrated without moulding around and can be changed if needed when the module (400) is to be used under different conditions. The hollow sections (610) can give an integrated pillow of air when the main body (430) is for example glued or vulcanized to the base plate (FIG. 3B pos. 450). This pillow of air can give an attenuation to the dynamic support (220) of the blade (150).

FIG 7: Illustrates one embodiment of the support system comprising a number of modules with intelligent electronics in communication with a GPS data collector, which may collect the data and stamp the data with date and GSP coordinates. The illustrated GPS data collector is in two-way communication with an external server here configured with means for generating reports.

Claims

1. A module for supporting a blade for a wind turbine during transport said module having a resilient main body and a base plate, wherein the base plate is integral with the main body and the module comprises means for heating and/or cooling of the material of the main body and/or that the module comprises at least one sensor for detecting material properties of the module.

2. The module blade according to claim 1 characterized in that the sensor is a temperature sensor, a strain gauge sensor, a load sensor, a friction sensor, a viscosity sensor, a mechanical stretch/tension sensor, a resilience sensor, a force sensor or a movement sensor.

3. The module according to claim 1 characterized in that the means for heating or cooling is a thread, a wire or a plate provided with electrical energy or a tube comprising floating heated or cooled liquid provided by a system of pumps.

4. The module according to any one or more of claims 1 to 3 characterized in that the sensor and/or the means for heating and/or cooling is/are integrated in the module, mounted on surface of the module and/or inserted into the module.

5. The module according to any one or more of claims 1 to 4 characterized in that the main body comprise an array of hollow sections.

6. The module according to any one or more of claims 1 to 5 characterized in that the main body is made from Polyurethan.

7. The module according to any one or more of claims 1 to 6 characterized in that it is communicatively connected to a control system configured for monitoring the one or more sensors and for activating the means for heating/cooling.

8. The module according to any one or more of claims 1 to 7 wherein the module is coloured indicating the functionality of the module.

9. A method of supporting a blade for a wind turbine during transport using multiple modules for supporting a blade for a wind turbine during transport, wherein said modules comprise a main body made from a resilient material integral with a base plate and with a surface of the main body suitable for contact with the wind turbine blade, said modules being suitable to be mounted on a shield, said method comprises acts of:

- arranging the wind turbine blade between two shields, where on each shield multiple modules are mounted and arranged in an array, and

- arranging the wind turbine blade in contact with the modules for obtaining a resilient support during handling, transport and storage, wherein at least one of the multiple modules is a module according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A support system for condition monitoring a wind turbine blade during transport, said system comprising multiple modules for supporting a blade for a wind turbine during transport, wherein said modules comprise a main body made from a resilient material integral with a base plate and with a surface of the main body suitable for contact with the wind turbine blade, said modules being suitable to be mounted in an array on a substrate such as a shield, wherein the support system comprises one or more intelligent modules according to claim 1-8 or additional intelligent modules comprising electronic components generating data or acting on received data.

11. The support system according to claim 10 comprising a communication unit in data communication with one or more of the intelligent modules of the support system, said communication unit being configured for gathering data from the modules and transmitting the data to a computing unit.

12. The support system according to any one of claims 10 or 11 comprising a GPS unit for time stamping the data, so that the gathered data of the support system is defined by a time and position.

13. One or more computing units for receiving data from the support system.

14. A computer program comprising instructions, which, when the program is executed by the one or more computing units according to claim 13, cause the computer to 18 autogenerate reports and documents concerning the condition of the wind turbine blade during transportation.

15. One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon the computer program of claim 14 and for storing data received from the support system.