Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B35/00—Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for
  • B63B35/44—Floating buildings, stores, drilling platforms, or workshops, e.g. carrying water-oil separating devices
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B1/00—Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils
  • B63B1/02—Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils deriving lift mainly from water displacement
  • B63B1/10—Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils deriving lift mainly from water displacement with multiple hulls
  • B63B1/107—Semi-submersibles; Small waterline area multiple hull vessels and the like, e.g. SWATH
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
  • B63B39/00—Equipment to decrease pitch, roll, or like unwanted vessel movements; Apparatus for indicating vessel attitude
  • B63B39/02—Equipment to decrease pitch, roll, or like unwanted vessel movements; Apparatus for indicating vessel attitude to decrease vessel movements by displacement of masses
  • B63B39/03—Equipment to decrease pitch, roll, or like unwanted vessel movements; Apparatus for indicating vessel attitude to decrease vessel movements by displacement of masses by transferring liquids
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
  • B63J—AUXILIARIES ON VESSELS
  • B63J1/00—Arrangements of installations for producing fresh water, e.g. by evaporation and condensation of sea water
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F03D—WIND MOTORS
  • F03D9/00—Adaptations of wind motors for special use; Combinations of wind motors with apparatus driven thereby; Wind motors specially adapted for installation in particular locations
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
  • Y02E10/70—Wind energy
  • Y02E10/72—Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
  • Y02E10/70—Wind energy
  • Y02E10/727—Offshore wind turbines

Definitions

• This invention relates to a method and a development of a stable floating platform, which is maintained steady at the effect of a wide spectrum of waves. Moreover a wind generator is installed on the platform that powers a desalination unit that is installed inside the platform.
• Floating structures consist of a platform, which is supported on floaters (buoys). These floaters provide the required buoyancy and the suitable draught in the platform so that the platform with all required equipment that are installed onboard floats on the sea.
• the existing technology concerns mainly structures that are either supported on the seabed, or are firmly tied up with strained chains with anchors in the seabed.
• the basic disadvantage of existing systems is the high cost of mooring (anchoring) and the difficulty (and increased cost) to move them to other areas. Also in other floating structures the crew increases the draught in the event of bad weather conditions, in order to decrease distresses and improve the safety of the structure.
• the present invention concerns the development of floating structure, which is constituted by one cylindrical central floater (buoy), four peripheral cylindrical floaters of smaller diameter connected to each other with tubes of small diameter that form a truss.
• the central cylinder is big enough, so that it can accommodate one desalination unit with the accompanying equipment (supply and distribution panels, batteries, control systems).
• the peripheral cylinders are made in such a way that they can store different water quantities.
• a wind generator is supported, which produces the electric power needed for the operation of the desalination and for the auxiliary equipment.
• the stability is achieved with the controlled import and export of water mainly in the peripheral cylinders.
• its behaviour depends on the diameter of peripheral cylinders and on their mass.
• the platform has longer oscillating natural period when the diameter of peripheral cylinders is minimized and their mass is increased.
• the present invention develops a control system for importing and exporting of water in the peripheral cylinders, which increases and decreases the mass of those cylinders, leading the platform to change its natural period.
• the stability system changes with the change of water in peripheral cylinders the natural period of the platform, leading it far away from the period of the sea waves, and avoiding in such a way the resonance and achieving smaller possible oscillation.
• it alters dynamically the level of water in the cylinders proportionally to the height of the wave so that the movements (oscillations) of the platform are further decreased.
• the present invention presents enough advantages against the already existing structures (platforms).
• platforms are either fixed to the seabed, or are placed near the coast because they do not have good stability. Others are well tied up with chains and anchors to the sea bottom. These all have as a consequence a big cost for mooring and anchoring the platform, and a major difficulty to move the platform to other places.
• the particular platform (of this invention) can be placed out in the sea (floating) and can also be transported (towed) in other places easily, if and when we want, because it does not need to be very well fixed to the seabed, but can only be anchored with simple anchors (as with conventional ships). Moreover the control of stability is made automatically without the presence of personnel.
• FIG 1 appears the floating platform with the wind generator and the tower on which the wind generator is placed.
• figure 2 appears also the central cylinder which is made in such a way that the desalination unit (6) with the auxiliary equipment - that is to say the control panels the batteries (7) and the reservoir of potable water in its lower part- are placed inside (the cylinder), hi figure 3 a section of a peripheral cylinder is presented where it is shown its separation in two parts (9) and (10) by partition (11).
• the department (9) there exists a hole (8) in the bottom, which allows the import and export of sea water.
• Department 10 remains waterproof and empty, so as to ensure a down limit in the buoyancy that the structure requires.
• the import of water from the hole (8) is controlled with a compressed air system, which determines also the quantity of water that each cylinder should contain in order to achieve and maintain the essential stability of the platform.
• a compressed air control valve when we decrease the air pressure in the interior of the department (9) more water enters in the department from the hole (8) and in this way the period of platform increases.
• the valve increases the pressure of air in the interior of department (9) then the water comes out from the hole (8) to the sea and so less water exists in the interior of the cylinders. This has as a consequence the reduction of period of platform.
• the whole process includes the existence of a control computer, with the suitable software which with appropriate sensors will get data of the period of sea waves and the pressure in the interior of department (9) and will regulate the pressure of air in order to achieve the suitable volume of water and suitable natural period of the platform. Also the compartments of compressed air are connected via the controlled valves depending on the direction of the wave. Via the movement of air the mass of water in the cylinders are altered dynamically during a wave, which results in achieving smaller oscillations.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Power Engineering (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Sustainable Development (AREA)
• Sustainable Energy (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• Other Liquid Machine Or Engine Such As Wave Power Use (AREA)
• Wind Motors (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=38179736

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

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• 2006
  • 2006-02-24 GR GR20060100123A patent/GR1005565B/el active IP Right Grant
• 2007
  • 2007-02-26 KR KR1020087023239A patent/KR20090020545A/ko not_active Withdrawn
  • 2007-02-26 WO PCT/GR2007/000013 patent/WO2007096680A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2007-02-26 EP EP07705395A patent/EP2051902A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 2007-02-26 AP AP2008004631A patent/AP2008004631A0/xx unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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