GB2400823A - Floating offshore windtower farm - Google Patents

Floating offshore windtower farm Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2400823A
GB2400823A GB0414500A GB0414500A GB2400823A GB 2400823 A GB2400823 A GB 2400823A GB 0414500 A GB0414500 A GB 0414500A GB 0414500 A GB0414500 A GB 0414500A GB 2400823 A GB2400823 A GB 2400823A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
support structures
structures
combining
wind turbine
equipment installation
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB0414500A
Other versions
GB0414500D0 (en
GB2400823B (en
Inventor
David Bone
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GBGB0119969.4A external-priority patent/GB0119969D0/en
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of GB0414500D0 publication Critical patent/GB0414500D0/en
Publication of GB2400823A publication Critical patent/GB2400823A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2400823B publication Critical patent/GB2400823B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B21/00—Tying-up; Shifting, towing, or pushing equipment; Anchoring
    • B63B21/50—Anchoring arrangements or methods for special vessels, e.g. for floating drilling platforms or dredgers
    • 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
    • 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
    • F03D13/00—Assembly, mounting or commissioning of wind motors; Arrangements specially adapted for transporting wind motor components
    • F03D13/20—Arrangements for mounting or supporting wind motors; Masts or towers for wind motors
    • F03D13/25—Arrangements for mounting or supporting wind motors; Masts or towers for wind motors specially adapted for offshore installation
    • 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
    • B63B2035/4433—Floating structures carrying electric power plants
    • B63B2035/446—Floating structures carrying electric power plants for converting wind energy into electric energy
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B21/00—Tying-up; Shifting, towing, or pushing equipment; Anchoring
    • B63B21/50—Anchoring arrangements or methods for special vessels, e.g. for floating drilling platforms or dredgers
    • B63B21/502—Anchoring arrangements or methods for special vessels, e.g. for floating drilling platforms or dredgers by means of tension legs
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
    • E02B17/00—Artificial islands mounted on piles or like supports, e.g. platforms on raisable legs or offshore constructions; Construction methods therefor
    • E02B2017/0091—Offshore structures for wind turbines
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
    • F05B—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
    • F05B2240/00—Components
    • F05B2240/90—Mounting on supporting structures or systems
    • F05B2240/93—Mounting on supporting structures or systems on a structure floating on a liquid surface
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
    • F05B—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
    • F05B2240/00—Components
    • F05B2240/90—Mounting on supporting structures or systems
    • F05B2240/95—Mounting on supporting structures or systems offshore
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F05—INDEXING SCHEMES RELATING TO ENGINES OR PUMPS IN VARIOUS SUBCLASSES OF CLASSES F01-F04
    • F05B—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
    • F05B2240/00—Components
    • F05B2240/90—Mounting on supporting structures or systems
    • F05B2240/96—Mounting on supporting structures or systems as part of a wind turbine farm
    • 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

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Sustainable Development (AREA)
  • Sustainable Energy (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Wind Motors (AREA)

Abstract

A method of combining two or more floating wind turbine support structures enhances dynamic stability in the combined system. The method comprises interconnection of the structures using horizontal flexible connectors 12 with optimised stiffness and pretension, such that horizontal forces acting between each structure are in opposition to the environmental loadings. A mid-water float chamber 13 tethered to the seabed may also be used to anchor the support structures and reduce motions. Adjacent connected structures may be placed at such a distance so as to be subject to differing phase of the wave cycle at the same instant.

Description

FLOATING OFFSHORE WINDTOWER FARM
This invention relates to offshore wind turbines.
Currently the foundation structures used for housing wind turbines offshore require that the turbine support structure is rigidly fixed to the seabed foundation prior to installation or that the foundation is preinstalled and the turbine rigidly fixed to it in a separate operation. As the water depth increases the rigidly connected foundation becomes uneconomical due to the large volume of material required to resist lateral forces and support the wind turbine. A further limitation of using fixed foundations occurs when multiple units are grouped to provide a wind farm. Each foundation must be installed separately and acts as a separate entity.
We have now devised a floating wind tower support structure for offshore use with a wind turbine with an advantageous method of combining multiple structures, which obviates the above problems.
According to the present invention there is provided a method of combining two or more floating wind turbine or general equipment installation and support structures to enhance dynamic stability in the combined system, the structures each having a watertight hull, a gravity or suction foundation located at or on a lakebed or seabed, one or more buoyancy devices connected to said watertight hull, the watertight hull and buoyancy device assembly being tethered to said foundation such that excess buoyancy is manifested as a force in the tethers, said tethers thus remaining taut and providing additional stability, and a shaft which extends upwardly from the hull, said shaft being telescopically extendable, the method comprising the interconnection of one or more of the structures by horizontal or nearly horizontal flexible connectors, said connectors having a stiffness and pretension selected to ensure that horizontal restraining forces acting between the floating structures are transferred through the connectors in partial or complete opposition to the environmental loadings to which each structure is independently subject.
It is a requirement of the invention that adjacent connected structures be placed at such a distance as to be subject as far as possible to a differing phase of the wave cycle at the same instant i.e. water particle velocity on each structure will have a different relative motion.
In an alternative embodiment of the method an anchor structure is used to reduce the overall motions of the combined support structures. This consists of one or more mid water float chambers tethered to the seabed and tethered to one or more of the floating support structures.
Another embodiment of the method uses damping devices, e.g. springs, chains attached to the tethers between support structures or anchor and support structures in order to influence the stiffness and motions of the system.
A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure I shows two floating wind turbine support structures combined using a flexible tether, with additional dynamic stability provided using a mid-water anchored structure.
Figure I shows how additional structures can be combined using one or more flexible tethers 12. The windtower support structures are given additional dynamic stability by attaching a mid-water float 13, which is tethered to the seabed with a connector 17. The grouping of the structures in this combined way together with carefully selected tether 12 design can be adjusted to suit localised wave conditions 18. For example, by selecting the distance 14 between the structures to coincide with an odd number half wavelength multiple, the wave forces on the structures will be out of phase as shown by arrows 15 and 16, and thus the motion of the structures will be out of phase. The arrows under the wave surface 18 show the relative direction of the water particles due to the wave phase. The tether 12 stiffness and pre-tension can be designed so that motion of one structure results in a damping of the motion in another structure.

Claims (6)

1. A method of combining two or more floating wind turbine or general equipment installation and support structures to enhance dynamic stability in the combined system, the structures each having a watertight hull, a gravity or suction foundation located at or on a lakebed or seabed, one or more buoyancy devices connected to said watertight hull, the watertight hull and buoyancy device assembly being tethered to said foundation such that excess buoyancy is manifested as a force in the tethers, said tethers thus remaining taut and providing additional stability, and a shaft which extends upwardly from the hull, said shaft being telescopically extendable, the method comprising the interconnection of one or more of the structures by horizontal or nearly horizontal flexible connectors, said connectors having a stiffness and pretension selected to ensure that horizontal restraining forces acting between the floating structures are transferred through the connectors in partial or complete opposition to the environmental loadings to which each structure is independently subject.
2. A method of combining two or more floating wind turbine or general equipment installation and support structures as claimed in Claim 1, wherein adjacent connected structures are placed at such a distance as to be subject as far as possible to a differing phase of the wave cycle at the same instant i.e. water particle velocity on each structure will have a different relative motion.
3. A method of combining two or more floating wind turbine or general equipment installation and support structures as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein an anchor structure is used to reduce the overall motions of the combined support structures.
4. A method of combining two or more floating wind turbine or general equipment installation and support structures as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the anchor structure consists of one or more mid water float chambers tethered to the seabed and tethered to one or more of the floating support structures.
5. A method of combining two or more floating wind turbine or general equipment installation and support structures as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the method uses damping devices, e.g. springs, chains attached to the tethers between support structures or anchor and support structures in order to influence the stiffness and motions of the system.
6. A method of combining two or more floating wind turbine or general equipment installation and support structures substantially as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
GB0414500A 2001-08-16 2002-03-06 Floating offshore windtower farm Expired - Fee Related GB2400823B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB0119969.4A GB0119969D0 (en) 2001-08-16 2001-08-16 Floating offshore windtower
GB0205207A GB2378679B (en) 2001-08-16 2002-03-06 Floating offshore windtower

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB0414500D0 GB0414500D0 (en) 2004-07-28
GB2400823A true GB2400823A (en) 2004-10-27
GB2400823B GB2400823B (en) 2005-03-23

Family

ID=33099971

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB0414500A Expired - Fee Related GB2400823B (en) 2001-08-16 2002-03-06 Floating offshore windtower farm

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2400823B (en)

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1900938A1 (en) * 2006-09-15 2008-03-19 Traugott Garzmann Wind farms with high exploitation using generators with exterior ventilation and direct power transmission
DE102007006011A1 (en) * 2007-02-07 2008-08-21 Manuel Ritter Offshore pontoon i.e. floating system, for floating wind power plant, is installed independent of water depth to produce power from wind energy, where pontoon uses half-diver principle to provide stable platform for usage of wind power
ITBO20080477A1 (en) * 2008-07-30 2010-01-31 Massimo Majowiecki MARINE MULTIPLE WILD MARINE PLATFORM.
EP2222956A1 (en) * 2007-11-12 2010-09-01 Oceanwind Technology, Llc. Power generation assemblies
US7886680B2 (en) * 2006-02-27 2011-02-15 Ocean Power Technologies, Inc Mooring of arrays of buoy-like WECs
DE102009054608A1 (en) 2009-12-14 2011-06-16 GICON-Großmann Ingenieur Consult GmbH Underwater production system for plants
CN102146873A (en) * 2011-03-31 2011-08-10 上海交通大学 Single column maritime wind power generation device with circumferential stabilizing column
CN102235011A (en) * 2010-04-27 2011-11-09 南通大学 Flexible floating foundation for offshore wind generating sets
US20120294681A1 (en) * 2011-05-20 2012-11-22 Carlos Wong Floating wind farm with energy storage facility
WO2012171578A3 (en) * 2011-06-17 2013-03-07 Abb Technology Ag Alternative mechanical and electrical concept for offshore wind farms
FR2990476A1 (en) * 2012-05-09 2013-11-15 IFP Energies Nouvelles Wind turbine for use at sea, has supporting unit for supporting mast of wind turbine in desired position, where supporting unit is interdependent of mast, and independent of movements of floating support
GB2521675A (en) * 2013-12-31 2015-07-01 Houman Taheri Amlashi Generating electricity
DK201670747A1 (en) * 2015-09-21 2017-04-18 Stiesdal As Floating wind turbine foundation and method for installation of such foundation

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5609442A (en) * 1995-08-10 1997-03-11 Deep Oil Technology, Inc. Offshore apparatus and method for oil operations

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5609442A (en) * 1995-08-10 1997-03-11 Deep Oil Technology, Inc. Offshore apparatus and method for oil operations

Cited By (19)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7886680B2 (en) * 2006-02-27 2011-02-15 Ocean Power Technologies, Inc Mooring of arrays of buoy-like WECs
EP1900938A1 (en) * 2006-09-15 2008-03-19 Traugott Garzmann Wind farms with high exploitation using generators with exterior ventilation and direct power transmission
DE102007006011A1 (en) * 2007-02-07 2008-08-21 Manuel Ritter Offshore pontoon i.e. floating system, for floating wind power plant, is installed independent of water depth to produce power from wind energy, where pontoon uses half-diver principle to provide stable platform for usage of wind power
EP2222956A1 (en) * 2007-11-12 2010-09-01 Oceanwind Technology, Llc. Power generation assemblies
EP2222956A4 (en) * 2007-11-12 2013-07-31 Oceanwind Technology Llc Power generation assemblies
ITBO20080477A1 (en) * 2008-07-30 2010-01-31 Massimo Majowiecki MARINE MULTIPLE WILD MARINE PLATFORM.
DE102009054608A1 (en) 2009-12-14 2011-06-16 GICON-Großmann Ingenieur Consult GmbH Underwater production system for plants
WO2011082986A2 (en) 2009-12-14 2011-07-14 GICON GROßMANN INGENIEUR CONSULT GMBH Underwater support system for installations
CN102235011A (en) * 2010-04-27 2011-11-09 南通大学 Flexible floating foundation for offshore wind generating sets
CN102146873A (en) * 2011-03-31 2011-08-10 上海交通大学 Single column maritime wind power generation device with circumferential stabilizing column
US20120294681A1 (en) * 2011-05-20 2012-11-22 Carlos Wong Floating wind farm with energy storage facility
US8662793B2 (en) * 2011-05-20 2014-03-04 Carlos Wong Floating wind farm with energy storage facility
WO2012171578A3 (en) * 2011-06-17 2013-03-07 Abb Technology Ag Alternative mechanical and electrical concept for offshore wind farms
US9297365B2 (en) 2011-06-17 2016-03-29 Abb Technology Ag Alternative mechanical and electrical concept for offshore wind farms
FR2990476A1 (en) * 2012-05-09 2013-11-15 IFP Energies Nouvelles Wind turbine for use at sea, has supporting unit for supporting mast of wind turbine in desired position, where supporting unit is interdependent of mast, and independent of movements of floating support
GB2521675A (en) * 2013-12-31 2015-07-01 Houman Taheri Amlashi Generating electricity
GB2521675B (en) * 2013-12-31 2015-11-11 Houman Taheri Amlashi Generating electricity
US10690119B2 (en) 2013-12-31 2020-06-23 Windbuoyy Ag Offshore wind turbine
DK201670747A1 (en) * 2015-09-21 2017-04-18 Stiesdal As Floating wind turbine foundation and method for installation of such foundation

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB0414500D0 (en) 2004-07-28
GB2400823B (en) 2005-03-23

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Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20130306