Universal flexible auxiliary towing device capable of rapidly responding and construction method thereof
By designing a flexible auxiliary towing device that can respond quickly, and using fixed components and a power unit to provide restoring force, the swaying problem of floating wind turbines during towing at sea has been solved, achieving stable towing and cost reduction.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-27
AI Technical Summary
During the towing and installation of offshore floating wind turbines, the swaying motion caused by the marine environment increases the difficulty of construction and safety risks. It also requires specialized equipment and personnel, resulting in high costs. Furthermore, the need to adjust ballast at the turbine site may increase construction time and costs.
A fast-response universal flexible auxiliary towing device was designed, including a fixed component, a rotary drive component and a power unit. It monitors the wind turbine attitude in real time through a horizontal sensor and uses a servo motor and propeller to provide restoring force to achieve stable control of the wind turbine. It is suitable for wind power foundation piles of different diameter specifications.
It enables stable towing of wind turbines under complex sea conditions, reduces construction difficulty and cost, shortens offshore installation time, improves equipment utilization and safety, and adapts to different marine environments.
Smart Images
Figure CN121734584A_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The application relates to a universal flexible auxiliary towing device capable of quick response and a construction method thereof. BACKGROUND
[0002] During the towing of a floating wind turbine, the environmental load such as wind, wave and current has a great influence, which may cause the wind turbine to produce a large-scale oscillation, which not only increases the difficulty of towing, but also may threaten the structural safety of the wind turbine. The sea environment is complex and changeable, such as severe weather, current change and the like, which may increase the risk of towing. During the towing process, the posture and position of the wind turbine need to be accurately controlled to ensure that the wind turbine is not damaged during the towing process, which puts high requirements on the towing technology. At the same time, how to effectively fix and stabilize the wind turbine to prevent accidents during the towing process also needs to be considered. The towing of the floating wind turbine needs professional towing ships and equipment, as well as professional technicians for operation and maintenance, which will increase the cost of towing. In addition, if an accident or damage occurs during the towing process, additional repair and compensation costs need to be borne.
[0003] Offshore floating wind power equipment is undergoing a process from a prototype to commercialization, and the towing and installation of the floating wind power equipment is currently a difficulty, and is also a key factor affecting the construction progress and construction cost. Different ballast conditions of the floating body during the towing process to the installation site increase the installation time of the installation site, and adjusting the ballast at the installation site also increases the construction difficulty, so it is urgent to develop a towing auxiliary device which can avoid adjusting the ballast at the installation site. SUMMARY
[0004] The purpose of the present application is to solve the problems of existing offshore floating wind power equipment towing and installation, and to provide a universal flexible auxiliary towing device capable of quick response, which can provide restoring force while the device swings under the action of ocean current, and ensure the stability of the floating wind turbine during the towing process. At the same time, the device is not affected by the ocean current.
[0005] The technical scheme of the present application is as follows: A universal flexible auxiliary towing device capable of quick response is applied to a floating wind turbine towing system, the towing system comprising a floating wind turbine foundation, a floating wind turbine and a towing ship, the wind turbine foundation comprising a plurality of wind power foundation piles, adjacent wind power foundation piles being fixedly connected through connecting rods, and the auxiliary towing device comprising: A fixing assembly comprising a fixing ring and an annular toothed plate, the fixing ring being installed on the wind power foundation pile through direct fixing or a clamp, and the annular toothed plate being fixed to the fixing ring and coaxial with the wind power foundation pile; A rotating driving assembly, the rotating driving assembly comprises a power device rotating track, a servo motor, the power device rotating track is rotatably sleeved on a fixed ring, a servo motor is installed on the power device rotating track, a driving gear is arranged on an output shaft of the servo motor, and the driving gear is meshed with an annular toothed plate; A power device, the power device is composed of a motor and a propeller, and is fixed to one side of the power device rotating track; Horizontal sensors, a plurality of horizontal sensors are uniformly installed at the corners of the floating wind turbine foundation, and signals are transmitted to the towing ship control system.
[0006] The fixed ring and the power device rotating track are rotatably connected through a pulley or an annular guide rail, and both are coaxial with the wind power foundation pile.
[0007] The power device is installed on each power device rotating track, and is uniformly distributed on one side of each power device rotating track.
[0008] The propeller of the power device can rotate up and down around the horizontal shaft, and the output power and the deflection angle can be dynamically adjusted through the control system.
[0009] The horizontal sensor is installed at each corner, the measurement accuracy is not less than ±0.1°, and the signal transmission delay is not more than 50ms.
[0010] The fixed ring and the power device rotating track are made of high-strength corrosion-resistant alloy material, and the protection grade of the motor of the power device is not less than IP68.
[0011] A construction method of a flexible auxiliary towing device, comprising the following steps: S1, installation preparation: floating the floating wind turbine foundation on the water surface, fixing the floating wind turbine foundation through the onshore hoisting device, and ensuring the stable posture; S2, auxiliary device installation: installing the flexible auxiliary towing device on the shore; S3, post-installation testing: sinking the floating wind turbine foundation with the installed auxiliary towing device into the water to the water depth state, testing whether each component of the auxiliary towing device is normally running, and detecting whether the restoring force provided by the power device on all wind power foundation piles is within the preset error range; if the error range is exceeded, recheck and adjust the installation state of the auxiliary towing device on each pile until the restoring force error meets the standard; S4, towing implementation: connecting the floating wind turbine foundation and the towing ship through the cable, keeping the towing ship at a constant speed during towing to avoid sudden changes in rigidity; the horizontal sensor collects the posture signal of the floating wind turbine foundation in real time and transmits it to the control system of the towing ship, the control system sends control instructions to the auxiliary towing device after processing the signal, drives the servo motor to adjust the circumferential position of the power device, and adjusts the angle and output power of the propeller of the power device, and the power device on the low side of the wind power foundation pile provides a restoring force downward to maintain the stability of the floating wind turbine foundation; device recovery: after towing to the designated location, the cable is recovered, the floating wind turbine foundation is fixed by the towing ship, the buoyancy of the foundation is increased to reduce the draft, and the auxiliary towing device is exposed to the water surface to complete the recovery.
[0012] The installation steps of the flexible auxiliary towing device are: S21, during installation, the fixing ring is installed on the wind power foundation pile of the floating wind turbine foundation by direct fixing or clamp type structure, and the annular tooth plate is fixed on the fixing ring to ensure that the two are coaxial with the wind power foundation pile; S22, then the power device rotating track is rotatably arranged on the fixing ring, the servo motor and the gear are installed, and the gear is engaged with the annular tooth plate; S23, four power devices are installed on each wind power foundation pile, and three horizontal sensors are installed at each corner of the floating wind turbine foundation.
[0013] During the installation of the flexible auxiliary towing device, the installation precision of the annular tooth plate and the power device rotating track is ensured, and the four power devices on each pile are uniformly spaced.
[0014] In the step, the preset standard of the restoring force error is that the difference between the restoring forces output by the power devices corresponding to each wind power foundation pile does not exceed ±5% of the rated output value.
[0015] The beneficial effects of the present application are: Significant improvement in stability: through the closed-loop control of real-time monitoring by the posture sensing assembly, accurate instructions by the control system and dynamic adjustment by the power assembly, the technology is realized from passive assistance to active stability, which can quickly respond to changes in posture caused by wind and waves, provide targeted restoring force, effectively avoid the risk of large deflection and overturning of the floating wind turbine foundation, and significantly reduce the construction difficulty without the need for ballast adjustment at the site.
[0016] Strong universality and wide adaptability: the fixing ring adopts double mode design of clamp type and direct fixing, which can adapt to wind power foundation piles of different diameters, and one design can meet the towing needs of multiple generations of floating wind turbines, reducing repeated design and processing costs and improving equipment utilization.
[0017] Convenient installation and maintenance, controllable cost: most of the installation process of the device can be completed onshore, without complex hoisting operations at sea, greatly shortening the construction time and reducing the labor cost; modular design of parts, convenient replacement, low maintenance cost, simple and reliable structure, low failure rate, suitable for long-term use in complex sea conditions.
[0018] Strong anti-interference ability: through the circumferential rotation adjustment of the power device and the angle adjustment of the propeller, the swing caused by the ocean current can be offset, the additional overturning moment can be avoided, and the device is not affected by the change of the ocean current direction, and is suitable for different sea conditions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0019] Fig. 1 It is an overall structure schematic diagram of the application applied to the floating wind turbine towing system.
[0020] Fig. 2 It is an assembly structure schematic diagram of the towing device and the wind power foundation pile.
[0021] Fig. 3 It is a rotating structure schematic diagram of the power device.
[0022] In the figure: 1-floating wind turbine foundation, 2-floating wind turbine, 3-towing ship, 4-wind power foundation pile, 5-annular tooth plate, 7-power device rotating track, 8-power device, 9-servo motor, 10-gear, 11-fixed ring. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] As Figs. 1-3 shown, a general flexible auxiliary towing device with rapid response is applied to a floating wind turbine towing system, the towing system includes a floating wind turbine foundation 1, a floating wind turbine 2 and a towing ship 3, the wind turbine foundation includes a plurality of wind power foundation piles 4, adjacent wind power foundation piles 4 are fixedly connected through connecting rods, and the auxiliary towing device includes: A fixed component includes a fixed ring 11 and an annular tooth plate 5, the fixed ring 11 is installed on the wind power foundation pile 4 through direct fixation or a clamp, and the annular tooth plate 5 is fixed to the fixed ring 11 and coaxial with the wind power foundation pile 4; A rotating drive component includes a power device rotating track 7 and a servo motor 9, the power device rotating track 7 is rotatably sleeved on the fixed ring 11, the servo motor 9 is installed on the power device rotating track 7, a drive gear 10 is arranged on an output shaft of the servo motor 9, and the drive gear 10 is engaged with the annular tooth plate 5; A power device 8 is composed of a motor and a propeller, and is fixed to one side of the power device rotating track 7; A plurality of horizontal sensors are uniformly installed at the corner of the floating wind turbine foundation 1, and signals are transmitted to the control system of the towing ship 3.
[0024] The fixed ring 11 and the power device rotating track 7 are rotatably connected through a pulley or an annular guide rail, and both are coaxial with the wind power foundation pile 4.
[0025] The power device 8 is installed on each power device rotating track 7, and is uniformly distributed on one side of each power device rotating track 7.
[0026] The propeller of the power device 8 can rotate up and down around a horizontal axis, and the output power and the deflection angle can be dynamically adjusted through a control system.
[0027] Three horizontal sensors are installed at each corner, with a measurement accuracy of not less than ±0.1° and a signal transmission delay of not more than 50 ms.
[0028] The fixed ring 11 and the power device rotating track 7 are made of high-strength corrosion-resistant alloy material, and the motor protection level of the power device 8 is not less than IP68.
[0029] A construction method of a flexible auxiliary towing device, the steps of which are: S1, installation preparation: float the floating wind turbine foundation 1 on the water surface, fix the floating wind turbine foundation through the onshore hoisting device, and ensure the stability of the posture; S2, auxiliary device installation: complete the installation of the flexible auxiliary towing device onshore; S3, post-installation testing: sink the floating wind turbine foundation with the installed auxiliary towing device to the water depth state, test whether each component of the auxiliary towing device is operating normally, and detect whether the restoring force provided by the power device 8 on all wind power foundation piles 4 is within the preset error range; if it exceeds the error range, recheck and adjust the installation state of the auxiliary towing device on each pile until the restoring force error meets the standard; S4, towing implementation: connect the floating wind turbine foundation and the towing ship through a cable, and keep the towing ship moving at a constant speed during towing to avoid sudden changes in rigidity; the horizontal sensor collects the posture signals of the floating wind turbine foundation in real time and transmits them to the control system of the towing ship, the control system sends control instructions to the auxiliary towing device after processing the signals, drives the servo motor 9 to drive the power device 8 to adjust the circumferential position, adjusts the propeller angle and output power of the power device 8, and provides restoring force downward through the power device 8 on the low side of the wind power foundation pile 4 to maintain the stability of the floating wind turbine foundation; 5 device recovery: after towing to the designated location, recover the cable, fix the floating wind turbine foundation through the towing ship, increase the buoyancy of the foundation to reduce the water depth, and complete the recovery after the auxiliary towing device is exposed to the water surface.
[0030] The installation steps of the flexible auxiliary towing device are: 1. The floating wind turbine completes the installation of the towing auxiliary device on the shore before towing. Before installation, the floating wind turbine foundation needs to be floated on the water surface, and the hoisting device on the shore needs to be fixed to ensure that the installation is completed. Then the towing auxiliary device is installed.
[0031] 2. When installing the annular tooth plate and the power device rotating track, sufficient installation accuracy is ensured, and when installing the power device, the four power devices on each pile are evenly spaced to ensure that the restoring force provided during towing is almost the same, avoiding construction accidents.
[0032] 3. After completing the installation of the towing auxiliary device, relevant tests need to be performed before starting towing. The wind turbine foundation and the auxiliary towing device are submerged in water, and the water depth is full to ensure that the wind turbine foundation is more stable during subsequent towing, and whether the device can operate normally is tested. Whether the restoring force provided by the three piles is within the error range. If the error range is exceeded, the installation conditions on each pile need to be re-determined to meet the conditions until the restoring force error meets the standard.
[0033] 4. After completing the above steps, the floating wind turbine foundation and the towing ship are connected by a cable. During towing, the floating foundation will be affected by wind, waves, and towing speed, and will be deflected to different degrees. The sensor installed on the floating foundation will transmit the signal to the control system of the towing ship, which will be fed back to the auxiliary towing device. The three piles, the lower pile, and the power device provide restoring force downward to keep the floating foundation relatively stable during towing and prevent it from overturning due to excessive deflection angle. The angle and restoring force of the power device are given by the control system after processing the wind turbine foundation level signal. During the entire towing process, the towing ship tries to maintain a constant speed to avoid sudden changes in rigidity during towing.
[0034] 5. After towing to the designated location, the cable is recovered, the floating wind turbine foundation is fixed by the towing ship, the buoyancy of the foundation is increased, the water depth is reduced, and the auxiliary towing device is exposed to the water surface. During the recovery process, the towing ship maintains a constant speed to avoid sudden changes in rigidity; the horizontal sensor transmits the attitude signal in real time, the control system adjusts the circumferential position of the power device 8 according to the deflection, and adjusts the output power and propeller angle of the power device 8 to offset the deflection torque through the restoring force, maintaining the stability of the floating wind turbine foundation 1; after towing to the designated location, the cable is recovered, the floating wind turbine foundation 1 is fixed, the buoyancy is increased, the water depth is reduced, and the auxiliary towing device is exposed to the water surface after completion of the recovery.
Claims
1. A fast-response universal flexible auxiliary towing device, applied to a floating wind turbine towing system, the towing system comprising a floating wind turbine foundation (1), a floating wind turbine (2), and a towing vessel (3), characterized in that, The wind turbine foundation includes multiple wind turbine foundation piles (4), and adjacent wind turbine foundation piles (4) are fixedly connected by connecting rods. The auxiliary towing device includes: The fixing assembly includes a fixing ring (11) and an annular toothed plate (5). The fixing ring (11) is installed on the wind power foundation pile (4) by direct fixing or clamping. The annular toothed plate (5) is fixed to the fixing ring (11) and is coaxial with the wind power foundation pile (4). The rotary drive assembly includes a power device rotary track (7) and a servo motor (9). The power device rotary track (7) is rotatably mounted on a fixed ring (11). The servo motor (9) is installed on the power device rotary track (7). A drive gear (10) is provided on the output shaft of the servo motor (9). The drive gear (10) meshes with the ring toothed plate (5). The power unit (8) consists of a motor and a propeller and is fixed to one side of the power unit rotating track (7); A horizontal sensor, multiple horizontal sensors are evenly installed at the corner of the floating wind turbine foundation (1), and the signal is transmitted to the control system of the towing vessel (3).
2. The rapid-response universal flexible auxiliary towing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed ring (11) and the rotating track (7) of the power device are rotatably connected by pulleys or ring rails, and both are coaxial with the wind power foundation pile (4).
3. The rapid-response universal flexible auxiliary towing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power unit (8) is installed in four on each power unit rotation track (7), and is evenly distributed on one side of each power unit rotation track (7).
4. The rapid-response universal flexible auxiliary towing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The propeller of the power unit (8) can rotate up and down around the horizontal axis, and the output power and deflection angle can be dynamically adjusted by the control system.
5. The rapid-response universal flexible auxiliary towing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Three horizontal sensors are installed at each corner, with a measurement accuracy of no less than ±0.1° and a signal transmission delay of no more than 50ms.
6. The rapid-response universal flexible auxiliary towing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed ring (11) and the rotating track (7) of the power unit are made of high-strength corrosion-resistant alloy materials, and the motor protection level of the power unit (8) is not lower than IP68.
7. A construction method for the rapidly responding universal flexible auxiliary towing device as described in claims 1-6, comprising the following steps: S1. Installation preparation: Float the floating wind turbine foundation (1) on the water surface and fix the floating wind turbine foundation with the shore hoisting device to ensure its stability. S2. Auxiliary device installation: Install the flexible auxiliary towing device on shore; S3. Post-installation test: Submerge the floating wind turbine foundation with the auxiliary towing device installed in the water to full depth, test whether each component of the auxiliary towing device is operating normally, and check whether the restoring force provided by the power unit (8) on all wind power foundation piles (4) is within the preset error range; if it exceeds the error range, re-check and adjust the installation status of the auxiliary towing device on each pile until the restoring force error meets the standard. S4. Towing Implementation: The floating wind turbine foundation is connected to the towing vessel by a cable. During the towing process, the towing vessel maintains a constant speed to avoid sudden changes in rigidity. The horizontal sensor collects the attitude signal of the floating wind turbine foundation in real time and transmits it to the control system of the towing vessel. After processing the signal, the control system sends a control command to the auxiliary towing device, drives the servo motor (9) to drive the power unit (8) to adjust the circumferential position, and adjusts the propeller angle and output power of the power unit (8). The power unit (8) on the lower side wind turbine foundation pile (4) provides a restoring force downward to maintain the stability of the floating wind turbine foundation. (5) Device Recovery: After towing to the designated location, the cable is recovered. The floating wind turbine foundation is fixed by the towing vessel to increase the buoyancy of the foundation to reduce the draft. The auxiliary towing device is exposed above the water surface and then recovered.
8. The construction method of the flexible assisted towing device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The installation steps for the flexible assisted towing device are as follows: S21. During installation, first fix the fixing ring (11) to the wind power foundation pile (4) of the floating wind turbine foundation using a direct fixing or clamping structure, and then fix the annular toothed plate (5) to the fixing ring (11) and ensure that the two are coaxial with the wind power foundation pile (4). S22. Then, the power unit rotating track (7) is rotated and sleeved on the fixed ring (11), the servo motor (9) and gear (10) are installed and the gear (10) is meshed with the ring tooth plate (5); S23. Install four power units (8) evenly on each wind turbine foundation pile (4) and install three horizontal sensors at each corner of the floating wind turbine foundation.
9. The construction method of the flexible assisted towing device according to claim 8, characterized in that, During the installation of the flexible auxiliary towing device, ensure the installation accuracy of the annular toothed plate (5) and the rotating track (7) of the power unit, and ensure that the four power units (8) on each pile are evenly spaced.
10. The construction method of the flexible assisted towing device according to claim 7, characterized in that, In step (3), the preset standard for the restoring force error is that the difference in the output restoring force of the power device (8) corresponding to each wind power foundation pile (4) does not exceed ±5% of the rated output value.