Airborne wind energy systems and deployment methods

Abstract

Airborne unit docking systems, wind energy systems, and methods relating to deployment and installation, comprising a floating platform having a dock configured to assist an airborne unit in landing on the floating platform, wherein the dock rotates correspondingly to a direction of the airborne unit to center the airborne unit relative to the dock; and an electrified tether electrically connecting the airborne unit to the floating platform.

Description

Airborne Wind Energy Systems and Deployment MethodsCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63 / 508,098 filed on June 14, 2023 and entitled “Tethered Aircraft Perch Using Tether and Bridle as Compliant Elements”, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63 / 508,524 filed on June 16, 2023 and entitled “Installation and Service Method for Floating Platforms, Mooring Systems, and Anchors”, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties and made part of the present application for all purposes.FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

[0002] Research lending to various aspects of the present invention was sponsored, at least in part, by the Office of Naval Research and the Defense Contract Management Agency under contract number N0017320C2026. The United States Government may have certain rights in the invention.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The disclosed inventive subject matter relates in general to airborne wind energy systems, both singular units and farms / grids, and methods for installing, removing, and servicing the same in off-shore, aquatic environments.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The following description of the background of the invention is provided simply as an aid in understanding the invention and is not admitted to describe or constitute prior art to the invention.

[0005] Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) involves harvesting wind energy to produce electricity, with the most desirable locations for harvesting wind energy often being in deep water off-shore, aquatic environments. Commonly owned patents and patent applications have previously disclosed various systems, devices, and methods for creating / maintaining optimalAWE performance in such environments. Particularly, commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 11,236,728 discloses an airborne power generation assembly comprising an airborne power generation unit; a submersible platform; an electrified tether winch attached to the submersible platform; an electrified tether connecting between the electrified tether winch and the airborne power generation unit; and a power output exiting from the submersible platform.

[0006] Such airborne wind energy systems generally require a ground station or platform from which the airborne power generation unit / airbome unit can take off and land / dock (e.g. for maintenance / servicing, during storms, and / or during low wind conditions). The motion and velocity of the ground station or platform relative to the airborne power generation unit / airborne unit is critical for accurate landing / docking. However, the unpredictability and constant movement of the ground station or platform as a result of aquatic wave and / or wind motion makes landing / docking the airborne power generation unit / airbome unit difficult. High contact accelerations during landing / docking can lead to undesirable, high loads and / or cause the electrified tether to become entangled with the platform.

[0007] Additionally, anchors, mooring lines, and floats are generally used in aquatic environments with such airborne wind energy systems. The placement of the anchors, mooring lines, and floating platforms in the aquatic environments are typically performed in small quantities with extensive infrastructure. In some examples, airborne wind energy systems, wave energy converters, or the like may require thousands of such systems to be placed in regularly spaced intervals in wind farms / grids. Similarly, the thousands of systems may need to be removed for servicing. Currently, no known methodology exits to efficiently and cost-effectively support this type of large-scale installation and servicing.

[0008] Accordingly, there is an ongoing need for: (i) an airborne wind energy system having a dock on a floating platform configured for a tethered airborne unit which utilizes a bridle system for compliance and energy absorption as well as augmenting guidance and control during landing / docking; and (ii) a cost-effective and efficient method for installing and servicing anchors, mooring lines, floats, and floating platforms in a wind farm / grid.BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The following provides a summary of certain example implementations of the disclosed technology. This summary is not an extensive overview and is not intended to identify key or critical aspects or elements of the disclosed technology or to delineate its scope. However, it is to be understood that the use of indefinite articles in the language used to describe and claim the disclosed technology is not intended in any way to limit the described technology. Rather the use of “a” or “an” should be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”.

[0010] One implementation of the disclosed technology provides system for docking an airborne unit. In an embodiment, the system comprises a platform; a dock configured to assist the airborne unit in landing on the platform, comprising: a guide member configured to receive the airborne unit comprising: a first arm; and a second arm, wherein the dock rotates correspondingly to a direction associated with the airborne unit; a tether connecting the airborne unit to the platform; a winch comprising a drum that at least partially contains the tether, wherein the winch is configured to control length, speed, tension, or combinations thereof of the tether; and a bridle system comprising a first segment and a second segment connecting the airborne unit to the tether and formed from non-rigid material, wherein a first contact force is produced when the first segment of the bridle contacts the first arm, wherein a second contact force is produced when the second segment of the bridle contacts the second arm, and wherein the first and second contact forces position the airborne unit relative to the dock.

[0011] In certain implementations, the dock rotates passively in an azimuth direction. In some non-limiting embodiments, the system harvests wind energy and the tether is electrified. In some non-limiting implementations, the system further comprises one or more sensors configured to: determine position, displacement, speed, or combinations thereof of the platform relative to the airborne unit; determine position, displacement, speed, or combinations thereof of the airborne unit relative to the platform; or determine an amount of tension in the tether; and one or more electronic controllers having a processor configured to rotate the dock in an azimuth direction based upon input from the one or more sensors. In some non-limiting embodiments, the system further comprises a motor configured to rotate the drum, and wherein the motor is controlled by the one or more controllers to rotate the dock in an azimuth direction based uponthe input from the one or more sensors. In certain embodiments, the winch reels out the tether when the dock moves away from the airborne unit, and wherein the winch reels in the tether when the dock moves towards the airborne unit. In some non-limiting embodiments, the guide member further comprises: an upper protuberance and a lower protuberance associated with the first arm; and an upper protuberance and a lower protuberance associated with the second arm. In some non-limiting embodiments, the guide member further comprises: an upper stop; and a lower stop, wherein the upper and lower stops extend between the first and second arms and the first and second bridle segments are constrained in a substantially vertical direction between the upper and lower stops when the guide member receives the airborne unit. In some embodiments, the upper stop is retractable to permit a free-range of motion of the tether. In non-limiting implementations, the winch is configured to maintain a minimum tension with respect to the tether. Certain implementations of the system may further comprise at least one floating buoy secured to the platform. In other non-limiting embodiments, the at least one floating buoy comprises a plurality of fasteners configured to releasably couple the at least one floating buoy to the floating platform and a mooring line. In some non-limiting embodiments, the at least one floating buoy comprises a bracket having a plurality of fasteners configured to releasably couple the at least one floating buoy to the floating platform and a mooring line.

[0012] Another implementation of the disclosed technology provides wind energy system for use in off-shore, aquatic environments, wherein the wind energy system is connected to a power output. In one non-limiting embodiment, the wind energy system comprises a floating platform having a dock configured to assist an airborne unit in landing on the floating platform, wherein the dock rotates correspondingly to a direction of the airborne unit to center the airborne unit relative to the dock, and wherein the dock comprises a guide member configured to receive the airborne unit, the guide member comprising a first arm having an upper protuberance and a lower protuberance; and a second arm having an upper protuberance and a lower protuberance; and an electrified tether electrically connecting the airborne unit to the floating platform, wherein the electrified tether is formed from one or more energy-absorbing, compliant materials, and wherein the electrified tether centers the airborne unit relative to the dock when the electrified tether contacts the first arm or the second arm.

[0013] In some non-limiting embodiments, the dock rotates passively in an azimuth direction. In other non-limiting embodiments, the dock comprises one or more electronic controllers having a processor configured to rotate the dock in an azimuth direction. In certain implementations, the floating platform further comprises one or more sensors configured to determine position, displacement, speed, or combinations thereof of the floating platform relative to the airborne unit; determine position, displacement, speed, or combinations thereof of the airborne unit relative to the floating platform; or determine an amount of tension in the electrified tether. In some non-limiting embodiments, the floating platform further comprises a winch having a drum that at least partially contains the electrified tether, wherein the winch is configured to control length, speed, tension, or combinations thereof of the electrified tether, and wherein the winch reels out the electrified tether when the dock moves away from the airborne unit, and wherein the winch reels in the electrified tether when the dock moves towards the airborne unit, wherein a minimum tension in the tether is maintained when an airborne unit is undocked. In some non-limiting embodiments, the guide member further comprises an upper stop; and a lower stop, wherein the upper and lower stops extend between the first and second arms. In certain non-limiting embodiments, the electrified tether is constrained in a substantially vertical direction between the upper stop and the lower stop when the airborne unit is landing on the guide member, and the upper stop is retractable to permit a free-range of motion of the electrified tether.

[0014] An exemplary method of deploying a plurality of energy systems to form an interconnected energy grid in an aquatic environment includes steps of positioning a plurality crane systems on a first vessel, wherein each crane system in the plurality of crane systems independently traverse along one or more tracks disposed on the first vessel, deploying an anchor, and forming a first row by repeating the step of deploying an anchor, wherein each of the deployment substeps are performed by a crane system in the plurality of crane systems in offset cycles. In some non-limiting embodiments, the deployment substeps include loading an anchor onto a crane system in the plurality of crane systems, lowering the anchor to a predetermined target on a sea floor, installing the anchor at the predetermined target, and retracting the crane system.

[0015] In some cases, deploying the energy systems further includes the formation of a second row parallel to a first row by repeating the step of deploying an anchor, and wherein each of the deployment substeps are performed by a crane system in the plurality of crane systems in offset cycles, and wherein each anchor is attached to a plurality of mooring lines each having a float. In some embodiments, the method includes joining at least one of the mooring lines of the first row with at least one of the mooring lines of the second row, and attaching an energy system in the plurality of energy systems.

[0016] In some embodiments, each crane system in the plurality of crane systems maintains a constant position relative to the predetermined target on the sea floor by traversing along the one or more tracks in a direction opposite to a moving direction of the first vessel when deploying an anchor. It is also an object of the invention to provide wherein each crane system in the plurality of crane systems moves along the one or more tracks in the moving direction of the first vessel when retracting the crane system.

[0017] Some implementations includes a second vessel joining the at least one of the mooring lines of the first row with the at least one of the mooring lines of the second row. In some embodiments, each crane system in the plurality of crane systems each include an installation mass. Exemplary embodiments may also includes each of the energy systems in the plurality of energy systems being interconnected though one or more inner-array energy transmission connections.

[0018] Still another implementation of the disclosed technology provides a method for forming an interconnected grid of wind energy systems in an aquatic environment. In one nonlimiting embodiment, the method comprises positioning a first crane systems and a second crane system on a first vessel, wherein the first and second crane systems independently traverse along one or more tracks disposed on the first vessel; embedding an anchor from the first crane system at a first predetermined target on a sea floor, and concurrently, lowering an anchor from the second crane system towards a second predetermined target on the sea floor; embedding the anchor from the second crane system at the second predetermined target on the sea floor, and concurrently, re-loading the first crane system with a new anchor to be embedded at a new predetermined target on the sea floor; embedding a plurality of anchors from the first and secondcrane systems to form a first row; embedding a plurality of anchors from the first and second crane systems to form a second row, wherein the second row is parallel to the first row, and wherein each of the plurality of embedded anchors of the first and second rows include a plurality of mooring lines each having a float; and joining at least one of the mooring lines of the first row with at least one of the mooring lines of the second row, and attaching a wind energy system.

[0019] In some non-limiting embodiments, the first crane system traverses along the one or more tracks in a direction opposite to a moving direction of the first vessel when embedding the anchor from the first crane system, and the second crane system traverses along the one or more tracks in the direction opposite to the moving direction of the first vessel when embedding the anchor from the second crane system. In some non-limiting embodiments, the method further comprises lowering the anchor from the first crane system towards the first predetermined target on the sea floor, wherein the first crane system remains stationary when lowering the anchor from the first crane system. In certain non-limiting implementations, the second crane system remains stationary when lowering the anchor from the second crane system. In some nonlimiting embodiments, the method further comprises, subsequent to embedding the anchor from the first crane system, moving the first crane system along the one or more tracks in the moving direction of the first vessel; and subsequent to embedding the anchor from the second crane system, moving the second crane system along the one or more track the moving direction of the first vessel. In one or more non-limiting embodiments, a second vessel joins the at least one of the mooring lines of the first row with the at least one of the mooring lines of the second row. In certain embodiments, the method further comprises positioning a third crane system on the first vessel, wherein the third crane system independently traverses along the one or more tracks disposed on the first vessel; and embedding an anchor from the third crane system at a third predetermined target on the sea floor. The first, second, and third crane systems each include an installation mass. In certain non-limiting embodiments, the grid of wind energy systems are interconnected though one or more inner-array electrical connections which can be installed using the methods provided herein. In one or more non-limiting embodiments, the one or more tracks at least partially extend over a side of the first vessel, and in some cases each track may service multiple carts with independent winches. In certain non-limiting embodiments, the firstvessel is a small waterplane area twin haul (SWATH) vessel, and the one or more tracks are disposed in a cavity extending along a length of the first vessel.

[0020] It should be appreciated that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater detail below (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are contemplated as being part of the technology disclosed herein and may be implemented to achieve the benefits as described herein. Additional features and aspects of the disclosed system, devices, and methods will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description of the example implementations. As will be appreciated by the skilled artisan, further implementations are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of what is disclosed herein. Accordingly, the descriptions provided herein are to be regarded as illustrative and not restrictive in nature.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of the specification, schematically illustrate one or more example implementations of the disclosed technology and, together with the general description given above and detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles of the disclosed subject matter, and wherein:

[0022] FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a non-limiting, exemplary embodiment of the disclosed wind energy system, wherein the wind energy system comprises an exemplary floating platform and an exemplary airborne unit in flight and tethered to the platform;

[0023] FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the wind energy system of Figure 1, wherein the exemplary airborne unit is in a properly landed / docked configuration on an exemplary dock of the floating platform;

[0024] FIGURE 3 is a top-down, perspective view of the wind energy system of Figure 2;

[0025] FIGURE 4 is a first side view of the wind energy system of Figure 2;

[0026] FIGURE 5 is a second side view of the wind energy system of Figure 2;

[0027] FIGURE 6 is a town-down view of the wind energy system of Figure 2;

[0028] FIGURE 7 is a bottom, perspective view of the wind energy system of Figure 2;

[0029] FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the dock of Figure 2, wherein the dock comprises a guide member having a first arm and a second arm;

[0030] FIGURE 9 depicts a block diagram showing non-limiting, exemplary electrical components of the floating platform and the airborne unit of Figure 1;

[0031] FIGURE 10 is a side view depiction of the exemplary airborne unit hovering while attached by a tether and bridle system to the floating platform;

[0032] FIGURE 11 is top, perspective view of Figure 10, wherein the airborne unit is substantially aligned with the centerline of the dock;

[0033] FIGURE 12 is another perspective view of the airborne unit hovering with respect to the floating platform, wherein the airborne unit is displaced relative to the centerline of the dock such that the tether is in contact with the guide member of the dock;

[0034] FIGURE 13 is another perspective view of the airborne unit hovering with respect to the floating platform, wherein the airborne unit is displaced relative to the centerline of the dock such that the bridle system is in contact with the guide member of the dock;

[0035] FIGURE 14 depicts a first non-limiting, exemplary vessel configured to install, service, and / or demobilize one or more of the wind energy systems of Figure 2;

[0036] FIGURE 15 is a perspective view of the vessel of Figure 14 showing a plurality of crane systems disposed along individual tracks formed within an vessel cavity;

[0037] FIGURE 16 a side view of the vessel of Figure 14 depicting the lowering of a first anchor and first mass from one of the crane systems, wherein the vessel is moving right to left;

[0038] FIGURE 17 illustrates three mooring line systems coupled to the first anchor of Figure 16, wherein the first anchor and the first mass are suspended over a target position;

[0039] FIGURE 18 is contemporaneous with Figure 17 and depicts a close-up of the first anchor and the first mass suspended over the target position;

[0040] FIGURE 19 depicts a close-up of the first anchor fully embedded in the sea bed, wherein the first mass is covering the first anchor;

[0041] FIGURE 20 depicts a close-up of the first mass being raised towards the surface of the water while the first anchor remains embedded in the sea bed;

[0042] FIGURE 21 illustrates several anchors and masses that are in various phases of installation;

[0043] FIGURE 22 depicts a first row of alternating one- and two- float connections with one temporary float coupled at each location, wherein each location includes an embedded anchor in the sea bed;

[0044] FIGURE 23 depicts the continuing process shown in Figure 22, showing a completed first row, a completed second row, and a partially completed third row of alternating one- and two- float connections with one temporary float coupled at each location, wherein each location includes an embedded anchor in the sea bed;

[0045] FIGURE 24 is a non-limiting depiction of a second exemplary vessel attaching to one of the one-float connections / temporary floats in the completed first row of Figure 23

[0046] FIGURE 25 is a non-limiting depiction of the second vessel dragging the one-float connections / temporary floats of Figure 24 to a correspondingly aligned two-float connect! on / temporary floats in the completed second row of Figure 23;

[0047] FIGURE 26 depicts one non-limiting, resulting structure obtained from the steps illustrated in Figures 24-25;

[0048] FIGURE 27 illustrates an exemplary, completed anchor / mooring line system;

[0049] FIGURE 28 illustrates an exemplary, platform and airborne unit assembled on the first vessel of Figure 14;

[0050] FIGURE 29 depicts the resulting structure of Figure 26 being pulled upward towards the assembled platform and airborne unit of Figure 28;

[0051] FIGURE 30 illustrates the completed wind energy system being lowered into the body of water;

[0052] FIGURE 31 depicts the completed wind energy system of Figure 30 connected to another, completed wind energy system by way of an inner-array / interconnection line;

[0053] FIGURE 32 depicts a completed farm / grid of off-shore, wind energy systems; and

[0054] FIGURE 33 depicts another non-limiting, exemplary embodiment for installing and / or servicing one or more of the wind energy systems of Figure 2, wherein a conveyor and / or track assembly at least partially extends over a side of a vessel.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] Example implementations are now described with reference to the Figures. Reference numerals are used throughout the detailed description to refer to the various elements and structures. Like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. Although the following detailed description contains many specifics for the purposes of illustration, a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and alterations to the following details are within the scope of the disclosed technology. Accordingly, the following implementations are set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the claimed subject matter.

[0056] The examples discussed herein are examples only and are provided to assist in the explanation of the apparatuses, devices, systems, and methods described herein. None of the features or components shown in the drawings or discussed below should be taken as required for any specific implementation of any of these the apparatuses, devices, systems or methods unless specifically designated as such. For ease of reading and clarity, certain components, modules, or methods may be described solely in connection with a specific Figure. Any failure to specifically describe a combination or sub-combination of components should not be understood as an indication that any combination or sub-combination is not possible. Also, for any methods described, regardless of whether the method is described in conjunction with a flow diagram, it should be understood that unless otherwise specified or required by context, any explicit or implicit ordering of steps performed in the execution of a method does not imply that those steps must be performed in the order presented but instead may be performed in a different order or in parallel.

[0057] The invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may,however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the size and relative sizes of layers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0058] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Similarly, the use of the word “or” is intended to be non-exclusive unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or groups thereof.

[0059] Embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference to illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments (and intermediate structures) of the invention. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, embodiments of the invention should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing.

[0060] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0061] One non-limiting aspect of the disclosed technology includes systems for harvesting wind energy to produce electricity. While it is to be appreciated that the disclosed system can be used on land, the following description will describe the system in relation to off-shore, aquatic environments (e.g. oceans, lakes, rivers, or similar bodies of water). Specifically, the disclosedwind energy system assists a tethered, airborne unit (e g. unmanned aerial vehicle, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, drone, aircraft, helicopter, etc.) in landing / docking on a corresponding platform floating in off-shore, aquatic environments, while minimizing the transfer of platform movement to the airborne unit during landing. Certain implementations of the disclosed technology include a rotatable dock in contact with tethers and bridle systems that: (i) absorb energy; (ii) aid in centering the airborne unit relative to the dock; (iii) limit high acceleration and energy consumption of the airborne unit; and / or (iv) reduce the risk of the tether and bridle system from become entangled with the platform and / or dock.

[0062] FIGURE l is a perspective view of a non-limiting, exemplary embodiment of a wind energy system 50 shown in an in-use configuration (i.e. an exemplary airborne unit is in flight and tethered to a floating platform); FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the wind energy system 50 shown in a docked configuration (i.e. the exemplary airborne unit is properly landed / docked on an exemplary dock of the floating platform); FIGURE 3 is a top-down, perspective view of the wind energy system 50 of Figure 2; FIGURE 4 is a first side view of the wind energy system 50 of Figure 2; FIGURE 5 is a second side view of the wind energy system 50 of Figure 2; FIGURE 6 is a town-down view of the wind energy system 50 of Figure 2; and FIGURE 7 is a bottom, perspective view of the wind energy system 50 of Figure 2.

[0063] With reference to FIGURES 1-7, the wind energy system 50 includes a platform 100 and an airborne unit 200. The platform 100 includes a mast 110, a frame 120 having a plurality of supports 122, a dock 140 coupled to the mast 110, and a plurality of floats / buoys 170. The platform 100 further comprises a winch 130 coupled to the dock 140, wherein the winch 130 includes a drum 132 and a motor 134. The airborne unit 200 is attached to the platform 100 through an electrified tether 52 and a bridle system 60 having first and second bridle segments 62, 64. Specifically, the electrified tether 52 is at least partially rolled onto / into the drum 132, which allows the tether 52 to be winched in / out of the drum 132 so that the airborne unit 200 can both launch from and land on the platform 100, as well as change altitude or other flight characteristics. In one non-limiting embodiment, the winch 130 controls the length, speed, and / or tension of the electrified tether 52. In the present non-limiting embodiment, the electrified tether 52 and the bridle system 60 are composed of one or more non-rigid fibers, piles, strands, etc., such as, for example, rope.

[0064] In the present non-limiting embodiment, the platform 100 is configured to float on a body of water 5 (see FIGURE 1). As best shown in FIGURE 7, each of the floats / buoys 170 include a bracket 172 having a plurality of fasteners 174. The fasteners 174 are configured to: (i) releasably couple the floats / buoys 170 to the platform by way of the supports 122; and (ii) anchor the floats / buoys 170 and / or platform 100 to a sea bed (or another floating platform or dock) of the body of water 5 through one or more mooring line systems. The one or more mooring line systems will be discussed in greater detail below.

[0065] FIGURE 8 is a detailed, perspective view of the dock 140, wherein the dock 140 comprises a body 142 and a guide member 144 coupled to the body 142. The guide member 144 includes a first arm 150a and a second arm 150b, wherein each of the first arm 150a and the second arm 150b include an upper protuberance 152a, 152b; a lower protuberance 154a, 154b; and indents 156a, 156b. The guide member 144 further comprises an upper stop 160 and a lower stop 162. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the upper stop 160 and a lower stop 162 correspondingly function to constrain the tether 52 and / or the bridle system 60 in a vertical direction. The upper stop 160 may retract to allow for free motion of the tether 52 and / or the bridle system 60 during the in-use configuration. Further, the upper protuberance 152a, 152b and the lower protuberance 154a, 154b may function to reduce the risk of the tether 52 and / or the bridle system 60 from becoming entangled on the dock 140 and / or the platform 100.

[0066] With reference to FIGURES 2-8, the airborne unit 200 contacts the guide member 144 of the dock 140 when in a docked configuration. In the present non-limiting embodiment, the electrified tether 52 is pulled onto / into the drum 132 until: (i) the first bridle segment 62 contacts the first arm 150a and the second bridle segment 64 contacts the second arm 150b; and (ii) residual tension on the bridle system holds the wing of the airborne unit 200 at a center-mass position against the first and second arms 150a, 150b. It is to be appreciated that the guide member 144 can include additional flexible and / or rigid support elements (hooks, actuated clamps, fasteners, etc.) that are configured to fasten the airborne unit 200 to the dock 140 and support the weight of and reduce the loads on the airborne unit 200, without requiring bridle and tether tension to hold the airborne unit 200.

[0067] Now referring to FIGURES 1-8, the dock 140 can rotate (freely / passively and / or driven through electronic controls) in an azimuth direction. Because the platform 100 is floating off-shore on the body of water 5, the platform 100 may move independently of the airborne unit 200 (e g. due to wave action, wind motion, etc,), making it difficult to predict motion and velocity needed for airborne unit 200 landing / docking. Accordingly, the azimuth rotation of the dock 140 aids in maintaining proper orientation of the tether 52 (e.g. perpendicular to the drum 132) and / or minimizes the transfer of the platform 100 motion to the airborne unit 200 during landing / docking.

[0068] FIGURE 9 is a block diagram showing non-limiting, exemplary electrical components of the floating platform 100 and the airborne unit 200. Here, power generated by the airborne unit 200 is transferred through the electrified tether 52 to the platform 100 where it is then output (after some possible power conditioning and / or cleaning) to a power output 75 which could be any one of the following: a battery, an electrical grid, a power substation, and / or mechanical energy storage. The platform 100, the dock 130, and / or the dock 140 may contain: (i) one or more controllers 102 configured with instructions to control various components, features, movements, or aspects of the platform 100, the dock 130, and / or the dock 140; and (ii) one or more communication devices 104 capable of exchanging information with remote or nearby devices. The platform 100 may further include one or more sensors 108 for determining position, displacement, or speed of the platform 100 or airborne unit 200, tension in the tether 52, environmental sensors such as but not limited to an anemometer, or combinations thereof. The airborne unit 200 may contain: (i) one or more controllers 202 configured with instructions to control various components, features, or aspects of the airborne unit 200 (e.g. propeller motors 206); and (ii) one or more communication devices 204 capable of exchanging information with remote or nearby devices. The airborne unit 200 may further include one or more sensors 208 for determining position, displacement, or speed of the platform 100 or airborne unit 200, tension in the tether 52, environmental sensors such as but not limited to an anemometer or pitot tube, or combinations thereof, so as to compensate for some of the platform 100 movement. It is to be appreciated that the controllers 102, 202 can be that of a microcontroller, a microprocessor, and / or CPU / RAM combination. The communication devices 104, 204 can be one or more of a Bluetooth transceiver, Wi-Fi transceiver, cellular data transceiver, or other similar wirelesscommunication device. The sensors 108, 208 can be more or more of a camera, microphone, digitizer, and other types of sensing device capable of determining positions, sound, movement, tension, displacement, etc.

[0069] FIGURES 10-13 depict various scenarios that can occur as the airborne unit 200 attempts to dock / land on the dock 140 of the floating platform 100. Specifically, FIGURE 10 is a side view depiction of the airborne unit 200 hovering while attached by the tether 52 and the bridle system 60 to the floating platform 100; FIGURE 11 is top, perspective view of Figure 10, wherein the airborne unit 200 is substantially aligned with a centerline 20 of the dock 140; FIGURE 12 is another perspective view of the airborne unit 200 hovering with respect to the floating platform 100, wherein the airborne unit 200 is displaced relative to the centerline 20 of the dock 140 such that the tether 52 is in contact with the guide member 144 of the dock 140; and FIGURE 13 is another perspective view of the airborne unit 200 hovering with respect to the floating platform 100, wherein the airborne unit 200 is displaced relative to the centerline 20 of the dock 140 such that the bridle system 60 is in contact with the guide member 144 of the dock 140. The displacements of the airborne unit 200 relative to the centerline 20 of the dock 140 could result from the motion of the airborne unit 200 due to various perturbations, motion of the platform 100 / dock 140 due to wave and / or wind action, or combinations thereof.

[0070] With reference to FIGURES 10-13, various methodologies and components of the disclosed wind energy system 50 can be used, together or separately, to provide proper tension in the tether 52 and bridle system 60 as the airborne unit 200 attempts to dock / land. In one nonlimiting embodiment, the airborne unit 200 can tilt away from the dock 140 in order to increase tension on the tether 52 though oppositely directed thrust (see FIGURE 10). The drag force on the airborne unit 200 (due to wind force nominally expected to move from left to right in FIGURE 10) may also increase tension in the tether 52 and bridle system 60. In another nonlimiting embodiment, the winch 130 can control the length, speed, and / or tension of the electrified tether 52 based on the movements of the platform 100, dock 140, and / or the airborne unit 200. For example, the winch 130 can: (i) reel out the tether 52 from the drum 132 if the dock 140 is displacing away from the airborne unit 200; or (ii) reel in the tether 52 to the drum 132 if the dock 140 is displacing towards the airborne unit 200. In other non-limiting embodiments, theairborne unit 200 can increase its thrust if the dock 140 displaces upward, or can decrease its thrust if the dock 140 displaces downward.

[0071] Still referring to FIGURES 10-13, the platform 100, the tether 52 and bridle system 60, and the airborne unit 200 cooperate to center the airborne unit 200 when docking / landing on the floating platform. As shown in FIGURE 11, the airborne unit 200 is substantially aligned with the centerline 20 of the dock 140, and the tether 52 can be reeled in to accurately position the airborne unit 200 on the dock 140. Conversely, in FIGURES 12-13, the airborne unit 200 is displaced from the centerline 20 of the dock 140 such that the tether 52 (FIGURE 12) and the first bridle segment 62 (FIGURE 13) are in contact with the first arm 150a of the guide member 140. Contact with the first arm 150a produces a force sufficient to re-center the airborne unit 200 along the centerline 20, without a shock load and / or high acceleration of the airborne unit 200. As shown in FIGURES 10-12, the tether 52 and first and second bridle segments 62, 64 are maintained under tension when the airborne unit 200 is in-use / in-flight. The tension in the tether 52 and first and second bridle segments 62, 64 allow the tether 52 and the first and second bridle segments 62, 64 to deform to shape when contacting the arms 150a, 150b, thereby absorbing the contact energy and providing positioning forces with respect to the airborne unit. Further, the dock 140 may actively or passively rotate in the direction to follow the displacement / movement of the airborne unit 200 such that the tether 52 remains centered along the centerline 20, thereby minimizing tether and / or bridle contact with the guide member 144. Allowing the dock 140 to rotate and maintain the centerline 20 advantageously: (i) reduces wear or abrasion on the tether 52 and / or bridle system 60; (ii) minimizes spurious inputs to the airborne unit 200, as such spurious inputs could decrease the controllability of the airborne unit 200; and (iii) reduces the airborne unit’s 200 energy consumption. It is to be appreciated that an optimal combination of the rotating dock 140, controlling the airborne unit 200, and the tether 52 and bridle system 60 can be used to achieve such advantages.

[0072] Another non-limiting aspect of the disclosed technology includes systems and methods that permit numerous wind energy systems 50 to be cost-effectively and efficiently installed in an off-shore, farm / grid configuration. Conventional off-shore windfarms typically produce about 750 MW of rated power, while the individual wind energy system 50 produces approximately 75kW of rated power. As such, at least 10,000 wind energy systems 50 wouldneed to be installed to achieve conventional windfarm power output. The disclosed methodologies advantageously permit a large number of anchors, mooring lines, and wind energy systems 50 to be continuously installed in a farm / grid-like configuration much faster and less expensive than conventional methodologies. It is to be appreciated that the disclosed methods are not so limited to use with the wind energy system 50. Furthermore, it is to be appreciated that the disclosed systems and methods are not so limited to installation of the wind energy systems 50, but can also be used to service and / or remove the wind energy systems 50. For example, in one non-limiting embodiment, one or more of the installed wind energy systems 50 can be lifted onto a vessel to be cleaned, have hardware / components replaced and / or fixed, and / or be demobilized at the end of life.

[0073] FIGURE 14 depicts a first non-limiting, exemplary vessel 300 configured to install, service, and / or demobilize one or more of the wind energy systems 50 in the body of water 5; and FIGURE 15 is another perspective view of the vessel 300. With reference to FIGURES 14- 15, the vessel 300 includes a deck 302 having a crane 304 and a plurality of containers 306. The vessel 300 further comprises one or more independently controlled crane systems 310a, 310b, 310c mounted on independent tracks 312a, 312b, 312c that are configured to traverse along the length of the vessel 300 in a cavity 308. Each of the crane systems 310a, 310b, 310c include a crane 314a, 314b, 314c; an installation mass 316a, 316b, 316c; and an anchor 318a, 318b, 318c, respectively. It is to be appreciated that a single, continuous track could be formed within the cavity 308 of the vessel 300.

[0074] It is to be appreciated that the crane systems 310a, 310b, 310c each function similarly and utilize the same methodologies discussed herein. For the sake of clarity, certain functions and / or components of the crane systems 310a, 310b, 310c may only be discussed or illustrated with reference to a specific crane system.

[0075] Each of the plurality of containers 306 can store the components of the wind energy systems 50. The deck 302 allows for more containers 306 to be stored on board, thereby improving installation economics and reducing the number of resupply trips that the vessel 300 must make. It is to be appreciated that the wind energy systems 50 can be manufactured or assembled on the deck 302 and / or the containers 306 could contain fully assembled wind energysystems 50. In one non-limiting embodiment, the containers 306 are conventional shipping containers.

[0076] In the present non -limiting embodiment, the vessel 300 is a small waterplane area twin hull (SWATH) vessel. As such, the central portion of the vessel is displaced from the mean water line by a significant amount, forming the cavity 308. In the present non-limiting embodiment, the one or more crane systems 310a, 310b, 310c are installed in the cavity 308 to provide a sheltered area for operation. Waves from the body of water 5 may be reduced in the cavity 308, simplifying handling operations. The SWATH vessel 300 is also fundamentally more stable in large waves, which is more desirable for precise placement of anchors, mooring lines, etc. and for the comfort of the workers onboard. It is to be appreciated that a variety of different types of vessels could be used to achieve the above benefits, such as barges or other large vessels with cranes built off the side.

[0077] FIGURE 16 depicts the vessel 300 lowering the first installation mass 316a and the first anchor 318a from the first crane system 310a, wherein the vessel 300 is moving from right to left along the body of water 5 at a fixed speed relative to the sea bed 10. With reference to FIGURE 16, the first crane system 310a lowers the first installation mass 316a and the first anchor 318a towards the sea bed 10 through crane line 320a. As the first installation mass 316a and the first anchor 318a are lowered towards the sea bed 10, the first crane system 310a remains stationary and does not yet traverse along its respective track 312a.

[0078] FIGURE 17 illustrates the first installation mass 316a and the first anchor 318a suspended over a target position 324a on the sea bed 10, wherein the target position 324a is the predetermined location where the first anchor 318a is to be embedded, placed, anchored or otherwise fixed with respect to the sea bed 10. With reference to FIGURE 17, mooring line systems 330a, 340a, 350a are coupled to the first anchor 318a. Each of the mooring line systems 330a, 340a, 350a include an upper mooring line 332a, 342a, 352a; a lower mooring line 334a, 344a, 354a; and a mooring line float 336a, 346a, 356a attached therebetween. Floats / buoys 360a, 370a, 380a are coupled to the upper mooring line 332a, 342a, 352a, respectively. The second crane system 310b is lowering the second installation mass 316b and the second anchor 318b towards the sea bed 10 through crane line 320b. Again, as the second installation mass 316b andthe second anchor 318b are lowered towards the sea bed 10, the second crane system 310b remains stationary and does not yet traverse along its respective track 312b. In one non-limiting embodiment, the mooring line systems 330a, 340a, 350a are located approximately 120 degrees apart.

[0079] Still referring to FIGURE 17, the vessel 300 remains moving right to left along the body of water 5 at its fixed speed relative to the sea bed 10. To cancel out the motion of the vessel 300, the first crane system 310a traverses left to right along its respective track 312a. This movement of the first crane system 310a assists the first installation mass 316a and the first anchor 318a to remain stationary, relative to the target position 324a. In one non-limiting embodiment, the vessel 300 is 120m in length, traveling at 1 5m / s from right to left, and the first crane system 310a is moving from left to right at also 1.5m / s, thereby maintaining a fixed position of the first installation mass 316a and the first anchor 318a above the target position 324a on the sea bed 10 for up to 80 seconds, during which the first anchor 318a can be embedded. Such a process advantageously allows the vessel 300 to move continuously at a constant speed without needing to frequently stop / start to deploy / retract the anchors and installation masses, thereby saving time, energy, and expenses.

[0080] FIGURE 18 is contemporaneous with Figure 17 and depicts a close-up of the first installation mass 316a and the first anchor 318a suspended over the target position 324a on the sea bed 10; FIGURE 19 depicts a close-up of the first anchor 318a fully embedded in the sea bed 10, wherein the first installation mass 316a is covering the first anchor 318a; and FIGURE 20 depicts a close-up of the first installation mass 316a being raised towards the surface of the water 5 while the first anchor 318a remains embedded in the sea bed 10. With reference to FIGURES 18-20, the first installation mass 316a (as well as the installation masses 316b, 316c) may optionally include one or more thrusters 90 to aid in precisely positioning the first installation mass 316a and the first anchor 318a over / on the target position 324a. The one or more thrusters 90 may include jets, propellers, or similar devices capable of generating a force from stored energy.

[0081] The present invention may be adapted for any anchor style (e.g. gravity anchor, torpedo anchor, caisson anchor, etc.), and the term anchor is understood to refer generally toweighted elements or elements that can be used to fix the location of a mooring line with respect to a particular position. In some non-limiting embodiments, anchors 318a, 318b, 318c may be “caisson” style anchors. The caisson anchors 318a, 318b, 318c may be pushed into the sea bed 10 with the installation masses 316a, 316b, 316c exceeding a maximum installation force. In other non-limiting embodiments, anchors 318a, 318b, 318c may be dropped from a predetermined elevation above the sea bed 10 so that the kinetic energy of the installation masses 316a, 316b, 316c hastens installation. In other non-limiting embodiments, it may be desirable to close the top of the caisson after installation in order to increase the uplift capacity of the anchors 318a, 318b, 318c. A check valve or similar one-way flow device can be formed on the anchors 318a, 318b, 318c to allow trapped water to escape during embedment and then to ultimately seal the anchors 318a, 318b, 318c. In other non-limiting embodiments, a vacuum assist system may integrated into the installation masses 316a, 316b, 316c or the anchors 318a, 318b, 318c to aid in installing the caisson.

[0082] FIGURE 21 illustrates several phases of installation, wherein the first anchor 318a is fully embedded in the sea bed 10, the second installation mass 316b and the second anchor 318b are suspended over a target position 324b, and the third installation mass 316c and the third anchor 318c are being lowered by the third crane system 310c. With reference to FIGURE 21, the first anchor 318a is fully embedded in the sea bed 10, and the first crane 314a and first installation mass 316a are retracted and are being traversed to the front of the vessel 300 to be fit with a new anchor. At the same time, the second crane system 310b is moving from left to right to counteract movement of the vessel 300 and to properly align and embed the second anchor 318b, and the third crane system 310c is stationary and lowering the third installation mass 316c and the third anchor 318c towards target position 324c. Each of the crane systems 310a, 310b, 310c independently traverse along their respective tracks 312a, 312b, 312c as to enable to process to proceeding continuously, similar to that of a production line. This process can continue until all desired anchors are embedded in a grid-like orientation (see FIGURE 23). Such a process advantageously allows the vessel 300 to move continuously at a constant speed without needing to stop / start to deploy / retract the anchors and installation masses. In general, the deployment substeps related to anchor deployment are performed in offset cycles by the cranesystems, wherein each crane system operates at an offset from the other cranes for continuous deployment.

[0083] Still referring to FIGURE 21, mooring line systems 330b, 340b, 350b are coupled to the second anchor 318b. Each of the mooring line systems 330b, 340b, 350b include an upper mooring line 332b, 342b, 352b; a lower mooring line 334b, 344b, 354b; and a mooring line float 336b, 346b, 356b attached therebetween. Floats / buoys 360b, 370b, 380b are coupled to the upper mooring line 332b, 342b, 352b, respectively. Although not shown in the figures, it is to be appreciated that the third anchor 318c includes mooring line systems 330c, 340c, 350c. Each of the mooring line systems 330c, 340c, 350c include an upper mooring line 332c, 342c, 352c; a lower mooring line 334c, 344c, 354c; and a mooring line float 336c, 346c, 356c attached therebetween. Floats / buoys 360c, 370c, 380c are coupled to the upper mooring line 332c, 342c, 352c, respectively.

[0084] Now referring to FIGURES 21-23, a first temporary float / buoy 390 is tethered to float / buoy 370a through a connector line 392. A second temporary float / buoy 395 is tethered between the float / buoy 380a and the float / buoy 360b through connector lines 397. This process is continued to form a first row of alternating one- and two- temporary float connections (see FIGURE 22) for each embedded anchor. Thereafter, second, third, and / or subsequent rows of the alternating one- and two- temporary float connections can be formed (see FIGURE 23). As further shown in FIGURE 23, the one- and two- temporary float connections also alternate across rows (i.e. a one-temporary float connection is adjacent to a two-temporary float connection across rows). It is to be appreciated that a wide variety of one- and / or two- temporary float connection configurations are possible. In the present non-limiting embodiment, the second temporary float / buoy 395 is tethered at approximately the midpoint between the float / buoy 380a and the float / buoy 360b. It is also to be appreciated that the vessel 300 in FIGURE 23 moved from right to left to complete row 1, moved left to right to complete row 2, and is moving right to left to complete row 3. It is to be appreciated that a plurality of vessels 300 could be used increase the speed of the process.

[0085] With reference to FIGURES 23-27, a second exemplary vessel 400 is provided having a first winch 410 and a second winch 420. Here, the vessel 400 is used to form anexemplary, completed anchor / mooring line system 500 (see FIGURE 27). In one non-limiting example, to begin, the vessel 400 attaches to the first temporary float / buoy 390 (still tethered to float / buoy 370a) in the first row through a tether 412 attached to the first winch 410 (see FIGURE 24). The vessel 400 then: (i) drags the first temporary float / buoy 390 and the float / buoy 370a to a correspondingly aligned two-float connection / temporary floats in the completed second row (corresponding temporary float / buoy labeled as 450 and the float / buoys 460, 480); and (ii) attaches to the temporary float / buoy 450 through a tether 422 attached to the second winch 420 (see FIGURE 25). The first and second winches 410, 420 reel in their respective tethers 412, 422 and remove the temporary floats / buoys 390, 450 to form a three-fl oat / buoy resulting structure 600 having a central point 610 (see FIGURE 26). This process is continued between completed rows until completed anchor / mooring line system 500 is achieved (see FIGURE 27). It is to be appreciated that any of variety of additional or alterative steps may be included in the process forming the completed anchor / mooring line system 500. It is to be appreciated that a plurality of vessels 400 could be used increase the speed of the process.

[0086] FIGURE 28 illustrates the exemplary platform 100 and airborne unit 200 of wind energy system 50 assembled on the vessel 300 configured to receive the three-float / buoy resulting structure 600; FIGURE 29 depicts the three-float / buoy resulting structure 600 being pulled upward towards the assembled platform 100 and airborne unit 200; and FIGURE 30 illustrates the completed wind energy system 50 being lowered into the body of water 5. With reference to FIGURES 28-30, the three-float / buoy resulting structure 600 is raised out of the body of water 5 at its central point 610. The crane 304 on the deck 302 of the vessel 300 may be used to raise the three-float / buoy resulting structure 600 and / or lower the completed wind energy system 50. It is to be appreciated that any of the cranes 314a, 314b, 314c contained in the cavity 308 of the vessel 300 could also be used to raise the three-float / buoy resulting structure 600 and / or lower the completed wind energy system 50. Cranes 304, 314a, 314b, and / or 314c can traverse along the length of the vessel 300 to counteract the movement of the vessel 300 relative to the sea bed 10. In some non-limiting embodiments, an electrical inner-array / interconnection line 700 (“electrical interconnect”) may be attached to the completed wind energy system 50 prior to being lowered into the body of water 5 (see FIGURE 30).

[0087] FIGURE 31 depicts the completed wind energy system 50 connected to another, completed wind energy system 50b; and FIGURE 32 depicts a completed farm / grid of off-shore, wind energy systems 800. It is to be appreciated that the electrical interconnects collect the harnessed energy between wind energy systems. With reference to FIGURES 30-32, the wind energy system 50 is connected to another wind energy system 50b by way of the electrical interconnect 700. An interconnection line float / buoy 710 is connected near the midpoint of the electrical interconnect 700. In one non-limiting embodiment, the electrical interconnect 700 is in parallel connection between systems 50 and 50b. In another non-limiting embodiment, the electrical interconnect 700 is in series connection between systems 50 and 50b.

[0088] Still referring to FIGURES 30-32, the disclosed systems and methods may be used to continuously install the electrical interconnects by keeping the free end of one of the electrical interconnects on-board the vessel 300 and attaching it to the next completed wind energy system 50 before being placed in the water 5. As such, a conventionally time-consuming secondary operation can be implemented in parallel with the main installation process. It is to be appreciated that energy may be stored as hydrogen, ammonia, or another chemical form. It is also to be appreciated that the electrical interconnect 700 could be replaced by a hose or pipeline system carrying hydrogen, ammonia, or another chemical form.

[0089] FIGURE 33 depicts another non-limiting, exemplary embodiment for installing and / or servicing one or more of the wind energy systems 50, wherein a conveyor and / or track assembly 1100 at least partially extends over a side of a vessel 1000. With reference to FIGURE 33, the track assembly 1100 can extend the perimeter of the deck 1002 of the vessel 1000, with a portion of the track assembly 1100 extending over the side of the vessel. One or more independently controlled crane systems 1010a, 1010b, 1010c can traverse and move along one or more tracks 1110 of the track assembly 1100. The crane systems 1010a, 1010b, 1010c functions similarly and includes similar components to those of crane systems 310a, 310b, 310c. For example, the crane systems 1010a, 1010b, 1010c can raise and lower anchors, mooring lines, floats / buoys, platforms, and / or wind energy systems over the body of water 5. As the crane systems 1010a, 1010b, 1010c move along the track assembly 1100, various components 1200 (e.g. floats / buoys, anchors, mooring lines, platforms, wind energy systems, etc.) can be added tothe desired crane system 1010a, 1010b, 1010c, thereby providing for continuous installation, servicing, and / or demobilizing.

[0090] The three mooring line systems are described herein as being connected to their corresponding anchor. It is efficient to install the anchors with the three mooring line systems attached to avoid time-consuming second operations of attaching the mooring line systems at a later time. However, in some alternate embodiments, two of the mooring line systems (and floats) attached to adjacent anchors may be connected together as they are lowered from the vessel, and the third mooring line system (and float) may left to float independently. The second vessel then attaches the third mooring line system (and float) to two connected mooring line systems (and floats) in a line second of parallel anchors. This alternate embodiment minimizes the risk of the mooring line systems becoming entangled and / or confused in the chaotic, aquatic environments.

[0091] It is to be understood that the sea bed may contain unsuitable installation areas for placement of a uniform anchor / mooring line system. For example, rocks, boulders, angles, holes, coral, and / or debris may exist on the sea bed or slightly below. In such situations, a detailed survey of the sea bed, including below the mudline, may be undertaken with problematic areas highlighted. The placement of the whole grid / farm may be oriented to minimize the impact of undesirable anchor / mooring line placements. In some situations, local adjustment to the anchor / mooring line spacing may be required. To compensate for such irregularities while maintaining precise positioning of the floating platform, the disclosed invention is well-suited to enable customized mooring line systems for each position. For example, upper / lower mooring line segment lengths, positions of floats, weights, buoys, or other modifications may be made in the design layout of the farm / grid. The disclosed invention is suitable for a flexible manufacturing system where each mooring line system may be manufactured for the exact circumstances of the anchor position and / or depth.

[0092] Having shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, those skilled in the art will realize that many variations and modifications may be made to affect the described invention and still be within the scope of the claimed invention. Additionally, many of the elements indicated above may be altered or replaced by different elements which will provide thesame result and fall within the spirit of the claimed invention. It is the intention, therefore, to limit the invention only as indicated by the scope of the claim.

[0093] All literature and similar material cited in this application, including, but not limited to, patents, patent applications, articles, books, treatises, and web pages, regardless of the format of such literature and similar materials, are expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety. Should one or more of the incorporated references and similar materials differs from or contradicts this application, including but not limited to defined terms, term usage, described techniques, or the like, this application controls.

[0094] As previously stated and as used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” refer to both the singular as well as plural, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “comprising” as used herein is synonymous with “including”, “containing” or “characterized by” and is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. Although many methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used, particular suitable methods and materials are described herein. Unless context indicates otherwise, the recitations of numerical ranges by endpoints include all numbers subsumed within that range. Furthermore, references to “one implementation” are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional implementations that also incorporate the recited features. Moreover, unless explicitly stated to the contrary, implementations “comprising” or “having” an element or a plurality of elements having a particular property may include additional elements whether or not they have that property.

[0095] The terms “substantially” and “about” describe and account for small fluctuations, such as due to variations in processing or operational ranges that are evident from the disclosure to those skilled in the art, for instance. For example, these terms can refer to less than or equal to ±5%, such as less than or equal to ±2%, such as less than or equal to ±1%, such as less than or equal to ±0.5%, such as less than or equal to ±0.2%, such as less than or equal to ±0.1%, such as less than or equal to ±0.05%, or 0%.

[0096] Underlined or italicized headings and subheadings are used for convenience only, do not limit the disclosed subject matter, and are not referred to in connection with the interpretation of the description of the disclosed subject matter. All structural and functional equivalents to theelements of the various implementations described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and intended to be encompassed by the disclosed subject matter. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the above description.

[0097] There may be many alternate ways to implement the disclosed technology. Various functions and elements described herein may be partitioned differently from those shown without departing from the scope of the disclosed technology. Generic principles defined herein may be applied to other implementations. Different numbers of a given module or unit may be employed, a different type or types of a given module or unit may be employed, a given module or unit may be added, or a given module or unit may be omitted.

[0098] Regarding this disclosure, the term “a plurality of’ refers to two or more than two. Unless otherwise clearly defined, orientation or positional relations indicated by terms such as “upper” and “lower” are based on the orientation or positional relations as shown in the Figures, only for facilitating description of the disclosed technology and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the referred devices or elements must be in a particular orientation or constructed or operated in the particular orientation, and therefore they should not be construed as limiting the disclosed technology. The terms “connected”, “mounted”, “fixed”, etc. should be understood in a broad sense. For example, “connected” may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection, a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. For an ordinary skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the disclosed technology may be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0099] It should be appreciated that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater detail herein (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are contemplated as being part of the disclosed technology. In particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are contemplated as being part of the technology disclosed herein. While the disclosed technology has been illustrated by the description of example implementations, and while the example implementations have been described in certain detail, there is no intention to restrict or in anyway limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the disclosed technology in its broader aspects is not limited to any of the specific details, representative devices and methods, and / or illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed:

1. A system for docking an airborne unit comprising: a platform; a dock configured to assist the airborne unit in landing on the platform, comprising: a guide member configured to receive the airborne unit comprising: a first arm; and a second arm, wherein the dock rotates correspondingly to a direction associated with the airborne unit; a tether connecting the airborne unit to the platform; a winch comprising a drum that at least partially contains the tether, wherein the winch is configured to control length, speed, tension, or combinations thereof of the tether; and a bridle system comprising a first segment and a second segment connecting the airborne unit to the tether and formed from non-rigid material, wherein a first contact force is produced when the first segment of the bridle contacts the first arm, wherein a second contact force is produced when the second segment of the bridle contacts the second arm, and wherein the first and second contact forces position the airborne unit relative to the dock.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the dock rotates passively in an azimuth direction.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the airborne unit harvests wind energy and the tether is electrified.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising: one or more sensors configured to: determine position, displacement, speed, or combinations thereof of the platform relative to the airborne unit; determine position, displacement, speed, or combinations thereof of the airborne unit relative to the platform; or determine an amount of tension in the tether; andone or more electronic controllers having a processor configured to rotate the dock in an azimuth direction based upon input from the one or more sensors.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the winch further comprises a motor configured to rotate the drum, and wherein the motor is controlled by the one or more controllers to rotate the dock in an azimuth direction based upon the input from the one or more sensors.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the winch reels out the tether when the dock moves away from the airborne unit, and wherein the winch reels in the tether when the dock moves towards the airborne unit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the guide member further comprises: an upper protuberance and a lower protuberance associated with the first arm; and an upper protuberance and a lower protuberance associated with the second arm.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the guide member further comprises: an upper stop; and a lower stop, wherein the upper and lower stops extend between the first and second arms and the first and second bridle segments are constrained in a substantially vertical direction between the upper and lower stops when the guide member receives the airborne unit.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the upper stop is retractable to permit a free-range of motion of the tether.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the winch is configured to maintain a minimum tension with respect to the tether.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one floating buoy secured to the platform.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one floating buoy comprises a plurality of fasteners configured to releasably couple the at least one floating buoy to the floating platform and a mooring line.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one floating buoy comprises a bracket having a plurality of fasteners configured to releasably couple the at least one floating buoy to the floating platform and a mooring line.

14. A system for harvesting wind energy in aquatic environments, wherein the system is connected to a power output, the system comprising: an airborne unit; a platform; a dock configured to assist the airborne unit in landing on the platform, comprising: a guide member configured to receive the airborne unit comprising: a first arm; and a second arm, wherein the dock rotates correspondingly to a direction associated with the airborne unit; an electrified tether connecting the airborne unit to the platform; a winch comprising a drum that at least partially contains the electrified tether, wherein the winch is configured to control length, speed, tension, or combinations thereof of the electrified tether; and a bridle system comprising a first segment and a second segment connecting the airborne unit to the electrified tether and formed from non-rigid material, wherein a first contact force is produced when the first segment of the bridle contacts the first arm, wherein a second contact force is produced when the second segment of the bridle contacts the second arm, and wherein the first and second contact forces position the airborne unit relative to the dock.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the dock rotates passively in an azimuth direction.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising: one or more sensors configured to: determine position, displacement, speed, or combinations thereof of the platform relative to the airborne unit; determine position, displacement, speed, or combinations thereof of the airborne unit relative to the platform; or determine an amount of tension in the tether; and one or more electronic controllers having a processor configured to rotate the dock in an azimuth direction based upon input from the one or more sensors.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the winch further comprises a motor configured to rotate the drum, and wherein the motor is controlled by the one or more controllers to rotate the dock in an azimuth direction based upon the input from the one or more sensors.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the winch reels out the tether when the dock moves away from the airborne unit, and wherein the winch reels in the tether when the dock moves towards the airborne unit.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the guide member further comprises: an upper protuberance and a lower protuberance associated with the first arm; an upper protuberance and a lower protuberance associated with the second arm; an upper stop, wherein the upper is retractable to permit a free-range of motion of the electrified tether; and a lower stop, wherein the upper and lower stops extend between the first and second arms and the first and second bridle segments are constrained in a substantially vertical direction between the upper and lower stops when the guide member receives the airborne unit.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the winch is configured to maintain a minimum tension with respect to the tether.

21. A method of deploying a plurality of energy systems to form an interconnected energy grid in an aquatic environment comprising the steps of: positioning a plurality crane systems on a first vessel, wherein each crane system in the plurality of crane systems independently traverse along one or more tracks disposed on the first vessel; deploying an anchor comprising the deployment substeps of: loading an anchor onto a crane system in the plurality of crane systems; lowering the anchor to a predetermined target on a sea floor; installing the anchor at the predetermined target; and retracting the crane system; and forming a first row by repeating the step of deploying an anchor, wherein each of the deployment substeps are performed by a crane system in the plurality of crane systems in offset cycles.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of: forming a second row parallel to the first row by repeating the step of deploying an anchor, wherein each of the deployment substeps are performed by a crane system in the plurality of crane systems in offset cycles, and wherein each anchor is attached to a plurality of mooring lines each having a float; and joining at least one of the mooring lines of the first row with at least one of the mooring lines of the second row, and attaching an energy system in the plurality of energy systems.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein each crane system in the plurality of crane systems maintains a constant position relative to the predetermined target on the sea floor by traversing along the one or more tracks in a direction opposite to a moving direction of the first vessel when deploying an anchor.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein each crane system in the plurality of crane systems moves along the one or more tracks in the moving direction of the first vessel when retracting the crane system.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein a second vessel joins the at least one of the mooring lines of the first row with the at least one of the mooring lines of the second row.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein each crane system in the plurality of crane systems each include an installation mass.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein each of the energy systems in the plurality of energy systems is interconnected though one or more inner-array energy transmission connections.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the one or more tracks at least partially extend over a side of the first vessel.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the first vessel is a small waterplane area twin haul (SWATH) vessel, and wherein the one or more tracks are disposed in a cavity extending along a length of the first vessel.

Images