Floating or semi-submersible installations equipped with wind turbines
The integration of wind turbines below the deck of offshore installations using bulkheads for support addresses space and fuel consumption issues, enabling fuel-free energy generation and efficient storage utilization.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2025520088
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-10-13
- Filing Date
- 2023-10-11
- Publication Date
- 2025-10-03
- Estimated Expiration
- Not applicable · inactive patent
AI Technical Summary
Conventional offshore installations require fuels for energy generation, occupy significant space, and compromise storage volume due to the integration of mechanical or electrical generators, necessitating larger hulls or reduced storage capacity.
A floating or semi-submersible installation with a wind turbine integrated below the deck, utilizing existing bulkheads for support, providing 50-75% free space for storage or other functions, and allowing partial wind alignment and movement.
Enables energy generation without fuels, optimizes space usage by incorporating wind turbines within the hull structure, and maintains storage capacity by utilizing bulkheads for support, reducing the need for larger hulls.
Smart Images
Figure 2025533172000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a floating or semi-submersible installation comprising a hull and a wind turbine fixed to the hull. [Background technology]
[0002] There are numerous offshore operating and production units, particularly for extracting oil and gas. These units are often shaped like a ship's hull and are permanently moored at the production site. Energy requirements are then met by equipment that generally consists of mechanical or electrical energy generators, such as piston engines or gas turbines, sometimes combined with alternators.
[0003] The drawback of these conventional solutions is that they require the incorporation of fuels such as gasoline, diesel or gas, or they consume part of their own hydrocarbon products.
[0004] Furthermore, these conventional power generation solutions require space within the hull or on the hull deck, thus increasing the volume or space requirements, compromising hull storage volume or space for on-deck processing methods for a given hull size, or requiring a larger hull, respectively.
[0005] This leads to the problem of providing a floating or semi-submersible installation with means for generating energy that occupies limited space within the installation. Summary of the Invention
[0006] One solution of the invention is a floating or semi-submersible installation 1 comprising a deck 2, a hull 3 which the deck covers and which forms an enclosed space divided into compartments by bulkheads 4, and a wind turbine 5 having a mast, the base 6 of which is located below the deck and is fixed to at least two of said bulkheads 4 by a foundation system 7 which provides free spaces 9, 10.
[0007] For purposes of this invention, the term "hull" refers to the shell of the boat below the deck.
[0008] Similarly, "free space" is defined as the space not occupied by the structure of the foundation system or the base of the wind turbine mast.
[0009] Advantageously, the free space within the foundation system accounts for 50-75% of the volume of the foundation system. Note that these percentages do not take into account the volume between the hull and the foundation system, since this volume is not part of the foundation system.
[0010] Preferably, the wind turbine 5 is steerable so that the blades of the wind turbine can be aligned with the wind.
[0011] In addition, the installation may preferably be movable to ensure partial alignment of the wind turbine with existing wind conditions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0012] [Figure 1]1A is a side view of an installation according to the invention; 1B shows a more specific cross-section of a foundation system 7 fixed to two bulkheads 4. Depending on the case, the installation according to the invention may have one or more of the following features: - the bulkheads are ballast tank or storage compartment bulkheads; - the installation comprises a free space 14 between the foundation system 7 and the hull 3; - the foundation system comprises a parallelepiped frame; - the frame defines, successively across the width of the hull, 2n+1 rectangular volumes: a central volume 8 and 2n lateral volumes 9, 10, where the central volume comprises the base of the wind turbine and the lateral volumes are free space, and n≧1. Preferably, n is between 1 and 4. - the central volume comprises vertical panels 11 fixed between the base of the mast and the walls of the central volume. Preferably, the vertical panels have a height similar to that of the central volume. Preferably, the central volume comprises 4 to 16 vertical panels evenly distributed around the base of the wind turbine mast. Preferably, the vertical panels are made of steel. The purpose of these vertical panels is to transmit forces from the wind turbine mast to the foundation system 7. - The frame is made of steel. - The free spaces 9, 10, 14 are storage spaces. - The base of the wind turbine mast is fixed to the installation, preferably at a point close to the metacenter of the installation's hull, preferentially less than 30 meters from the metacenter of the installation's hull, in a way that limits translational movements in all three axes. - The installation comprises means for transmitting forces 12, fixed between a part of the wind turbine mast located above the deck and the deck itself. The means for transmitting forces 12 are preferably gussets. - The system comprises means for transmitting forces 13, fixed between the base of the foundation system and the bulkhead. The means 13 are preferably selected from horizontal gussets or vertical gussets. - the installation is for the geological sequestration of carbon dioxide and comprises a storage compartment for carbon dioxide in liquid state located in a space formed by the hull and the deck and an injection device suitable for injecting the carbon dioxide from said storage compartment into a submerged geological reservoir, - the wind turbine is capable of generating energy and supplying it to the injection device, - the installation comprises a storage device for the energy generated by the wind turbine, preferably a battery for storing the energy generated by the wind turbine.The storage device combined with the wind turbine allows for continuous energy use as the wind turbine provides energy that varies over time.-The installation can be a ship, floating unit or barge. [Figure 2] A 3D view of the foundation system 7 with the various volumes 8, 9, 10, the base of the wind turbine mast 6 and the various means of transmitting forces 11, 12, 13 is shown. [Figure 3] 3D view of the block formed by the wind turbine mast, the foundation system 7, the bulkhead 4, the deck 2 and the hull 3. It can be clearly seen that the installation comprises a free space 14 between the foundation system 7 and the hull 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0013] The solution proposed by the present invention allows the installation of wind turbines on floating or semi-submersible units, avoiding the use of foundations built into the bottom of the hull itself, as is often the case with offshore oil and gas units for the installation of heavy equipment (heavy equipment means equipment weighing more than 4 tons). In fact, the installation of such heavy equipment on offshore vessels typically requires the use of large amounts of steel (e.g., 8-10% of the weight of the heavy equipment being transported) in the foundations, whose sole purpose is to transmit forces to the hull. These foundations are made of steel or reinforced concrete, depending on the material used for the hull. The solution proposed by the present invention has the advantage of using existing bulkhead structures, ballast bulkheads, or compartment dividing bulkheads, while limiting the embedment in the height of the space between the deck and the hull. In fact, the free space within the foundation system and in the space between the foundation system and the hull can be used for the storage or placement of secondary functions required for the installation. This is a further important advantage compared to prior art solutions. In contrast to the foundation system proposed in the present invention, the inner volume of the foundation in the prior art cannot be used to house storage volumes or other functions such as control or power rooms, especially due to the forces passing through the foundation and the associated risks.
Claims
1. 1. A floating or semi-submersible installation (1) comprising: a hull (3) having a deck (2); the deck covering the hull to form an enclosed space divided into compartments by bulkheads (4); and a wind turbine (5) having a mast (6), the base of which is located below the deck and is fixed to at least two of the bulkheads (4) by a foundation system (7) comprising free spaces (9), (10).
2. 2. The installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the bulkhead is a ballast tank or storage tank bulkhead.
3. 3. An installation according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a free space (14) between the foundation system and the hull.
4. Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the foundation system (7) comprises a parallelepiped frame.
5. 5. The installation according to claim 4, characterized in that the frame defines, successively across the width of the hull, 2n+1 rectangular volumes: a central volume (8) and 2n lateral volumes (9), (10), wherein the central volume comprises the base of the wind turbine and the lateral volumes are free space, and n≧1.
6. 6. Installation according to claim 5, characterized in that the central volume (8) comprises a vertical panel (11) fixed between the base of the mast and the wall of the central volume.
7. 7. The installation according to claim 4, wherein the frame is made of steel.
8. 8. Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the free space is a storage space.
9. 9. An installation according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the base of the wind turbine mast is fixed to the installation in a way that limits translational movements in all three axes, preferably at a point close to the metacenter of the installation's hull, preferentially less than 30 meters from the metacenter of the installation's hull.
10. 10. An installation according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises means (12) for transmitting forces fixed between a part of the wind turbine mast situated above the deck and the deck itself.
11. Installation according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that it comprises means (13) for transmitting forces fixed between the base of the foundation system and the bulkhead.
12. 12. The installation according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that it is an installation for the geological sequestration of carbon dioxide and comprises a compartment for storing carbon dioxide in liquid state, located in the space formed by the hull and the deck, and an injection device suitable for injecting carbon dioxide from the storage compartment into a submerged geological reservoir.
13. 13. The installation according to claim 12, characterized in that the wind turbine is capable of generating energy and supplying it to the injection device.
14. 14. The installation according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that it comprises a device for storing the energy produced by the wind turbine, preferably a battery for storing the energy produced by the wind turbine.
15. An installation according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that it is a ship, a floating unit or a barge.