A reinforced concrete floating platform suitable for the offshore wind industry

Abstract

The present invention relates to a solution for floating wind platforms made of reinforced concrete for mass production, characterized by a geometric design that provides a hydrostatic natural prestress to the concrete and allows it to work under compression. The structural response of the platform to function in the most effective mode is improved, and the occurrence of fractures or cracks in the concrete is prevented, which reduces the permeability, allows the steel to be included in the structure and increases the operational safety. Furthermore, the invention has a system for anchoring the mooring lines to the structure in the form of a reinforced concrete truss that distributes the mooring stresses evenly, minimizes the prestress in the high areas of the platform and increases the area for distributing the shear forces due to the change of section between the platform and the tower of the wind turbine. Furthermore, the geometric design allows the adoption of solutions such as shallow draft SPARs, semi-submersibles, barges or buoys, with the wind turbine installed in the center or off-center of the structure, thus having the versatility to be adapted to different draft requirements or different environmental and logistical conditions, respectively.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technical field of application of the present invention is that of floating platforms in the offshore wind industry.

[0002] The present invention consists of a floating platform made of reinforced concrete that supports wind turbines for generating electricity from wind power at sea. [Background technology]

[0003] Background of the Invention With the spread of renewable energy, there is a trend to maximize the benefits of such energy. In particular, in the case of wind power generation, there is a trend to locate platforms at sea, where wind speeds are higher (and less turbulent) than on land, and therefore more power can be generated. Furthermore, these wind characteristics improve the further away from the coast.

[0004] However, these sites often have drawbacks that make fixed platforms (already economical and well-known) uncompetitive due to the unevenness of the seabed, the type of soil, or the fact that fixed platforms are located in areas with water depths exceeding 60 meters. This leaves floating platforms as the most promising solution, which entails continuously changing costs due to the increasing size of the solution, the need for mooring systems and means of anchoring to the seabed, various offshore operations, new uncertainties, and risks. Furthermore, because these platforms are not fixed, they are subject to movements caused by wind, waves, and currents, which can lead to reduced performance of the wind turbines, increased fatigue of the wind turbine support structures, and resonances. Therefore, floating platforms must address a series of challenges that affect floating platforms both during their operation and during their construction, transportation, and installation.

[0005] Until a decade ago, the trend in this field was to use steel as a structural solution for building floating platforms. The main advantage of building with steel is the level of knowledge about steel behavior, resulting from experience gained from steel structures in the oil and gas industry and fixed steel platforms in the offshore wind industry. However, the use of steel has drawbacks, including its susceptibility to corrosion, especially offshore, its price volatility, and its high acquisition and handling costs per ton compared to other materials. Furthermore, however, the production of each ton of steel generates approximately 2 tonnes of the greenhouse gas CO2.

[0006] In a society where agreements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have been reached and awareness of climate change is growing, it seems logical to consider alternative construction materials that reduce emissions. For example, the European Commission's goal for 2050 is to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions. Therefore, in addition to the trend toward renewable electricity generation, it is also necessary to explore alternative materials to achieve this goal. Concrete is the most widely used material in construction worldwide. It has inherent advantages over steel, such as lower CO2 emissions during construction and lower platform costs. As a result, concrete-based solutions for offshore wind power generation have been developed over the past decade.

[0007] CN102358402 relates to a floating platform for hydrocarbon production and storage. The structure is formed by several hexagonal steel bodies arranged in a honeycomb pattern, each of which is a hydrocarbon storage tank, with each tank sharing six walls with six other tanks. The tanks sharing walls means that the draft differences between successive tanks and the actual draft of the platform when floating in the sea cause pressure differences that exert a series of forces on the structure. This force, combined with loads caused by external factors such as waves, requires extremely thick walls if no annular and longitudinal reinforcement is provided to ensure the rig's structural strength and to prevent collapse during operation. Steel structures are orders of magnitude thinner than comparable concrete structures, making them more susceptible to buckling. Consequently, the need for increased thickness requires a large amount of steel and numerous welds between panels, resulting in a more expensive solution. Furthermore, the structure is subject to significant corrosion due to the increased exposed steel surface, making rig maintenance more expensive. The present invention, consisting of a staggered arrangement of vertical tanks with semi-cylindrical shapes, uses reinforced concrete to prevent buckling and has a central opening that is directly connected to the sea. This creates symmetry in the loads, allowing the structure to act uniformly regardless of the fill levels of the different tanks. Furthermore, a natural prestressing of the concrete reduces concrete fractures or cracks, improves the platform's leak resistance, and increases the structural strength against asymmetric loading events such as wave impact.

[0008] Reinforced concrete structures are increasingly being used in industry due to their low material cost per ton and ample experience gained from using concrete in the civil engineering and construction industry. However, one of the major challenges of concrete is its poor structural behavior when working under bending and tension conditions. To address this issue, most solutions rely on the use of large amounts of framework in reinforced concrete structures and the application of prestressing to the aforementioned concrete. In JP 2014-184863, steel structures in the form of ribs are used within the concrete body to provide axial prestress to improve the structural behavior of the concrete. However, the use of a mixed steel and concrete structure increases costs and CO2 emissions. Furthermore, the use of steel structures as concrete reinforcement requires the installation of systems to control corrosion in seawater, such as sacrificial anodes and forced current systems.

[0009] WO 2013 / 155521 describes, in one embodiment, a concrete platform based on multiple cylindrical bodies arranged concentrically around a central concrete cylinder and attached to it by different types of longitudinal steel structures. In this type of solution, the attachment of multiple bodies to one another requires a high degree of local reinforcement in the attachment areas, since these are load-transfer areas and are most sensitive to the forces acting on the entire assembly. The need to reinforce these areas increases the structural complexity of the device and leads to stress concentrations in isolated areas. The present invention offers a structurally simple solution, since it essentially includes a single body, eliminating additional attachment elements and optimizing the structural behavior of the device by preventing stress concentration points in the structure. Furthermore, precisely because the design of the present invention allows the platform to function under compression, the framework involved in the reinforced concrete is minimized.

[0010] Another challenge affecting floating platforms with wind turbines, particularly those made of reinforced concrete, is the abrupt change in area of ​​the platform section at the transition from the wind turbine tower to the platform's concrete body when the concrete body is wider than the platform's tower. This area is particularly susceptible to fatigue failure due to significant force concentrations at this point. A common solution for this type of platform is to offset this abrupt change in area by configuring this section of the platform with a series of reinforced transition sections that provide significant structural stiffness.

[0011] US Patent Application Publication No. 2019 / 264656 relates to a transition between a reinforced concrete body of a floating platform and a steel tower supporting a wind turbine. The transition has a hyperboloid shape that allows for a more even distribution of forces occurring in the attachment between said tower and the platform body. The invention, consisting of a staggered arrangement of vertical tanks with a semi-cylindrical shape, also evenly distributes the load from the floating structure to the wind turbine tower, but in this case the attachment is realized from one of the semi-cylindrical sections of the intermediate body that supports and terminates the tower. If the semi-cylinder and the wind turbine tower have different diameters, the extension of the semi-cylinder has a diameter that gradually decreases until it fits into the foundation of the wind turbine tower.

[0012] Generally, the biggest challenge faced by concrete structures is that this material has little ability to withstand bending, tensile, or shear loads. The current industry standard for solving this challenge is to add large amounts of rebar (framework) to concrete structures. Furthermore, because concrete performs well under compression, prestressing steel is incorporated where necessary to increase the bending, tensile, or shear loads that the concrete can withstand when compressed. Furthermore, this method poses certain technical challenges during construction, resulting in higher platform construction costs.

[0013] U.S. Patent No. 3,974,789 describes a floating structure made of reinforced concrete, formed by attaching multiple bodies with hexagonal cross sections arranged in a honeycomb pattern. The interior of the hexagonal bodies is used to store hydrocarbons or ballast water. The pressure difference between the reinforced concrete walls of the hexagonal bodies generates a series of forces on the structure due to the difference in fluid and draft between the faces, requiring a high steel content to ensure the structural integrity of the assembly. The invention, consisting of a staggered arrangement of vertical tanks with semi-cylindrical shapes, has an opening in the center of the structure directly connected to the sea, which creates a natural prestress state that allows the concrete to function under compression and prevents the structure from collapsing due to tension and bending. This reduces the amount of framework included in the concrete, resulting in a structurally simplified solution. Furthermore, compression prevents the reinforced concrete from breaking or cracking, reducing the permeability of the structure.

[0014] Also important are external challenges related to the platform itself that affect the feasibility of using floating platforms as support systems for wind turbines for power generation. These challenges are the enormous technical difficulties that exist when installing the turbine tower, nacelle, and blades on the platform, when the platform must first be installed at sea. This installation operation involves risks and high costs. Furthermore, the process of attaching the wind turbine to the platform at the site where it will operate involves extremely high risks and technical complexity, involving a large amount of auxiliary means. The way that currently existing solutions address this challenge is based on performing installation operations on these platforms during time windows when wind and wave conditions are particularly favorable, so that the installation can be carried out safely and with the required precision. This only occurs for a short period of time, and at certain sites only a few times a year.

[0015] Another challenge is the effects of wind, wave, and current loads on the platform. These actions result in induced accelerations and vibrational motions on the platform, reducing the performance of the wind turbine and degrading the wind turbine's equipment and components, shortening their useful life. To address this challenge, inventions exist, such as those proposed in EP 2 457 818 A1, which use active means, such as azimuth thrusters, to counteract the effects of dynamic loads acting on the platform and causing it to tilt. The drawback of thruster systems for counteracting platform-induced vibrations and movements is the technical complexity they add to the platform and the associated increased costs, both in construction costs and in operation and maintenance costs, due to the increased amount of equipment and components installed on the platform.

[0016] Other inventions, such as that described in CN109941398, use passive methods to reduce vibrations to the platform. In this latter case, the method consists of each mooring line branching into two lines, one acting as a simple catenary line and the other acting under prestress, both lines being fixed to the platform at different heights, providing a crowfoot mooring system that reduces the vibrations experienced by the platform. A drawback of this type of system is that the level of prestress experienced by some of the lines can be magnified under extremely harsh environmental conditions, potentially leading to the line breaking.

[0017] Another problem affecting floating platforms equipped with wind turbines and caused by wind and wave action is that the tilting moment generated by the wind on the wind turbine causes the wind turbine to assume a tilted position during operation. In this state, the action of the waves causes the wind turbine to continuously oscillate around said tilted position, thus reducing the performance of the wind turbine and its components. To solve this problem, there are patents, such as JP 2017-074947 A, that include active methods for acting on mooring lines, adjusting the degree of stress experienced by said lines depending on the environmental conditions affecting the platform, so as to reduce platform vibrations.

[0018] WO 2014 / 013098 discloses a semi-submersible platform and a method for constructing the same. The platform includes an inner column made of reinforced concrete and at least four outer columns. Each column has a resistive base, a shaft, and a section with higher resistance located at a predetermined height. The platform also includes a plurality of beams connecting the outer columns to the inner column and between adjacent outer columns at the predetermined height, and a plurality of anchoring ropes anchored to the higher resistance section of each outer column. The platform also includes a lower plate to which the columns are fixed, the lower plate being reinforced with a plurality of beams connecting the base of each outer column to the base of the inner column and between the bases of each adjacent outer column.

[0019] WO 2019 / 070140 discloses a floating offshore wind turbine foundation with a suction anchor system. The foundation is composed of three main components: a floater / anchor unit, a metal support, and a transition piece. Each floater / anchor unit is formed of a number of buoyancy anchor columns and a number of connecting beams. The metal support connects the floater / anchor unit to the transition piece, and the transition piece connects the metal support to the wind turbine mast.

[0020] Chinese Patent Publication No. 110453711 discloses a foundation for an offshore structure with an elastic transition section structure and its construction method. The elastic transition section multi-cylindrical foundation structure includes a plurality of steel cylindrical foundations connected at their center points to a circular body. The cylindrical foundations are welded together, a steel top plate is connected to the upper part of the foundation, a concrete plate is placed on the steel top plate, a beam plate system is distributed on the concrete plate, a concrete transition section is located on the intermediate annular beam, a steel tower tube is embedded and connected to the upper part of the concrete transition section, and the joint between the upper and lower parts of the steel tower tube is in contact with the concrete transition section and the inner annular beam through an elastic buffer device.

[0021] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 155967 discloses a spar platform comprising one or more continuous fiber composite tubes molded in a vertical or horizontal orientation using a modified vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding process. This is manufactured at or near the site where the platform is intended to be used. In some embodiments, the spar platform includes a relatively long central tube and relatively short peripheral tubes. In some embodiments, the spar platform is a single long tube. In other embodiments, the spar platform supports a wind turbine assembly. Summary of the Invention

[0022] Disclosure of the Invention The present invention consists of a floating reinforced concrete platform for the wind industry, whose technical features make it possible to overcome the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. The platform's geometry consists of a series of vertical tanks with a staggered semi-cylindrical shape, with an opening in the center of the structure directly connected to the sea. This allows the reinforced concrete assembly of the platform to function under compression, instead of bending, under the loads to which it is subjected, as is common in current concrete structures in the industry. This technical advantage leads to improved structural behavior of the platform, increased resistance to fracture propagation, reduced platform framework included in the platform, and increased operational safety of the platform.

[0023] The platform described in this invention, precisely as a result of the versatility afforded by the platform's geometry, can be operated at different drafts depending on the needs that arise, enabling floating platform concepts in which the platform is submerged except for the wind turbine and the tower, or one tower supporting the wind turbine if there are multiple towers, as well as floater concepts in which the platform is not fully submerged but rather has a portion above the waterline. Thus, not only is the platform designed to accommodate either option, but the platform itself can also operate in two different configurations throughout its lifespan: one draft for transportation and a different draft for operation. Furthermore, this technical advantage allows the platform to be adapted to areas with significantly different physical characteristics, such as seabed depth, wind conditions, and wave conditions.

[0024] As a result of its technical features, the platform of the present invention solves a problem affecting certain floating platforms in the offshore wind industry, such as TLPs, that is, the need to install the tower, nacelle, and blades at sea where the platform will operate. The platform's geometry allows it to float (i.e., be partially submerged) with a shallow draft, like a barge, and maintain good stability while towing a wind turbine installed on the platform. This fact allows the installation work for attaching the wind turbine to the platform to be carried out in a harbor where wave conditions are calmer than at sea, and allows the use of land-based cranes, which are significantly more cost-effective than crane ships. As a result, the technical complexity associated with the installation work, the risks associated with this work, and the costs associated with installing a wind turbine on a platform are significantly reduced. Once the wind turbine is attached to the platform structure, the platform can be transported by a towing vehicle to its operating location without the need for additional stabilization means, where it can be moored.

[0025] The simplicity of the platform also leads to significant cost savings as the platform is simpler in construction and uses less framework compared to other existing floating platforms in the sector.

[0026] The platform described in the present invention has a system for anchoring mooring lines to the platform in the form of a flat grid based on prestressed concrete structural elements arranged in a triangular pattern at the platform's height, a system with two purposes. On the one hand, this system receives the loads generated by the platform's mooring lines and distributes them evenly over the platform's reinforced concrete body, thereby contributing to the good structural behavior of the platform already possessed by its geometry. On the other hand, the grid solves the problem described in the prior art, in which the attachment between the wind turbine tower and the platform body generates a high stress concentration at the intersection of both areas, making this area particularly sensitive to shear forces generated on the wind turbine by wind action and platform movement, and thus presenting structural challenges in this area. By locating the grid in the platform's higher areas, a larger area for distributing shear forces is realized, resulting in a more even distribution of these forces over the platform body.

[0027] The geometry of the platform of the present invention allows the platform assembly sections to be significantly larger than the tower supporting the wind turbine, allowing the platform to fill the tank completely or partially with water, giving the platform large displacements (volumes) and a unique high period easily separated from the typical periods of waves, which reduces the acceleration of the platform and provides better operating conditions for the equipment and components of the wind turbine in terms of the movements and accelerations to which they are subjected, thus improving their service life.

[0028] The action of wind on a floating platform's wind turbines causes a tilting moment on the platform, keeping it in an inclined position and leading to an oscillatory movement around said inclined position as a result of waves. This significantly reduces the performance of said wind turbines, as they function under platform tilting conditions. Since the platform of the present invention has a body with large horizontal sections in which the ballast tanks are housed in semi-cylindrical sections, it is possible to correct the tilt caused by the action of the wind by transferring water between the corresponding ballast tanks to counteract the tilting moment, unlike classical SPAR platforms with a single body in which this possibility does not exist.

[0029] Compared with the above background, the present invention exhibits the following innovative features that are applicable to the offshore wind industry and substantially improve the response of reinforced concrete offshore floating wind platforms to wind, waves and currents:

[0030] The geometry that allows the loads exerted on the platform by the hydrostatic pressures to which said platform is subjected during operation naturally provides prestress to the concrete body assembly of the platform, thereby improving the structural behavior of the platform and minimizing bending loads. This quality provides higher strength and reduced fracture of the concrete structure.

[0031] The modular geometry makes the solution versatile, as shallow draft SPARs, semi-submersibles, barges or buoys can be built and can be positioned either at or off-centre with the wind turbine, allowing the geometry to adapt to areas with different physical and environmental characteristics.

[0032] The stable solution with the installed wind turbine has a shallow draft, allowing the installation of the wind turbine at port, preventing expensive and risky installation work at the operating site. The platform, tower and wind turbine are transported to the operating site already installed. This is possible because, without water in the tanks, it acts as a shallow draft barge, stabilizing the entire assembly. Once the platform arrives at the installation site, water is introduced into the tanks, increasing the draft until it reaches the operating draft. The assembly remains stable throughout the entire immersion process.

[0033] · The time window for platform installation is increased as no crane vessel is required to install the wind turbines on site.

[0034] The prestressed concrete flat grid for anchoring the mooring system to the platform provides greater strength to the mooring system, reduces the risks associated with its operation, and significantly increases the service life of the structure. The technical complexity of the platform construction is reduced, since the concrete that forms the platform does not need to be prestressed and less framework is required during construction.

[0035] The underwater concrete body shape of the platform provides extremely low response to wave-induced accelerations on the platform, which translates into improved performance of the wind turbine, which operates under extremely low tilt conditions and vibrations.

[0036] · SPAR solutions to optimise wind turbine performance allow for the compensation of wind-induced tilting moments as a result of the movement of liquid ballast between tanks.

[0037] For the purpose of complementing the above description and aiding in a better understanding of the features of the present invention, the following set of drawings, shown by way of example and not of limitation, are attached as an integral part of the foregoing description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0038] [Figure 1] Schematic of the challenges posed by wind-induced loads on a floating platform, with high concentrations of forces occurring in areas of abrupt change in horizontal section where the wind turbine tower intersects with the platform's concrete body. [Figure 2] 1 is an elevation view of one possible configuration of a floating platform as defined herein, showing the three concrete bodies that form the platform: a lower body (1), an intermediate body (2) and an upper body (3). In this case, the upper body (3) is formed by a single tower (4) and the enclosure (5) consists of a dome. [Figure 3] A cross-sectional view showing adjacent staggered semicircular bodies (6) with straight contact segments between them, whose vertical extrusions form the platform intermediate body (2) shows one possible configuration of these semicircular bodies (6), where openings (7) can be seen between every three semicircular body sections. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of a prestressed concrete flat grid (9) in one of the possible configurations that can be obtained from the platform, showing how this flat grid (9) distributes the stresses coming from the mooring lines (10) to the concrete intermediate body (2) of the platform. [Figure 5]Figure 1 shows another possible configuration that the platform can adopt by adding further quasi-circular bodies (6) to the horizontal sections forming the concrete intermediate body (2) of the platform. It also shows how the prestressed concrete flat grid (9) can be adapted to changes in platform geometry and how the mooring lines (10) can be arranged so that the loads are transferred to the flat grid (9) at any change in platform geometry. [Figure 6] A contour drawing of one possible configuration of the floating platform defined in this patent, in this case a semi-submersible configuration, showing how the various towers (4), including those supporting the wind turbine towers, are located above the water surface (11), thereby providing the platform with the necessary inertia to stabilize it during installation and operation phases. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0039] Preferred Embodiments of the Invention Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide a solution for mass-produced reinforced concrete floating wind platforms characterized by a geometric design that provides natural hydrostatic prestressing to the concrete, allowing the concrete to function in its most effective mode, i.e., under compression, improving the structural response of the platform and preventing fractures or cracks in the concrete, thereby reducing permeability, reducing the amount of framework required in the structure, and increasing operational safety. The present invention includes a system for anchoring mooring lines to the structure in the form of a reinforced concrete grid that uniformly distributes mooring stresses, minimizes prestressing in high areas of the platform, and increases the area over which shear forces due to section changes between the platform and the wind turbine tower are distributed. Furthermore, the geometric design allows for the use of shallow-draft solutions such as SPARs, semi-submersibles, barges, or buoys, with wind turbines installed either centrally or off-center on the structure, thus providing versatility for adapting to different draft requirements or different environmental and logistical conditions.

[0040] The invention is applicable to the offshore wind industry and consists of a floating platform made of reinforced concrete for supporting wind turbines, which is distinguished into three parts: a lower body (1), an intermediate body (2) and an upper body (3) on which a single offshore wind turbine is arranged (Fig. 2). The platform has a diffuse mooring system (Fig. 4) consisting of at least three lines (10) spaced as evenly as possible.

[0041] The lower body (1) of a reinforced concrete floating platform for supporting wind turbines (Figure 2), applicable to the offshore wind industry, consists of a flat concrete foundation, the purpose of which is to provide structural support to the rest of the platform supported by said body and also to contribute to reducing the weight of the platform, thereby improving its stability.

[0042] The intermediate body (2) of a reinforced concrete floating platform for supporting wind turbines, applicable to the offshore wind industry, is composed of a single concrete body formed as a vertical extrusion with horizontal sections (Fig. 3) composed of at least five adjacent semicircular bodies (6) staggered with straight contact segments between them. The inner space (8) of each semicircular body is a leak-tight space capable of containing a combination of solid and liquid ballast.

[0043] In the arrangement of the intermediate body (2) described above (FIG. 3), there is a series of inner openings (7) formed in contact with each other every three semicircular bodies (6). The inner openings (7) are open in the upper region of the platform and communicate with the outside through the lower part of the inner openings (7). The purpose of the openings (7) is to keep them filled to match the draft that the platform always has as a result of their connection with the outside. This achieves a balance of the hydrostatic pressures to which the platform is subjected when it is partially or fully submerged. As a result of this pressure balance, the concrete walls (FIG. 2) forming the intermediate body (2) of the platform naturally adapt to a constant compressive prestress resulting from the aforementioned pressures, which is favorable for the good structural behavior of the platform.

[0044] The upper body (3) (Fig. 2) of a floating platform made of reinforced concrete for supporting wind turbines, applicable to the offshore wind industry, of the present invention, is arranged on the above-mentioned intermediate body (2) and is composed of a series of enclosures, whereby each enclosure is arranged in the highest section of said body (2) in each semi-circular body (6) forming a horizontal section of the intermediate body (2), except for at least one of said sections (6) in which an extension forming a tower (4) higher than the rest of the platform is arranged and in which supports for the wind turbines of the platform are arranged.

[0045] The geometry of the enclosure (5) present in the intermediate body (2) (FIG. 2) varies depending on the platform concept provided in relation to the submergence of the platform, as explained above.

[0046] On the other hand, reinforced concrete floating platforms for supporting wind turbines, applicable to the offshore wind industry, can operate submerged. In the case of multiple towers (4), only a portion of the towers (4) supports the wind turbine, with the wind turbine itself located above the sea surface (11) (Figure 6). In this situation, the concrete foundation forming the platform's lower body (1) keeps the rig's center of gravity as low as possible, resulting in greater platform stability. In this configuration, the concrete mid-body (2) enclosure (5) is composed of a series of domes located on each of the semi-circular bodies forming the platform's mid-body (2) section, except for the semi-circular body (6) on which the tower (4) is located (Figure 6). The purpose of these domes is to absorb the hydrostatic pressures experienced when the platform is submerged and to transfer the loads resulting from these pressures to the mid-body (2), allowing the latter to function under compression against these loads.

[0047] On the other hand, concrete floating platforms for supporting wind turbines, applicable to the offshore wind industry, can be operated so that the entire mid-body (2) is not submerged, but rather part of it is above the sea surface. In this platform configuration, the enclosures (5) placed on the mid-body (Fig. 2) simply consist of reinforced slabs or plates, because from a construction point of view, this is the simplest solution and it is rational because these elements are above the waterline and therefore not exposed to hydrostatic pressure. These enclosures (5) are placed on each of the semi-circular bodies that form the mid-body section of the platform, excluding the tower (Fig. 6).

[0048] The actual geometry of the concrete intermediate body (2) (Fig. 2) of a reinforced concrete floating platform for supporting wind turbines, applicable to the offshore wind industry, allows for the construction of a wide variety of platform concepts, depending on whether more or fewer quasi-circular bodies (6) are arranged in the horizontal sections (Fig. 3) forming the intermediate body (2), while maintaining a minimum number of five quasi-circular bodies (6), as mentioned above. These variations, together with variations in the number and location of the towers (4) (Fig. 6) forming the upper body (3) (Fig. 2), which are at least one, allow for a wide range of platform concepts, such as a platform with a single tower that contributes little to the stability of the rig, since the stability is achieved by keeping the water surface area relatively small and the center of gravity very low, and therefore, to a platform with more than one tower (4) on the upper body, one of which supports a wind turbine, and which are spaced apart from each other, thereby ensuring the inertia of the water surface area is favorable to the stability of the rig assembly.

[0049] The present invention relates to a floating platform made of reinforced concrete for supporting wind turbines, which is applicable to the offshore wind industry. middleThe platform further comprises a prestressed concrete flat grid (9) arranged between the main body (2) and the upper body (3) (Fig. 4). The flat grid (9) is composed of at least three longitudinal elements of prestressed concrete arranged in a triangular shape, with the vertices of the triangular shape located in the area with the straight contact segments between the semi-circular sections (6) forming the platform mid-body (2) (Fig. 3). Mooring lines (10) (Fig. 4) of a reinforced concrete floating platform for supporting wind turbines, applicable to the offshore wind industry, are fixed at their highest areas to the straight contact segments between the semi-circular sections (6) forming the platform mid-body (2), so that there is structural continuity between the mooring lines (10) and the vertices of the prestressed concrete flat grid (9).

[0050] The actual configuration of the prestressed concrete flat grid (9) allows it to be adapted to the geometry of a reinforced concrete floating platform for supporting wind turbines applicable to the offshore wind industry, depending on the number of semi-circular bodies (6) present in the section of the concrete intermediate body (2) (Fig. 5), and by adding prestressed concrete longitudinal elements, the grid (9) can be formed from several of these longitudinal elements arranged in a triangular shape. This feature gives a certain versatility to the aforementioned grid (9) of the present invention, making it suitable for all possible configurations that a reinforced concrete floating platform for supporting wind turbines applicable to the offshore wind industry may adopt.

[0051] The present invention has been described with reference to particular examples without departing from the general scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims, and therefore the specification, and thus the drawings, are to be understood as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

1. 1. A reinforced concrete floating platform for supporting a wind turbine, applicable to the offshore wind industry. a) a lower body (1) consisting of a flat foundation made of reinforced concrete; b) a single intermediate body (2) made of reinforced concrete formed by vertical extrusions with horizontal sections, arranged in a staggered configuration of at least five adjacent semicircular bodies (6) with straight contact segments between them, the interior of each semicircular body being a leak-tight space (8), and each of the inner spaces formed by the contact of every three semicircular bodies with each other being an internal opening (7) that is directly connected to the sea; c) an upper body (3) attached to said intermediate body (2), which is an extension of a semi-circular body (6) and is formed by at least one tower (4) that serves as a support for said wind turbine; d) a mooring system with lines (10) connecting the platform to the seabed; 1. A floating platform made of reinforced concrete for supporting a wind turbine, applicable to the offshore wind industry, comprising:

2. 2. A floating platform made of reinforced concrete for supporting wind turbines, applicable to the offshore wind industry, according to claim 1, characterized in that the enclosures (5) of the intermediate body (2) are domes, each dome being arranged on each of the semi-circular bodies (6) forming the sections of the intermediate body (2) made of reinforced concrete.

3. 2. A floating platform made of reinforced concrete for supporting wind turbines, applicable to the offshore wind industry, according to claim 1, characterized in that the enclosures (5) of the intermediate body (2) are reinforced flat slabs or plates, each reinforced slab or plate being arranged on each of the semi-circular bodies (6) forming the sections of the intermediate body (2) made of reinforced concrete.

4. 3. A reinforced concrete floating platform for supporting wind turbines, applicable to the offshore wind industry, according to claims 1 and 2, wherein a portion of the leaktight space (8) inside each quasi-circular body (6) has the capacity to accommodate a combination of solid and liquid ballast and air.

5. 4. A reinforced concrete floating platform for supporting wind turbines, applicable to the offshore wind industry, according to claim 3, wherein a portion of the leaktight space (8) inside each quasi-circular body (6) has the capacity to accommodate a combination of solid and liquid ballast and air.

6. The mooring system comprises: a) a flat grid (9) made of prestressed concrete, located between the intermediate body (2) made of concrete and the enclosure (5) in the form of a dome, and consisting of at least three longitudinal elements arranged in a triangular shape, the vertices of which are located in the straight contact segments between the semi-circular bodies (6) forming the sections of the intermediate body (2) of the platform; It is characterized by b) the mooring lines (10) are fixed in their highest areas to the straight contact segments between the semi-circular bodies (6) forming the sections of the intermediate body (2) of the platform, so that there is structural continuity between the prestressed concrete flat grid (9) and the mooring lines (10); 5. A reinforced concrete floating platform for supporting a wind turbine, applicable to the offshore wind industry, according to claim 4.

7. 5. A floating platform made of reinforced concrete for supporting wind turbines, applicable to the offshore wind industry, according to claim 4, characterized in that the mooring system is characterized by mooring lines fixed to reinforcing plates located between the intermediate body (2) made of concrete and the enclosure (5) in the form of a dome.

8. 6. A reinforced concrete floating platform for supporting wind turbines, applicable to the offshore wind industry, according to claim 5, wherein the mooring system is characterized by mooring lines (10) fixed to the flat enclosure (5).

Images