Floating Wind Turbine Platform

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a floating wind turbine platform including a substantially triangular hull configurable to support a wind turbine tower, the hull including first, second, and third struts connected by first, second, and third pontoon members and by first, second, and third connectors.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to floating wind turbine platforms, and more particularly, to floating wind turbine platforms. [Background technology]

[0002] Floating offshore wind energy converters are being considered and developed by various research and development (R&D) groups in both academia and industry. Although not yet in widespread commercial use, it is expected that further developments in floating offshore wind technology will make such plants a more competitive and viable alternative for many locations in the near future.

[0003] A challenge associated with floating offshore wind energy converters is their construction and installation at the offshore location. Construction on land may be easier to achieve, but this may later cause problems because a large structure may then need to be moved to the offshore location. Alternatively, it may be relatively simple to transport the components of the floating offshore wind energy converter to the offshore location, but subsequent construction at the offshore location may be problematic.

[0004] Due to the high forces experienced by floating offshore wind energy converters due to both wave and tidal forces and wind forces, it is important that floating offshore wind energy converters are designed and constructed to high quality. In particular, the platform for a floating wind energy converter must be constructed to provide buoyancy, support the wind turbine tower, and withstand direct wave and tidal forces. Therefore, there is a need for a platform for a floating wind turbine that is both structurally robust and easy to construct. Summary of the Invention

[0005] It is an object of the present disclosure to mitigate, alleviate, or eliminate one or more of the aforementioned deficiencies and drawbacks in the prior art. According to a first aspect, there is provided a floating wind turbine platform including a substantially triangular hull configurable to support a wind turbine tower. The hull includes first, second, and third struts, the first, second, and third struts connected by first, second, and third pontoon members and by first, second, and third connectors.

[0006] Further aspects and embodiments according to the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description set forth below. The detailed description and specific examples disclose preferred embodiments of the present disclosure, by way of example only. Those skilled in the art will recognize from the guidance in the detailed description that changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0007] Therefore, it is to be understood that the disclosure set forth herein is not limited to the particular component parts of the described devices or steps of the described methods, as such devices and methods may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. It should be noted that, as used in the specification and the appended claims, the articles "a," "an," "the," and "Said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of an element, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a unit" or "the unit" may include several devices, etc. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," "containing," and similar expressions do not exclude other elements or steps.

[0008] The foregoing objects, as well as further objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure, will be more fully understood by reference to the following illustrative, non-limiting detailed description of example embodiments of the present disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1a-b show examples of known wind turbines and floating platforms; [Figure 2] 1 is an exemplary plan view of a floating platform according to the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a floating platform according to the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of components of the platform. [Figure 5] 1A, 1B, and 1C are diagrams schematically illustrating various ballast arrangements on a floating platform; [Figure 6] 1A, 1B, and 1C are diagrams schematically illustrating various ballast arrangements on a floating platform; [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates aspects of a platform in one embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 illustrates aspects of a platform in one embodiment. [Figure 9] 1 illustrates a further example of a floating platform. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be embodied in other forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments disclosed herein. The disclosed embodiments are provided so that the scope of the present disclosure will be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art.

[0011] In this disclosure, the terms "side" and "surface" are used interchangeably and refer to the side or surface of a hull, e.g., defined by steel plates. While the description uses terms such as "inner," "outer," "exterior," and "interior," it should be understood that these may also be used to indicate a location or orientation relative to, e.g., the center / centre of gravity of a triangle or other component. Unless otherwise specified, the sides and surfaces described in this disclosure refer to the exterior of the hull, i.e., not to sides or surfaces located on the interior of the hull. (Obviously, the hull may have many other structural elements on its interior, such as reinforcing plates, which are not described here.)

[0012] 1a-b show an example of a known offshore wind energy converter 10. The offshore wind energy converter 10 includes a floating wind turbine 2 and a floating platform 4. Here, the floating platform 4 includes three cylindrical columns 6, which are connected to each other in a triangular configuration by a number of upper supports 8 and lower supports 12. Attached to the floating platform 4 via one of the cylindrical columns 6 is a wind turbine tower 14. The floating platform 4 may be deployed at an offshore location and may provide support and buoyancy for the wind turbine tower 14. As illustrated, the floating platform 4 includes a number of anchor points 16, which serve the purpose of securing the wind energy converter 10 to a desired position at the offshore location. In particular, an anchor point 16 is located on each of the columns 6.

[0013] Figure 2 illustrates an underside view of a floating platform 104 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of the floating platform 104. In Figure 2, the floating platform 104 includes a hull made up of first, second, and third columns 106a-c, which are connected to one another by first, second, and third pontoon members 112a-c. In this example, the pontoon members 112a-c are connected in a triangular configuration, although one skilled in the art will appreciate that other connection configurations may be possible that result in alternative shapes for the floating platform 104.

[0014] 1a-b, the struts 6 have a cylindrical shape, while in the example of FIG. 2, it can be seen that the struts have a transverse cross-section in the shape of an irregular polygon. Thus, the struts in the example of FIG. 2 (and as seen in FIG. 3) are in the shape of an irregular polygonal prism. In particular, the transverse cross-sections of the struts are in the shape of irregular hexagons, although it should be understood that other shapes of transverse cross-sections (e.g., irregular pentagons) may also be possible. Having struts 106 in the shape of irregular polygons may aid in the construction of the floating platform 104 because the struts may be constructed more simply, for example, from flat panels that can be relatively easily connected to one another (e.g., by welding, bolting, etc.). As will be further explained, the shape of the struts may also enable simpler and more structurally sound connections with the corresponding pontoon members 112a-c.

[0015] Here, the lateral cross-sections of the struts 106a-c are shaped to allow connection of the pontoon members 112a-c to intersecting planes 118, which extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axes (e.g., extend longitudinally) of the pontoon members 112a-c that connect to the struts 106a-c. The intersecting planes 118 correspond to the exterior surfaces of each of the struts 106a-c, which may correspond to flat panels used to construct the struts 106a-c, as described below. The pontoon members 112a-c may connect directly to the intersecting planes 118 or adjacent to the intersecting planes.

[0016] As illustrated in both Figures 2 and 3, the struts 106a-c are located at each vertex of the triangular-shaped floating platform 104. The struts 106a-c in this example have an irregular hexagonal transverse cross-section, three of whose sides define the shape of each vertex of the floating platform 104 (in the form of a truncated vertex). The three sides defining the vertex of the floating platform 104 may be considered to be the outward-facing sides of the struts 106a-c, while the remaining three sides may be considered to be the inward-facing sides. Two of the remaining three sides (e.g., two of the inward-facing sides) define an intersection plane 118 that is angled to allow connection of the pontoon members 112a-c to the struts such that the longitudinal axes of the pontoon members 112a-c are perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the intersection plane 118. Finally, each of the struts 106a-c defines an intermediate plate 120 disposed between the intersections (e.g., connections) between the pontoon members 112a-c. In some examples, the intermediate plate 120 may not be present, in which case the intersections may be directly adjacent. The struts in such cases may be pentagonal in transverse cross section.

[0017] By having the pontoon members 112a-c intersect with the struts 106a-c so that the longitudinal axes of the pontoon members 112a-c are perpendicular to the plane of intersection of the struts 106a-c, a platform that is structurally stronger and easier to build than known ones may be provided. For example, the intersection area between the pontoon members 112a-c and the struts 106a-c is reduced compared to when the pontoon members 112a-c intersect with the struts 106a-c at an oblique angle.

[0018] The columns 106a-c may be constructed from multiple flat panels. The flat panels may be connected to each other by welding, bolting, etc. To construct columns 106a-c with irregular polygonal transverse cross-sections, several flat panels having different widths may be connected to each other along their longitudinal edges to form the columns. Although each of the flat panels may have different widths, the flat panels may have the same length. By forming the columns 106a-c from multiple flat panels, it may be possible to achieve a transverse cross-section such as that illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, having intersecting surfaces 118 for connecting each pontoon member 112a-c thereto. By varying the width of one, some, or all of the flat panels, designers may be able to vary the transverse cross-sectional shape of the columns 106a-c according to their specific needs.

[0019] Each pontoon member 112a-c may be connected to the struts 106a-c in any suitable manner. For example, the pontoon members may be connected directly to the intersecting surface 118, e.g., by bolting, welding, etc., such that one end of the pontoon member (e.g., the entire side area of ​​the end of the pontoon member) abuts the intersecting surface 118 of the struts 106a-c. Alternatively, one or each pontoon member 112a-c may be connected adjacent (e.g., directly adjacent) to the intersecting surface. In the normal orientation of the floating platform 104, the pontoon members 112a-c may be connected directly below the intersecting surface 118. In such a case, the pontoon members 112a-c may be connected to the struts 106a-c around their peripheries or at the bases of the struts 106a-c.

[0020] 3 shows an example in which pontoon members connect to the bases of the struts 106a-c. In this example, the pontoon members may be in the form of triangular collars, the corners of which may connect to the bases of the struts 106a-c. In this example, each of the pontoon members 106a-c may connect to one another at their ends. The corners of the triangular collars may be shaped to be flush with the sides of the outward-facing sides of the struts 106a-c.

[0021] As described in more detail in the following paragraphs, the pontoon members may be hollow and / or may include equipment therein. In some examples, the pontoon members may include ballast arrangements therein that may be operable by a user to vary the buoyancy of the floating platform 104.

[0022] Although not illustrated in FIG. 2, the struts 106a-c may be connected to one another via multiple connectors 122a-c. The multiple connectors 122a-c may connect to the struts above their connection points with the pontoon members 112a-c and may function to provide structural support. The connectors 122a-c may extend parallel to the pontoon members 112a-c or at an angle thereto. One single connector 122a-c may extend between each strut 106a-c, or multiple connectors 122a-c may extend between the struts 106a-c. The connectors 122a-c may have a smaller cross-sectional area than the pontoon members 112a-c. An example of a connector 122a-c is illustrated in FIG. 3. In this example, the connectors 122a-c are in the form of triangular collars connected to the tops of the struts 106a-c. Thus, in this example, connectors 122a-c connect at one end to each adjacent connector 122a-c, similar to the configuration using pontoon members 112a-c. Also similar to the configuration using pontoon members 112a-c, connectors 122a-c are connected to the struts such that the portion of each connector 122a-c that connects to the top of each strut 106a-c is flush with the outward-facing side of each strut 106a-c. This configuration may improve the structural design of the floating platform 104 by eliminating any protrusions or angles that may create stress concentration points on the floating platform 104 during use.

[0023] In other examples, the connectors may take alternative forms. For example, the connectors may be in the form of cylindrical beams that connect to the sides of each of the struts 106a-c. Similar to pontoon members, one end of each of the connectors 122a-c may abut a surface of the struts 106a-c. Alternatively, each of the connectors 122a-c may connect to the struts 106a-c via a connection interface, for example, via a pin connector or a threaded connector.

[0024] The cross-sectional shapes of example struts 106a-c are shown in more detail in FIG. 4. Here, a first strut is illustrated relative to a regular hexagon 130 having a side length a. As illustrated, the cross-section of strut 106a, when viewed from above, is symmetrical about a central axis 132 extending between the center of the cross-section and the center of the floating platform 104. However, the cross-section is asymmetrical about a horizontal axis 134 rotated 90 degrees. The horizontal axis 134 divides the cross-section in two, with three interior sides of the hexagon located on one side of the horizontal axis 134 adjacent to the adjacent pontoon members 112a, 112c, and the remaining three exterior sides of the hexagon located on the other side of the horizontal axis 134. The three interior sides include one middle side and two adjacent sides relative to the exterior side, and the three exterior sides include one middle side and two adjacent sides relative to the interior side. Each of the intermediate sides is parallel to the lateral axis 134 , while each of the adjacent sides extends obliquely relative to the lateral axis 134 .

[0025] 4, the two variables of the cross-sectional shape are h1 and h2. h1 corresponds to the distance of the inner medial side from the horizontal axis 134, while h2 corresponds to the distance of the outer medial side from the horizontal axis 134. In this example, the distance h2 is greater than h1.

[0026] Three further exemplary variables are b1, b2, and b3. b1 and b3 correspond to the lengths of the inner and outer medial sides, respectively, while b2 corresponds to the total length of the cross section in the direction along the transverse axis 134.

[0027] By varying h1, h2, b1, b2, and b3, various configurations of irregular hexagons are possible. In the illustrated example, the variables are selected so that the angle between corresponding interior and exterior adjacent sides is 90 degrees. Similarly, the variables are selected so that there is a 30-degree angle between the exterior adjacent sides and the central axis 132. This particular configuration allows the exterior adjacent sides to extend parallel to the length of the adjacent pontoon members, while the interior adjacent sides extend perpendicular to the length of the adjacent pontoon members. In this way, the exterior adjacent sides can lie flush with the exterior surfaces of the adjacent pontoon members 112a, c, while the interior adjacent sides (which are also part of the intersection plane) can join the adjacent pontoon members 112a, 112c at right angles.

[0028] As can also be seen, the angle between the interior adjacent sides and the interior medial side is greater than the angle between the exterior adjacent sides and the exterior medial side. This and other variables have the effect of increasing the area enclosed between the horizontal axis 134 and the exterior side compared to the area enclosed between the horizontal axis 134 and the interior side. More specifically, if the angles between the sides of a regular hexagon are 120 degrees, then the angles between the interior adjacent sides and the interior medial side may be greater than 120 degrees, while the angles between the exterior adjacent sides and the exterior medial side may be less than 120 degrees. The variables may be selected so that the total area of ​​the cross section is the same as if it were a regular hexagon.

[0029] In some examples, length b1 may be decreased or increased depending on, for example, the width of the pontoon member. Here, the inner middle side is shorter than the outer middle side, but it should be understood that in some examples, both middle sides may be the same length, or the outer middle side may be the shorter side.

[0030] 5a-c and 6a-c illustrate two examples of a floating platform 104 including a ballast arrangement 124 therein. The ballast arrangement 124 may be in the form of a ballast room or rooms housed within the floating platform 104 (e.g., within a hollow portion of the floating platform 104). Each ballast room may be in the form of a void within the floating platform 104. The ballast room may include a ballast tank configured to hold a liquid, such as fresh water or seawater, or may be configured to hold solid ballast material that can be removed and inserted as needed. In some examples, the ballast room or rooms may include multiple ballast tanks therein.

[0031] Figure 5a illustrates a plan view of the floating platform 104, showing the triangular shaped pontoon base and the first, second, and third columns 106a-c located at each corner of the triangular pontoon base. Figure 5b illustrates a front view of the floating platform 104 from viewpoint AA, while Figure 5c illustrates a front view of the floating platform 104 from viewpoint BB.

[0032] In this example, the first ballast chamber 140 is located along the entire length of the pontoon member 112b located between the second and third support struts 106b, 106c, while portions of the pontoon members 106a, 106c also include the first ballast chamber 140. Because the pontoon base is triangular in shape, the first ballast chamber 140 may be considered to be located along the entire length of the pontoon member 112b located opposite the first support strut 106a. In this example, the portions of the first and third pontoon members 112a, 112c that may be considered to be located adjacent the second pontoon member 112b (and first support strut 106a) include a portion of the ballast chamber 140. The ballast chamber 140 may extend partway, e.g., halfway, two-thirds, one-third, one-quarter, etc., along the first and third pontoon members 112a, 112c. The ballast chamber 140 may be one single compartment (e.g., including one continuous void for placing ballast material or liquid) or may include multiple compartments and / or voids, for example, one compartment / void in the second pontoon member 112b and one compartment in each of the first and third pontoon members 112a, 112c.

[0033] The first ballast chamber 140 may be a void within one or more of the pontoon members 112a-c, and a ballast tank may then be provided within the pontoon members 112a-c. Alternatively, the ballast tank may be formed by the material of the pontoon members 112a-c themselves (e.g., a sealed void within the pontoon member), i.e., a separate ballast tank need not be formed within the pontoon members 112a-c. In some examples, the pontoon members 112a-c may include a bulkhead or multiple bulkheads. One or each bulkhead may define the boundary of a corresponding ballast chamber or tank. The bulkheads may be located, for example, at the center of opposing pontoon members 112b and may be longitudinally movable therealong to vary the volume of the first ballast chamber 140 on either side of the bulkhead. If the first ballast chamber 140 is configurable to contain a liquid such as water, the bulkhead may be forced into the liquid volume within the ballast chamber to remove any residual gas therein, thereby eliminating any liquid / gas boundary and removing undesirable surface effects from the movement of the floating platform 104 from the ballast chamber.

[0034] Additionally, here, the bottom of the first strut 106a includes a second ballast chamber 142. The second ballast chamber 142 may be in the form of a base unit 142 that may be incorporated within or connectable to the first strut 106a. In some examples, the bottom of the first strut 106a (illustrated in FIGS. 5a-c), including the second ballast chamber 142, may be considered to form part of the pontoon base 120. The second ballast chamber 142 may be formed within the base of the first strut 106a and may not extend above the top surface of the pontoon base. The intersections between the pontoon members 120d-f and the strut 110 may conveniently form or help form a compartment at the base of the strut 110 in which the ballast chamber 142 may be located.

[0035] Similar to ballast chamber 140, second ballast chamber 142 may include a ballast tank, or the material of strut 106a may define the ballast chamber. If second ballast chamber is base unit 142, the base unit may be or define a ballast tank connectable to first strut 106a. In some examples, strut 106a, second ballast chamber 142 may include a bulkhead therein, which may also be used to eliminate or reduce surface effects.

[0036] As illustrated in FIG. 5b, the second ballast chamber 142 may include an upper portion and a lower portion. As illustrated, the upper portion may be located above the elevation of the top surfaces of the pontoon members 112a-c, while the lower portion may be located below the elevation of the top surfaces of the pontoon members 112a-c. The upper and lower portions may be connected and / or in fluid communication with each other, or may be separate from each other. The upper portion may include an upper ballast tank, while the lower portion may include a lower ballast tank. In some examples, the upper and lower portions may include a single ballast tank spanning both portions.

[0037] The second ballast chamber 142 may be in fluid communication with the first ballast chamber 140, for example, via a ballast liquid transfer arrangement. For example, tubing or piping may extend within the floating platform 104 between the first and second ballast chambers 140, 142, which may allow a user to transfer ballast liquid between the first and second ballast chambers 140, 142, thereby allowing for easy and quick redistribution of the weight of the floating platform 104.

[0038] This ballast arrangement 124 may provide stability during operation because the floating platform 104 may be weighted to offset the weight of the wind turbine tower 102, optionally by providing a counterweight at the opposite end of the floating platform 104.

[0039] Examples 6a-c show different configurations of the ballast arrangement 124. As in the previous examples, the first strut 106a includes a second ballast chamber 142, which will not be described further.

[0040] In this example, the first ballast chamber 140 is located along the entire length of the pontoon member 112b, which is located between the second and third struts 111, 112 (as in the previous example). In contrast to the previous example, the first ballast chamber 140 is contained within the pontoon member 112b and does not extend into the adjacent pontoon members 112a, 112c. However, in this example, the second and third struts 106b, 106c also include ballast chambers, which may be in the form of base units as described above. The ballast chambers of the second and third struts 106b, 106c may form part of the first ballast chamber 140 or may be separate ballast chambers (e.g., in the form of base units) self-contained within each strut 106b, 106c.

[0041] As best illustrated in Figures 6b and 6c, the ballast chambers of the second and third struts 106b, 106c may be shallower than those in the pontoon member 112b, which may also be shallower than those in the first strut 106a. In some examples, the ballast chambers of the second and third struts 106b, 106c may hold solid ballast material, while the pontoon member 112b may hold liquid ballast material (or vice versa). While illustrated as shallower than the ballast chambers of both the pontoon member 112b and the first strut 106a, in some examples, it may be possible for the ballast chambers to be deeper than one or both of the foregoing.

[0042] The configuration of the ballast arrangement 124 of Figures 6a-c may provide an alternative weight distribution to that previously described in Figures 5a-c.

[0043] In any of the embodiments claimed or described herein, the pontoon member 112b located on the opposite side of the tower may be configured to hold more liquid ballast than the support 106a or corner associated with the tower support. Advantageously, the pontoon member 112b may be configured to hold two, three, or four times more liquid ballast than the tower support or corner (i.e., more than two, three, or four times the liquid ballast capacity of the tower support or corner).

[0044] In any of the embodiments claimed or described herein, each of the two pontoon members 112 a, c extending from a tower support or a corner associated with the tower support may be configured to hold more liquid ballast in the distal half of the respective pontoon member than in the half of the pontoon member proximate and connected to the tower support or corner (see, e.g., FIG. 5A ). This can be achieved, for example, by locating liquid ballast tanks within a portion of the pontoon member 112 a, c closer to the distal support 106 b, c than to the tower support 106 a.

[0045] 5a-c and 6a-c, it may be possible to vary the ballast weight provided by each ballast room, thereby allowing a great degree of control over the weight distribution, center of gravity, and overall weight of the wind turbine platform 100. For example, a lighter platform may be useful during installation and maintenance. Depending on the stage of installation (e.g., whether only the turbine tower is mounted on the floating platform 104, or both the tower and nacelle with blades), varying the center of gravity of the floating platform 104 may be a desirable feature. Varying the weight and / or center of gravity of the floating platform 104 may result in easier access and / or improved stability of the floating platform 104 and the wind turbine platform 100 as a whole.

[0046] 4, in some embodiments, each of the first, second, and third struts 106a-c may include an inner medial side surface 150 and an outer medial side surface 151. The inner and outer medial sides 150, 151 are disposed parallel to one another and perpendicular to the axis 132 extending between the center of the lateral cross section (i.e., a center point located on the axis 132) and the center of the floating platform 104 (i.e., the center / center of gravity of the triangle). The terms "outer" and "inner" refer to a position relative to the center / center of gravity of the triangle, i.e., the outer medial side surface 151 is farther from the center of gravity than the inner medial side surface 150.

[0047] Advantageously, the horizontal extent b1 of the inner medial side surface 150 may be less than or equal to the horizontal extent b2 of the outer medial side surface 151 .

[0048] Each of the first, second, and third struts 106a-c may further include a first exterior side surface 152 adjacent the first intersecting plane 118 and a second exterior side surface 153 adjacent the second intersecting plane 118. Advantageously, the first and second exterior sides 152, 153 may be coplanar with the outer surfaces 154, 155 of each pontoon member 112a-c, respectively (see also FIG. 2).

[0049] Alternatively, or in addition, the first and second exterior sides 152, 153, respectively, may be flush with the exterior side 149 (see FIG. 8) of the respective connector 122a-c.

[0050] Optionally, on each of the three sides of the substantially triangular hull, the outer sides 152, 153 of the struts 106a-c, the outer sides 154, 155 of the pontoon members 112a-c, and the outer side 149 of the connectors 122a-c may be arranged to be flush with one another (as illustrated by the shaded areas in FIG. 7).

[0051] The above options can be obtained, for example, by constructing the hull from flat plates, such as steel plates. Having such flush and / or coplanar surfaces can provide manufacturing advantages and benefits regarding the structural strength of the hull, for example, internal stiffening members can be more easily used on or between separate construction plates positioned at zero or 90 degree angles during manufacture.

[0052] Referring now to FIG. 8 (also seen in FIGS. 3 and 7), connectors 122a-c may advantageously include narrowed central portions 145 and widened end portions 146. At the outer ends 147 of connectors 122a-c, the horizontal extent c1 of widened end portions 146 is equal to the horizontal extent c2 (see FIG. 4) of the adjacent intersecting surfaces 118. In this manner, connectors 122a-c may be structurally connected to struts 106a-c in a manner similar to that of pontoon members 112a-c, i.e., along the entire length of intersecting surfaces 118, while having a reduced cross-section in central portions 145. As a result, if the load-carrying requirements of connectors 122a-c can be met by the reduced cross-section in central portions 145, useful load transfer between end portions 147 and struts 106a-c can be achieved while reducing weight and material usage.

[0053] Advantageously, connectors 122a-c are arranged with flat outwardly facing vertical sides 149 (see FIG. 8) between ends 147, and the reduced cross section in narrowed central portion 145 is obtained by recesses in the inwardly facing sides of connectors 122a-c, as also illustrated in FIG. 7. In particular, the entire outwardly facing vertical side 149 may be a single straight flat surface.

[0054] Referring again now to FIG. 4, in each of the struts 106a-c, the inner medial side 150 may be connected to two adjacent intersecting faces 118, and the outer medial side 151 may be connected to two adjacent outer side faces 152, 153, and each intersecting face 118 may be connected to a respective outer side face 152, 153 to form the hexagonal transverse cross-section of the strut.

[0055] Advantageously, the angle v1 between the inner intermediate side 150 and the intersecting plane 118 can be greater than the angle v2 between the outer intermediate side 151 and the outer sides 152, 153 to form an irregular hexagon.

[0056] Each intersecting surface 118 may be connected to a respective exterior side surface 152, 153 at a 90 degree angle.

[0057] Advantageously, the sum of the horizontal lengths of the inner medial side 150 and the intersecting surface 118 can be less than the sum of the horizontal lengths of the outer medial side 151 and the outer sides 152, 153. Additionally or alternatively, the individual horizontal lengths of the inner medial side 150 and the intersecting surface 118 are less than the individual horizontal lengths of either the outer medial side 151 or the outer sides 152, 153 (i.e., sides 151, 152, and 153 are all longer than sides 118 and 150).

[0058] As illustrated in Figure 7, the outer intermediate side surface 151 may form (or form part of) a flat end surface 148 of the hull. By "end surface" herein is meant a vertical surface located at the edge portion of a substantially triangular hull. A hull may have such a surface and thus not form a perfect triangle, but is nevertheless substantially triangular in that the end surface 148 is significantly shorter than the side surface, e.g., less than one-fifth or one-tenth of the side surface.

[0059] Advantageously, the flat end surface 148 is a single flat surface that extends the entire height of the hull. The flat end surface 148 can consist entirely of the outer intermediate side surface 151, if the struts 106a-c extend the entire height of the hull, or can consist partially of the pontoon members 112a-c and / or connectors 122a-c, if these components extend towards the edge and are secured to the struts 106a-c above and / or below the struts 106a-c.

[0060] The hull may include six, preferably exactly six, flat vertical surfaces around its horizontal periphery that constitute the hull's outermost boundary in the horizontal plane. The six or exactly six surfaces may be defined by three flat side surfaces 149, 152, 153, 154, 155 and three flat end surfaces 148.

[0061] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a floating wind turbine platform 104 that includes a connector 122 that includes a narrowed central portion 145 , wider end portions 146 , and an end portion 147 .

[0062] As previously described, connector 122 widens from narrowed central portion 145 toward end portion 147. Narrowed central portion 145 may widen linearly from central portion 145 toward end portion 147. In this example, the horizontal or lateral cross-section of widened end portion 146 has a triangular, truncated triangular, and / or trapezoidal shape. Widened end portion 145 widens from the width of narrowed central portion 145 to a horizontal length c2 (see, e.g., FIG. 4 ), which may be equal to that of adjacent intersecting surfaces 118. In this example and the previous example, the connector may connect along the entire width of adjacent intersecting surfaces 118.

[0063] Here, the first support 106a is configurable for mounting a structure such as a wind turbine thereto. Here, each support 106 is connected at its end 147 to two adjacent connectors, and therefore also to two adjacent widened end portions 146. As illustrated, the widened end portion 146 adjacent to the first support 106a is longer (e.g., has a longer axial length) in the axial direction of the respective adjacent connector 122 than the widened end portions 146 adjacent to the second and third support 106b, c. The second and third support 106b, c may not be configured for mounting a structure thereon (e.g., their top surfaces may be flat and without a base structure to which a wind turbine may be attached). Furthermore, the connector 122 connecting to the first support 106a has a shorter narrowed central portion 145 than the connectors 122 not connected to the first support 106a.

[0064] Having longer end portions 146 adjacent the first strut 106a and a shorter, narrower central portion 145 may allow for smoother load distribution through the connector 122 near the first strut 106. The first strut 106 may need to withstand higher loads as a result of the structure mounted thereon.

[0065] Additionally, as illustrated in this example, the struts 106 each have the same transverse cross-sectional shape, as illustrated in the previous example, in the shape of a regular hexagon, although it should be noted that other transverse cross-sections, such as those described above, may also be possible. Because the transverse cross-sections are regular hexagons, the intersecting surfaces 118 connecting to each end of the connector 122 are not parallel, and thus the end 147 of the connector 122 extends at an oblique angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the connector 122. It should be noted that in some instances, struts 106 having an irregular polygonal transverse cross-section (as described in connection with the previous figure) may also be used in this example, such that the intersecting surfaces 118 connecting to each end of the connector 122 may be parallel, in which case the end 147 of the connector may extend perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the connector 122. If the intersecting surfaces 118 connecting to each end of the connector 122 are parallel, the widened end portion 146 may have parallel ends and thus may be considered to have a trapezoidal shape.

[0066] As illustrated, the connectors 122 connect to the intersecting surfaces at interfaces that form interface regions between the connectors 122 and the intersecting surfaces 118. Each connector 122 forms two interfaces on the intersecting surfaces 118 of the struts 106. Each interface may include a centroid with an interface axis extending between the interfaces formed by each connector. In this example, the interface axis is parallel to, but misaligned with, the longitudinal axis of the respective connector 122. The longitudinal axes of the connectors are offset away from the center of the floater 104, toward the exterior of the floater 104.

[0067] 4, 7, 8 and 9 and the associated description individually or collectively provide the advantages of improved structural strength and reliability combined with superior manufacturability, for example in that the internal strengthening of the hull is simplified and / or the design is better suited to handle load hot spots such as loads acting on the interface inside the transverse axis 134. For example, having an irregular polygon / hexagon inclined in a useful manner relative to the transverse axis 134 (see FIG. 4) can improve the load handling capabilities of the floater.

[0068] Those skilled in the art will understand that the present disclosure is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above. Those skilled in the art will further understand that changes and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed disclosure, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

[0069] Further examples and embodiments are outlined in the following set of clauses.

[0070] A-Clause

[0071] Clause A1 A floating wind turbine platform (104), comprising: a substantially triangular hull configurable to support a wind turbine tower; The hull includes first, second, and third struts (106a-c), the first, second, and third struts (106a-c) being connected by first, second, and third pontoon members (112a-c) and first, second, and third connectors (122a-c); The floating wind turbine platform (104), wherein the lateral cross-section of each of the first, second and third struts (106a-c) has the shape of an irregular polygon.

[0072] Clause A2 The floating wind turbine platform (104) described in clause A1, wherein each of the first, second, and third struts (106a-c) includes two axially extending intersecting surfaces (118), each intersecting surface (118) being oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the pontoon member (112a-c).

[0073] Clause A3 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein a lateral cross-section of each of the first, second, and third struts (106a-c) has an irregular hexagonal shape.

[0074] Clause A4 The floating wind turbine platform (104) of clause A3, wherein the angle between two adjacent faces of the irregular hexagon is a right angle.

[0075] Clause A5 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein each of the first, second, and third columns (106a-c) is connected to two of the first, second, and third pontoon members (112a-c).

[0076] Article A6 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein each of the first, second, and third struts (106a-c) includes first and second intersecting surfaces (118), each of the first and second intersecting surfaces (118) being connected to one of the two of the first, second, and third pontoon members (112a-c).

[0077] Article A7 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein the first, second, and third columns (106a-c) are connected in a triangular configuration by the first, second, and third pontoon members (112a-c).

[0078] Article A8 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein the first, second, and third connectors (122a-c) are located above and parallel to the first, second, and third pontoon members (112a-c).

[0079] Article A9 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein each of the first, second, and third struts (106a-c) includes first and second intersecting surfaces (118), each of the first and second intersecting surfaces (118) being connected to one of two of the first, second, and third connectors (122a-c).

[0080] Article A10 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein each of the first, second, and third struts (106a-c) includes an inner intermediate side surface (150) and an outer intermediate side surface (151), the inner and outer intermediate sides (150, 151) being parallel to each other and perpendicular to an axis (132) extending between a center of the lateral cross section and a center of the floating platform (104).

[0081] Clause A11 The floating wind turbine platform (104) according to any preceding clause, wherein the horizontal length (b1) of the inner intermediate side surface (150) is shorter than the horizontal length (b2) of the outer intermediate side surface (151), or the horizontal length (b1) of the inner intermediate side surface (150) is equal to the horizontal length (b2) of the outer intermediate side surface (151).

[0082] Article A12 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein each of the first, second, and third struts (106a-c) includes a first exterior side (152) adjacent the first intersecting plane (118) and a second exterior side (153) adjacent the second intersecting plane (118).

[0083] Article A13 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein the first and second exterior sides (152, 153) are each flush with the exterior sides (154, 155) of the respective pontoon members (112a-c).

[0084] Article A14 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein the first and second exterior sides (152, 153) are each flush with an exterior surface (149) of a respective connector (122a-c).

[0085] Article A15 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) according to any preceding clause, wherein, on each of the three sides of the substantially triangular hull, the respective outer sides (152, 153) of the struts (106a-c), the outer sides (154, 155) of the pontoon members (112a-c) and the outer sides (149) of the connectors (122a-c) are coplanar, in particular the outer sides (152, 153) of the struts (106a-c), the outer sides (154, 155) of the pontoon members (112a-c) and the outer sides (149) of the connectors (122a-c) form a single flat surface.

[0086] Article A16 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein each connector (122a-c) comprises a narrowed central portion (145) and a widened end portion (146), and at an outer end (147) of the connector (122a-c), the horizontal length (c1) of the widened end portion (146) is equal to the horizontal length (c2) of the adjacent intersecting plane (118).

[0087] Article A17 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein the connectors (122a-c) between the ends (147) have flat outwardly facing vertical sides (149), and in particular, the entire outwardly facing vertical sides (149) are a single flat surface.

[0088] Article A18 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein in each strut (106a-c), the inner intermediate side surface (150) is connected to two adjacent cross surfaces (118) and the outer intermediate side surface (151) is connected to two adjacent outer side surfaces (152, 153), and each cross surface (118) is connected to a respective outer side surface (152, 153) to form a hexagonal transverse cross section of the strut.

[0089] Article A19 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) according to any preceding clause, wherein an angle (v1) between the inner intermediate side (150) and the intersecting plane (118) is greater than an angle (v2) between the outer intermediate side (151) and the outer side (152, 153), forming an irregular hexagon.

[0090] Article A20 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein each intersecting surface (118) is connected to a respective exterior side surface (152, 153) at a 90 degree angle.

[0091] Article A21 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein a sum of horizontal lengths of the inner intermediate side surface (150) and the intersecting surface (118) is less than a sum of horizontal lengths of the outer intermediate side surface (151) and the outer side surfaces (152, 153).

[0092] Article A22 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein the respective horizontal lengths of the inner intermediate side (150) and the intersecting surface (118) are shorter than the respective horizontal lengths of either of the outer intermediate side (151) and the outer side (152, 153).

[0093] Article A23 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein the outer intermediate side (151) forms or forms part of a flat end surface (148).

[0094] Article A24 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of the preceding clause, wherein the flat end surface (148) is a single flat surface extending across the entire height of the hull.

[0095] Article A25 10. A floating wind turbine platform (104) according to any preceding clause, wherein around its horizontal periphery, the hull includes exactly six flat vertical surfaces constituting the outermost boundary of the hull, said six surfaces being defined by three flat side surfaces (149, 152, 153, 154, 155) and three flat end surfaces (148).

[0096] B-Clause

[0097] Clause B1 A floating wind turbine platform (104), comprising: a substantially triangular hull configurable to support a wind turbine tower; The hull includes first, second, and third struts (106a-c), the first, second, and third struts (106a-c) being connected by first, second, and third pontoon members (112a-c) and first, second, and third connectors (122a-c); At least one of the first, second, and third pontoon members (112a-c) includes a ballast arrangement (124); The floating wind turbine platform (104), wherein the wind turbine tower is configured to be mounted on one of the first, second, and third columns (106a-c), the first, second, and third columns (106a-c) being connected in a triangular configuration by the first, second, and third pontoon members (112a-c), and the ballast arrangement (124) includes a ballast chamber extending along substantially the entire length of the pontoon member (112a-c) located opposite the one of the first, second, and third columns (106a-c) to which the turbine tower is configured to be mounted.

[0098] Clause B2 The floating wind turbine platform (104) described in clause B1, wherein the ballast arrangement (124) includes a ballast chamber extending along substantially the entire length of one of the first, second, and third pontoon members (112a-c).

[0099] Clause B3 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein the ballast arrangement (124) includes a ballast chamber extending partially along the length of at least one of the first, second, and third pontoon members (112a-c).

[0100] Clause B4 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein the ballast arrangement (124) includes a ballast chamber extending along substantially half the length of two of the first, second, and third pontoon members (112a-c).

[0101] Clause B5 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein the ballast arrangement (124) includes a ballast chamber extending along substantially half of each of the first, second, and third pontoon members (112a-c) located adjacent to the one of the first, second, and third columns (106a-c) to which the turbine tower is configurable to be mounted.

[0102] C-Clause

[0103] Clause C1 A floating wind turbine platform (104), comprising: a substantially triangular hull configurable to support a wind turbine tower; The hull includes first, second, and third struts (106a-c), the first, second, and third struts (106a-c) being connected by first, second, and third pontoon members (112a-c) and first, second, and third connectors (122a-c); The floating wind turbine platform (104), wherein each connector includes a narrowed central portion (145) and a widened end portion (146).

[0104] Clause C2 The floating wind turbine platform (104) described in clause C1, wherein the horizontal length (c1) of each of the widened end portions (146) is equal to the horizontal length (c2) of the adjacent intersecting surface (118) to which the respective connector is connected.

[0105] Clause C3 10. The floating wind turbine platform of any preceding clause, wherein the widened end portions linearly widen from a horizontal length (c1) at the ends adjacent the narrowed central portion (145) equal to the width of the narrowed central portion (145), to a horizontal length (c2) at their outer ends equal to the horizontal length (c1) of the adjacent cross-plane (118).

[0106] Clause C4 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein the widened end portion has a horizontal cross-section that is trapezoidal, non-parallel sides of the trapezoidal shape being of unequal lengths.

[0107] Clause C5 The floating wind turbine platform (104) of clause C4, wherein the horizontal cross-section has an irregular trapezoidal shape.

[0108] Clause C6 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein each of the first, second, and third connectors includes a longitudinal axis and connects to the first, second, and third struts (106a-c) at an interface, the center of gravity of the interface being misaligned with the longitudinal axis of the connected connector (122a-c).

[0109] Clause C7 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein the first strut is configured to mount a wind turbine thereon, and wherein each of the first, second, and third struts includes at least two adjacent connectors and at least two adjacent widened end portions (146), and an axial length of the widened end portion in the longitudinal direction of each connector adjacent the first strut is greater than an axial length of the widened end portion adjacent the second and third struts.

[0110] Clause C8 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein the widened end portion comprises an irregular truncated pyramidal shape.

[0111] Clause C9 10. The floating wind turbine platform of any preceding clause, wherein each of the first, second, and third struts (106a-c) includes first and second intersecting surfaces (118) connected to one of the first, second, and third connectors.

[0112] D-Clause

[0113] Clause D1 A floating wind turbine platform (104), comprising: a substantially triangular hull configurable to support a wind turbine tower; The hull includes first, second, and third struts (106a-c), the first, second, and third struts (106a-c) being connected by first, second, and third pontoon members (112a-c) and first, second, and third connectors (122a-c); The floating wind turbine platform (104), wherein each connector includes two outer ends (147), at least one side extending between the outer ends (147) being flat.

[0114] Clause D2 The floating wind turbine platform (104) of clause D1, wherein one of the at least one flat side is oriented vertically.

[0115] Clause D3 The floating wind turbine platform (104) of clause D1 or D2, wherein the vertically oriented surface faces outward, e.g., faces away from the center of gravity of the substantially triangular hull.

[0116] Clause D4 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein the at least one flat side of each connector is a single flat surface.

[0117] Article D5 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein each flat side is flush with a surface of one of the first, second, and third columns (106a-c).

[0118] Article D6 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein each of the first, second, and third struts (106a-c) includes a first exterior side (152) adjacent the first intersecting plane (118) and a second exterior side (153) adjacent the second intersecting plane (118).

[0119] Article D7 The floating wind turbine platform (104) of clause D6, wherein the first and second exterior sides (152, 153) are each flush with an exterior surface (154, 155) of a respective pontoon member (112a-c).

[0120] Article D8 The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any one of clauses D6 to D7, wherein the first and second exterior sides (152, 153) are flush with the exterior sides (149) of their respective connectors (122a-c).

[0121] Article D9 10. The floating wind turbine platform (104) of any preceding clause, wherein, on each of the three sides of the substantially triangular hull, the outer sides (152, 153) of each of the struts (106a-c), the outer sides (154, 155) of the pontoon members (112a-c), and the flat surfaces of the connectors are coplanar.

[0122] Article D10 The floating wind turbine platform of clause D9, wherein the respective exterior sides of the struts (106a-c), the exterior sides of the pontoon members (112a-c), and the flat surfaces of the connectors are oriented vertically.

[0123] Article D11 10. The floating wind turbine platform of any preceding clause, wherein each connector includes a narrowed central portion (145) and a widened end portion (146).

[0124] Article D12 12. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 11, wherein the widened end portions linearly widen from a horizontal length (c1) at their ends adjacent the narrowed central portion (145) equal to the width of the narrowed central portion (145) to a horizontal length (c2) at their outer ends equal to the horizontal length (c2) of the adjacent crossing plane (118).

[0125] Article D13 The floating wind turbine platform of clause D11 or D12, wherein a horizontal cross-section of the widened end portion (146) is at least one of an irregular trapezoid or a right-angled trapezoid.

Claims

1. 1. A floating wind turbine platform comprising: a triangular hull configurable to support a wind turbine tower; the hull includes a first strut, a second strut, and a third strut, the first strut, the second strut, and the third strut being connected by a first pontoon member, a second pontoon member, and a third pontoon member, and by a first connector, a second connector, and a third connector; a lateral cross-section of each of the first strut, the second strut, and the third strut has the shape of an irregular convex polygon; each of the first strut, the second strut, and the third strut includes a first intersecting plane and a second intersecting plane, each intersecting plane being oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first pontoon member, the second pontoon member, or the third pontoon member; and each of the first pontoon member, the second pontoon member, and the third pontoon member having an elongated shape; each of the first strut, the second strut, and the third strut includes a first exterior side surface adjacent to the first intersecting plane and a second exterior side surface adjacent to the second intersecting plane, each exterior side surface being flush with a side surface of the first pontoon member, the second pontoon member, or the third pontoon member.

2. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 1 , wherein a lateral cross-section of each of the first strut, the second strut, and the third strut has an irregular hexagonal shape.

3. 3. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 2, wherein an angle between two adjacent sides of the irregular hexagon is a right angle, and the two adjacent sides are the first intersecting plane and the first exterior side or the second intersecting plane and the second exterior side.

4. 2. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 1, wherein each of the first support strut, the second support strut, and the third support strut connects to two of the first pontoon member, the second pontoon member, and the third pontoon member.

5. 5. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 4, wherein each of the first intersecting plane and the second intersecting plane is connected to one of the first pontoon member, the second pontoon member, and the third pontoon member.

6. 6. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 5, wherein the first support column, the second support column, and the third support column are connected in a triangular configuration by the first pontoon member, the second pontoon member, and the third pontoon member.

7. 2. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 1, wherein the first connector, the second connector, and the third connector are positioned above and parallel to the first pontoon member, the second pontoon member, and the third pontoon member.

8. 2. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 1, wherein each of the first intersecting plane and the second intersecting plane is connected to one of the first connector, the second connector, and the third connector.

9. 2. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 1, wherein each of the first strut, the second strut, and the third strut includes an inner medial side and an outer medial side, the inner medial side and the outer medial side being parallel to each other and perpendicular to an axis extending between a center of the lateral cross-section and a center of the floating wind turbine platform.

10. 10. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 9, wherein a horizontal length of the inner intermediate side surface is less than a horizontal length of the outer intermediate side surface or the horizontal length of the inner intermediate side surface is equal to a horizontal length of the outer intermediate side surface.

11. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 1 , wherein the first exterior side and the second exterior side are each flush with an outer surface of a respective connector.

12. 2. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 1, wherein on each of three sides of the triangular hull, an exterior side of each of the struts, an exterior side of the pontoon members, and an exterior side of the connectors are coplanar, whereby the exterior sides of the struts, the exterior sides of the pontoon members, and the exterior sides of the connectors comprise a single flat surface.

13. 2. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 1, wherein each connector includes a narrowed central portion and widened end portions, and at an outer end of the connector, the widened end portion has a horizontal length equal to the horizontal length of its adjacent intersecting surface.

14. 14. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 13, wherein the first strut is configured to mount a wind turbine thereon, and wherein each of the first strut, the second strut, and the third strut includes at least two adjacent connectors and at least two adjacent widened end portions, and in an axial direction of each connector, an axial length of the widened end portion adjacent the first strut is greater than an axial length of the widened end portion adjacent the second strut and the third strut.

15. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 13 , wherein the connector between the outer ends has a flat outwardly facing vertical side, the entire outwardly facing vertical side being a single flat surface.

16. 2. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 1, wherein in each strut, an inner medial side surface is connected to two adjacent intersecting surfaces and an outer medial side surface is connected to two adjacent outer side surfaces, each intersecting surface being connected to a respective outer side surface to form a convex hexagonal transverse cross section of the strut.

17. 17. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 16, wherein an angle between the inner intermediate side and the intersecting plane is greater than an angle between the outer intermediate side and the outer side so as to form an irregular hexagon.

18. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 1 , wherein each intersecting plane is connected to a respective exterior side surface at a 90 degree angle.

19. 17. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 16, wherein a sum of horizontal lengths of the inner intermediate side and the intersecting side is less than a sum of horizontal lengths of the outer intermediate side and the outer side.

20. 17. The floating wind turbine platform of claim 16, wherein the respective horizontal lengths of the inner intermediate side and the intersecting surface are less than the respective horizontal lengths of either the outer intermediate side and the outer side.

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