Launching device for offshore wind turbines

Abstract

To provide a launching device for offshore wind turbines that enables smooth launching of the offshore wind turbines without the mobilization of a super-large barge.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a launching device for offshore wind turbines, which comprises: a first floating body placed at a point in front of a coastal structure; a second floating body placed at another point in front of the coastal structure, arranged to face the first floating body with a space in between; a connecting member extending between the first floating body and the second floating body; an extension member extending offshore from the middle of one end and the other end of the connecting member; and a third floating body slidably coupled to the extension member and moving in the offshore and inshore directions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a launching device, and more particularly, to a launching device for an offshore wind turbine that enables easy launching of an offshore wind turbine without mobilizing a super-large virgin ship by individually supporting multiple points of a triangular floating structure constituting the offshore wind turbine through a plurality of small floating bodies.

Background Art

[0002] As environmental pollution caused by the use of fossil fuels becomes more serious, environmentally friendly renewable energy has attracted attention.

[0003] Environmentally friendly renewable energy has the advantages of being clean, having no fear of depletion, being pollution-free, and being renewable, and its scope of application is gradually expanding.

[0004] On the other hand, there is wind energy using a wind turbine as one of the environmentally friendly renewable energies.

[0005] In this case, a turbine is installed on a tower extending vertically, and power generation can be performed by the rotation of the turbine by wind.

[0006] However, since the turbine constituting the wind turbine is quite large in size, there is a problem that a relatively large installation space is required and there are restrictions on the installation location.

[0007] In addition, when the turbine of the wind turbine rotates, a considerable amount of noise is generated, which has been a cause of complaints from surrounding residents.

[0008] To solve such problems, recently, the use of "offshore wind turbines" as described in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2023-0026975 has been increasing.

[0009] Because offshore wind turbines are installed in the sea, far from residential areas, securing space is easy, and they are also free from complaints caused by noise.

[0010] However, there was a problem with the launching process when installing offshore wind turbines: it was not a simple procedure.

[0011] In other words, offshore wind turbines manufactured on land, especially the floating structures that support the towers, are generally several tens of meters wide and long. Launching them requires a very large virgin vessel, which presents problems in terms of the time and cost involved in preparing such a vessel.

[0012] For the reasons stated above, efforts are being made in this field to develop launching devices that would allow for the smooth launching of offshore wind turbines without the need to mobilize ultra-large virgin vessels, but to date, satisfactory results have not been achieved. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0013] [Patent Document 1] Republic of Korea Published Patent No. 10-2023-0026975 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0014] This invention was proposed to solve the problems of the prior art described above, and aims to provide a launching device for offshore wind turbines that enables the smooth launching of offshore wind turbines without the need to mobilize extra-large virgin vessels. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention

[0016] A first floating body disposed at a point in front of the coastal structure; a second floating body disposed at another point in front of the coastal structure and facing the first floating body with a gap therebetween; a connecting member continuing between the first floating body and the second floating body; an extension member continuing in the offshore direction from the middle of one end and the other end of the connecting member; and a third floating body slidably coupled to the extension member and moving in the offshore direction and the inshore direction. A water inlet device for an offshore wind power generator is proposed, characterized by including these components.

[0017] The first floating body, the second floating body, and the third floating body include a water storage part in which an inlet and an outlet that are intermittently opened and closed are formed.

[0018] The first floating body, the second floating body, and the third floating body can include rollers that protrude from the upper surface by rising by means of a lifting module.

[0019] The first floating body and the second floating body can adjust the interval between either one and the other by moving along the length direction of the connecting member.

[0020] The extension member includes a hanging part formed to protrude upward from the tip.

[0021] The extension member includes a protrusion that is inserted into a point of the third floating body by rising by means of a lifting module.

[0022] The third floating body includes a stopper formed to protrude upward from the upper surface.

[0023] The present invention can further include a pair of support members that are respectively hinge-connected between the first floating body and the third floating body, and between the second floating body and the second floating body.

[0024] The support member is formed in multiple stages, and the length can be variable by at least one stage of entry and exit being performed.

Advantages of the Invention

[0025] For the water inlet device for an offshore wind turbine according to the present invention, the first floating body and the second floating body are arranged at intervals in front of the coastal structure, and the third floating body is slidably coupled to the extension member, so that the lower part of the tip of the triangular floating structure of the offshore wind turbine entering from the coastal structure is supported by the third floating body, and the lower parts on both sides of the end of the triangular floating structure of the offshore wind turbine are respectively supported by the first floating body and the second floating body. Therefore, due to the support of the first floating body, the second floating body and the third floating body, the water inlet of the offshore wind turbine can be carried out without mobilizing a large virgin ship, and the labor and cost associated with the mobilization of the large virgin ship can be reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0026] [Figure 1] It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the water inlet device for an offshore wind turbine according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is an exemplary view showing a form in which the water inlet device for an offshore wind turbine according to the present invention is applied in front of the coastal structure. [Figure 3] It is an exemplary view showing the slide of the third floating body in the water inlet device for an offshore wind turbine according to the present invention. [Figure 4] It is an exemplary view showing how the offshore wind turbine is supported through the first floating body, the second floating body and the third floating body in the water inlet device for an offshore wind turbine according to the present invention. [Figure 5] It is an exemplary view showing the roller rotation of the first floating body, the second floating body and the third floating body in the water inlet device for an offshore wind turbine according to the present invention. [Figure 6] It is an exemplary view showing the hanging of the hanging part of the extension member in the water inlet device for an offshore wind turbine according to the present invention. [Figure 7] It is an exemplary view showing the stopper engagement of the third floating body in the water inlet device for an offshore wind turbine according to the present invention. [Figure 8] It is an exemplary view showing the fixing of the third floating body through the protrusion of the extension member in the water inlet device for an offshore wind turbine according to the present invention. [Figure 9]This is an illustrative diagram showing the adjustment of the distance between the first floating body and the second floating body in the launching device for an offshore wind turbine according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0027] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, the launching device (A) for an offshore wind turbine according to the present invention includes a first floating body (10), a second floating body (20), a connecting member (40), an extension member (50), and a third floating body (30).

[0029] The first floating body (10) of the present invention is positioned at a point in front of the coastal structure (100).

[0030] At this time, the first floating body (10) includes a water reservoir (11) with an inlet (not shown in the drawing) and an outlet (not shown in the drawing) that are opened and closed intermittently, and can be submerged in water by filling the water reservoir (11) with water.

[0031] Furthermore, the first floating body (10) is raised by the lifting module (12a) and includes rollers (12) that protrude from the top surface. When the offshore wind turbine (200) enters the top surface, the rollers (12) rotate, which allows the offshore wind turbine (200) to move smoothly.

[0032] Here, the lifting module (12a) can be of any general structure or type as long as it allows the roller (12) to be raised and lowered. One example of such a module is a cylinder (not shown in the drawing) in which a rod (not shown in the drawing) moves in and out by hydraulic or high-pressure action.

[0033] Furthermore, the first floating body (10) is slidably connected to the connecting member (40) and can move along the longitudinal direction of the connecting member (40).

[0034] The second floating body (20) of the present invention is positioned at another point in front of the coastal structure (100) and is positioned opposite the first floating body (10) with a gap between them.

[0035] At this time, the second floating body (20) includes a water reservoir (21) formed with an inlet (not shown in the drawing) and an outlet (not shown in the drawing) that are opened and closed intermittently, and can be submerged in water by filling the water reservoir (21) with water.

[0036] Furthermore, since the second floating body (20) includes rollers (22) that protrude from the top surface when it is raised by the lifting module (22a), the rollers (12) rotate when the offshore wind turbine (200) enters the top surface, thereby allowing the offshore wind turbine (200) to move smoothly.

[0037] Here, the lifting module (22a) can be of any general structure and type as long as it allows the roller (22) to be raised and lowered. One example of such a module is a cylinder (not shown in the drawing) in which a rod (not shown in the drawing) moves in and out by hydraulic or high-pressure action.

[0038] Furthermore, the second floating body (20) is slidably connected to the connecting member (40) and can move along the longitudinal direction of the connecting member (40), thereby allowing the distance between it and the first floating body (10) to be adjusted.

[0039] The connecting member (40) of the present invention extends between the first floating body (10) and the second floating body (20).

[0040] Such connecting members (40) support the first floating body (10) and the second floating body (20), thereby suppressing unintended flow of the first floating body (10) and the second floating body (20) in front of the coastal structure (100). Since they do not have any special function, a detailed explanation of the connecting members (40) will be omitted.

[0041] The extension member (50) of the present invention extends outwards from the midpoint between one end and the other end of the connecting member (40).

[0042] At this time, the extension member (50) includes a hook portion (51) that protrudes upward from its tip, so that when the third floating body (30), which will be described later, slides away from the extension member (50) in the direction of the port, it can come into contact with the hook portion (51) and stop moving.

[0043] Furthermore, the extension member (50) is raised by the lifting module (52a) and includes a projection (52) that is inserted into a point on the third floating body (30). By inserting this projection (52), the third floating body (30) can be fixed to a point on the extension member (50).

[0044] Here, the lifting module (52a) can be of any general structure and type, as long as it allows the projection (52) to be raised and lowered. One example of such a module is a cylinder (not shown in the drawing) in which a rod (not shown in the drawing) moves in and out by hydraulic or high-pressure action.

[0045] The third floating body (30) of the present invention is slidably connected to the extension member (50) and moves in the direction out of the harbor and in the direction in the harbor.

[0046] At this time, the third floating body (30) includes a water reservoir (31) formed with an inlet (not shown in the drawing) and an outlet (not shown in the drawing) that are opened and closed intermittently, and can be submerged in water by filling the water reservoir (31) with water.

[0047] Furthermore, the third floating body (30) includes rollers (32) that protrude from its upper surface when it is raised by the lifting module (32a). When the offshore wind turbine (200) enters the upper surface, the rollers (32) rotate, which allows the offshore wind turbine (200) to move smoothly.

[0048] Here, the lifting module (32a) can be of any general structure and type as long as it allows the roller (32) to be raised and lowered. One example of such a module is a cylinder (not shown in the drawing) in which a rod (not shown in the drawing) moves in and out by hydraulic or high-pressure action.

[0049] Furthermore, the third floating body (30) includes a stopper (33) formed to protrude upward from its upper surface. When the tip of the offshore wind turbine (200) entering the upper surface comes into contact with the stopper (33), the extension member (50) can move the third floating body (30) out of the harbor in accordance with the offshore wind turbine (200) moving out of the harbor.

[0050] Furthermore, the launching device (A) for offshore wind turbines according to the present invention may further include a support member (60).

[0051] The support member (60) of the present invention can support the third floating body (30) by being hinge-connected between the first floating body (10) and the third floating body (30), and between the second floating body (20) and the second floating body (20).

[0052] At this time, the support member (60) is formed in multiple stages, and by extending or retracting at least one stage, its length becomes variable, which prevents interference with the third floating body (30) when it slides.

[0053] The launching of the offshore wind turbine (200) through the launching device (A) for the offshore wind turbine according to the present invention will be described in detail as follows.

[0054] Offshore wind turbines (200) manufactured on land, particularly those with a floating structure (210) supporting a tower (220) that is generally triangular in shape, are moved out of the harbor by a skid system (110) installed on a coastal structure (100) such as a quay before being launched.

[0055] At this time, as shown in Figure 2, the first floating body (10) and the second floating body (20) are positioned at a distance from each other at one point and another point in front of the coastal structure (100), and the third floating body (30) is positioned between the first floating body (10) and the second floating body (20). The tip of the triangular floating structure (210) of the offshore wind turbine (200), which is moving out of the harbor by the skid system (110), can be secured to the third floating body (30).

[0056] Here, the third floating body (30) includes a roller (32) that protrudes from its upper surface as it rises by the lifting module (32a), and as shown in Figure 5, the rotation of the roller (12) allows the tip of the floating structure (210) to smoothly enter its upper surface.

[0057] Furthermore, the third floating body (30) includes a stopper (33) formed to protrude upward from its upper surface, and as shown in Figure 7, the tip of the floating structure (210) that enters the upper surface comes into contact with the stopper (33), thereby preventing the tip of the floating structure (210) from detaching from the third floating body (30).

[0058] On the other hand, the third floating body (30) is slidably connected to an extension member (50) that extends outwards from the midpoint between one end and the other end of a connecting member (40) that extends between the first floating body (10) and the second floating body (20). As shown in Figure 3, with the tip of the floating structure (210) engaged with the stopper (33), the offshore wind turbine (200) moves further outwards from the harbor, allowing the third floating body (30) to move outwards from the harbor via the extension member (50). In this way, as shown in Figure 4, the ends on both sides of the end of the floating structure (210) can be secured to the first floating body (10) and the second floating body (20), respectively.

[0059] Therefore, with multiple points of the floating structure (210) supported by the first floating body (10), the second floating body (20), and the third floating body (30), water can be filled into the water reservoirs (11) provided in each of the first floating body (10), the second floating body (20), and the third floating body (30) in the above state, causing each of the first floating body (10), the second floating body (20), and the third floating body (30) to sink into the water, thereby enabling stable launching of the offshore wind turbine (200) without the mobilization of a super-large virgin vessel, and reducing the effort and cost associated with mobilizing a super-large virgin vessel.

[0060] At this time, the first floating body (10) and the second floating body (20) include rollers (12, 22) that protrude from their upper surfaces as they are raised by the lifting modules (12a, 22a), and the rotation of the rollers (12, 22) allows the end of the floating structure (210) to smoothly enter their upper surfaces.

[0061] However, if the third floating body (30) separates from the extension member (50), the support at the tip of the floating structure (210) becomes unstable, which may make it difficult to launch the offshore wind turbine (200).

[0062] However, the extension member (50) of the present invention includes a hanging portion (51) formed to protrude upward from its tip, and as shown in Figure 6, the third floating body (30) sliding from the extension member (50) comes into contact with the hanging portion (51), thereby preventing the third floating body (30) from detaching from the extension member (50). This allows the tip of the floating structure (210) to be stably supported by the third floating body (30).

[0063] Furthermore, the extension member (50) is raised by the lifting module (52a) and includes a projection (52) that is inserted into a point on the third floating body (30). As shown in Figure 8, the insertion of the projection (52) fixes the third floating body (30) to a point on the extension member (50), thereby preventing unintended movement of the third floating body (30), specifically, movement towards the outside or inside of the harbor, and allowing the tip of the floating structure (210) to be stably supported by the third floating body (30).

[0064] Furthermore, the present invention may further include a pair of support members (60) hinged between the first floating body (10) and the third floating body (30), and between the second floating body (20) and the second floating body (20), respectively. Since the third floating body (30) located on the extension member (50) is supported by the support members (60), unintended movement of the third floating body (30), such as tilting to one side, is suppressed, and the tip of the floating structure (210) can be stably supported by the third floating body (30).

[0065] Here, the support member (60) is formed in multiple stages, and by extending or retracting at least one stage, its length becomes variable, thereby preventing interference by the support member (60) when the third floating body (30) slides on the extension member (50).

[0066] In other words, the length of the support member (60) increases as at least one section is pulled out when the third floating body (30) moves out of the harbor, and decreases as at least one section is retracted when the third floating body (30) moves inward of the harbor, thereby allowing the extension member (50) to smoothly slide the third floating body (30).

[0067] On the other hand, in the present invention, the first floating body (10) and the second floating body (20) are slidably connected to a connecting member (40), and as shown in Figure 9, they can move along the longitudinal direction of the connecting member (40). Therefore, the distance between the first floating body (10) and the second floating body (20) can be adjusted according to the size of the offshore wind turbine (200), and the invention can be applied to the launching of offshore wind turbines (200) of various sizes.

[0068] Furthermore, in this invention, the third floating body (30) can be repositioned between the first floating body (10) and the second floating body (20) by moving in the direction of the harbor after the launching of the offshore wind turbine (200), and can be reused when other offshore wind turbines (200) are launched.

[0069] The present invention described above is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the claims, and such modifications will be included in the scope of protection of the present invention based on the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 10: First floating object 11: Water storage section 12: Roller 12a: Lifting module 20: Second floating object 21: Water storage section 22: Roller 22a: Lifting module 30: Third floating object 31: Water storage section 32: Roller 32a: Lifting module 33: Stopper 40: Connecting member 50: Extension member 51: Hanging part 52: Protrusion 52a: Lifting module 60: Support member 100: Coastal structures 110: Skid System 200: Offshore wind turbines 210: Floating structure 220: Tower A: Launching device for offshore wind turbines

Claims

1. A first floating object positioned at a point in front of the coastal structure; A second floating body is positioned at another point in front of the above-mentioned coastal structure, and is positioned opposite the first floating body at a distance from it; A connecting member that extends between the first floating body and the second floating body; An extension member extending outwards from the midpoint between one end and the other end of the above-mentioned connecting member; and A launching device for an offshore wind turbine, characterized by including a third floating body that is slidably connected to the extension member and moves in the direction out of the harbor and in the direction in the harbor.

2. The launching device for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, characterized in that the first floating body, the second floating body, and the third floating body each include a water reservoir formed with an inlet and outlet that are opened and closed intermittently.

3. The launching device for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, characterized in that the first floating body, the second floating body, and the third floating body each include rollers that protrude from the top surface when raised by a lifting module.

4. The launching device for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between one of the first floating body and the second floating body is adjusted by moving them along the longitudinal direction of the connecting member.

5. The launching device for a marine wind turbine according to claim 1, characterized in that the extension member includes a hanging portion formed to protrude upward from its tip.

6. The launching device for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, characterized in that the extension member includes a projection that is inserted into one point of the third floating body when raised by the lifting module.

7. The launching device for a marine wind turbine according to claim 1, characterized in that the third floating body includes a stopper formed to protrude upward from the upper surface.

8. A pair of support members hinged between the first floating body and the third floating body, and between the second floating body and the third floating body, respectively; further comprising The launching device for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, characterized in that the support member is hinged to be rotatable between the first floating body and the third floating body, and between the second floating body and the third floating body, with respect to hinge axes provided at both ends.

9. The launching device for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 8, characterized in that the support member is formed in multiple stages, and its length is variable by the extension or retraction of at least one stage.

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