Integrated floating wave power generation system on an offshore platform

Abstract

The present invention relates to an offshore platform-integrated floating wave power generation system in which the power generation devices and floaters are mounted on the upper and lower parts of the offshore platform, respectively, and the length of the power generation ropes connecting them is minimized, eliminating the need for mooring piles even when the platform is installed on the sea and eliminating piles that can bear pull-out forces, thereby minimizing construction costs and absorbing all of the kinetic energy of the floaters, which perform multi-degree-of-freedom motion, resulting in excellent power generation efficiency.The offshore platform-integrated floating wave power generation system of the present invention is characterized by comprising an offshore platform consisting of a plurality of support columns embedded in the seabed and a deck mounted on the top of the support columns above the seawater surface, a plurality of power generation devices mounted on the upper part of the offshore platform, floaters mounted on the seawater surface below the offshore platform and floating in response to wave movement, and a plurality of power generation ropes connecting the floaters to each power generation device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an integrated floating body type wave power generation system for an offshore platform, in which a power generation device and a floating body are provided at the upper and lower parts of the offshore platform respectively, the length of a power generation rope connecting them is minimized, mooring piles are not required while providing a platform at sea, and there are no piles receiving pulling force, so that not only the construction cost can be minimized, but all the kinetic energy of the floating body performing multi-degree-of-freedom motion can be absorbed, and the power generation efficiency is excellent.

Background Art

[0002] Countries around the world are making all-out efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 in response to the global climate change crisis. In particular, they are making concentrated investments and efforts in the development of new renewable energy.

[0003] Among new renewable energy, marine energy converts ocean tides, waves, ocean currents, temperature differences, etc. into electricity or heat, and as methods of producing electricity, there are tidal power, wave power, temperature difference power generation, etc.

[0004] South Korea is surrounded by sea on three sides and has abundant potential of marine energy, which is pollution-free clean energy. However, the proportion of marine energy among new renewable energy is only about 1%, which is very tiny.

[0005] On the other hand, wave power generation is a technology that converts the energy of incident waves into the driving force of a prime mover such as a turbine to generate electricity.

[0006] Although wave power generation is restricted by location and has slightly low economic efficiency, it has the advantages of being able to produce energy permanently and not emitting greenhouse gases. Here, although power supply and transportation are difficult, it is a useful alternative for island areas where energy demand is small and it is difficult to install large-scale power generation facilities.

[0007] Existing wave power generation systems extract energy using only one degree of freedom, corresponding to the vertical height change of a floating structure on the water surface, resulting in low energy recovery efficiency. Furthermore, because sufficient water depth must be ensured, these systems must be installed far offshore from the coast, leading to high costs for installing submarine cables to transport electricity to land.

[0008] To improve upon conventional energy recovery techniques using vertical motion, a technology was developed in which a floating body 300 is moored in the sea offshore, the main power generation equipment 200 is installed on land or on an artificial shore, and the floating body 300 and the power generation equipment 200 are connected by power generation ropes 400 (Figure 1, Registered Patent Nos. 10-1732243, 10-1769761, etc.).

[0009] The aforementioned conventional technology does not require expensive submarine power transmission cables, and operating costs can be significantly reduced by performing maintenance on land. Furthermore, because the floating structures are connected by multiple power generation ropes, energy can be extracted from wave movement coming from all directions, allowing for efficient energy acquisition even in shallow waters.

[0010] However, in the aforementioned conventional technology, the power generation rope connects a floating structure installed at sea to a power generation facility on land, resulting in a long horizontal length for the expensive power generation rope, limiting cost reduction. Furthermore, if there is a current or wave perpendicular to the power generation rope, a delay occurs in load transmission due to the sag effect.

[0011] In addition, a mooring pile 600 must be installed on the seabed to anchor the floating body 300, and the mooring rope 500 connected to the floating body 300 must be fixed to the upper section of the mooring pile 600. In this case, in order for the mooring rope 500 to form an appropriate horizontal angle to avoid interference between the power generation rope 400 and the mooring rope 500, the amount of horizontal movement of the floating body 300 is large, which means that a large amount of the power generation rope 400 is wrapped around the shaft of the generator, and the size of the generator's rope drum becomes large.

[0012] Furthermore, if it is difficult to install power generation facilities along the coast, or if coastal waves are not large enough, an artificial coastline must be constructed by building a separate offshore platform for power generation facilities at sea. In this case, all of the piles for the power generation facilities or the mooring piles for securing the mooring lines, which are installed on the seabed to support the offshore platform 100, must be constructed as pull-out resistant piles, which makes the design very inefficient.

[0013] Furthermore, because the upper part of the mooring piles does not rise above the water surface and remains submerged, the construction of the piles is difficult, uneconomical, and poses a risk of environmental damage. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0014] To solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention aims to provide an integrated floating wave power generation system on an offshore platform that minimizes the length of the power generation rope, eliminates the need for separate mooring piles to support the floating body while providing a platform on the sea, and minimizes construction costs because there are no piles to be subjected to uplift forces.

[0015] The present invention aims to provide an integrated floating wave power generation system for a marine platform that absorbs all the kinetic energy of a floating body performing multi-degree-of-freedom motion and has excellent power generation efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides an integrated floating wave power generation system for a floating platform, characterized by comprising: a floating platform comprising a plurality of support pillars embedded in the seabed and a deck provided on the upper part of the support pillars above the sea surface; a plurality of power generation devices provided on the upper part of the floating platform; a floating body provided on the sea surface below the floating platform and floating in accordance with wave movement; and a plurality of power generation ropes connecting the floating body to each power generation device.

[0017] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the power generation ropes are arranged in a planar manner on the outer surface of the floating body in groups of three or more, providing an integrated floating wave power generation system for a marine platform.

[0018] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a floating wave power generation system for a floating offshore platform is provided, further comprising at least three mooring lines arranged radially on a plane for mooring the floating body on the sea, one end of which is connected to the outer surface of the floating body and the other end of which is connected to one side of the offshore platform.

[0019] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, an integrated floating wave power generation system for a marine platform is provided, characterized in that the other end of the mooring rope is connected to the upper part of a support column or to the lower part of a deck near a support column.

[0020] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the mooring lines are provided in three sets, the outer ends of each pair of mooring lines being connected to the same point, and the inner ends being connected tangentially to the outer surfaces on both sides of the floating body, respectively, providing an integrated floating wave power generation system for a sea platform.

[0021] In other preferred embodiments of the present invention, the present invention provides an integrated floating wave power generation system for a marine platform, characterized in that each power generation device is configured to include a generator and a counterweight frame, the generators being arranged radially on the upper deck, and the counterweight frames being structurally connected to one another in the center of the upper deck.

[0022] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the offshore platform's deck is formed in a regular hexagonal shape in plan view, with support columns provided at the bottom of each corner of the deck, and three power generation devices and three power generation ropes are provided, providing an integrated floating wave power generation system for an offshore platform.

[0023] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an integrated floating body type wave power generation system for an offshore platform, characterized in that a plurality of the offshore platforms are combined in a honeycomb shape on a plane, and adjacent offshore platforms 1 share support columns with each other.

[0024] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an integrated floating body type wave power generation system for an offshore platform, characterized in that the floating body is assembled and configured by a plurality of floating body units, and the assembled floating body is formed such that its outer diameter is larger than the pure interval between adjacent support columns.

[0025] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an integrated floating body type wave power generation system for an offshore platform, characterized in that the floating body unit is formed in a fan shape obtained by radially dividing a circular floating body into three parts, and the inner end portion of the mooring cable is connected to the outside of the joint portion of adjacent floating body units.

[0026] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an integrated floating body type wave power generation system for an offshore platform, characterized in that the mooring cable is configured such that a rigid tension member and an elastic tension member are connected in parallel combination.

[0027] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an integrated floating body type wave power generation system for an offshore platform, characterized in that a fresh water production facility and an energy storage system are further included in the upper part of the offshore platform.

Advantages of the Invention

[0028] According to the present invention, the following effects are achieved.

[0029] First, since the power generation device and the floating body connected by the power generation rope are provided in the upper and lower parts of the offshore platform respectively, it is possible to provide an integrated floating body type wave power generation system for an offshore platform that minimizes the length of the power generation rope and greatly reduces the required amount of materials.

[0030] Secondly, since the floating structure is connected to the offshore platform by mooring ropes, there is no need to construct separate mooring piles on the seabed to anchor the floating structure. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the amount of construction work and the difficulty of construction.

[0031] Thirdly, when three or more power generation ropes are arranged radially on the outer surface of the floating body, power can always be generated regardless of the direction in which the floating body, which is undergoing multi-degree-of-freedom motion, moves, resulting in excellent power generation efficiency.

[0032] Fourth, because the offshore platform on which the power generation equipment is installed and the floating structure are integrated, the power generation system can be made smaller, there is no space occupied other than the area of ​​the offshore platform itself, the permitted area of ​​water surface occupied is small, and the risk to navigation is low. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0033] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional wave power generation system using a power generation rope.

[0034] [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a plan view showing the wave power generation system shown in Figure 1.

[0035] [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the integrated floating wave power generation system for the offshore platform of the present invention.

[0036] [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a front view showing the integrated floating wave power generation system of the offshore platform according to the present invention.

[0037] [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows the degrees of freedom of movement of a floating object.

[0038] [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a plan view showing the superstructure of the wave power generation system of the present invention.

[0039] [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a plan view showing the lower structure of the wave power generation system of the present invention.

[0040] [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows a conventional wave power generation system and the mooring method for floating bodies.

[0041] [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows the mooring method for floating bodies according to the present invention.

[0042] [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a plan view showing an embodiment equipped with an expandable offshore platform. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a plan view showing an embodiment equipped with an expandable offshore platform. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a plan view showing an embodiment equipped with an expandable offshore platform.

[0043] [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the connection relationships of the floating units.

[0044] [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a perspective view showing a floating body equipped with fenders.

[0045] [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a perspective view showing the floating unit.

[0046] [Figure 16] Figure 16 shows a conventional method of load transmission for mooring ropes connected toward the center of a floating body.

[0047] [Figure 17] Figure 17 shows the load transmission method of the mooring rope connected tangentially to the floating body in the present invention.

[0048] [Figure 18] Figure 18 shows the operational relationship of the composite mooring rope.

[0049] [Figure 19] Figure 19 is a conceptual diagram of a power generation device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0050] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings and preferred embodiments.

[0051] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the integrated floating wave power generation system for the offshore platform of the present invention, and Figure 4 is a front view showing the integrated floating wave power generation system for the offshore platform of the present invention.

[0052] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the integrated floating wave power generation system for a sea platform according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a sea platform 1 consisting of a plurality of support columns 11 embedded in the seabed and a deck 12 provided on the upper part of the support columns 11 above the sea surface; a plurality of power generation devices 2 provided on the upper part of the sea platform 1; a floating body 3 provided on the sea surface below the sea platform 1 and floating in accordance with the movement of waves; and a plurality of power generation ropes 4 connecting the floating body 3 to each power generation device 2.

[0053] The present invention aims to provide an integrated floating wave power generation system with a floating platform that minimizes the length of the power generation rope 4, eliminates the need for separate mooring piles while providing a floating platform 1 on the sea, minimizes construction costs because there are no piles to receive uplift forces, and can absorb all the kinetic energy of the floating body 3 that performs multi-degree-of-freedom motion, thereby providing excellent power generation efficiency.

[0054] The present invention comprises a marine platform 1, a power generation device 2, a floating body 3, and a power generation rope 4.

[0055] The offshore platform 1 consists of a plurality of support columns 11 embedded in the seabed and a deck 12 provided above the sea surface on top of the support columns 11.

[0056] The support column 11 is provided on the outer side of the deck 12 and supports the deck 12.

[0057] The lower section of the support column 11 is embedded in the seabed to a certain depth, and the upper section protrudes a certain length above the sea surface.

[0058] The deck 12 is placed and fixed on the upper level of the support column 11.

[0059] The deck 12 is separated from the sea surface at a certain height and forms a predetermined space between it and the sea surface.

[0060] Multiple power generation devices 2 are installed on top of the offshore platform 1.

[0061] The power generation device 2 is installed on the upper part of the deck 12 of the offshore platform 1.

[0062] The power generation device 2 comprises a generator 21 (Power take-off system, PTO), a counterweight frame 22 including a CWS (Counterweight system), and a power conversion device 23 (Power conversion system, PCS), among others.

[0063] The floating body 3 is positioned on the sea surface beneath the offshore platform 1 and floats on the water in accordance with wave movements.

[0064] The floating body 3 is preferably formed in a circular shape on a plane.

[0065] The aforementioned power generation rope 4 connects the floating body 3 to each power generation device 2.

[0066] The power generation rope 4 can connect the floating body 3 to the generator 21 of the power generation device 2.

[0067] The power generation rope 4 transmits the kinetic energy of the floating body 3 to the generator 21 of the power generation device 2.

[0068] Multiple power generation devices 2 are provided, and the number of power generation ropes 4 corresponds to the number of power generation devices 2, with each rope connected to the corresponding power generation device 2.

[0069] The floating body 3 is located below the deck 12, and the power generator 2 is located above the deck 12. Therefore, in order for the power generation rope 4 to connect the floating body 3 and the power generator 2 and transmit the kinetic energy of the floating body 3 to the power generator 2 via the power generation rope 4, the power generation rope 4 must be bent appropriately.

[0070] Therefore, the first pulley P1 can be provided inside one point of the support column 11. The power generation rope 4, one end of which is fixed to the floating body 3, can be bent over the first pulley P1 and pulled through the deck 12 to the top of the deck 12.

[0071] A second pulley P2 is provided on the top of the deck 12 to connect the power generation rope 4, which is pulled out to the top of the deck 12, to the generator 21 of the power generation device 2. The power generation rope 4 can be passed over the second pulley P2, bent toward the generator 21, and connected to the generator 21.

[0072] The first pulley P1 is preferably positioned lower than the lower part of the floating body 3, that is, on one side of the support column 11 underwater. The first pulley P1 bends the power generation rope 4, and the vertical component force acting on the power generation rope 4 due to the movement of the floating body 3 acts upward, so that no tensile force acts on the support column 11.

[0073] In this invention, the power generation system can be miniaturized by integrating the offshore platform 1 on which the power generation device 2 is installed with the floating body 3, and there are no restrictions on the installation location.

[0074] Furthermore, because there is no occupied space other than the area of ​​the offshore platform 1 itself, the permitted area of ​​water surface occupied is small, resulting in a low risk to navigation. At the same time, since there is no need to install separate pull-out piles on the seabed to moor the floating body 3, it is possible to reduce the amount of construction work and lower the difficulty of construction.

[0075] Furthermore, the power generation device 2 is installed on the upper part of the floating body 3, significantly reducing the amount of expensive consumable power generation rope 4, and since the power generation rope 4 has no horizontal sag, diving work is not required when replacing the power generation rope 4.

[0076] Figure 5 shows the degrees of freedom of movement of the floating body, Figure 6 is a plan view showing the superstructure of the wave power generation system of the present invention, and Figure 7 is a plan view showing the substructure of the wave power generation system of the present invention.

[0077] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, three or more of the power generation ropes 4 can be arranged radially on a flat surface on the outer circumferential surface of the floating body 3.

[0078] In conventional coastal power generation systems using power generation ropes, the floating body 300 and the power generation device 200 are horizontally separated, and the power generation rope 400 is installed in one direction (Figure 2).

[0079] Therefore, when movement occurs in the floating body 300, each power generation rope 400 is pulled in the same direction. However, since the rope drums of each power generation device 200 rotate only in the same direction, the counterweights cause the rope drums to rotate in the opposite direction, and power generation is not possible when the ropes surround the power generation ropes 4.

[0080] In contrast, in this invention, a power generation device 2 is provided on the upper part of the floating body 3.

[0081] Therefore, by connecting three or more of the power generation ropes 4 radially on a plane to the outer surface of the floating body 3 such that the tensions are in equilibrium with each other, it is possible to absorb energy from all components of the floating body 3's six degrees of freedom, namely surging, swaying, and heaving, which are axial motions of each coordinate axis, and rolling, pitching, and yawing, which are rotational motions with respect to each coordinate axis (Figure 5).

[0082] For example, when the floating body 3 moves to one side, the power generation rope 4 located on that side is wound up by the counterweight and power generation is temporarily suspended, while the power generation rope 4 located on the other side is pulled, causing the rope drum to rotate and generating power.

[0083] By arranging the power generation ropes 4 radially in this manner, power can be generated continuously regardless of the direction in which the floating body 3 moves, resulting in excellent power generation efficiency.

[0084] The horizontal force acting on the offshore platform 1 due to the movement of the floating body 3 is generated not by the sum of the tensions of the power generation ropes 4, but by the difference. As a result, the offshore platform 1 experiences a much smaller horizontal force, which significantly reduces the amount of construction work required for the offshore platform 1.

[0085] As shown in Figures 3 and 6, each power generation device 2 is configured to include a generator 21 and a counterweight frame 22, the generator 21 being arranged radially on the upper part of the deck 12, and the counterweight frame 22 being provided to be structurally connected to each other in the upper center of the deck 12.

[0086] Existing wave power generation systems assign and connect a separate generator to each power generation rope, and each generator is individually equipped with a counterweight frame that houses a counterweight system for winding the rope drum. This results in a problem of requiring a large area of ​​offshore platform space.

[0087] Furthermore, because the power generation ropes are arranged parallel to each other in one direction, the generators and counterweight frames must also be arranged in a single line on the outer side of the deck of the offshore platform, resulting in an imbalance in the load on the lower piles, which made the design and construction complex.

[0088] In contrast, in the present invention, since the power generation ropes 4 are arranged radially on a plane on the outer surface of the floating body 3, the corresponding generators 21 can be arranged radially around the center of the deck 12, and the counterweight frame 22 can be concentrated in the center of the deck 12, thereby enabling structural integration.

[0089] This allows the counterweight frame 22 to be formed as a shared structure, reducing the area occupied by the counterweight frame 22 and thereby minimizing the size of the offshore platform 1.

[0090] Furthermore, since many of the power generation devices 2 are concentrated in the center of the deck 12, the load of the superstructure is evenly distributed to the lower support columns 11, which in turn simplifies the design and construction of the deck 12 and the support columns 11.

[0091] Figure 8 shows a mooring method for a floating body in a conventional wave power generation system, and Figure 9 shows a mooring method for a floating body in the present invention.

[0092] As shown in Figures 7 and 9, the mooring system may further include at least three mooring lines 5 arranged radially on a plane for mooring the floating body 3 on the sea, with one end connected to the outer surface of the floating body 3 and the other end connected to one side of the offshore platform 1.

[0093] In the event of excessively strong waves, a mooring facility is needed that can restrict the horizontal movement of the floating body 3 to prevent damage to the power generation system.

[0094] Conventional coastal power generation systems using power generation ropes involve embedding multiple mooring piles 600 into the seabed and connecting mooring lines 500 to each mooring pile 600 to moor the floating body 300. In other words, they use an inclined mooring method in which the mooring lines 500 are fixed to the seabed. Figures 8(a) and 8(b) show the floating body 300 before and after it moves using the inclined mooring method, respectively.

[0095] In this type of inclined mooring system, each individual mooring pile 600 bears the mooring load. However, due to the movement of the floating body 300, only some of the mooring piles 600 bear the load, resulting in an excessive design load on the mooring piles 600 and an increase in the amount of work involved. Furthermore, because the mooring piles 600 are installed underwater, underwater pile cutting and head finishing work are required, and since they are constructed using extracted piles, the depth of embedment increases, further increasing the amount of work involved. In addition, the inclined mooring system has the problem that the vertical and horizontal components of the mooring rope 500 are linked, making it impossible to avoid the swaying of the floating body 300, and thus increasing the distance the floating body 300 moves.

[0096] In contrast, since the floating body 3 is positioned on the same plane as the offshore platform 1, the present invention can be configured as a horizontal mooring system fixed to the offshore structure by arranging three or more mooring ropes 5 radially around the outer casing of the floating body 3 and fixing it to the offshore platform 1 (Figure 9).

[0097] Figures 9(a) and 9(b) show the floating body 300 before and after movement using a horizontal mooring method, respectively.

[0098] Since the aforementioned offshore platform 1 is equipped with a deck 12 on top of multiple support columns 11, the deck 12 connects the upper sections of the multiple support columns 11 and behaves as a rigid body in the in-plane direction. Therefore, if multiple mooring lines 5 are connected to the offshore platform 1, even if a load is applied to only one side of the mooring lines 5, the load is transmitted via the deck 12 and distributed to all the support columns 11.

[0099] In other words, since the entire support column 11 shares and supports the mooring load, the design load that each support column 11 must bear can be reduced, thereby reducing the amount of construction work.

[0100] Furthermore, since the floating body 3 is supported only by the horizontal component force of the mooring rope 5, the swaying of the floating body 3 can be greatly reduced, and since the floating body 3 is supported radially, the amount of movement of the floating body 3 can be minimized.

[0101] On the other hand, the offshore platform 1 itself can partially break off in the face of extremely high waves, thereby reducing the maximum tension of the mooring ropes 5.

[0102] As shown in Figures 4 and 9, the other end of the mooring rope 5 can be connected to the upper part of the support column 11 or to the lower part of the deck 12 near the support column 11.

[0103] In this invention, since the mooring rope 5 is arranged in a horizontal mooring manner, the mooring load acts on the support column 11 as a horizontal force.

[0104] In this case, the mooring load generates a bending moment or shear force in the support column 11. Therefore, by connecting the other end of the mooring rope 5, which is connected to the offshore platform 1, to the upper part of the support column 11 or the lower part of the deck 12, it is possible to prevent the generation of a bending moment or shear force in the support column 11.

[0105] This makes the load conditions similar for support columns 11 with and without mooring ropes 5, allowing all support columns 11 to be designed with the same cross-section regardless of whether or not the mooring ropes 5 are fixed.

[0106] As shown in Figures 7 and 9, the mooring ropes 5 are provided in three sets, and the outer ends of each pair of mooring ropes 5 are connected to the same point, while the inner ends are connected tangentially to the outer surfaces on both sides of the floating body 3.

[0107] Existing inclined mooring systems have mooring lines connected to the float so that they face the center of the float, making it difficult to prevent the float from surging, swaying, and yawing.

[0108] In this invention, the inner end of the mooring rope 5 can be connected in the tangential direction to the floating body 3, rather than in the direction of the center of the floating body 3.

[0109] Here, the mooring ropes 5 are provided in sets of two, totaling six ropes, and these three sets of mooring ropes 5 may be arranged radially around the floating body 3. The outer ends of each pair of mooring ropes 5 are connected to the same point (for example, the same support column 11), and the inner ends can be connected symmetrically and tangentially to the outer surfaces on both sides of the floating body 3.

[0110] This prevents surging, swaying, and yawing of the floating body 3.

[0111] For example, if yawing occurs in the floating body 3, a tensile force acts on one of the mooring lines 5 in each pair, and the tension of the mooring line 5 can prevent yawing.

[0112] In this way, multiple mooring lines 5 can simultaneously support the movement of the floating body 3, thus reducing the maximum tension of the mooring lines 5.

[0113] Furthermore, the range of motion of the floating body 3 can be reliably controlled, reducing the excess length of the power generation rope 4 wound around the rope drum, thereby reducing the height of the counterweight frame 22 for housing the counterweight.

[0114] As shown in Figures 3 and 7, the deck 12 of the offshore platform 1 is formed in the shape of a regular hexagon on a plane, and support columns 11 are provided at the bottom of each corner of the deck 12. The power generation device 2 and power generation rope 4 may each be provided in sets of three.

[0115] The deck 12 of the offshore platform 1 may be formed in the shape of a polygon such as a triangle or rectangle. Alternatively, the offshore platform 1 may be formed in the shape of a regular hexagon that is close to a circle in order to maximize the operating range of the floating body 3 and obtain sufficient power generation capacity.

[0116] In this case, six support columns 11 are also provided, each located at the bottom of each corner of the deck 12.

[0117] Here, each power generation rope 4 is pulled out to the top of the deck 12 via every other of the six support columns 11.

[0118] When the mooring rope 5 is provided, the mooring rope 5 can be fixed to the support columns 11 between the support columns 11 to which the power generation rope 4 is connected, that is, to the support columns 11 to which the power generation rope 4 is not connected.

[0119] In this way, if the power generation rope 4 and the mooring rope 5 are arranged alternately in a radial pattern, the tension can be balanced to form a stable structure.

[0120] If the mooring ropes 5 are provided in three sets and connected tangentially to the floating body 3, then connecting the power generation rope 4 to the point where the mooring ropes 5 are connected to the floating body 3 will prevent interference between the power generation rope 4 and the mooring ropes 5.

[0121] Figures 10 to 12 are plan views showing embodiments equipped with an expandable offshore platform.

[0122] As shown in Figures 10 to 12, multiple offshore platforms 1 are combined in a honeycomb pattern on a plane, and adjacent offshore platforms 1 can share support columns 11 with each other.

[0123] In this invention, the floating body 3 is provided in the same position on the plane as the offshore platform 1, and since it occupies no space other than the area of ​​the offshore platform 1 itself, it can be freely expanded on the plane.

[0124] In particular, if the unit deck 12 is formed in a regular hexagon shape, it can be easily expanded in a honeycomb pattern. This allows for the design of large-scale power plants according to the power generation demand.

[0125] Here, adjacent offshore platforms 1 can share support columns 11 with each other, minimizing the number of locations where support columns 11 are installed.

[0126] The adjacent offshore platforms 1 may have their individual decks 12 connected to each other, or they may form a single, integrated deck 12.

[0127] On the other hand, while mooring piles are generally designed to take into account the barge's berthing load, there is a problem in that the barge's berthing load is greater than the mooring load, resulting in an excessive number of mooring piles being designed.

[0128] Incidentally, in the present invention, the offshore platform 1 has multiple support columns 11 that behave integrally due to the deck 12, and when the offshore platform 1 is expanded, the number of support columns 11 increases, greatly reducing the burden on individual piles against the barge's berthing load, thus allowing for an economical design.

[0129] Figure 13 is a perspective view showing the connection relationships of the floating units, and Figure 14 is a perspective view showing the floating unit equipped with fenders.

[0130] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the floating body 3 is constructed by assembling a plurality of floating body units 30, and the assembled floating body 3 is formed with an outer diameter larger than the net distance between adjacent support columns 11.

[0131] In order to prevent the floating body 3 from being lost, such as when the mooring rope 5 is cut, it is preferable that the outer diameter of the floating body 3 be made larger than the net distance between adjacent support columns 11. Therefore, even if the mooring rope 5 is cut, the floating body 3 will be supported by the support columns 11, thus preventing it from being lost.

[0132] However, in this case, it is difficult to insert the floating body 3 between the support columns 11 when installing or supplementing the power generation system.

[0133] Therefore, the floating body 3 can be divided and formed into multiple floating body units 30 such that the width is smaller than the net distance between adjacent support columns 11.

[0134] It is preferable that each floating unit 30 be formed with a structure that receives buoyancy individually (for example, a hollow, closed structure) so that it can pass through the seawater surface and enter between the support columns 11.

[0135] A fender 31 is provided on the upper outer casing of the floating body 3 (Figure 14).

[0136] The upper part of the floating body 3 is equipped with the deck 12 of the offshore platform 1.

[0137] The deck 12 acts as a stopper for the floating body 3 during storms, preventing excessive heaving, rolling, and pitching of the floating body 3, and controlling its range of motion in advance so that the floating body 3 does not generate excessive energy that the power generation rope 4 cannot withstand, thereby reducing the maximum tension of the mooring rope 5.

[0138] Here, the upper outer casing of the floating body 3 can be equipped with a fender 31 at the lower part of the deck 12 to mitigate impact in the event of a collision.

[0139] Figure 15 is a perspective view showing a floating unit, Figure 16 is a diagram showing a conventional load transmission method for mooring ropes connected toward the center of the floating body, and Figure 17 is a diagram showing the load transmission method for mooring ropes connected tangentially to the floating body in the present invention.

[0140] As shown in Figures 13, 15, and 17, the floating unit 30 is formed in a fan shape by dividing the circular floating body 3 radially into three sections, and the inner end of the mooring rope 5 can be connected to the outside of the joint of adjacent floating units 30.

[0141] If the floating body 3 is circular, the floating body unit 30 can be formed into a fan shape by dividing the floating body 3 radially into three sections such that the joining surfaces with adjacent floating body units 30 pass through the center of gravity of the floating body 3.

[0142] The floating unit 30 consists of a fan-shaped upper plate 301 and lower plate 302, side walls 303 on both sides, and an outer wall 304 formed in an arc shape (Figure 15).

[0143] Here, the dividing surface of the floating body 3, that is, the joining surface with the adjacent floating body unit 30, serves as a reinforcing material for the floating body 3 by the overlapping of the side walls 303 of the floating body units 30 on both sides.

[0144] As shown in Figures 7 and 9 above, when three pairs of mooring ropes 5 are connected tangentially to the floating body 3, setting the joint of the floating body unit 30 as the mooring point induces the maximum in-plane force on the outer wall 304 of the floating body 3, which is advantageous for load resistance.

[0145] Here, the component of the mooring force in the direction normal to the joint surface is borne by the side wall 303.

[0146] Therefore, by fixing the mooring rope 5 to the outside of the joint of the floating unit 30, deformation or damage to the floating body 3 can be prevented by the mooring force even during storms.

[0147] Figure 17 shows the load transmission method of the mooring ropes 5 connected tangentially to the floating body 3. Figures 17(a) and (b) show the floating body 3 supported by the same support column 11 and a pair of mooring ropes 5 fixed to other support columns 11, respectively.

[0148] In both Figure 17(a) and (b), the side walls 303 of the floating body 3 support the load in the in-plane direction due to the arch effect, and therefore no in-plane deformation occurs in the side walls 303 of the floating body 3.

[0149] Figure 18 shows the operational relationship of the composite mooring rope.

[0150] As shown in Figure 18, the mooring rope 5 has a configuration in which a rigid tension member 51 and an elastic tension member 52 are combined and connected in parallel.

[0151] If the mooring rope 5 is made of an elastic tension material, it can provide an appropriate restoring force when moving the floating body 3 in service conditions, i.e., when the waves are not too large. However, in extreme conditions where the waves are very large, such as during a storm, the distance the floating body 3 moves increases too much, limiting its mooring capability.

[0152] On the other hand, if the mooring rope 5 is made of a rigid tension member, the movement distance of the floating body 3 can be efficiently limited in extreme conditions, but the mooring effect cannot be expected in service conditions. Furthermore, when the floating body 3 is subjected to a large impact upon reaching the extreme conditions, there is a risk that the floating body 3 may be damaged.

[0153] Therefore, in order to reduce the mooring force acting on the floating body 3 and to reduce the impact on the floating body 3 caused by the mooring force, the mooring rope 5 can be constructed by combining a rigid tension member 51 and an elastic tension member 52.

[0154] The elastic tension members 52 and rigid tension members 51 can all be connected at one end to the offshore platform 1. Alternatively, the elastic tension members 52 and rigid tension members 51 can all be connected at one end to the floating body 3.

[0155] Here, the other end of the elastic tension member 52 may be connected to a point in the middle of the rigid tension member 51.

[0156] In this case, the portion of the rigid tension member 51 in the section where both ends of the elastic tension member 52 are connected is initially formed to be longer than the length of the elastic tension member 52, so as not to support a load in the service state (Figure 18(a)).

[0157] Depending on the circumstances, the elastic tension member 52 and the rigid tension member 51 may be configured so that their ends are connected to each other, taking into consideration the length of the mooring rope 5, the maximum movement of the floating body 3, and so on.

[0158] In service conditions, the floating body 3 is supported by the elastic tension member 52, providing a restoring force against the movement of the floating body 3 (Figure 18(a)). In extreme conditions such as during a storm, the elastic tension member 52 stretches to the same length as the corresponding rigid tension member 51, and the floating body 3 is supported by the rigid tension member 51, restricting its movement (Figure 18(b)).

[0159] Here, until the floating body 3 is supported by the rigid tension member 51, the tension of only the elastic tension member 52 increases linearly with increasing mooring force, so the impact acting on the floating body 3 by the mooring rope 5 at the time the rigid tension member 51 is supported can be greatly reduced.

[0160] Figure 19 is a conceptual diagram of a power generation device.

[0161] As shown in Figure 19, the upper part of the offshore platform 1 may further include a desalination plant 25 and an energy storage system 24.

[0162] This invention is intended to be installed offshore to supply electricity to island regions, which often lack sufficient fresh water for domestic and industrial use.

[0163] Therefore, seawater can be desalined using a power generation system installed offshore and supplied to land.

[0164] To this end, a desalination plant 25 can be further installed on top of the offshore platform 1. The desalination plant 25 is operated using electricity produced by the power generation device 2.

[0165] An energy storage system (ESS) may be provided to supply the electricity produced by the power generation device 2 to the power grid, or to store the electricity when the desalination plant 25 is not in operation (Figure 19).

[0166] The power generation device 2 may be further equipped with a controller 26 that adjusts the amount of power transmitted, whether or not the desalination process is operating, and the amount of energy stored in the energy storage system 24 according to the power usage capacity and power generation environment.

Claims

1. A floating platform 1 is composed of multiple support columns 11 embedded in the seabed and a deck 12 provided on top of the support columns 11 above the sea surface. Multiple power generation devices 2 are provided on the upper part of the aforementioned offshore platform 1, A floating body 3 is provided at the lower part of the offshore platform 1 on the sea surface and floats in accordance with the movement of the waves, It consists of a plurality of power generation ropes 4 that connect the floating body 3 and each power generation device 2, The floating body 3 is constructed by assembling a plurality of floating body units 30, but the outer diameter of the assembled floating body 3 is formed to be larger than the net distance between adjacent support columns 11. The floating unit 30 is formed in a fan shape by dividing the circular floating body 3 radially into three sections. The power generation ropes 4 are arranged in a planar, radial pattern of three or more on the outer surface of the floating body 3. An integrated floating wave power generation system for a marine platform, characterized in that the inner end of the mooring rope 5 is connected to the outside of the joint of the adjacent floating unit 30.

2. The mooring ropes 5 are arranged radially on a plane in at least three units for mooring the floating body 3 on the sea, with one end connected to the outer surface of the floating body 3 and the other end connected to one side of the offshore platform 1, as described in Claim 1.

3. The other end of the mooring rope 5 is connected to the upper part of the support column 11 or to the lower part of the deck 12 near the support column 11, as described in claim 2, for an integrated floating wave power generation system on a marine platform.

4. The integrated floating wave power generation system for a marine platform according to claim 3, characterized in that the mooring ropes 5 are provided in three sets, the outer ends of each pair of mooring ropes 5 are connected to each other at the same point, and the inner ends are connected tangentially to the outer circumferential surfaces on both sides of the floating body 3.

5. The integrated floating wave power generation system for a marine platform according to claim 1, characterized in that each power generation device 2 is configured to include a generator 21 and a counterweight frame 22, the generator 21 is arranged radially on the upper part of the deck 12, and the counterweight frame 22 is provided so as to be structurally connected to each other in the upper center of the deck 12.

6. The integrated floating wave power generation system for a marine platform according to claim 1, characterized in that the deck 12 of the marine platform 1 is formed in the shape of a regular hexagon on a flat surface, support columns 11 are provided at the lower part of each corner of the deck 12, and three power generation devices 2 and three power generation ropes 4 are provided.

7. The integrated floating wave power generation system for a marine platform according to claim 6, characterized in that a plurality of marine platforms 1 are combined in a honeycomb shape on a plane, and adjacent marine platforms 1 share support columns 11 with each other.

8. The mooring rope 5 is configured such that a rigid tension member 51 and an elastic tension member 52 are connected in parallel, as described in claim 2, for an integrated floating wave power generation system for a marine platform.

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