Buoy Heave Plate Coupling for Wave Energy Converter Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
The transportation and assembly of large-scale marine equipment pose challenges due to the need for substantial vessel capacity and costly on-site assembly, as well as obstacles related to size and geometry when hauling disassembled or assembled equipment.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a buoy with a convex bottom surface and a heave plate with a complementary concave upper surface, allowing for secure coupling and transport, followed by deployment at a site where the heave plate is detached and lowered to a specific depth, facilitating efficient towing and assembly of wave energy converters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If equipment is transported as separate pieces and assembled on location, then vessel capacity requirements are reduced, but assembly costs and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The wave energy converter is divided into separate transportable components (buoy, heave plate, power take-off system, mooring lines) that can be independently transported and later assembled on-site, reducing vessel capacity requirements while maintaining assembly feasibility through standardized interfaces
Solution Approach 2:
Components are designed to be nested or stacked during transport (e.g., heave plate stored against buoy, mooring lines coiled and secured), maximizing space utilization in transport vessels and reducing the overall volume required for transportation
2Ease of manufacture
If equipment is fully assembled before transport, then on-site assembly costs are reduced, but transport obstacles due to size and geometry increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into modular components that can be transported in a compact configuration and assembled on-site, avoiding the transport obstacles associated with fully assembled equipment while maintaining reasonable assembly complexity through pre-engineered connection interfaces
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates movable and adjustable components (e.g., adjustable mooring line lengths, configurable power take-off connections) that allow the equipment to be transported in a compact state and then configured to its operational geometry at the deployment site
3Volume of moving object
If disassembled pieces are hauled to location, then transport obstacles are avoided, but substantial vessel capacity is required
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple components (buoy, heave plate, mounting structures) are merged into integrated assemblies with standardized connection interfaces, allowing them to be transported efficiently as unified modules while maintaining the flexibility to be disassembled and reconfigured if needed during deployment
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for transporting a buoy and a heave plate. The system includes a buoy and a heave plate. An outer surface of the buoy has a first geometrical shape. A surface of the heave plate has a geometrical shape complementary to the first geometrical shape of the buoy. The complementary shapes of the buoy and the heave plate facilitate coupling of the heave plate to the outer surface of the buoy in a transport mode.