Collared Jacket Support for Deepwater Wind Turbine Monopiles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing offshore wind turbine installations face challenges in deeper waters due to the increased dimensions and weights of monopiles, leading to fabrication, handling, and installation difficulties, making them less competitive with jacket structures, and increasing costs and time for full windfarm construction.
Innovation Solution
A wind turbine installation comprising a monopile and a truss jacket structure, where the monopile is vertically supported by a jacket structure with multiple outer supports anchored to the seabed, and a collar system to facilitate assembly, allowing for reduced manufacturing and erection time without increasing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If monopiles are used in deeper waters, then water depth capability is improved, but fabrication, handling, and installation difficulty increase due to increased dimensions and weights
Solution Approach 1:
The monopile support structure is divided into a jacket structure with multiple separate legs that can be manufactured and transported independently, then assembled offshore. This segmentation allows each component to remain within manageable size and weight limits while achieving the required water depth capability through the combined height of multiple segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The monopile is nested within a collar structure that is part of the jacket assembly. The monopile fits inside the collar, allowing for controlled installation and connection. This nesting approach simplifies the connection process and reduces the complexity of handling the monopile in deep water conditions.
2Length of stationary object
If monopiles are used in deeper waters, then water depth capability is improved, but transport difficulty increases due to increased dimensions and weights
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is segmented into multiple transportable components including the jacket legs, cross-bracing elements, and collar sections. Each segment can be manufactured to standard transport dimensions and assembled offshore, avoiding the need to transport a single oversized monopile structure that would be required to achieve the same water depth capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a single vertical monopile dimension to a multi-dimensional jacket structure with legs arranged in a geometric pattern. This allows the support structure to achieve greater height and water depth capability through spatial arrangement rather than increasing the length of a single transportable component.
3Length of stationary object
If classical jacket structures are used, then water depth capability is improved, but manufacturing time and cost increase due to tailor-made construction
Solution Approach 1:
The jacket structure is designed as a modular platform that can support different monopile configurations and wind turbine types. The standardized collar and bracing系统设计 allow for rapid assembly using common components, reducing manufacturing time while maintaining the ability to accommodate various water depths and turbine specifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The jacket structure components are pre-assembled and pre-positioned to facilitate rapid monopile installation. The collar structures are prepared in advance with alignment features and connection mechanisms that enable quick monopile insertion and securing, significantly reducing the overall installation time compared to traditional sequential assembly methods.
Data Source
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AI summary
Installation (10) for producing offshore electricity comprising: - a wind turbine (12), - a monopile (14) extending along a vertical direction (V) for supporting the wind turbine, - a jacket structure (16) submerged in a body of water (18). The jacket structure comprises: - N outer supports (24) around the vertical direction, lying on or anchored in a seabed (26), with N ≥ 3, - a support (28) located above the seabed, for vertically receiving and supporting a lower extremity (30) of the monopile, the support comprising a lower collar (32) surrounding the lower extremity, - an upper collar (34) vertically aligned with the support and adapted for surrounding the monopile. The monopile is adapted for being moved in the upper collar until the lower extremity is received in the support. The jacket structure is adapted for resisting bending moments (M) applied by the monopile via the support and the upper collar.