Flexible Aquatic Substructures for Offshore Wind Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

The offshore wind industry faces high technical risks and high costs due to bulky and expensive designs of utility-scale floating wind systems, with substructure and installation costs accounting for up to 40% of the total cost, necessitating innovative solutions to lower the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE).

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves an aquatic substructure design that includes a column connected to buoyancy containers via beams and cables, utilizing universal joints or spherical rolling joints to distribute weight and reduce loading forces, allowing for a lightweight and flexible support structure with ballast and mooring systems for stability and ease of installation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional oil and gas technology is used for floating wind systems, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovereliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The substructure is divided into separate modular components: a column, multiple buoyancy containers, beams, cables, and ballast. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and assembled together, reducing overall complexity while maintaining reliability through modular design

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The design incorporates dynamic elements including flexible cables connecting buoyancy containers to the column, spherical rolling joints that allow motion, and a ballast system that can be raised or lowered. These dynamic features enable the structure to adapt to wave motion and environmental conditions, improving reliability without requiring bulky rigid components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Stability of the object's composition

If traditional floating wind substructures are designed, then stability is improved, but weight and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovestabilityVSAvoidweight

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSWeight of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The design uses buoyancy containers filled with gas (helium, hydrogen, or air) to provide upward buoyant force that counteracts the weight of the column, beams, and ballast. This anti-weight mechanism achieves stability without requiring heavy materials, as the buoyancy force directly offsets gravitational force

Inventive Principle:

Principle #8Anti-weight (Counterweight)

Solution Approach 2:

The ballast weight can be dynamically adjusted by raising or lowering the ballast, changing the center of gravity position. This parameter change allows the structure to maintain stability across different operating conditions while using minimal material, as the same ballast can provide different stability characteristics at different positions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Strength

If bulky designs are used for floating wind systems, then strength is improved, but manufacturing cost and installation cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovestrengthVSAvoidease of manufacture

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The substructure is segmented into discrete components that can be manufactured separately and assembled at the installation location. The column, buoyancy containers, beams, and cables are independent parts that can be produced using standard manufacturing processes, reducing the complexity and cost of fabrication compared to monolithic bulky designs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The design employs flexible cables and thin-walled buoyancy containers that provide sufficient strength through geometric configuration and material efficiency. The cables connecting buoyancy containers to the column can be flexible yet strong, and the container walls can be thin since they only need to contain gas pressure, not withstand large external loads

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design reduces the structural loads on the substructure, enabling a more stable and cost-effective offshore wind energy solution by minimizing bending loads and allowing for lighter materials, thus lowering the overall cost of electricity generation.

Implementation Method 1

The substructure includes a column, a buoyancy container, a beam, a joint, a cable, and a ballast. The buoyancy container is connected to the beam, which is connected to the column, creating a floating support structure for offshore wind turbines

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBuoyancy: Archimedes' Principle (Buoyancy)

Implementation Method 2

The substructure includes a column, a buoyancy container, a beam, a joint, a cable, and a ballast. The ballast is connected to the column or buoyancy container, providing weight and stability to the floating structure

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravity: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentUS11472519B2Flexible aquatic substructures

Publication Date: 2022.10.18 ALLIANCE FOR ENERGY INNOVATION LLC

AI summary

Disclosed herein are aquatic substructures capable of supporting a weight such as a wind tower and turbine. The aquatic substructures may include a central column and at least one buoyancy container connected by means of a system of cables and beams as described herein.