Floating Mounting Structure for Offshore Wind Turbine Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The assembly of floating offshore wind farms is constrained by the availability and capacity of quayside cranes, leading to increased costs and time due to the high height and weight requirements of wind turbine components, necessitating dedicated cranes or quay modifications.
Innovation Solution
A method where one floating structure is equipped with a lifting device to lift and mount components onto other floating structures, reducing dependence on quayside cranes and allowing assembly in a body of water, such as a sheltered bay, closer to the production site.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If quayside cranes are used to lift and mount wind turbine components onto floating structures, then the assembly can be performed with conventional equipment, but the assembly time increases and costs increase due to the need for dedicated cranes or quay modifications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a floating structure equipped with a lifting device as an intermediary platform. This floating structure acts as a mobile assembly platform that can be positioned near the target floating structure, eliminating the need for fixed quayside cranes. The lifting device on the floating structure transfers components to the target floating structure, thereby reducing assembly time and avoiding costly quay modifications while maintaining ease of assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a dynamic assembly approach where the floating structure with the lifting device can move to different positions in the water. This mobility allows the assembly platform to be repositioned as needed, enabling parallel assembly operations and reducing waiting time compared to fixed quayside cranes, thus improving assembly speed without sacrificing ease of manufacture.
2Strength
If quayside cranes with sufficient capacity are used to handle heavy and tall wind turbine components, then all components can be lifted, but the quay requires reinforcement or lengthening which increases costs
Solution Approach 1:
The floating structure with the lifting device serves as a mobile intermediary that brings the lifting capacity directly to the assembly location. This eliminates the need to reinforce or extend the quay infrastructure, as the lifting capability is provided by the floating platform itself rather than by fixed quayside equipment, thereby reducing modification costs while maintaining sufficient lifting capacity for heavy and tall components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a floating structure that can be deployed and relocated as needed, rather than investing in permanent quay infrastructure. This approach uses a relatively simple, movable platform with a lifting device that can be set up temporarily for assembly operations and then removed, avoiding the high costs of permanent quay reinforcement or extension.
3Power
If a dedicated quay is constructed or an existing quay is adapted to support heavy lifting cranes, then the required lifting capacity is achieved, but the assembly schedule is delayed due to construction time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the static, time-consuming process of constructing or adapting a quay with a dynamic, mobile floating structure. The floating platform with lifting capacity can be deployed quickly and repositioned as needed, eliminating the lengthy construction schedule associated with permanent quay infrastructure while maintaining the required lifting power for heavy components.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating structure with the lifting device is prepared and positioned in advance near the assembly location, allowing assembly operations to begin immediately without waiting for quay construction or adaptation. This preliminary deployment of the mobile lifting platform accelerates the overall schedule by eliminating the construction phase entirely.
4Strength
If quayside cranes are positioned close to the quay to lift heavy components, then lifting capacity is sufficient, but the proximity to the quay creates logistical constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The floating structure with the lifting device provides dynamic positioning capability, allowing the lifting operation to be performed at various locations in the water rather than being constrained to positions near the quay. This mobility enhances logistical flexibility while maintaining sufficient lifting capacity, as the platform can be moved to the optimal position for each assembly operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional quayside operations constrained by land-based infrastructure to three-dimensional water-based operations. The floating structure can move freely in the water, accessing positions that are not limited by quay geometry, thereby improving logistical flexibility while maintaining the necessary lifting capacity through vertical lifting operations from the floating platform.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for assembling a floating offshore wind farm, including: arranging at least N floating structures on a body of water; providing mast sections for assembling at least N masts; providing turbines and blades for at least N wind turbines; selecting at least one floating structure referred to as the mounting floating structure, the other floating structures being receiving floating structures; fastening a lifting device to the mounting floating structure; moving the mounting floating structure up to a receiving floating structure, and using the lifting device to lift and mount at least one constituent element of a wind turbine on the receiving floating structure; repeating the preceding step for the other receiving floating structures.