Floating Wind Turbine Horizontal Mating Without Offshore Cranes
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of offshore wind turbines in deep water using floating substructures is complex, time-consuming, and costly due to the challenges of lifting and integrating large and heavy components, and the motion of floating structures, making it risky and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for horizontally mating a wind turbine assembly with a floating spar type substructure inshore, using a barge with ballasting and motion compensation, allowing the assembly to be towed and installed offshore without cranes, by aligning and attaching the platform with a transition piece and providing a lifting support point for rotation and upending.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional vertical lifting and integration methods are used for offshore wind turbine installation, then the wind turbine can be installed on floating substructure, but the installation process becomes complex, time-consuming, and costly due to the need for heavy cranes and high-risk operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional vertical lifting approach by using horizontal towing method. Instead of lifting the wind turbine assembly vertically onto the floating substructure using heavy cranes, the assembly is horizontally towed across the water surface to the installation location. This inversion eliminates the need for complex lifting operations and reduces installation risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a barge as an intermediary vehicle to facilitate the horizontal towing process. The barge carries the wind turbine assembly and transports it to the floating substructure, serving as a mediator that simplifies the installation process by replacing the need for direct crane lifting operations.
2Productivity
If heavy cranes and high-capacity vessels are used for lifting and integrating wind turbine components, then the wind turbine can be installed, but the installation cost and time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the lifting function from the installation process by removing the need for heavy cranes and vertical lifting operations. The wind turbine assembly is transported horizontally on a barge, eliminating the time-consuming crane operations and reducing overall installation time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic positioning and motion compensation systems that actively adjust for water movements and current conditions. This allows the barge to maintain stable positioning during horizontal towing and integration operations, improving productivity without requiring excessive time for stabilization.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the wind turbine assembly is pre-assembled on land and then lifted vertically onto the floating substructure, then the installation can be performed, but the process requires sheltered near-shore integration sites and is limited by bridges or overhead constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from vertical lifting operations to horizontal towing operations, changing the dimension of movement from vertical to horizontal. This allows the wind turbine assembly to be transported across open water without being constrained by bridges or overhead structures, significantly improving location flexibility and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The barge serves as an intermediary platform that enables horizontal transport of the wind turbine assembly through open water. This intermediary vehicle eliminates the need for direct vertical lifting operations and allows installation at locations without sheltered near-shore integration sites, improving both adaptability and operational simplicity.
4Reliability
If floating substructure and wind turbine are installed offshore using traditional methods, then deep water installation is possible, but the motion of floating structures makes the lifting and integration complex and risky
Solution Approach 1:
The barge acts as a stable intermediary platform that provides a fixed reference frame for integrating the wind turbine assembly with the floating substructure. This intermediary approach isolates the integration operation from the motions of the floating substructure, improving stability and reducing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical lifting and integration systems with a simpler horizontal towing and docking system. By using water as the transport medium instead of mechanical lifting, the system naturally compensates for floating structure motions, improving stability and reducing integration complexity.
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
Enables efficient and safe installation of floating offshore wind turbines by reducing complexity, cost, and risk, while allowing for horizontal integration and towing, independent of offshore cranes and derricks.
Implementation Method 1
providing a lifting support point for the tower on the barge, wherein the lifting support point allows the spar to be ballasted and rotated for towing or upending
Implementation Method 2
The lifting support point may be motion compensated to uncouple motions of the barge from the tower and spar
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system for horizontally mating an offshore wind turbine generator assembly, typically including a tower and wind turbine nacelle and blades, with a substructure platform to form an integrated substructure unit, wet towing the unit to installation site offshore, and then installing the unit independent of cranes and derricks.