Lift Platform Span and Loading for Floating Wind Foundations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies are inadequate for efficiently launching and recovering fully assembled floating wind foundations due to limitations in lift span and loading capacity, hindering the timely transition to offshore wind generation.
Innovation Solution
A lift system with a lift platform of at least sixty meters in width and length, supported by a plurality of girders and coupled with lifts to raise and lower the platform, enabling the deployment and retrieval of large and heavy marine structures like floating wind foundations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If existing shiplifts with plate girders are used, then they can handle moderate loading conditions at spans up to 40 meters, but they are incapable of launching and recovering fully assembled floating wind foundations due to insufficient span and loading capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The lift system is divided into multiple independent hydraulic lifts (first plurality and second plurality) positioned along longitudinal sides of the platform. Each lift operates independently to raise and lower the platform, enabling the system to achieve the required 60-meter span while maintaining adequate lifting capacity through distributed force application.
Solution Approach 2:
The lift platform employs a composite structural design combining a steel truss platform with concrete caissons for buoyancy. This composite construction enables the platform to span 60 meters or more while supporting the heavy loads required for floating wind foundation handling, overcoming the limitations of traditional plate girder designs.
2Force
If traditional lift systems are used, then they have limited loading capacity, but they cannot support the weight and dimensions of fully assembled floating wind foundations
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs hydraulic lifts positioned along both longitudinal sides of the platform to provide the necessary lifting force. These hydraulic mechanisms deliver the high forces required to raise and lower fully assembled floating wind foundations, enabling the system to handle loads that exceed traditional lift capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The concrete caissons integrated into the platform structure provide buoyant counterweight to offset the heavy weight of the steel truss platform and the floating wind foundations being handled. This counterbalancing effect reduces the net lifting force required from the hydraulic lifts while maintaining structural integrity.
3Area of stationary object
If a larger lift platform is constructed to handle floating wind foundations, then it can accommodate these structures, but the complexity of the support structure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The platform structure is segmented into modular steel truss sections that can be assembled to achieve the required 60-meter span. This segmentation allows the large platform area to be constructed from standardized components, reducing overall complexity while maintaining the necessary size for handling floating wind foundations.
Solution Approach 2:
The lift platform is designed as a movable structure that can be raised and lowered by the hydraulic lifts. This dynamic capability allows the platform to transition between operational positions (raised for loading, lowered for deployment), eliminating the need for complex fixed support structures while maintaining large platform area.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for assembling, launching, retrieving, and maintaining floating wind foundations including tower, nacelle, and blades with two-way operability are disclosed. The systems include a dock having a lift platform and a first plurality of chain jacks configured to lift and lower the lift platform. The lift platform has a width and length with a span sufficient to receive, lower, and lift a floating wind foundation. The lift platform includes an upper deck and a plurality of box truss girders supporting the upper deck. The box truss girders extend across the span of the width of the lift platform and are of sufficient strength to support a floating wind foundation.