Offshore Intervention Vessel Damping for Wind Turbine Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solutions for maintaining and operating large offshore wind turbines in deep waters are economically and technically challenging due to the difficulty in stabilizing relative movements between floating units, requiring complex and expensive motion-damping systems, and often necessitate towing turbines ashore for maintenance, which is not feasible for all locations.
Innovation Solution
An offshore floating intervention vessel with a catamaran stern and retractable buoyant damping pads, a ballast system for stable docking, and an adjustable wind turbine equipment lifting tower, allowing for simplified and stable maintenance of wind turbines without disconnecting anchor lines, and enabling operations in waters deeper than 60 meters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If floating platforms are used to support wind turbines in deep waters, then the potential for renewable energy production is increased, but the relative movements between floating units become significant, making maintenance operations challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a specialized intervention vessel as an intermediary platform between the floating wind turbine and the seabed. This vessel features a catamaran stern that can be positioned between the floating unit and the anchor lines, providing a stable working platform that mediates the relative movements. The stern includes a receiving surface that can engage with the floating unit, creating a controlled interface that reduces the impact of motion between floating components during maintenance operations
2Stability of the object's composition
If complex motion-damping systems with sensor technology are implemented, then relative movements can be dampened and synchronized, but the system becomes expensive and challenging to operate and maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the motion-damping function from complex mechanical systems with sensors and implements it through passive buoyant elements. The retractable buoyant damping pads provide motion dampening through their inherent buoyancy and physical properties, eliminating the need for active sensor technology and complex control systems. This simplifies the device while maintaining the stability function
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs simple buoyant damping pads that can be replaced if needed, rather than investing in expensive, complex motion-damping systems. These pads provide effective dampening through their basic buoyant properties and can be easily maintained or replaced, reducing operational complexity and cost
3Stability of the object's composition
If the upper receiving surface is positioned at a lower height, then the stern can effectively receive and stabilize the floating platform, but the volume above the surface must be sufficiently large to accommodate the platform
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the catamaran configuration of the stern, which creates a wide, flat receiving surface at a low height above the water line. This dimensional approach - spreading the support surface across a wide area rather than building upward - provides both the necessary docking stability and the required free volume above the surface to accommodate the floating platform's structure
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
The solution provides a cost-effective and safe method for maintenance and installation of offshore wind turbines by minimizing relative movements and allowing for stable docking, increasing operational windows and reducing the levelized cost of energy.
Implementation Method 1
the offshore floating intervention vessel having at least a ballast receiving volume, the offshore floating intervention vessel having a ballast controller configured to control a quantity of ballast received in the ballast receiving volume to lift the upper receiving surface of the stern
Implementation Method 2
The stern comprises at least a receiving damping pad configured to partially protrude above the upper receiving surface to contact a lower surface of the offshore wind turbine platform
Data Source
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AI summary
The vessel comprises: - a main hull (44) having an upper deck (62) defining un upper deck surface (64) at a first height (h1); - a stern (48) protruding from the main hull (44), defining an upper receiving surface (72) extending in a plane at a second height (h2) lower than the first height (h1); - a wind turbine equipment lifting tower (100), configured to lift at least an equipment of the wind turbine. The volume (84) above the upper receiving surface (72) is free to receive an offshore wind turbine platform on the upper receiving surface (72), at the free end and over at least 50% of the length (SL) of the stern (48) taken along the longitudinal axis (A-A') from the free end. The second height (h2) is at most equal to 40% of the first height (h1).