Offshore Wind Turbine Integrated Foundation and Tower
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing offshore wind turbine installation and transportation processes are lengthy, difficult, and costly, with a high risk of damage due to the need for separate construction and installation of components, and require large machinery and vessels, especially in shallow water environments.
Innovation Solution
An offshore wind turbine complete set utilizing a steel-concrete structure with a foundation and tower column, featuring a middle tank and side tanks that provide buoyancy and uprighting force to maintain a vertical floating state during transportation and installation, eliminating the need for external forces and large machinery, and incorporating a ballast tank and pressure sensors for stability control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate construction and installation of offshore wind turbine components is performed, then the installation can be completed step by step, but the transportation and installation process becomes lengthy and costly with increased difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the foundation and wind turbine tower into a single integrated structure that can be manufactured as one complete unit on land, then transported and installed in one step offshore, eliminating the need for separate construction and installation phases
2Volume of moving object
If the wind turbine set is stored in a toppled state during transportation, then the transportation space is optimized, but damage may occur to the precise wind turbine set
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the foundation and tower into one structure, the entire assembly can be transported in its final vertical configuration, eliminating the need to store components in a toppled state and preventing damage to precision components
3Adaptability or versatility
If large scale posture transition from vertical to horizontal is performed, then the wind turbine can be transported, but higher structural strength is required and large specific equipment is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated foundation-tower structure is manufactured in a vertical state on land and transported vertically, eliminating the need for large-scale posture transitions and the associated requirements for enhanced structural strength and specialized equipment
4Ease of manufacture
If mono-pile foundation or other traditional foundation structures are used, then the wind turbine can be installed offshore, but the investment cost on foundation construction increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The foundation and wind turbine tower are merged into a single integrated structure, eliminating the need for separate expensive offshore foundation construction and reducing overall investment costs while maintaining offshore installation capability
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 one-step installation and dismounting, reduces the risk of component damage, lowers construction costs, and minimizes environmental impact by allowing for vertical transportation and integration of components, thus simplifying the installation process and reducing the need for heavy machinery and vessels.
Implementation Method 1
the tanks are injected with air or water, and the buoyancy and uprighting force are provided by the plurality of tanks, so as to keep the entire structure in a vertical floating state on water
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The present invention provides an offshore wind turbine complete set, comprising a foundation, a tower column and a wind turbine set. The foundation utilizes a steel-concrete structure and comprises a plurality of tanks which are respectively provided with an opening; a lower end of the tower column is installed on the foundation; and the wind turbine set is installed on an upper end of the tower column. When the offshore wind turbine complete set floats on water, the openings of the plurality of tanks are under the water, and the tank is injected with air or water, and the buoyancy and uprighting force are provided by the plurality of tanks, so as to keep the entire structure in a vertical floating state consistent with the state of installation on the offshore site, but without external force on the water. The use of the offshore wind turbine complete set of the present invention eliminates the need for large hoisting machinery and transportation vessels in the offshore operation, the operation can be easily performed with high ratio of success, and greatly reduces the cost. Moreover, the technical solutions of the present invention have advantages such as low construction noise, small area of sea bed disturbance, and no pollutant leakage during the offshore operation and are environment-friendly.