Floating Wind Turbine Spar Assembly With Support Buoy Upending
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of assembling and transporting large spar-type floating wind turbines is complicated by their weight, bulk, and deep draft, making them impractical for shallow water and exposed seas, requiring complex and costly vessels for horizontal towing and upending.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a spar buoy partially immersed at the lower end and a discrete support buoy offset longitudinally, with a brace supporting the upper structure, allowing the assembly to be inclined at an acute angle for transportation, and upended using buoyant upthrust and controlled rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a spar buoy is used for floating wind turbine support, then stability against pitch, roll and heave motions is improved, but the deep draft makes it unsuitable for shallow water and complicates assembly operations
Solution Approach 1:
The buoyant support system is divided into two separate components: a spar buoy for deep water stability and a discrete support buoy for shallow water assembly operations. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, with the spar buoy providing stability in deep water and the discrete support buoy enabling assembly in shallow water.
Solution Approach 2:
A discrete support buoy is introduced as an intermediary element during assembly operations in shallow water. This intermediary buoyant support enables the spar buoy to be assembled and positioned correctly before being deployed in deep water, bridging the gap between shallow water assembly requirements and deep water stability requirements.
2Ease of operation
If the spar buoy is towed horizontally through water, then transportation is simplified, but the assembly lacks stability and the upper structure is exposed to water damage
Solution Approach 1:
The support buoy is designed to dynamically adjust its position and orientation during towing operations. It can rotate and reposition itself to maintain the upper structure above the water surface while still enabling horizontal transportation, providing both stability and protection during the towing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The discrete support buoy acts as an intermediary protective element during horizontal towing. It positions itself to support the upper structure above the water surface, preventing water damage while still allowing the assembly to be towed horizontally through the water.
3Adaptability or versatility
If complex vessels are used for towing and upending the spar buoy, then transportation capability is improved, but cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The discrete support buoy is designed to be self-sufficient during towing and upending operations. It provides its own buoyant support and can be maneuvered using simpler means compared to traditional complex vessels, reducing the need for expensive specialized equipment while maintaining towing and upending capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The discrete support buoy is a simpler, less expensive alternative to complex specialized vessels. It performs the necessary towing and upending functions without requiring expensive infrastructure, using a more economical buoyant support system that achieves the same adaptability with reduced complexity and cost.
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 assembly and transportation of spar-type floating wind turbines using compact, inexpensive, and simple support buoys, reducing the need for complex buoyancy control systems and protecting the upper structure from damage.
Implementation Method 1
applying buoyant upthrust to the assembly by partial immersion of a spar buoy at a lower end of the assembly and at least partial immersion of at least one discrete support buoy that is attached to the spar buoy
Implementation Method 2
bracing an upper structure of the assembly with a brace that acts between the spar buoy and the upper structure
Implementation Method 3
upended using buoyant upthrust and controlled rotation
Data Source
AI summary
A spar-type floating offshore wind turbine assembly is assembled and then supported in a transport configuration with its longitudinal axis substantially horizontal or inclined at a shallow acute angle to the horizontal. The assembly is upended during installation to bring the longitudinal axis to a substantially vertical orientation. In a transport configuration, buoyant upthrust is applied to the assembly by immersion of a spar buoy at a lower end of the assembly and of at least one discrete support buoy that is attached to the spar buoy at a position offset longitudinally from the lower end. A brace acts between the spar buoy and an upper structure of the assembly, that structure comprising a mast that is cantilevered from an upper end of the spar buoy. The brace may be attached to the or each support buoy.