Submergible Offshore Platform for Deep Water Wind Turbines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current offshore wind power systems are costly and face challenges in deeper waters due to depth constraints, and existing construction methods like Lift Slab have safety concerns, limiting their effective deployment and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A submergible offshore platform system made of reinforced cementitious materials with buoyant components, utilizing a template/anchor slab, anchored tension legs, and a stub tower, installed using a modified Lift Slab technique, allowing for floating foundations in deeper waters and enabling efficient wind turbine support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If monopile or jacket foundations are used, then wind turbines can be rooted to the seabed, but they are restricted to shallow waters less than 50 meters deep
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of foundation behavior from fixed (monopile/jacket) to floating (submergible platform), enabling operation in deeper waters beyond the 50-meter limitation of traditional fixed foundations
Solution Approach 2:
The submergible platform acts as an intermediary between the seabed and the wind turbine, providing a floating foundation that can be deployed in deeper waters where traditional fixed foundations cannot reach
2Productivity
If traditional Lift Slab method is used, then concrete slabs can be placed efficiently, but safety concerns limit its effective deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The platform is pre-assembled on land with all concrete slabs and components in place before being transported to the offshore location, eliminating the need for dangerous offshore lifting operations while maintaining construction efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
A barge serves as an intermediary platform for assembling and transporting the submergible platform components, providing a safe on-water workspace that eliminates the safety risks associated with traditional offshore Lift Slab operations
3Power
If offshore wind power systems are deployed, then more power can be generated from higher wind speeds, but they are more expensive to build and maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The platform is manufactured and assembled on land in a controlled environment, reducing construction costs and time compared to traditional offshore assembly methods, thereby making offshore wind power more cost-effective
Solution Approach 2:
The submergible platform design enables easier maintenance access and potential self-maintenance capabilities, reducing the high operational and maintenance costs typically associated with offshore wind systems
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 platform system provides a cost-effective and safe solution for offshore wind power generation in deeper waters, overcoming depth constraints and enabling reliable operation with reduced maintenance costs, while leveraging the Lift Slab method's efficiency and safety improvements.
Implementation Method 1
a buoyant material suitable to provide the required buoyancy to allow the platform to float
Data Source
AI summary
An offshore submergible platform system and methods of manufacturing and installing same is disclosed. The system comprises a platform comprising concrete and a buoyant foam suitable to provide the required buoyancy to allow the platform to float, a template slab for placing on the ocean floor and positioning the system components in the proper location, a plurality of anchored tension legs which are preferably grouted into the ocean floor at installation, a stub tower preferably cast on top of the platform, and a plurality of cable braces preferably forming an X between the platform and the bottom of the anchor legs. Preferred embodiments can include additional lateral anchor ties and a work platform to be positioned atop the stub tower.