Telescopic Tower for Offshore Wind Turbine Transport
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The deployment and installation of offshore wind turbines are complex, time-consuming, and costly due to the need for multiple transport vessels and cranes to assemble the nacelle and tower separately at the installation site.
Innovation Solution
An offshore wind turbine design featuring a ballast adjustable hull and a telescopic tower with a central axis, where the tower is composed of nested concentric tubulars and an elevator system allows for the telescopic extension and locking of the tower sections, enabling the wind turbine to be transported in a compact form and assembled efficiently at the site.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the wind turbine is transported in a compact form with the tower retracted, then the transport efficiency and cost are improved, but the installation time and complexity increase due to the need for telescopic extension
Solution Approach 1:
The tower is constructed with nested concentric tubular sections that can be telescoped into each other. During transport, the tower sections are retracted into a compact nested configuration within the hull. During installation, the sections are extended telescopically to form the full tower height, eliminating the need for separate transport of tower components.
Solution Approach 2:
The tower structure transitions from a static fixed-length design to a dynamic telescopic design. The tower can change its effective length by extending or retracting the nested tubular sections, allowing it to be compact during transport and fully extended during operation, thus resolving the contradiction between transport efficiency and installation complexity.
2Reliability
If multiple transport vessels and cranes are used to assemble the nacelle and tower separately, then the installation precision and reliability are improved, but the installation cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The nacelle and tower are merged into a single integrated unit. The nacelle is permanently coupled to the top of the telescopic tower, forming one assembly that is transported together in a compact configuration. During installation, the entire unit is deployed as one piece, eliminating the need for separate crane operations to assemble the nacelle and tower, thus improving installation speed while maintaining reliability through the integrated design.
3Strength
If the tower is constructed as a fixed-length structure, then the structural stability and strength are improved, but the transport efficiency and installation flexibility deteriorate due to the need for disassembly
Solution Approach 1:
The tower is constructed with nested concentric tubular sections that maintain structural integrity through their interlocking design. Each tubular section is designed to bear loads while nested within the other sections, preserving tower strength in the compact configuration. The nested structure allows the tower to be transported in a compact form without requiring disassembly, thus improving transport efficiency while maintaining the strength characteristics of a fixed-length 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
This design simplifies the installation process by allowing the wind turbine to be transported in a compact form and assembled at the site, reducing the need for multiple vessels and cranes, thereby lowering costs and improving efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
ballasting the hull to lower the wind turbine
Implementation Method 2
The elevator is configured to lift one or more of the plurality of tubulars of the tower axially upward relative to the hull
Data Source
AI summary
An offshore wind turbine includes a ballast adjustable hull. In addition, the offshore wind turbine includes a telescopic tower movably coupled to the hull. The tower has a central axis and comprises a plurality of nested concentrically arranged elongate tubulars. Further, the offshore wind turbine includes a ballast adjustable elevator disposed about the telescopic tower and movably coupled to the hull. The elevator is configured to lift one or more of the plurality of tubulars of the tower axially upward relative to the hull. Still further, the offshore wind turbine includes a nacelle coupled to an upper end of one of the plurality of tubulars of the tower. Moreover, the offshore wind turbine includes a rotor assembly coupled to the nacelle.