Tower-Integrated Floating Body Structure for Stable Offshore Wind Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing offshore wind power generators face challenges in achieving economic feasibility, structural stability, and fluid performance, particularly at low water depths, with existing technologies like the spar and semi-submersible types having installation difficulties and high costs.
Innovation Solution
A tower-integrated offshore wind power floating body design that integrates a tower with a buoyancy part, ballast part, and reinforcement columns, allowing for a three-legged structure with cylindrical shapes and truss braces, which are manufactured integrally on land to minimize maritime installation costs and enhance stability and mobility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a spar type floating body is used, then motion performance is improved and center of gravity is lowered, but installation and mobility become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The floating body is divided into multiple cylindrical sections (first, second, and third cylindrical parts) that can be manufactured separately and assembled together. This segmentation allows for easier transportation and installation while maintaining the structural integrity and motion performance of the spar type design.
Solution Approach 2:
The tower is integrated within the first cylindrical part of the floating body, creating a nested structure where the tower is housed inside the cylindrical section. This integration reduces the overall structure complexity and improves installation ease while maintaining the low center of gravity characteristic of spar type designs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a semi-submersible type floating body is used, then water depth constraint is reduced, but manufacturing cost increases due to high-cost ballast system
Solution Approach 1:
A ballast tank system is incorporated into the third cylindrical part to provide counterweight and stabilize the floating body. This ballast system allows the structure to operate in shallow waters by adjusting buoyancy, achieving adaptability to different water depths while using a simpler and more cost-effective design compared to traditional semi-submersible ballast systems.
3Ease of operation
If tower and floating body are manufactured separately, then installation flexibility is improved, but installation process complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tower and the first cylindrical part of the floating body are integrated into a single unified structure. This merging eliminates the need for separate installation processes for the tower and floating body, reducing installation complexity and maritime work while maintaining installation flexibility. The integrated design allows the entire structure to be manufactured and transported as one unit or pre-assembled components.
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 design enables easier installation, reduces costs, and improves structural stability and mobility, while minimizing wave and surge motions, making it suitable for various water depths and operating environments.
Implementation Method 1
a buoyancy part (9) formed under the reinforcement column (7)
Implementation Method 2
a ballast part (11) formed under the buoyancy part (9)
Data Source
AI summary
A tower-integrated offshore wind power floating body includes a tower formed under a power generation unit, transition pieces (TPs) spaced apart from a lower circumference of the tower at regular intervals, a seating part formed under the tower and the TP to support lower portions of the tower and the TP, a reinforcement column having the same axis as a vertical central axis of the tower and formed under the seating part, a buoyancy part formed under the reinforcement column, a ballast part formed under the buoyancy part such that the ballast part is spaced a length from the buoyancy part, a brace formed between the seating part and the buoyancy part, a brace formed between the buoyancy part and the ballast part, and main columns arranged in a vertical direction in the TP, the seating part, the buoyancy part, and the ballast part, and the main columns.