Offshore Wind Turbine Platform with Ballast Equalizer
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost and time investment in constructing and installing offshore wind turbines due to the need for large, specialized equipment and the requirement to secure a platform to the sea floor before installing the remainder of the wind turbine apparatus.
Innovation Solution
An offshore wind turbine assembly that includes a rotatable platform with an equalizer and conduit system, allowing for assembly and installation at a dock, transportation to the site, and upright positioning using ballast material, eliminating the need for pre-securing the platform to the sea floor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a platform is secured to the sea floor using drive piles or suction piles before installing the wind turbine apparatus, then the stability and reliability of the offshore wind turbine is improved, but the installation time, cost, and device complexity increase significantly due to requiring specialized equipment and multi-step installation processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the platform from the traditional fixed installation process and transforms it into a free-floating, mobile platform that can be positioned and repositioned without being secured to the sea floor. This eliminates the time-consuming pile driving or suction pile installation steps while maintaining operational stability through the platform's design features including ballast systems and dynamic positioning capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The platform transitions from a static, fixed-to-sea-floor structure to a dynamic, mobile platform that can be moved and repositioned. The platform incorporates movable components including ballast systems for adjusting position, removable turbines, and the ability to navigate to different locations, transforming the traditional static offshore wind farm into a dynamic system.
2Reliability
If large offshore marine cranes, large barges, jackup rigs, and other specialized equipment are used for construction and installation, then the reliability and stability of the installation process is improved, but the cost and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the requirement for specialized heavy equipment such as offshore marine cranes, jackup rigs, and large barges from the installation process. The mobile platform can be assembled using conventional dock equipment and then launched into the water, eliminating the need for expensive specialized offshore installation equipment while maintaining installation reliability through simplified procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The platform uses conventional, readily available materials and construction methods rather than requiring expensive specialized equipment. The platform can be built using standard dockyard facilities and conventional construction techniques, significantly reducing equipment costs and complexity compared to traditional offshore platform installation methods.
3Strength
If the platform is made large to support the turbine mast and equipment, then the stability and load-bearing capacity is improved, but the ease of transportation and assembly becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The platform is divided into modular sections that can be assembled in segments at a dock or yard and then connected to form the complete platform structure. This segmentation allows the platform to be constructed using conventional facilities and then launched as a complete unit, maintaining load-bearing capacity while simplifying the manufacturing and assembly process.
Solution Approach 2:
The platform is pre-assembled at a dock or yard facility before being launched into the water. All structural components, ballast systems, and equipment mounting positions are prepared in advance on land, allowing for quality control and easier assembly using conventional equipment, and then the complete platform is launched and positioned at the offshore location.
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 method reduces the need for specialized equipment and time by allowing assembly and installation at a dock, followed by easy transportation and upright positioning at the site, lowering costs and installation time while ensuring stability and buoyancy.
Implementation Method 1
The first internal volume may be configured to provide buoyancy
Implementation Method 2
one or both of the second internal volume and the conduit may be configured to receive a sufficient amount of the ballast material to cause the platform to rotate from the first position to the upright position
Data Source
AI summary
An offshore wind turbine apparatus may include a platform and an equalizer with sealed internal volumes, a turbine mast connected to the platform, a turbine which is connected to the turbine mast, and turbine blades connected to the turbine. The apparatus may be rotatably mounted on a barge via a trunnion. The apparatus may rotate from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially upright position when sufficient ballast material is inserted into the equalizer. The equalizer may rest on a sea floor. The platform may provide a restorative buoyant force that tends to cause the apparatus to return to the upright position when perturbed from the upright position.