Y02E10/727

OFFSHORE WIND TURBINES AND METHODS OF INSTALLING SAME
20230228248 · 2023-07-20 ·

A method of installing a wind turbine (10) at an offshore location. The wind turbine (10) includes a tower (18) and an energy generating unit (16). The tower (18) is configured to be secured to a transition piece (12, 42). Prior to shipping, the method includes electrically coupling electrical devices and/or systems (52) by cables (54) to energy generating unit (16) or wind turbine tower (18) or a test dummy therefor. The electrical devices and/or systems (52) are configured to be attached to transition piece (12, 42) once the tower (18) is installed. The method includes testing and commissioning the electrical devices and/or systems (52) while electrically coupled to the cables (54). Prior to shipping and after testing and commissioning, the method includes storing the electrical devices and/or systems (52) and attached cables (54) inside the tower (18). The cables (54) are long enough to permit the electrical devices and/or systems (52) to be attached to the transition piece (12, 42) without disconnecting the electrical devices and/or systems (52) from the cables (54).

Floating Reinforced Concrete Platform Applicable To The Marine Wind Power Sector Industry

The present invention relates to a solution for a floating wind platform made of reinforced concrete for mass production, characterized by a geometric design providing a hydrostatic natural prestressing to the concrete, causing it to work under compression. The structural response of the platform for working in the most effective mode is improved, and the occurrence of fractures or cracks in the concrete is prevented, which reduces permeability and allows for reducing the rebar to be contained in the structure, also increasing operational safety. Furthermore, the invention has a system for anchoring the mooring lines to the structure in the form of a truss made of reinforced concrete which evenly distributes mooring stresses, minimizing prestressing in the high area of the platform, and increasing the area for distributing shear forces due to the change in section between the platform and the tower of the wind turbine. The geometric design furthermore confers the versatility of being able to adopt low draft SPAR, semi-submersible, barge, or buoy solutions, with the wind turbine being installed such that it is centered or off-center on the structure, thereby being adapted to different draft requirements or environmental and logistics conditions.

Method of securing and transferring a load between a vessel and an offshore installation and an apparatus therefor
11560277 · 2023-01-24 · ·

The offshore jack-up has a hull and a plurality of moveable legs engageable with the seafloor. The offshore jack-up is arranged to move the legs with respect to the hull to position the hull out of the water. The method comprises moving at least a portion of a vessel underneath the hull of the offshore jack-up or within a cut-out of the hull when the hull is positioned out of the water and the legs engage the seafloor. A stabilizing mechanism mounted on the jack-up is engaged against the vessel. The stabilizing mechanism is pushed down on the vessel to increase the buoyant force acting on the vessel.

Stabilized horizontal-axis wind turbine
11560876 · 2023-01-24 ·

The nacelle of a horizontal axis wind turbine is fixedly mounted on a tower, and the tower is mounted off-center with respect to a ring around which it is rotatable. The tower is a tripod. Two legs of the tripod are of fixed length and lie in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the turbine blades. The third leg of the tripod is of adjustable length and is aligned with the axis of rotation of the turbine blades. The third leg thus may be controlled to adjust for pitching of the base and other purposes. Multiple turbines, spaced apart laterally, may be mounted on a platform in a fixed orientation, with the platform rotatably mounted off-center relative to a base.

Dry-mate wet-design branch joint and method for realizing a subsea distribution of electric power for wet cables
20230016785 · 2023-01-19 ·

Termination assembly for three-phase high voltage submarine cable(s) (1a-c), has an open enclosure (10) with at least two cable lead-in (3a-c) located at one end (16) of the enclosure, at least six termination units (21-29) within the enclosure for receiving three phase conductors per cable, respectively.

OFFSHORE WIND TURBINE WITH A FLUID SUPPLY ASSEMBLY
20230020149 · 2023-01-19 ·

An offshore wind turbine erected in a body of water including a generator, a base, a nacelle, a tower having a first end mounted to the base and a second end supporting the nacelle, an electrolytic unit electrically powered by the generator to produce hydrogen from an input fluid, in particular water, and a fluid supply assembly for supplying the input fluid from a fluid inlet arranged below a water level to the electrolytic unit arranged above the water level, wherein the fluid supply assembly includes a pump and a fluid connection between the fluid inlet and the electrolytic unit.

FLOATABLE OFFSHORE WIND TURBINE
20230219661 · 2023-07-13 · ·

The application relates to a floatable offshore wind turbine with at least one floatable foundation. The floatable foundation includes at least one floating body. The floatable offshore wind turbine includes at least one anchoring arrangement configured to fix the offshore wind turbine to an underwater ground while the offshore wind turbine is in its anchoring state. Further, the floatable offshore wind turbine includes at least one height adjustment device configured to change the vertical distance of the floatable foundation to an underwater ground surface of the underwater ground and/or to a water surface during the anchoring state based on at least one specific meteorological environmental parameter of the offshore wind turbine.

SYSTEM FOR AVOIDING DAMAGE TO POWER CABLES TO AND FROM AND WITHIN A FLOATING OFFSHORE WIND POWER PLANT
20230219662 · 2023-07-13 ·

A system for preventing damage to a power cable for electric power transmission to and from and within a floating offshore wind power plant using non-redundant mooring, after failure of a main loadbearing mooring element is described, comprising at least one power cable safety line having the following properties: It is connected to the same two wind turbines as the power cable it is designed to protect. It has an effective length shorter than the power cable it is designed to protect. It has an effective length longer than what is needed to remain largely unstressed when the distance between the floating wind turbines with intact mooring systems is at its maximum. It has a breaking strength being a predetermined fraction of the strength, which the main loadbearing mooring elements are designed for.

Method for performing maintenance on a wind turbine part
11549494 · 2023-01-10 · ·

A method for performing maintenance on an outer surface of at least one wind turbine part, such as a tower (2), a nacelle (3) or a wind turbine blade (5), of an offshore wind turbine (1) is disclosed. An access system (10) is transported to a site of the offshore wind turbine (1), and the access system (10) is transferred to a transition platform (6) at a lower part of the offshore wind turbine (1), while operating the offshore wind turbine (1) in accordance with a normal operating mode. Normal operation of the offshore wind turbine (1) is then stopped, and maintenance is performed on an outer surface of at least one wind turbine part (2, 3, 5) of the offshore wind turbine (1), using the access system (10). When the maintenance has been completed, normal operation of the offshore wind turbine (1) is restarted in accordance with a normal operating mode. Normal operation of the offshore wind turbine (1) is only stopped while the actual maintenance takes place. Thereby the loss in power production is minimised.

Lifting tool

A lifting tool for lifting an element of an offshore structure, such as a transition piece of an offshore wind turbine comprises a frame and a plurality of engagement members for engaging an element to be lifted. The engagement members are mounted to the frame at an angular distance from each other about a centerline of the frame. The lifting tool also comprises a hoisting member to be connected to a hoisting cable of a crane, and located within a virtual cylinder on which the engagement members lie. The hoisting member and the frame are interconnected rigidly through at least three linear actuators which are arranged such that the hoisting member is movable with respect to the frame in a plurality of radial directions with respect to the centerline, independently from the engagement members.