A semi-submersible crane vessel for use in assembling a wind turbine and for installation by means of a crane of the vessel of the assembled wind turbine on a foundation. At an assembly station, the hull of the vessel is provided with a mast-receiving well that is sunk into, or through, the hull, preferably a well that extends into, or through a support column of the hull, which well is configured to receive therein at least a portion of the mast of the wind turbine during an assembly step of the wind turbine. For example, the mast-receiving well has a depth of at least 15 meters, e.g. at least 30 meters, measured from the deck of the deckbox structure.

Disclosed is an offshore wind turbine, comprising: a base configured to be submerged when the turbine is in an upright generating position in open water; and, a tower attached to the base and having a longitudinal axis, wherein the tower and base are movable between a horizontal towing position in which the turbine is towable through a body of water, and an upright generating position in which the turbine is vertically orientated for use in the body of water. Also disclosed herein is a method of deploying a wind turbine comprising the steps of assembling the wind turbine in a horizontal or near horizontal orientation prior to deploying to an installation location, towing the assembled wind turbine in a horizontal or near horizontal position to the installation location and up righting the assembled wind turbine in the installation location.

A wind turbine tower including a plurality of annular segments axially aligned with each other, at least one of the annular segments having a plurality of assembled sectors made of precast concrete, adjacent sectors of this segment being assembled by clamping devices and the segment comprising at the interface of adjacent sectors shear keys cast with the sectors.

Support assembly for transporting a tubular wind turbine component, the support assembly defining a contour and a longitudinal axis, corresponding to that of a tubular wind turbine component in a tubular wind turbine component position, and wherein the support assembly comprises:a saddle adjoining a lower part of the contour, wherein the longitudinal axis is oriented transversally to the saddle, a first fixing point and a second fixing point for attaching a first flexible restraint, the first flexible, wherein the first fixing point, the second fixing point and the contour define a first restraint path along which in use the first flexible restraint extends over the tubular wind turbine component and contacts its outer surface, characterized in that when viewed in a direction of the longitudinal axis the first fixing point is located: #left of the longitudinal axis, #below an upper horizontal tangent of the contour, and #not vertically underneath the contour, wherein in use the first restraint path extends from the first fixing point to a first contact point on the turbine component, over the tubular wind turbine component and along the surface of the tubular wind turbine component and beyond an outer right vertical tangent of the tubular wind turbine component to a second contact point on the outer surface where the flexible restraint extends away from the outer surface to the second fixing point, wherein at least a part of the first restraint path is oriented along a tangent to the contour passing through the second contact point.

A damping device configured to be mountable on an upper opening of a tower and configured to provide vibration damping during vertical storage and/or vertical transport of the tower is provided. The damping device includes a liquid damper comprising a single liquid tank, a mounting interface configured to mount the liquid damper on the upper opening of the tower. The mounting interface includes one or more load transfer elements configured to transfer vibrations between the tower and the liquid damper. The liquid damper is configured to provide the vibration damping at predetermined frequencies tunable by one or more damping parameters of the liquid damper. The one or more damping parameters are configured such that the liquid damper damps vibrations at least at a first frequency and at a second frequency, the second frequency being different from the first frequency.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing and assembling a plurality of towers (1) on a wind farm (2), wherein said towers (1) comprise a plurality of precast concrete segments (3) superimposed in height, wherein the method comprises: a) establishing a centralised manufacturing point (6) on the wind farm (2); and b) establishing a plurality of land routes (8) to the definitive location (5) of the towers (1). Advantageously, the method further comprises: c) prefabricating at least one segment (3) of a tower (1); d) positioning the prefabricated segment (2) in a vertical position on a land transport system (9); e) transporting the segment (3) in a vertical position to the definitive location (5) of one of the towers (1), following one of the land routes (8); and f) assembling the segment (3), forming at least one portion of a shaft (4) of a tower (1).

A semi-submersible crane vessel for use in assembling a wind turbine and for installation by means of a crane of the vessel of the assembled wind turbine on a foundation. At an assembly station, the hull of the vessel is provided with a mast-receiving well that is sunk into, or through, the hull, preferably a well that extends into, or through a support column of the hull, which well is configured to receive therein at least a portion of the mast of the wind turbine during an assembly step of the wind turbine. For example, the mast-receiving well has a depth of at least 15 meters, e.g. at least 30 meters, measured from the deck of the deckbox structure.

The following describes a supporting system for supporting a tower section of a wind turbine. The supporting system includes a connection plate including a tower connection portion and a support connection portion, wherein the support connection portion is configured for being coupled to a tower support device for supporting the tower section. The tower connection portion includes a tower connection hole for being coupleable to a tower hole extending through a shell section of the tower section. The supporting system further includes a clamping device being partially insertable in the tower connection hole of the tower connection portion and the tower hole for detachably clamping the connection plate to the tower section.

A system and method are used for transporting a plurality of tower sections of a wind turbine on beds of transport devices, such as flat railcars. Supports affix at support locations on beds to accommodate at least one of the tower sections on each of the transport devices. The supports can include bed supports, such as tabs, extending from the beds, and can include cradle supports with slots that engage on the tabs. A circumferential dimension of a cradle is adjusted on each of the supports against which the tower section rests. Each of the tower sections is then supported with at least two of the supports by loading the tower sections on the transport devices. An end of each of the tower sections is then affixed to a flange on at least one of the supports on each of the transport devices.

A transport and assembly alignment tool, for prefabrication, transport and/or erection/assembly of a plurality of arcuate segments or near identical modules into a large annular or toroidal structure includes one or more alignment fixtures that have a matched pair of mating alignment members. The alignment members each have a first circularity and/or axial alignment member which aligns to a second circularity and/or axial alignment member. The first circularity and/or axial alignment member is held in alignment with the second circularity and/or axial alignment member by a radially extending alignment feature to establish circumferential alignment thereof and are locked together by locking means. The first axial alignment member is rigidly secured to a first one of the arcuate segments proximate to one circumferential end thereof and the second axial alignment member rigidly secured to a second one of the arcuate segments proximate to one circumferential end thereof.