OFFSHORE WIND TURBINE WITH A FLUID SUPPLY ASSEMBLY

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. An offshore wind turbine erected in a body of water comprising 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, 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 comprises a pump and a fluid connection between the fluid inlet and the electrolytic unit, wherein the fluid inlet comprises an opening in the base or in the tower below the water level through which the input fluid is transported to the electrolytic unit.

2. The offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the base is a foundation mounted to the floor of the body of water.

3. The offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the offshore wind turbine is a floating wind turbine, wherein the base is a floating, a semi-submerged or a submerged base platform.

4. The offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the offshore wind turbine further comprises an electrolytic unit platform supporting at least a part of the electrolytic unit above the water level.

5. The offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the fluid supply assembly comprises a filter for filtering the input fluid.

6. The offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the fluid inlet is arranged at a distance sufficiently removed from the ground level for avoiding the introduction of sand or other substances from the ground level into the fluid inlet.

7. The offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein a pipeline connects the fluid inlet with the electrolytic unit, wherein the pipeline extends at least partially through the inner part of the base.

8. The offshore wind turbine according to claim 7, wherein the pipeline extends partially through the inner part of the tower.

9. The offshore wind turbine according to claim 7, wherein the pipeline is formed of a polymer material or an epoxy material with a supporting fiber reinforcement to avoid corrosion.

10. The offshore wind turbine according to claim 7, wherein the pump is installed inside the pipeline, wherein the pump is lifted through the pipeline for inspection and maintenance works.

11. The offshore wind turbine according to claim 7, wherein the pipeline is sealed to avoid any leakage to the tower and/or the base.

12. The offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the fluid connection is a channel drilled at the base and/or at the tower.

13. The offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the fluid inlet comprises an angled fitting made from an antifouling material, such as copper, to avoid plant growth, in particular marine growth, on the fluid inlet.

14. The offshore wind turbine according to claim 13, wherein the angled fitting is sealed to avoid any leakage to the tower and/or the base.

15. A method of supplying input fluid to the offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, the method comprising the steps of: suctioning input fluid through the fluid inlet arranged below the water level, and pumping the input fluid from the fluid inlet to the electrolytic unit by means of the pump.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an offshore wind turbine 1 as known in the conventional art comprising a hose hanging from the electrolytic unit 3 for the fluid supply.

[0058] The offshore wind turbine 1 comprises a tower 4 on top of which a nacelle 6 is rotatably mounted. The offshore wind turbine 1 further comprises a hub which is connected to the nacelle 6. A plurality of blades is mounted on the hub. The hub is connected to a generator 2 and is rotatably mounted about a rotor axis by means of a main bearing. The offshore wind turbine 1 further comprises an electrolytic unit platform 32 on which the electrolytic unit 3 is arranged above the water level 31. The offshore wind turbine 1 further comprises a base 5 on which the tower 4 is mounted. The base 5 is a foundation 34 mounted to the floor of the body of water.

[0059] The power produced by the generator 2 is completely transferred to the electrolytic unit 3, but it would be also possible to connect the offshore wind turbine 1 to an electricity grid and transfer a part of the power produced by the generator 2 to the electricity grid. The electrolytic unit 3 comprises a desalination unit 11 and an electrolytic device 12, as well as a fluid connection between the desalination unit 11 and the electrolytic device 12 through which desalinated water 14 is transported. The electrolytic device 12 and the desalination unit 11 are both powered by the generator 2, which is connected to both devices by means of an electric connection 7.

[0060] The input fluid 9 for the electrolytic unit 3 is saltwater 13 taken of the sea of the offshore wind turbine 1 by means of a pump 24. The fluid supply assembly 21 supplies saltwater 13 to the electrolytic unit 3 by means of a hanging hose. The hose hangs from the desalination unit 11 to the water body at the outer part of the base 5. The saltwater 13 enters the fluid supply assembly 21 through a fluid inlet 23 and is transported through the hose, which creates a fluid connection 22 between the fluid inlet 23 and the desalination unit 11 forming part of the electrolytic unit 3. The fluid inlet 23 and the pump 24 are submerged below the water level 31 to suction the saltwater 13.

[0061] The desalinated water 14 is the input fluid 9 of the electrolytic device 12. The electrolytic device has a hydrogen output 15 through which the hydrogen 8 generated is extracted. This hydrogen output 15 is connected to a hydrogen pipeline to transport the hydrogen 8 onshore. Alternatively, the hydrogen 8 could be filled in containers and transported onshore.

[0062] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of an offshore wind turbine 1 according to an embodiment of the invention comprising a fluid connection 22 expanding through the inner part of the base 5.

[0063] In this embodiment, the offshore wind turbine 1 comprises a base 5 on which the tower 4 is mounted. The base 5 is a foundation 34, such as a monopile, mounted to the floor of the body of water.

[0064] An opening at the base 5 allows for the suctioning of the saltwater 13 by means of the pump 24 of the fluid supply assembly 21 and a fluid inlet 23 arranged below the water level 31. The fluid connection 22 through the base 5 can be formed as a channel or as a pipeline 26. The fluid connection 22 extends in the longitudinal direction parallel to the axis of the base 5 and the axis of the tower 4 towards the electrolytic unit platform 32 of the offshore wind turbine 1. This fluid connection 22 extends through the inner part of the base 5, i.e. through the inner part of the foundation 34.

[0065] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of an offshore wind turbine 1 according to another embodiment of the invention comprising a fluid connection 22 extending in the longitudinal direction parallel to the axis of the base 5 and the axis of the tower 4 towards the electrolytic unit platform 32 of the offshore wind turbine 1. This fluid connection 22 extends through the inner part of the base 5 and, as the top of the base 5 ends below the electrolytic unit platform 32, the fluid connection 22 extends through the inner part of the tower 4 below the electrolytic unit platform 32 as well. Hence, the first part of the fluid connection 22 extends through the base 5, i.e. through the inner part of the foundation 34 and the second part of the fluid connection 22 extends through the tower 4. The electrolytic unit platform 32 is arranged above the water level 31.

[0066] The fluid connection 22 through the base 5 and the tower 4 can be formed as a channel or as a pipeline 26.

[0067] An opening at the base 5 allows for the suctioning of the saltwater 13 by means of the fluid supply assembly 21 comprising a pump 24.

[0068] FIG. 4 shows a fluid supply assembly 21 comprising a filter 25, a fluid inlet 23, a pump 24, an angled fitting 27 and a pipeline 26.

[0069] Saltwater 13 passes through the filter 25 before entering the fluid inlet 23, so sand, plants and other unwanted substances are kept outside the fluid supply assembly 21. The angled fitting 27 turns the flow of saltwater 13 to the upright direction so as to be directed towards the electrolytic unit 3 arranged on the electrolytic unit platform 32. To transport the saltwater 13, a pipeline 26 is used, which extends inside the base 5 to the electrolytic unit platform 32. The pipeline 26 and the angled fitting 27 are sealed by a bolted flange connection to avoid a leakage in the transition between both parts.

[0070] A pump 24 driven by a motor is used to overcome the height difference between the desalination unit 11 and the water level 31.

[0071] FIG. 5 shows an offshore wind turbine 1 configured as a floating wind turbine according to another embodiment of the invention with a submerged base platform 33.

[0072] The submerged base platform 33 is anchored to the underwater ground by a plurality of flexible coupling members such as anchoring ropes, anchor cables and anchor chains. The base platform 33 may be a box-shaped or a disc-shaped tank with a large horizontal extension and a relatively short vertical extension.

[0073] An opening at the base platform 33 allows for the suctioning of the saltwater 13 by means of the pump 24 of the fluid supply assembly 21. The fluid connection 22 through the base platform 33 can be formed as a channel or as a pipeline 26. The fluid connection 22 extends in the longitudinal direction parallel to the axis of the base platform 33 and the axis of the tower 4 towards the electrolytic unit platform 32 of the offshore wind turbine 1. This fluid connection 22 extends through the inner part of the base platform 33 and, as the top of the base platform 33 ends below the electrolytic unit platform 32, the fluid connection 22 extends through the inner part of the tower 4 below the electrolytic unit platform 32 as well.

[0074] In other embodiments, the base platform 33 can be of the spar-buoy type. Spar-buoys consist of a single long cylindrical tank and achieve stability by moving the center of mass as low as possible. In still other embodiments, the base platform 33 can be a more complex structure and includes three or more buoyant columns to support the offshore wind turbine 1.

[0075] FIG. 6 shows an offshore wind turbine 1 configured as a floating wind turbine according to another embodiment of the invention with a semi-submerged base platform 33.

[0076] The semi-submerged base platform 33 is anchored to the underwater ground by a plurality of flexible coupling members such as anchoring ropes, anchor cables and anchor chains. The base platform 33 is anchored in such a way that the upper part of the base platform 33 stays above the water.

[0077] The setup of the fluid connection 22 is similar to the one shown in FIG. 5.

[0078] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0079] For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements.

REFERENCE LIST

[0080] 1 Offshore wind turbine

[0081] 2 Generator

[0082] 3 Electrolytic unit

[0083] 4 Tower

[0084] 5 Base

[0085] 6 Nacelle

[0086] 7 Electrical connection

[0087] 8 Hydrogen

[0088] 9 Input fluid

[0089] 11 Desalination unit

[0090] 12 Electrolytic device

[0091] 13 Saltwater

[0092] 14 Desalinated water

[0093] 15 Hydrogen output

[0094] 21 Fluid supply assembly

[0095] 22 Fluid connection

[0096] 23 Fluid inlet

[0097] 24 Pump

[0098] 25 Filter

[0099] 26 Pipeline

[0100] 27 Angled fitting

[0101] 31 Water level

[0102] 32 Electrolytic unit platform

[0103] 33 Base platform

[0104] 34 Foundation