HULL STRUCTURE FOR A SEMI-SUBMERSIBLE WIND POWER TURBINE PLATFORM

Abstract

A hull structure for a semi-submersible wind power turbine platform and a method for loading a set of such hull structures onto a semi-submersible cargo carrying marine vessel. The hull structure includes first, second and third buoyant stabilizing columns extending in a substantially vertical direction; and first and second elongated submersible buoyant pontoon structures extending in a substantially horizontal direction. The hull structure generally has a V-shape in the horizontal plane with the first and second pontoon structures forming legs in the V-shape and with the second column located where the legs meet. The hull structure is arranged so as to exhibit: i) a first angle in the horizontal plane between a central longitudinal axis of the first pontoon structure and a central longitudinal axis of the second pontoon structure; and ii) a second angle in the horizontal plane between a) a first imaginary line between a central point of the first stabilizing column and a central point of the second stabilizing column and b) a second imaginary line between the central point of the second stabilizing column and a central point of the third stabilizing column, wherein the second angle is larger than the first angle.

Claims

1. A hull structure for a semi-submersible wind power turbine platform, comprising: first, second and third buoyant stabilizing columns extending in a substantially vertical direction; and first and second elongated submersible buoyant pontoon structures extending in a substantially horizontal direction; wherein the hull structure generally has a V-shape in the horizontal plane with the first and second pontoon structures forming legs in the V-shape and with the second column located where the legs meet; wherein the first pontoon structure extends between and connects the first and the second column, wherein the first pontoon structure is connected to a lower part of each of the first and second columns; wherein the second pontoon structure extends between and connects the second and the third column, wherein the second pontoon structure is connected to a lower part of each of the second and third columns; wherein the hull structure is arranged so as to exhibit: i) a first angle in the horizontal plane between a central longitudinal axis of the first pontoon structure and a central longitudinal axis of the second pontoon structure; and ii) a second angle in the horizontal plane between a) a first imaginary line between a central point of the first stabilizing column and a central point of the second stabilizing column and b) a second imaginary line between the central point of the second stabilizing column and a central point of the third stabilizing column, wherein the second angle is larger than the first angle.

2. The hull structure according to claim 1, wherein the second angle is in the interval 55-90, preferably 60-80.

3. The hull structure according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and the second pontoon structures has, at least along a major part of its length, a width that is less than a width of the lower part of the second stabilizing column.

4. The hull structure according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second pontoon structures has an outer side facing away sideways from the hull structure and an inner side facing inwards towards the hull structure, wherein at least one of the first and second pontoon structures is arranged such that the outer side thereof is located closer to a corresponding outer side of the second stabilizing column than the inner side thereof is located in relation to a side of the second stabilizing column opposite the outer side of the second stabilizing column.

5. The hull structure according to claim 1, wherein the second column has a width or diameter that is larger than the width or diameter of each of the first and third columns.

6. The hull structure according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second pontoon structures has a lower side facing downwards and wherein the lower sides of the first and second pontoon structures are substantially aligned with each other in the horizontal plane.

7. The hull structure according to claim 6, wherein the lower sides of the first and second pontoon structures are substantially aligned with downwardly facing lower sides of each of the first, second and third buoyant stabilizing columns.

8. The hull structure according to claim 1, wherein the first and second pontoon structures have a substantially equal length.

9. A method for loading a set of hull structures onto a semi-submersible cargo carrying marine vessel configured to be lowered partly below the water surface into a lower position and be raised to an upper position so as to load onto the vessel cargo that is located at the water surface above the vessel, wherein the set of hull structures comprises a plurality of hull structures arranged according to claim 1, the method comprising: providing the set of hull structures floating in water; arranging the set of hull structures in a row above the marine vessel when the marine vessel is in its lower position; and raising the marine vessel to its upper position so as to load the row of hull structures onto the marine vessel.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein arranging the set of hull structures in the row comprises: arranging a first and a second hull structure adjacent each other and so that the second hull structure is located with the second column of the second hull structure positioned between the first and second pontoon structures of the first hull structure, wherein the second column of the second hull structure is positioned closer to the second column of the first hull structure than to the first and third columns of the first hull structure.

11. A marine vessel carrying a set of hull structures, wherein the set of hull structures comprises at least a first and a second hull structure arranged according to claim 1.

12. The marine vessel according to claim 11, wherein the set of hull structures are arranged in a row with the first and second hull structures located adjacent each other, wherein the second hull structure is located with the second column of the second hull structure positioned between the first and second pontoon structures of the first hull structure, and wherein the second column of the second hull structure is positioned closer to the second column of the first hull structure than to the first and third columns of the first hull structure.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0029] In the description of the invention given below reference is made to the following figure, in which:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a hull structure according to this disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 2 shows a top view of the hull structure of FIG. 1.

[0032] FIG. 3 shows a top view of a second embodiment of a hull structure according to this disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 4 shows a top view of a third embodiment of a hull structure according to this disclosure.

[0034] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the hull structure of FIG. 3 with some additional components added.

[0035] FIG. 6 shows first and second perspective views (FIGS. 7A and 7B) of a set of hull structures similar to FIG. 4 stowed in a row onto a deck of a marine transportation vessel.

[0036] FIG. 7 shows a comparison (FIGS. 7A-7C) of stowing efficiency between sets of hull structures with different hull structure design.

[0037] FIG. 8 shows a semi-submersible wind power turbine platform comprising a hull structure according to this disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0038] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a first embodiment of a hull structure 10 for a semi-submersible wind power turbine platform 100 (see FIG. 8). The hull structure 10 comprises first, second and third buoyant stabilizing columns 1, 2, 3 extending in a substantially vertical direction and first and second elongated submersible buoyant pontoon structures 11, 12 extending in a substantially horizontal direction. The hull structure 10 generally has a V-shape in the horizontal plane with the first and second pontoon structures 11, 12 forming legs in the V-shape and with the second column 2 located where the legs meet.

[0039] The first pontoon structure 11 extends between and connects the first and the second column 1, 2, and it is connected to a lower part 1c, 2c of each of the first and second columns 1, 2. The second pontoon structure 12 extends between and connects the second and the third column 2, 3, and it is connected to a lower part 2c, 3c of each of the second and third columns 2, 3.

[0040] Each of the first and the second pontoon structures 11, 12 has a width that is less than a width of the lower part 2c of the second stabilizing column 2, in this example the width is around half of that of the second column 2 (as well around half of that of the first and third column 1, 3).

[0041] Further, each of the first and second pontoon structures 11, 12 has a lower side 11b, 12b facing downwards, which sides are substantially aligned with each other in the horizontal plane and also substantially aligned with downwardly facing lower sides 1b, 2b, 3b of each of the first, second and third buoyant stabilizing columns 1, 2, 3. The first and second pontoon structures 11, 12 have a substantially equal length.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2, the hull structure 10 is arranged so as to exhibit: i) a first angle in the horizontal plane between a central longitudinal axis 11c of the first pontoon structure 11 and a central longitudinal axis 12c of the second pontoon structure 12 (i.e., an angle between center-line axes of the two pontoon structures); and ii) a second angle in the horizontal plane between a) a first imaginary line 21 between a central point 1e of the first stabilizing column 1 and a central point 2e of the second stabilizing column 2 and b) a second imaginary line 22 between the central point 2e of the second stabilizing column 2 and a central point 3e of the third stabilizing column 3. The second angle is larger than the first angle .

[0043] As further shown in FIG. 2, each of the first and second pontoon structures 11, 12 has an outer side 11d, 12d facing away sideways from the hull structure and an inner side 11e, 12e facing inwards towards the hull structure 10, wherein each of the first and second pontoon structures 11, 12 is arranged such that the outer side 11d, 12d thereof is located closer to a corresponding outer side 2d of the second stabilizing column 2 than the inner side 11e, 12e thereof is located in relation to a side of the second stabilizing column 2 opposite the outer side 2d of the second stabilizing column 2. The pontoon outer sides 11d, 12d are in this example even aligned with the outer side 2d of the second column 2.

[0044] The pontoon structures 11, 12 are thus not centrally arranged onto the second column 2 but arranged closer to the corresponding outer side 2d thereof. The opposite end of each pontoon structure 11, 12 is instead located closer to, and is in this example even aligned with, an inner side of first and third column 1, 3, respectively. This twist of the pontoon structures 11, 12 (in relation to the imaginary lines 21, 22) decreases the first angle . As shown in FIG. 7, this twist makes it possible to stow the hull structures closer to each other, it thus increases the stowing space-efficiency, so that a higher number of hull structures can be loaded onto a marine transportation vessel.

[0045] In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the columns 1, 2, 3 are arranged in relation to each other as the corners of an equilateral triangle, which means that the second angle in this case is 60.

[0046] The hull structure embodiments shown in FIGS. 2-8 are structured in a principally similar way as the hull structure 10 shown in FIG. 1, and therefore the same reference numbers have been used in all figures for similar components.

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of a hull structure 20 where the second column 2 has a diameter that is larger than the diameter of each of the first and third columns 1, 3. The second column 2 thus obtains a higher buoyancy, which is useful for supporting a wind turbine tower arranged onto the second column (as illustrated in FIG. 8).

[0048] The larger diameter of the second column 2 allows the pontoon structures 11, 12 to be located even further from the central point 2e of the second column 2, which can be used to decreases the first angle .

[0049] To adjust the waterplane moment of inertia to the fact that the second column 2 has a larger diameter, the distance between first and second columns 1, 3 has been increased compared to the hull structure 10 of FIG. 1. This means that also the second angle has been increased, from 60 in FIG. 1 to around 70 for the hull structure 20 of FIG. 3.

[0050] A larger second angle is not only useful for balancing the waterline inertia moment of the hull structure 20, it also further improves the stowing properties (see FIG. 7).

[0051] The hull structure 20 is further provided with a brace 7 extending between the first and third column 1, 3 so as to strengthen the hull structure. Braces 7 may be arranged between some or all columns and in particular between the first and third column 1, 3 there may be arranged both a lower and a higher brace (as exemplified in FIG. 5). Braces between the first and third columns 1, 3 prevent efficient stowing so such braces are not mounted when loading the hull structures onto the marine vessel but are instead mounted after the transportation. End sections of the braces 7 may, however, be mounted when assembling and transporting the hull structure (as indicated in FIG. 6) and a brace midsection can be mounted after transport. Bracing end sections and midsections are indicated in FIG. 5.

[0052] FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment of a hull structure 30 similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3. The difference is that the pontoon structures 11, 12 are less twisted so that the first angle is larger in FIG. 4 than in FIG. 3 (and the difference between the first and second angles is smaller in FIG. 4 than in FIG. 3).

[0053] In contrast to FIG. 3, the outer and inner sides of the pontoon structures of FIG. 4 are not aligned with the sides of the corresponding columns. Typically, this makes it easier to arrange the connection between the pontoons and the columns, it thus simplifies manufacturing.

[0054] FIG. 5 shows the hull structure 20 of FIG. 3 further provided with bracings 7 (see above) and a support 101 for the wind turbine tower.

[0055] FIG. 6 shows first and second perspective views (FIGS. 6A and 6B) of a set of hull structures 40 stowed in a row onto a deck 65 of a marine transportation vessel 60 in the form of a semi-submersible cargo carrying marine vessel configured to be lowered partly below the water surface into a lower position and be raised to an upper position so as to load onto the vessel cargo that is located at the water surface above the vessel.

[0056] The row of hull structures 40 in FIGS. 6A and 6B includes a first hull structure 31, a second hull structure 32, and five additional hull structures, all seven of the type shown in FIG. 4 (but with a mid-portion of the brace 7 between the first and third columns 1, 3 removed and with a wind turbine tower support 101 mounted).

[0057] A method for loading the set of hull structures 40 onto the semi-submersible cargo carrying marine vessel 60 comprises: [0058] providing the set of hull structures 40 floating in water; [0059] arranging the set of hull structures 40 in a row above the marine vessel 60 when the marine vessel is in its lower position; and [0060] raising the marine vessel 60 to its upper position so as to load the row of hull structures 40 onto the deck 65 of the marine vessel.

[0061] Arranging the set of hull structures 40 in the row may comprise: arranging the first and a second hull structure 31, 32 adjacent each other so that the second hull structure 32 is located with the second column 2 of the second hull structure 32 positioned between the first and second pontoon structures 11, 12 of the first hull structure 31, wherein the second column 2 of the second hull structure 32 is positioned closer to the second column 2 of the first hull structure 31 than to the first and third columns 1, 3 of the first hull structure 31. This is also how the set of hull structures 40 are arranged onto the vessel 60 during transport. The hull structures may be fixed to each other already when arranged in the floating row, and they are typically fixed to each other and to the deck 65 of the vessel 60 during transport.

[0062] FIG. 7 shows a comparison (FIGS. 7A-7C) of stowing efficiency between sets of hull structures with different hull structure design.

[0063] FIG. 7A shows hull structures of a conventional design where the first angle equals the second angle and where both angels are 60. FIGS. 7B and 7C show hull structure designs according to the present disclosure where >. In FIG. 7B the hull structure design is similar to that of FIGS. 1 and 2. In FIG. 7C the hull structure design is similar to that of FIG. 3. In both FIGS. 7B and 7C the sides of the pontoons align with sides of the columns (as described more in detail above). The hull structures of FIG. 7C differ from those of FIG. 7B in that the second column 2 has a larger diameter and in that the second angle is larger (around 70 in FIG. 7C compared 60 in FIG. 7B) to adjust the waterplane moment of inertia (as also described more in detail above).

[0064] As shown in FIGS. 7A-7C, the number of hull structures that can be stowed on a given length of the deck of the vessel 60 is 5 for the design of FIG. 7A, 6 for the design of FIG. 7B, and 7 for design of FIG. 7C. It is thus clear that arranging the hull structure so that > improves the stowage efficiency of this type of V-shaped hull structures. This is of course only an example; the number of hull structures that in practice can be stowed onto a vessel of this type depends on the size of the hull structures and the size of the vessel, but FIG. 7A-7C show the principle of improved stowage efficiency.

[0065] A thin dashed line in FIG. 7A indicates a sixth hull structure to show the corresponding length of a further hull structure (that does not fit onto the vessel 60).

[0066] FIG. 8 shows a semi-submersible wind power turbine platform 100 comprising a hull structure 20 according to FIG. 3. The platform 100 is provided with a wind turbine tower 102 in turn provided with three blades 103 (as well as a generator etc., which is not shown in the figures).

[0067] The invention is not limited by the embodiments described above but can be modified in various ways within the scope of the claims. For instance, the columns 1, 2, 3 do not necessarily have to have a circular horizontal cross section but may e.g. have a polygonal cross section. Similarly, the first and second elongated submersible pontoon structures 11, 12 do not necessarily have to have a polygonal vertical cross section but may e.g. have rounded corners or a circular cross section. A further brace member or pontoon structure may extend between the lower parts of the first and third column, and/or between the first and second pontoon structures, at about the same level as the first and second pontoon structures. Such a further brace member or pontoon structure may interfere during stowing of hull structures and is therefore preferably arranged so that its upper side is located at a lower level than the upper side of the first and second pontoon structures. The vertical thickness of such a further brace member or pontoon structure may be less than that of the first and second pontoon structures. When the hull structure is provided with such a further brace member or (third) pontoon structure, the term V-shape in the horizontal plane refers to the first and second pontoon structures. The further brace member or (third) pontoon structure may form a connection of the two legs in the V-shape so as to form a - or A-shape. Moreover, the hull structure may be provided with a controllable ballast system configured to allow control of an inclination of the hull structure when floating in water.

[0068] One or more of the bracings/brace members may be a stiff structure typically capable of carrying a load in both longitudinal directions, i.e., it can withstand both tensile and compression forces directed along its longitudinal axis. Alternatively, one or more of the brace members may be a wire, rope or other non-stiff structure, which may be pre-tensioned when installed, typically capable of carrying a load mainly, but not exclusively, when subject to longitudinally directed tensile forces. As shown in FIGS. 6-7, the first and third columns are located outside of the deck of the vessel. This means that the first and third columns, or at least the upper parts thereof, tend to be forced somewhat apart, i.e., the columns tend to bend or flex outwards at the top, during transport, which in turn means that the a brace member connecting the upper parts of the first and second columns mainly will be subject to tensile forces during transport. Such forces or loads can be well carried by either a stiff or a non-stiff brace member.

[0069] A stiff brace member may be made of a metallic material, such as steel, and may form a pipe or beam. A non-stiff brace member may be in the form of a wire or a rope and may be pre-tensioned so as to reduce the forces acting onto different parts of the hull structure during transport.