143 results about "Floating wind turbine" patented technology

A floating wind turbine platform includes a floatation frame (105) that includes three columns (102, 103) that are coupled to each other with horizontal main beams (115). A wind turbine tower (111) is mounted above a tower support column (102) to simplify the system construction and improve the structural strength. The turbine blades (101) are coupled to a nacelle (125) that rotates on top of the tower (111). The turbine's gearbox generator and other electrical gear can be mounted either traditionally in the nacelle, or lower in the tower (111) or in the top of the tower-supporting column (102). The floatation frame (105) includes a water ballasting system that pumps water between the columns (102, 103) to keep the tower (111) in a 10 vertical alignment regardless of the wind speed. Water-entrapment plates (107) are mounted to the bottoms of the columns (102, 103) to minimize the rotational movement of the floatation frame (105) due to waves.

A floating wind turbine platform includes a floatation frame that includes at least three columns that are coupled to each other with horizontal main beams. A wind turbine tower is mounted above a tower support column to simplify the system construction and improve the structural strength. The turbine blades are coupled to a nacelle that rotates on top of the tower. The turbine's gearbox generator and other electrical gear can be mounted either traditionally in the nacelle, or lower in the tower or in the top of the tower-supporting column. The floatation frame includes a water ballasting system that pumps water between the columns to keep the tower in a vertical alignment regardless of the wind speed. Water-entrapment plates are mounted to the bottoms of the columns to minimize the rotational movement of the floatation frame due to waves.

A floating wind turbine system with a tower structure that includes at least one stability arm extending therefrom and that is anchored to the sea floor with a rotatable position retention device that facilitates deep water installations. Variable buoyancy for the wind turbine system is provided by buoyancy chambers that are integral to the tower itself as well as the stability arm. Pumps are included for adjusting the buoyancy as an aid in system transport, installation, repair and removal. The wind turbine rotor is located downwind of the tower structure to allow the wind turbine to follow the wind direction without an active yaw drive system. The support tower and stability arm structure is designed to balance tension in the tether with buoyancy, gravity and wind forces in such a way that the top of the support tower leans downwind, providing a large clearance between the support tower and the rotor blade tips. This large clearance facilitates the use of articulated rotor hubs to reduced damaging structural dynamic loads. Major components of the turbine can be assembled at the shore and transported to an offshore installation site.

A floating wind turbine system with a tower structure that includes at least one stability arm extending therefrom and that is anchored to the sea floor with a rotatable position retention device that facilitates deep water installations. Variable buoyancy for the wind turbine system is provided by buoyancy chambers that are integral to the tower itself as well as the stability arm. Pumps are included for adjusting the buoyancy as an aid in system transport, installation, repair and removal. The wind turbine rotor is located downwind of the tower structure to allow the wind turbine to follow the wind direction without an active yaw drive system. The support tower and stability arm structure is designed to balance tension in the tether with buoyancy, gravity and wind forces in such a way that the top of the support tower leans downwind, providing a large clearance between the support tower and the rotor blade tips. This large clearance facilitates the use of articulated rotor hubs to reduced damaging structural dynamic loads. Major components of the turbine can be assembled at the shore and transported to an offshore installation site.

A method for controlling operation of a floating wind turbine is described. The floating wind turbine includes a wind turbine generator coupled to a support tower. The method includes measuring a tower inclination, determining an operating parameter control value based on at least the measured tower inclination, and adjusting wind turbine operation based at least partially on the operating parameter control value.

The invention provides a semi-submersible type offshore floating wind turbine foundation, comprising three cylindrical buoys, a vertical post, a deck and a heave plate, wherein the three cylindrical buoys are arranged at equal intervals in a regular triangle manner; the vertical post is arranged in the center position of the regular triangle formed by the three buoys; the top flange of the vertical post is connected with a tower of a floating wind turbine; the top ends of the three buoys are connected with one another through the deck; the vertical post passes through the center of the deck; and the bottom ends of the three buoys are connected with the bottom end of the vertical post through the heave plate.

The invention provides a semi-submersible type offshore floating wind turbine foundation, comprising three square vertical posts, a circular vertical post and a bottom pontoon, wherein each of the three square vertical posts is of a hollow structure and internally provided with a reinforcing member; the three square vertical posts are arranged at equal intervals in a regular triangle manner; the circular vertical post is arranged in the center position of the regular triangle formed by the three square vertical posts; a top flange of the circular vertical post is connected with a tower bottom flange of a tower of a floating wind turbine; the bottom pontoon is Y-shaped; three far ends of the bottom pontoon are respectively connected to the lower parts of the three square vertical posts; and the bottom end of the circular vertical post is arranged in the center position of the bottom pontoon.

The invention provides a method in connection with a wind turbine installation for damping tower vibrations, in particular, a floating wind turbine installation comprises: a floating cell; a tower arranged over the floating cell; a generator mounted on the tower that is rotatable in relation to the wind direction and fitted with a wind turbine; and an anchor line arrangement connected to anchors or foundations on the sea bed. The tower's eigenvibrations FORMULA eig are damped by, in addition to control with the controller in the constant power or RPM range of the wind turbine, an increment, FORMULA, added to the blade angle of the turbine blades on the basis of the tower velocities, FORMULA Z , so that the eigenvibrations are counteracted. The vibrations in FORMULA that have frequency FORMULA eig can expediently be damped by means of a stabilizer with the transfer function Hstab(s) between, such that the loop transfer function FORMULA is obtained, which means that: (I) ''b'' is a variable depending on the moment and thrust characteristics of the turbine blades.

The invention discloses a floating offshore wind turbine movement suppression device and a floating base with the same. The floating offshore wind turbine movement suppression device comprises at least one annular anti-rolling plate which surrounds the floating base and is horizontally arranged. A plurality of anti-rolling fins are arranged on the anti-rolling plate, and comprise a first group of anti-rolling fins which are arranged on one side of the anti-rolling plate; and the first group of anti-rolling fins are vertically spaced from one another around the floating base. The floating offshore wind turbine movement suppression device can effectively suppress the movement of a floating wind turbine, is low in cost and has a wide application prospect.

The invention provides a semi-submersible type offshore floating wind turbine foundation, comprising three cylindrical buoys, a vertical post, a deck and a heave plate, wherein the three cylindrical buoys are arranged at equal intervals in a regular triangle manner; the vertical post is arranged in the center position of the regular triangle formed by the three buoys; the top flange of the vertical post is connected with a tower of a floating wind turbine; the top ends of the three buoys are connected with one another through the deck; the vertical post passes through the center of the deck; and the bottom ends of the three buoys are connected with the bottom end of the vertical post through the heave plate.

A system of floating and weight-stabilized wind turbine towers with separately floodable compartments and aerodynamic overwater encasement and the appertaining semisubmersible mooring structures including anchorage on the seabed, a horizontally floating underwater mooring meshwork and an actinomorphic buoy-cable-mooring to the wind turbine towers. Also, a method to transport wind turbine towers from the manufacturing plants on-shore to the final off-shore destination by towing the vented towers in a horizontal position with towboats. Further, a method to erect the wind turbine towers at the final destination, including the assembly of the wind turbines. The worldwide potentials of off-shore wind farming in deep waters to produce electricity in an ecologically and economically sound way in order both to satisfy men's requirements and to help to reduce the need to rely on critical fossil and nuclear resources being immense.

A container for underwater placement on a sea, lake or river bottom. The container has openings in the sides, top and bottom and is filled with ballast of large boulders, cobble, crushed coral, cast concrete modules or other materials. The openings allow water and water currents, as well as marine organisms, to pass freely therethrough. Over time, a wide assortment of marine organisms infiltrate and colonize the nooks, crevices and cavities of the ballast, thus utilizing the habitat as they would an artificial reef. One or more hitch points are provided on the container for attaching mooring lines for ships, boats, floating wind turbines or other floating structures, thereby allowing the artificial reef to anchor such structures.

The invention discloses a tension-leg offshore floating wind turbine foundation capable of floating and being installed by self and an installation method thereof. The tension-leg offshore floating wind turbine foundation comprises three rectangular floating boxes on a same horizontal plane and of which any two are at an included angle of 120 degrees, a center floating box connecting the three rectangular floating boxes, a center pillar connected with the upper end of the center floating box and used for supporting a wind turbine tower, three peripheral pillars which are in a one-to-one connection with the three rectangular floating boxes and separated from each other, three cantilever beams respectively and correspondingly arranged at the top of the three peripheral pillars and extending outwardly, a heave plate connected to the bottom of the three rectangular floating boxes and the center pillar, transverse braces and diagonal braces for connecting the center pillar and the peripheral pillars, a subsea base part and tension legs for connecting the cantilever beams and the subsea base part. The tension-leg offshore floating wind turbine foundation capable of floating and being installed by self according to an embodiment of the invention has the advantages of low cost for later maintenance, convenient installation and low installation cost.

A method of constructing and assembling a floating wind turbine platform includes constructing pre-stressed concrete sections of a floating wind turbine platform base, assembling the floating wind turbine platform base sections to form the base at a first location in a floating wind turbine platform assembly area, and moving the base to a second location in the floating wind turbine platform assembly area. Pre-stressed concrete sections of floating wind turbine platform columns are constructed, and the column sections are assembled to form a center column and a plurality of outer columns on the base to define a hull at the second location in the floating wind turbine platform assembly area. The hull is then moved to a third location in the floating wind turbine platform assembly area. Secondary structures are mounted on and within the hull, and the hull is moved to a fourth location in the floating wind turbine platform assembly area. A wind turbine tower is constructed on the center column, and a wind turbine is mounted on the wind turbine tower, thus defining the floating wind turbine platform. The floating wind turbine platform is then moved to a launch platform in a fifth location and launched into a body of water.

A semisubmersible wind turbine platform capable of floating on a body of water and supporting a wind turbine over a vertical center column includes a vertical center column and three or more vertical outer columns spaced radially from the center column, each of the outer columns being connected to the center column with one or more of bottom beams, top beams, and struts, with the major structural components being made of concrete and having sufficient buoyancy to support a wind turbine tower.

A method for coordinating a floating wind turbine installation. The wind turbine installation includes a buoyant body (1), a tower (2) arranged over the buoyant body, a generator (3) mounted on the tower which is rotatable in relation to the wind direction and fitted with a wind rotor (4), and an anchor line arrangement (5) connected to anchors or anchor points on the sea bed. Static heeling, φs<sub2>—< / sub2>max, at full wind load on the wind turbine is as low as possible, but preferably less than 8 degrees, and all eigenperiods for the installation are outside the waves' period range. The eigenperiod in pitch, T05 (roll, T04), is preferably less than 80% of the T03 eigenperiod in heave. Moreover, the ratio between T03 and T05 is not close to 0.5 or 1.

A vertically installed Spar-type floater for offshore wind turbine and related construction method are provided. The floating system is a gravity stabilized deep-draft floater including a plurality of vertically extending columns, each column containing a ballast material; a ballast tank coupled to the lower end of each of the columns; a top deck having a plurality of through-bores approximate its periphery coupled to the upper end of each of the columns; a wind turbine assembly supported by the top deck at the center; a plurality of mooring lines linking the floating system to the sea floor. The floating system has a temporary vertically towing configuration which: allows the entire, floating wind turbine system to be assembled at a quayside and towed vertically to an offshore site, and self-installed into operating configuration.

Provided is a floating wind turbine including a hull, a wind turbine mounted on top of the hull and a counterweight suspended below the hull by a counterweight suspension is described. Also, a method for the installation is described. The counterweight includes one or more counterweight buoyancy tanks. When the internal volume of the buoyancy tanks is filled with air, the total buoyancy of the counterweight is close to or greater than its weight. Hereby it is capable of floating in a towing / maintenance position with moderate or no support in the vertical direction from the hull or other vessels. During towing, the hull substantially has the character of a barge, substantially relying on a large waterplane area and shallow draft to maintain stability.

The invention discloses a method of load shedding of a floating wind turbine generator system based on semi-active structure control of a magneto rheological damper. The method includes the following steps: (1) analyzing the structure of the magneto rheological damper, obtaining a force-displacement relationship of the magneto rheological damper; (2) establishing an equation of motion of a multi-degree of freedom system of an offshore floating wind turbine generator system which is configured with the magneto rheological damper, and establishing equations of motion of the wind turbine generator system and the magneto rheological damper; (3) controlling the magneto rheological damper through a LQR controller and a Fuzzy controller so as to reduce the pitch angle of the floating wind turbine generator system and the longitudinal displacement of a nacelle. According to the invention, the method overcomes the defects of passive control and active control in structural control of a damper, requires less extra energy, requires simple apparatus and is not less susceptible to stability loss, can effectively reduce total load of the floating wind turbine generator system, guarantees stability of a platform, and further increases service life and energy quality of output electricity of a wind turbine generator.

The invention discloses an integral mounting assisting device and a mounting method for a tension leg type offshore floating wind turbine. The integral mounting assisting device comprises assisting modules, eye plates, stop pins, a plurality of oil cylinders, positioning winches and steel wires, wherein the assisting modules are mounted outside a multi-column tension leg type offshore floating foundation of the wind turbine, the eye plates are detachably connected on circumferential columns of the multi-column tension leg type offshore floating foundation, the oil cylinders are disposed on the lateral sides and the bottom surfaces of the assisting modules, the cylinder bodies of the oil cylinders are fixed on the assisting modules, the stop pins are hinged with cylinder rods of the oil cylinders and are driven to be inserted into holes of the eye plates by the oil cylinders, the positioning winches are fixed on the tops of the assisting modules, one ends of the steel wires are connected with the positioning winches, and the other ends of the steel wires are connected with positioning anchors thrown to the seabed. Sufficient stability, buoyancy and assisting positioning can be provided for mounting of the tension leg type offshore floating wind turbine, offshore operation time is greatly saved, mounting cost is reduced, and the integral mounting assisting device is applicable to construction of a large-scale offshore floating wind power plant.

A container for underwater placement on a sea, lake or river bottom. The container has openings in the sides, top and bottom and is filled with ballast of large boulders, cobble, crushed coral, cast concrete modules or other materials. The openings allow water and water currents, as well as marine organisms, to pass freely therethrough. Over time, a wide assortment of marine organisms infiltrate and colonize the nooks, crevices and cavities of the ballast, thus utilizing the habitat as they would an artificial reef. One or more hitch points are provided on the container for attaching mooring lines for ships, boats, floating wind turbines or other floating structures, thereby allowing the artificial reef to anchor such structures.

A floating wind turbine comprising a hull (1), a wind turbine (2) mounted on top of the hull (1) and a counterweight (3) suspended below the hull (1) by means of counterweight suspension means (18) isdescribed. Also a method for the installation is described. The counterweight (3) comprises one or more counterweight buoyancy tanks (17). When the internal volume of the buoyancy tanks (17) is filled with air, the total buoyancy of the counterweight (3) is close to or greater than its weight. Hereby it is capable of floating in a towing / maintenance position with moderate or no support in the vertical direction from the hull (1) or other vessels. During towing, the hull substantially has the character of a barge, substantially relying on a large waterplane area and shallow draft to maintainstability. When the buoyancy tanks (17) are partly or completely flooded with water, the counterweight (3) will sink to an installed position at a level determined by the counter- weight suspension means (18). In this position the counterweight acts as a keel, stabilizing the foundation. The counterweight suspension means (18) are separately or jointly capable of transfer- ring both forces and moments to the hull (1), thereby enabling the counterweight (3) to stabilize the hull (1) when the counterweight (3) is in its installed position.

A device of floating wind turbines comprises a floating foundation, the wind turbine mounted on the floating foundation, and a seabed anchor attached to the floating foundation, wherein the floating foundation is installed with two wind turbines and is attached to the seabed anchor by a tether, the two wind turbines are configured such that one of the two wind turbines has blades rotated in clockwise direction while the other of the two wind turbines has blades rotated in counter-clockwise direction, both turbines have an approximately equal speed and output power; whereby, due to both turbines having an approximately equal speed and output power, the torques existed in the wind turbines can be naturally counterbalanced, such that the wind turbines and the floating foundation can be maintained at a balance.

The invention discloses a four-upright semi-submersible type floating wind turbine foundation with a ballast. The four-upright semi-submersible type floating wind turbine foundation comprises four uprights, wherein three uprights are side uprights, and the other one is the middle upright. The three side uprights are arrayed at equal intervals to define an equilateral triangle. Each side upright isequipped with a square cabin, and the three side uprights are vertically arranged on the corresponding square cabins. The middle upright is located at the centroid of the equilateral triangle and isequipped with a circular cabin, and the middle upright is arranged on the circular cabin. Each square cabin and the circular cabin are connected through a variable cross-section rectangular buoy. A transition platform is arranged at the connecting position of the top of the middle upright and a tower tube of a wind turbine, an inclined strut is adopted between the tradition platform and each variable cross-section rectangular buoy to transmit the bending moment load of the whole wind turbine, and connecting bridges are arranged between the inclined struts and the variable cross-section rectangular buoys. The four-upright semi-submersible type floating wind turbine foundation with the ballast provides a safe, reliable and cost-controllable offshore supporting structure for large megawatt wind turbine unit (above 7MW), and guarantees stable, safe and reliable operation of the large megawatt wind turbine unit.

A device of floating wind turbine comprises a floating foundation, wind turbines provided on the floating foundation, and a seabed anchor attached to the floating foundation, wherein the floating foundation is symmetrically provided with two wind turbines; the floating foundation and the two wind turbines are attached to the seabed anchor by tethers, whereby when the wind turbines are driven to generate electrical power, they respectively exert an upward force and a downward force at a center portion of the floating foundation between the two wind turbines; both turbines have an approximately equal speed and output power; whereby the upward force can be counterbalanced by the downward force, so that the wind turbines and the floating foundation can be maintained at a balanced condition.

A method for coordinating wind turbine equipment. The wind turbine installation comprises: a floating base (1); a tower (2) arranged on the floating base; a generator housing (3) mounted on the tower and an anchor line arrangement connected to an anchor or an anchor point on the seabed (5), the generator casing (3) can rotate relative to the wind direction and is equipped with a wind rotor (4). The static heel angle φs_max in the case of full wind load acting on the wind turbine is as low as possible, but preferably less than 8 degrees, and all natural periods of the equipment are outside the periodic range of waves, and the fixed period T05 in pitch (sway T04) is preferably less than 80% of the fixed period T03 in lifting and lowering. Also, the ratio between T03 and T05 is not close to 0.5 or 1.

A movement inhibiting apparatus for a floating offshore wind turbine and a floating base with the apparatus. The movement inhibiting apparatus for the floating offshore wind turbine comprises at least one layer of an annular shake-reducing panel placed horizontally and surrounding the floating base. A plurality of shake-reducing fins is further arranged on the shake-reducing panel. The plurality of shake-reducing fins comprises a first set of shake-reducing fins arranged on one side of the shake-reducing panel and the shake-reducing fins of the first set are spaced apart vertically around the floating base. The movement inhibiting apparatus for the floating offshore wind turbine can effectively inhibit the movement of the floating wind turbine and is of low cost.

The present invention relates to a blade pitch controller for a floating wind turbine structure, wherein the floating wind turbine structure may include a support structure supporting a rotor having a number of blades. The controller may include standard blade pitch control means and active damping means. The standard blade pitch control means is arranged to control a blade pitch using a transfer function between a rotor speed error and the blade pitch. The active damping means is arranged to further control the blade pitch on the basis of a speed of a point on the wind turbine structure by converting the speed of a point on the wind turbine structure into a rotor speed error and using the same transfer function that is used in the standard blade pitch control means to convert the rotor speed error into a correction to the blade pitch.

The present invention relates to a blade pitch controller for a floating wind turbine structure, wherein the floating wind turbine structure comprises a support structure supporting a rotor having a plurality of blades. The controller comprises standard blade pitch control means and active damping means. The standard blade pitch control means is arranged to control a blade pitch using a transfer function between a rotor speed error and the blade pitch. The active damping means is arranged to further control the blade pitch on the basis of a speed of a point on the wind turbine structure by converting the speed of a point on the wind turbine structure into a rotor speed error and using the same transfer function that is used in the standard blade pitch control means to convert the rotor speed error into a correction to the blade pitch.