Method of construction, assembly, and launch of a floating wind turbine platform

A method of constructing and assembling a floating wind turbine platform comprising:

• constructing pre-stressed reinforced concrete keystones, pre-stressed reinforced concrete beam sections, and pre-stressed reinforced concrete column base sections of a floating wind turbine platform base at multiple construction locations in an on-shore assembly area;
• assembling the beam sections and the column base sections to form a plurality of bottom beams at a first assembly location in the on-shore assembly area;
• assembling three bottom beams to a keystone at the first assembly location;
• post-tensioning each of the bottom beams to the keystone along the longitudinal axes of the bottom beams to define a base at the first assembly location;
• moving the base to a second assembly location in the on-shore assembly area;
• constructing pre-stressed reinforced concrete sections of floating wind turbine platform columns at multiple construction locations in the on-shore assembly area;
• assembling a plurality of the column sections onto the keystone to form a center column at the second assembly location;
• assembling a plurality of the column sections onto each column base section of the bottom beams to form outer columns at the second assembly location;
• post-tensioning each of the center column and the outer columns along their longitudinal axes to the base to define a hull at the second assembly location;
• moving the hull to a third assembly location in the on-shore assembly area;
• mounting secondary structures on and within the hull at the third assembly location;
• moving the hull to a fourth assembly location in the on-shore assembly area;
• constructing a wind turbine tower on the center column at the fourth assembly location;
• mounting a wind turbine on the wind turbine tower at the fourth assembly location, thus defining the floating wind turbine platform;
• moving the floating wind turbine platform to a launch platform in a fifth assembly location;
• and
• launching the floating wind turbine platform into a body of water.

A method of constructing and assembling a floating wind turbine platform comprising:

• 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 assembly location in a floating wind turbine platform assembly area;
• moving the base to a second assembly location in the floating wind turbine platform assembly area;
• constructing pre-stressed concrete sections of floating wind turbine platform columns;
• assembling the column sections to form a center column and a plurality of outer columns on the base to define a hull at the second assembly location in the floating wind turbine platform assembly area;
• moving the hull to a third assembly location in the floating wind turbine platform assembly area;
• mounting secondary structures on and within the hull;
• moving the hull to a fourth assembly location in the floating wind turbine platform assembly area;
• constructing a wind turbine tower on the center column;
• mounting a wind turbine on the wind turbine tower, thus defining the floating wind turbine platform;
• moving the floating wind turbine platform to a launch platform in a fifth assembly location;
• and
• launching the floating wind turbine platform into a body of water;
• wherein the base is assembled on a platform configured to move on a system of rails;
• wherein the rails extend between the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth assembly locations;
• wherein the fifth assembly location includes a dock having two finger piers extending therefrom into the body of water;
• and
• wherein the finger piers include a system of rails thereon, the method further including:
• moving the floating wind turbine platform on the rails in the fifth assembly location onto the rails of the finger piers such that a portion of the base is supported on the finger piers above a surface of the body water and a portion of the base is supported on the dock;
• moving a semi-submersible launch barge between the finger piers and underneath the floating wind turbine platform supported on the finger piers, the semi-submersible launch barge having a plurality of buoyant stability columns extending outwardly from a deck of the semi-submersible launch barge;
• removing ballast from the semi-submersible launch barge until the launch barge lifts the floating wind turbine platform off of the finger piers and the dock, thereby transferring the floating wind turbine platform onto the semi-submersible launch barge;
• towing the semi-submersible launch barge to a launch area in the body of water;
• submerging the semi-submersible launch barge below the surface of the water until the floating wind turbine tower floats freely;
• and
• moving the floating wind turbine platform away from the semi-submersible launch barge.

A method of constructing and assembling a floating wind turbine platform comprising:

• 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 assembly location in a floating wind turbine platform assembly area;
• moving the base to a second assembly location in the floating wind turbine platform assembly area;
• constructing pre-stressed concrete sections of floating wind turbine platform columns;
• assembling the column sections to form a center column and a plurality of outer columns on the base to define a hull at the second assembly location in the floating wind turbine platform assembly area;
• moving the hull to a third assembly location in the floating wind turbine platform assembly area;
• mounting secondary structures on and within the hull;
• moving the hull to a fourth assembly location in the floating wind turbine platform assembly area;
• constructing a wind turbine tower on the center column;
• mounting a wind turbine on the wind turbine tower, thus defining the floating wind turbine platform;
• moving the floating wind turbine platform to a launch platform in a fifth assembly location;
• and
• launching the floating wind turbine platform into a body of water;
• wherein the base is assembled on a platform configured to move on a system of rails;
• wherein the rails extend between the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth assembly locations;
• wherein the fifth assembly location includes a dock having launch dock extending therefrom into the body of water;
• wherein a first end of the launch dock is pivotally attached to the dock and a second end of the launch dock extends away from the dock and into the body of water;
• and
• wherein the launch dock includes a system of launch rails thereon, the method further including:
• moving the floating wind turbine platform on the rails in the fifth assembly location onto the launch rails of the launch dock until the floating wind turbine platform is fully supported on the launch dock;
• lowering the second end of the launch dock into the body of water;
• and
• sliding the floating wind turbine platform on the launch rails into the body water.