An offshore monopile wind turbine with a triangular support structure, comprising:
- an elongate steel monopile column formed of a lower section, an intermediate section, and an upper section, a top end of the lower section secured to a bottom end of the intermediate section by a cylindrical lower connecting collar, and a top end of the intermediate section secured to a bottom end of the top section by a cylindrical lower connecting collar;
- the triangular support structure having a triangular three-sided bottom portion extending horizontally outward from one side of the lower connecting collar, the bottom portion formed of a first pair of lower horizontal tubular beams welded at one end to the lower connecting collar and diverging angularly outwardly therefrom and the outer ends thereof are each welded to a respective vertical skirt pile sleeve, and a third lower horizontal tubular beam welded at each end to the respective skirt pile sleeves to extend therebetween and complete the horizontal triangular configuration;
- a second pair of lower horizontal tubular beams welded at one end to a mid-portion of the third lower horizontal tubular beam and diverging outwardly therefrom and having opposed outer ends each welded to a respective one of the first pair of lower horizontal tubular beams that diverge outwardly from the lower connecting collar, the second pair of lower horizontal tubular beams defining a pair of triangular openings that extend inwardly from outer corners of the horizontal triangular bottom portion;
- a pair of mudmats secured to the underside of the lower horizontal tubular beam and diverging lower horizontal tubular beams, and spanning the triangular openings at the outer corners of the horizontal triangular bottom portion;
- an upper pair of tubular beams welded at one end to the upper connecting collar and diverging angularly outward and downward therefrom and having outer ends each welded to a respective skirt pile sleeve above its the connection of the respective skirt pile sleeve with the lower horizontal tubular beams, and a pair of tubular knee brace members each welded at one end to the lower connecting collar and diverging angularly upward and outward therefrom and having outer ends each welded to a respective one of the upper pair of tubular beams;
- a pair of elongate vertical guide plates welded onto diametrically opposed sides of the intermediate section of the monopile column, respectively, above the upper connecting collar and extending a short distance radially outward therefrom in a plane parallel to the horizontal plane of the third horizontal tubular beam of the triangular three-sided bottom portion of the support structure to aid and facilitate properly positioning the triangular three-sided bottom portion of the support structure during installation;
- and
- a horizontal wind turbine platform secured to the top end of the elongate upper section of the monopile column and an elongate wind turbine tower secured a bottom end to the platform, a nacelle mounted on top of the turbine tower, the nacelle including a rotor with three rotor blades.