Stability frame, system and method for the installation of a wind turbine on an offshore substructure
AssigneeSaipem S.P.A.
InventorsVincent George McCarthy, Christopher Sexton
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Abstract
A stability frame for the installation of a wind turbine on an offshore substructure, wherein the wind turbine comprises a tower configured to be anchored to a rigging assembly below the barycenter of the wind turbine, has a main body configured to be mounted about the upper part of the tower; and a plurality of guides, which extend outwardly from the main body and are configured for constraining parts of the rigging assembly so as to laterally support the wind turbine by the rigging assembly.
Claims22
A wind turbine offshore substructure installation stability frame comprising:
- a main body configured to be mounted about an upper part of a tower of a wind turbine, the tower being configured to be anchored to a rigging assembly below a barycenter of the wind turbine;
- a plurality of guides each extending outwardly from the main body and are each configured to constrain a part of the rigging assembly;
- and
- two hooking members mounted on the main body and configured to cooperate with an automatic hooking assembly of a crane vessel.
A wind turbine offshore substructure installation system comprising:
- a stability frame comprising:
- a main body mounted about an upper part of a tower of a wind turbine,
- a plurality of guides each extending outwardly from the main body, and
- two hooking members mounted on the main body;
- a crane vessel comprising an automatic hooking assembly that cooperates with the two hooking members of the stability frame;
- and
- a rigging assembly anchored to the tower below a barycenter of the wind turbine and configured to be constrained by the stability frame.
A method of installing a wind turbine on an offshore substructure, the method comprising:
- coupling a stability frame to an upper half of a tower of the wind turbine, the stability frame comprising a main body, a plurality of guides each extending outwardly from the main body, and two hooking members mounted on the main body;
- controlling a rigging assembly by a crane vessel;
- anchoring the rigging assembly to a lower part of the tower below a barycenter of the wind turbine;
- constraining a plurality of parts of the rigging assembly into the plurality of guides of the stability frame;
- vertically lifting the wind turbine by the crane vessel;
- transferring the wind turbine to the offshore substructure;
- and
- lowering the wind turbine on the offshore substructure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.