# US 12,180,928 B2 · Floating foundation for an offshore wind turbine, a system for extracting energy from wind, and a method of installing a wind turbine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,180,928 B2 - Document ID: US12180928B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/621,853 - Filed: 2020-06-26 - Published: 2022-07-28 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2019-07-04 - Assignees: Newtech LLC - Applicants: Newtech AS - Inventors: Yngvar Borø; Ricardo Nuno Correia; Arild Andersen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12180928B2 ## CPC - B63B 1/048: {with hull extending principally vertically} - F03D 13/25: specially adapted for offshore installation - B63B 35/44: Floating buildings, stores, drilling platforms, or workshops, e.g. carrying water-oil separating devices {(construction methods for floating offshore platforms B63B75/00)} - B63B 75/00: Building or assembling floating offshore structures, e.g. semi-submersible platforms, SPAR platforms or wind turbine platforms - F03D 13/10: Assembly of wind motors; Arrangements for erecting wind motors - F03D 13/22: {Foundations specially adapted for wind motors} - F03D 13/256: {on a floating support, i.e. floating wind motors} - B63B 2001/044: {with a small waterline area compared to total displacement, e.g. of semi-submersible type} - B63B 2035/446: {for converting wind energy into electric energy} - B63B 2039/067: {effecting motion dampening by means of fixed or movable resistance bodies, e.g. by bilge keels} - F05B 2240/93: on a structure floating on a liquid surface - F05B 2240/95: offshore - Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction - Y02E 10/727: Offshore wind turbines - B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06) - F03D: WIND MOTORS - F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A floating foundation for an offshore wind turbine has a center pipe, a buoyancy section, a weight section, and a plurality of wire ropes, The buoyancy section is connected to the center pipe to keep the foundation floating. The weight section is connected to the center pipe to provide stability to the foundation. The wire ropes are connected to the buoyancy section and the weight section and are arranged for being tensioned so as to add bending strength to the foundation The floating foundation has hoisting means for lowering or raising the center pipe. The hoisting means includes winches for increasing or decreasing a length of each of wire ropes connecting the buoyancy section and the weight section, for lowering or raising the center pipe of the floating foundation. A system is disclosed for extracting energy from wind. A method is disclosed for installing a wind turbine. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A floating foundation for an offshore wind turbine, the floating foundation comprising a center pipe, a buoyancy section, a weight section, and a plurality of wire ropes, wherein: the buoyancy section is connected to the center pipe for providing buoyancy to the floating foundation to keep the floating foundation floating; the weight section is connected to a lower end portion of the center pipe for providing stability to the floating foundation; and the plurality of wire ropes extend between and are connected to the buoyancy section and the weight section and are arranged for being tensioned and for adding bending strength to the floating foundation when they are tensioned, wherein the floating foundation further comprises a plurality of hoisting means for lowering or raising the center pipe of the floating foundation, and wherein the plurality of hoisting means is a plurality of winches for letting out or pulling in wire rope for increasing or decreasing a length of wire rope of each of the plurality of wire ropes connecting the buoyancy section and the weight section, for lowering or raising the center pipe of the floating foundation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The floating foundation according to claim 1, wherein at least one or more of the plurality of tensioned wire ropes extend from an outer portion of the buoyancy section to the weight section. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The floating foundation according to claim 1, wherein the buoyancy section comprises a ring being concentric with the center pipe. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The floating foundation according to claim 1, wherein the center pipe is open in its lower end portion, so as to allow water into the center pipe. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The floating foundation according to claim 1, wherein the floating foundation comprises a selectively releasable locking mechanism for locking the center pipe in a position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The floating foundation according to claim 1, wherein the floating foundation further comprises an active heave compensation system, the active heave compensation system comprising at least one sensor and being arranged to alter a position of the weight section relative to the center pipe in response to information obtained by the at least one sensor, the at least one sensor being arranged to obtain information relevant for the stability of the floating foundation in a body of water. ### Claim 7 A floating foundation for an offshore wind turbine, the floating foundation comprising a center pipe, a buoyancy section, a weight section, and a plurality of tensioned wire ropes, wherein the buoyancy section is fixed to an upper end portion of the center pipe for providing buoyancy to the floating foundation to keep the floating foundation floating in a body of water, and the buoyancy section is configured to float at a surface of the body of water such that an above-water portion of the floating foundation is above the surface, the weight section is fixed to an opposite, lower end portion of the center pipe for providing stability to the floating foundation, and the plurality of tensioned wire ropes extends between and are connected to the buoyancy section and the weight section for adding bend portioning strength to the floating foundation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The floating foundation according to claim 7, wherein at least one or more of the plurality of tensioned wire ropes extend from an outer portion of the buoyancy section to the weight section. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The floating foundation according to claim 7, wherein the buoyancy section comprises a ring being concentric with the center pipe. ### Claim 10 A system for extracting energy from wind, the system comprising a wind turbine and a floating foundation comprising a center pipe, a buoyancy section, a weight section, and a plurality of tensioned wire ropes, wherein the buoyancy section is fixed to an upper end portion of the center pipe for providing buoyancy to the floating foundation to keep the floating foundation floating in a body of water, and the buoyancy section is configured to float at a surface of the body of water such that an above-water portion of the floating foundation is above the surface, the weight section is fixed to an opposite, lower end portion of the center pipe for providing stability to the floating foundation, and the plurality of tensioned wire ropes extends between and are connected to the buoyancy section and the weight section for adding bend portioning strength to the floating foundation. ### Claim 11 A method of installing a wind turbine, the method comprising: providing a floating foundation comprising a center pipe, a buoyancy section, a weight section, and a plurality of tensioned wire ropes, wherein the buoyancy section is fixed to an upper end portion of the center pipe for providing buoyancy to the floating foundation to keep the floating foundation floating in a body of water, and the buoyancy section is configured to float at a surface of the body of water such that an above-water portion of the floating foundation is above the surface, the weight section is fixed to an opposite, lower end portion of the center pipe for providing stability to the floating foundation, and the plurality of tensioned wire ropes extends between and are connected to the buoyancy section and the weight section for adding bend portioning strength to the floating foundation; installing a mast onto the floating foundation, and connecting it to the center pipe; installing a nacelle on a upper portion of the mast; and mounting a plurality of rotor blades onto the nacelle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising providing the floating foundation with hoisting means for raising and lowering the center pipe: lowering the center pipe and as a result also the mast by use of the hoisting means prior to installing the mast, the nacelle and the plurality of rotor blades; and raising the center pipe by use of the hoisting means after installing the mast, the nacelle and the plurality of rotor blades, and thereby raising the wind turbine. ### Claim 13 A method of improving stability of a floating foundation for an offshore wind turbine, the method comprising: providing the floating foundation, wherein the floating foundation has a weight section, a platform for a wind turbine, and an active heave compensation system, the active heave compensation system comprising at least one wire rope, at least one sensor, at least one actuator, at least one hoisting means, and at least one control device, the active heave compensation system being arranged to alter a position of the weight section relative to the platform for the wind turbine, wherein the at least one hoisting means is connected to the at least one wire rope, and wherein the control device is connected to the at least one sensor for receiving data from the at least one sensor and connected to the at least one hoisting means to communicate a signal to operate the at least one hoisting means to let out or pull in a length of wire rope; and altering the position of the weight section by altering the tension of the at least one wire rope connected to the weight section by pulling in or letting out a length of the at least one wire rope by use of the at least one hoisting means, wherein the altering of the position of the weight section is performed automatically as a result of the control device processing data obtained by the at least one sensor and as a response sends a signal to operate the at least one hoisting means. ### Claim 14 (depends on 7) The floating foundation according to claim 7, the buoyancy section comprising an upper section comprising a platform, the platform being an access platform or a working deck. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The floating foundation according to claim 7, further comprising: a sensor mounted on an above-water portion of the buoyancy section, the sensor configured to obtain information on at least one of: wind speed; wind direction; and air temperature; and a control device configured to: receive information from the sensor; and act on the information by operating equipment in response to the information. ### Claim 16 (depends on 7) The floating foundation according to claim 7, wherein the center pipe extends between the buoyancy section and the weight section, and has an uppermost portion comprising a first end of the center pipe and a lowermost portion comprising a second end of the center pipe, wherein the buoyancy section is disposed closer to the first end than to the second end, and the weight section is disposed closer to the second end than to the first end. ### Claim 17 (depends on 7) The floating foundation according to claim 7, wherein the center pipe is open in its lower end portion, so as to allow water into the center pipe. ### Claim 18 (depends on 7) The floating foundation according to claim 7, wherein the floating foundation comprises a selectively releasable locking mechanism for locking the center pipe in a position. ### Claim 19 (depends on 7) The floating foundation according to claim 7, wherein the floating foundation further comprises an active heave compensation system, the active heave compensation system comprising at least one sensor and being arranged to alter a position of the weight section relative to the center pipe in response to information obtained by the at least one sensor, the at least one sensor being arranged to obtain information relevant for the stability of the floating foundation in a body of water.