# US 12,539,942 B2 · Floating body for offshore wind turbine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,539,942 B2 - Document ID: US12539942B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/012,721 - Filed: 2021-06-29 - Published: 2023-08-17 - Granted: 2026-02-03 - Earliest claimed: 2020-06-30 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Makoto Ohta; Kai Karikomi; Masao Komatsu; Shin Terada; Shingen Takeda; Noriyuki Manabe; Shin Nakayama - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12539942B2 ## CPC - B63B 1/121: {comprising two hulls (B63B1/107 takes precedence)} - B63B 1/125: {comprising more than two hulls (B63B1/107 takes precedence)} - 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 39/02: to decrease vessel movements by displacement of masses - F03D 13/25: specially adapted for offshore installation - B63B 2001/128: {comprising underwater connectors between the hulls} - 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} - F03D 13/256: {on a floating support, i.e. floating wind motors} - 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 body for an offshore wind turbine includes: one first column; two second columns; two lower hulls connecting the first column to each of the second columns; and a beam member connecting the two lower hulls. The beam member is disposed within a height range between an upper surface and a lower surface of each lower hull. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A floating body for an offshore wind turbine, comprising: one first column; two second columns; two lower hulls connecting the first column to each of the second columns; and a beam member connecting the two lower hulls, wherein the beam member is disposed within a height range between an upper surface and a lower surface of each lower hull, and wherein a connecting portion between the beam member and each lower hull is located on the lower hull between a first connection position where the first column is connected and a second connection position where the second column is connected. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein, in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to an extension direction of the beam member, a width of the beam member is larger than a height of the beam member in at least part of the beam member. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the beam member is located at a height of the upper surface of each lower hull. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein a lower surface of the beam member is located at a height of the lower surface of each lower hull. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein a lower surface of the beam member is located above the lower surface of each lower hull, and an upper surface of the beam member is located below the upper surface of each lower hull. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein, in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to an extension direction of each lower hull, a corner portion of the lower hull is chamfered. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein, in plan view, the one first column and the two second columns form each vertex of an imaginary isosceles triangle with the first column corresponding to an apex angle, and wherein the apex angle is 50 degrees or more and 70 degrees or less. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein each lower hull has: a ballast space capable of storing ballast water; and a first void space formed separately from the ballast space and facing a region that faces at least part of a connecting portion between the lower hull and the beam member. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein each lower hull has: a ballast space capable of storing ballast water; and a second void space formed separately from the ballast space and facing a region that faces at least part of a connecting portion between the lower hull and the first column. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the beam member is a hollow structure with a water-permeable interior space, and has a center of volume located below a center of buoyancy of the floating body excluding the beam member. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein the beam member is a hollow structure with a watertight interior space, and has a center of volume located above a center of buoyancy of the floating body excluding the beam member. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein a lower hull or a beam member connecting the two second columns to each other is not provided. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a cross-section of the first column perpendicular to an extension direction of the first column, a cross-section of each second column perpendicular to an extension direction of the second column, and a cross-section of each lower hull perpendicular to an extension direction of the lower hull is of a polygon. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 13, wherein a first column cross-section which is the cross-section of the first column perpendicular to the extension direction is of a polygon, wherein each of the two lower hulls includes an inner side surface to which either end of the beam member is connected, and an outer side surface opposite to the inner side surface, and wherein the outer side surfaces of the two lower hulls extend on extensions of any two sides of the polygon, respectively. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 14, wherein the polygon has one or more other sides connecting the two sides on opposite sides from the two lower hulls. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 13, wherein a first column cross-section which is the cross-section of the first column perpendicular to the extension direction is of a polygon, and wherein the two lower hulls are connected to two outer surfaces of the first column corresponding to two non-adjacent sides of the polygon, respectively. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 13, wherein a second column cross-section which is the cross-section of each second column perpendicular to the extension direction is of a rectangle, and wherein a length of a long side of the second column cross-section is larger than a width dimension of each lower hull. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 1, wherein, in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to an extension direction of the beam member, the beam member has a rectangular outer periphery. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 18, wherein, in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to an extension direction of the beam member, a corner portion of the beam member is chamfered. ### Claim 20 A floating body for an offshore wind turbine, comprising: one first column; two second columns; two lower hulls connecting the first column to each of the second columns; and a beam member connecting the two lower hulls, wherein the beam member is disposed within a height range between an upper surface and a lower surface of each lower hull, wherein one of the one first column or the two second columns is a primary column on which a wind turbine power generating apparatus is mounted, wherein the other of the one first column or the two second columns is a secondary column on which a wind turbine power generating apparatus is not mounted, and wherein a connecting portion between the beam member and each lower hull is located between a midpoint of each lower hull in a longitudinal direction and the secondary column. ### Claim 21 A floating body for an offshore wind turbine, comprising: one first column; two second columns; two lower hulls connecting the first column to each of the second columns; and a beam member connecting the two lower hulls, wherein the beam member is disposed within a height range between an upper surface and a lower surface of each lower hull, wherein the plate member is disposed so as to form a gap between the plate member and a side surface of the beam member. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The floating body for an offshore wind turbine according to claim 21, wherein a lower surface of the plate member is located at a height of a lower surface of the beam member.