Method of assembly and installation of an offshore support structure for a wind turbine
AssigneeStiesdal Offshore A/S
InventorHenrik Stiesdal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In the assembly of the support structure of a wind turbine, N sets of a first tubular brace and a second tubular brace extend from a tower support. For each set, the second braces are connected at one or both of their end parts by a casted connection. The first brace or the tower structure has a casting cavity for accommodating an end of the corresponding second brace. In order to assemble the construction, the second brace is inserted into the cavity, after which the end of the first brace is lifted until the end of the second brace is inserted deeply enough into the respective cavity.
Claims11
A method for assembling an offshore support structure for a wind turbine, the method comprising:
- providing a tower support for carrying a wind turbine tower;
- providing N first braces and N second braces, wherein N is an integer having a value of at least three, each brace having a first end part and a second end part;
- wherein
- each of the braces has a longitudinal central axis;
- for each pair of one of the first braces and one of the second braces, connecting the second end part of the first brace to a first part of the tower support at a first connection, and connecting the second end part of the second brace to a second part of the tower support at a second connection, and connecting the first end part of the second brace to the first brace at a third connection, wherein the second part of the tower support and the second connection are above the first part of the tower support and the first connection when the support structure is oriented for offshore operation, and wherein the tower support, the first brace, and the second brace form a triangle in a vertical plane, and wherein the N pairs of braces are directed outwards from the tower support in different directions about a vertical central axis of the tower support;
- providing the first connections as pivotal connections for pivoting the first braces relatively to the tower support in a vertical plane;
- and
- (A) providing each of the first braces with a brace cavity at the third connection, each brace cavity being dimensioned to receive a first end part of one of the second braces, orienting the first end part of the second brace towards the brace cavity, then lifting the first end part of the first brace to reduce a distance between the brace cavity and the first end part of the second brace, and due to continued lifting of the first end part of the first brace receiving the first end part of the second brace in the brace cavity, then, stopping the lifting of the first end part of the first brace and fixing the second brace in the brace cavity into a rigid structure by solidifying hardening casting material in the brace cavity;
- or
- (B) providing the tower support with tower cavities at the second connections, each tower cavity being dimensioned to receive a second end part of one of the second braces, orienting the second end part towards the tower cavity in the tower support, then lifting the first end part of the first brace to also lift the second brace and reduce a distance between the tower cavity and the second end part of the second brace, and due to continued lifting of the first end part of the first brace receiving the second end part of the second brace in the tower cavity, then stopping the lifting of the first end part of the first brace and fixing the second brace in the tower cavity into a rigid structure by solidifying hardening casting material in the tower cavity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.