Back to results
US 12,571,372 B2Granted
Floating wind turbine systems and methods
AssigneeAikido Technologies, Inc.
InventorsSam Kanner, Bingbin Yu, James Reeves
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system that comprises a hull assembly that includes a plurality of outer columns including a first outer column, a second outer column and a third outer column, the plurality of outer columns surrounding and spaced about a central axis Y.
Claims21
A system comprising:
- a tower that includes a turbine with a nacelle, hub and a plurality of blades extending from the hub, the tower having a central axis Y;
- a hull assembly that includes:
- a central column coupled to a base of the tower at a top of the central column, the central column having a central column axis coincident with the central axis Y,
- a plurality of outer columns, including no more than three outer columns, and including a first outer column, a second outer column and a third outer column, the plurality of outer columns surrounding and equally spaced about the central column with respective adjacent outer columns being 120° from each other about the central axis Y and defining three planes of symmetry that are coincident with the central axis Y;
- a plurality of upper truss members, including at least a first upper truss member, a second upper truss member and a third upper truss member that respectively couple the first, second and third outer columns with the central column and that extend from respective top ends of the first, second and third outer columns;
- a plurality of lower truss members including at least a first lower truss member, a second lower truss member and a third lower truss member that respectively couple the first, second and third outer columns with the central column and that extend from respective bottom ends of the first, second and third outer columns;
- a plurality of cross-beams, the plurality of cross-beams including at least a first cross-beam, a second cross-beam and a third cross-beam, that respectively couple the first, second and third outer columns with the central column and that extend diagonally between respective upper and lower truss members, wherein a first end of each cross-beam is slidably coupled to the central column and a second end of each cross-beam is rotatably coupled to a respective outer column;
- wherein the hull assembly is configured to assume an extended configuration where the first, second and third upper truss members extend between the central column and a respective outer column in a first common plane;
- and the first, second and third lower truss members extend between the central column and a respective outer column in a second common plane that is parallel to the first common plane and perpendicular to the central axis Y;
- and the three outer columns have respective outer column central axes that are parallel to each other;
- and
- wherein the hull assembly is configured to assume a collapsed configuration from the extended configuration, where one or two of the three outer columns are configured to fold upward toward and proximate to the tower;
- and one or two other columns of the three outer columns are configured to fold downward below and proximate to a base of the central column.
10 more elements
A system comprising:
- a hull assembly that includes:
- a central column with a central axis Y,
- a plurality of outer columns including a first outer column, a second outer column and a third outer column, the plurality of outer columns surrounding and equally spaced about the central column about the central axis Y;
- a plurality of upper truss members, including at least a first upper truss member, a second upper truss member and a third upper truss member that respectively couple the first, second and third outer columns with the central column;
- a plurality of lower truss members including at least a first lower truss member, a second lower truss member and a third lower truss member that respectively couple the first, second and third outer columns with the central column;
- and
- a plurality of cross-beams, including at least a first cross-beam, a second cross-beam and a third cross-beam, that respectively couple and extend diagonally between the first, second and third outer columns and the central column, wherein a first end of each cross-beam is slidably coupled to the central column and a second end of each cross-beam is rotatably coupled to a respective outer column.
4 more elements
A hull assembly comprising:
- a central column extending along a central axis Y;
- a plurality of outer columns including a first outer column, a second outer column and a third outer column, the plurality of outer columns surrounding and spaced about a central axis Y;
- a plurality of truss members that respectively couple the first, second and third outer columns with the central column, each of the truss members rotatably coupled to the central column;
- and
- a plurality of cross-beams that respectively couple the first, second and third outer columns with the central column, wherein a first end of each cross-beam is slidably coupled to the central column and a second end of each cross-beam is rotatably coupled to a respective outer column.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.