Floating foundation for wind turbines and method for manufacturing a floating foundation for wind turbines
AssigneeLeicon ApS
InventorFrederik Rytter
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Abstract
A method for manufacturing a floating foundation for a wind turbine, wherein the floating foundation comprises load carrying structures and a plurality of air pontoons attached to the load carrying structures, is disclosed. The method includes cutting one or more fiber-reinforced composite structures, such as wind turbine blades, into a plurality of smaller pieces comprising fiber-reinforced composite, molding the air pontoons from the smaller pieces, and attaching the air pontoons to the load carrying structures.
Claims20
A method for manufacturing a floating foundation for a wind turbine, the floating foundation comprising load carrying structures and a plurality of air pontoons attached to the load carrying structures, wherein each air pontoon is attached to a base portion of the load carrying structures, wherein the method comprises:
- a) cutting one or more fiber-reinforced composite structures into a plurality of smaller pieces comprising fiber-reinforced composite material;
- b) molding the air pontoons from the smaller pieces;
- and
- c) attaching the air pontoons to the load carrying structures,
- wherein the step of molding the air pontoons from the smaller pieces comprises:
- filling a quantity of smaller pieces and resin into a mold;
- closing the mold;
- opening the mold;
- and
- removing the molded air pontoon from the mold,
- wherein mechanical properties of the smaller pieces are determined prior to molding the air pontoon and wall thicknesses of the air pontoon are selected such that a mechanical strength of the air pontoon is equal to or above a predefined selected level.
A floating foundation for a wind turbine, the floating foundation comprising load carrying structures and a plurality of air pontoons attached to the load carrying structures, wherein the air pontoons are made from recycled one or more fiber-reinforced composite structures, wherein the floating foundation is manufactured in a manner, in which
- a) one or more fiber-reinforced composite structures are cut into a plurality of smaller pieces comprising fiber-reinforced composite material;
- b) the air pontoons are molded from the smaller pieces;
- and
- c) the air pontoons are attached to the load carrying structures,
- wherein mechanical properties of the smaller pieces are determined prior to molding the air pontoon and wall thicknesses of the air pontoon are selected such that a mechanical strength of the air pontoon is equal to or above a predefined selected level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.