Renewable energy platform with optimised assembly
AssigneeMarine Power Systems Limited
InventorGraham David FOSTER
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Abstract
An offshore renewable energy system mounting platform is provided for positioning a renewable energy converter in a body of water. The platform includes a frame having a first structural member and a second structural member that are positioned adjacent one another at a mating connection and at least one mooring member affixed to the frame at a tethering location which is tethers the frame to a bed of the body of water. Either the first or second structural members comprises a buoyancy and a tension in the mooring member is arranged to counteract the buoyancy to urge the first and second structural members together at the mating connection. The platform may be manufactured as a set of pre-fabricated modular components which are subsequently assembled into the complete platform.
Claims22
An offshore renewable energy system mounting platform for positioning a renewable energy converter in a body of water, the platform comprising:
- a frame having a first structural member and a second structural member, the first and second structural members positioned adjacent one another at a mating connection;
- and
- at least one mooring member affixed to the frame at a tethering location, the at least one mooring member arranged to tether the frame to a bed of the body of water in an in-use configuration;
- wherein at least one of the first and second structural members comprises a buoyancy;
- and
- wherein in the in-use configuration, a tension in the mooring member is arranged to counteract said buoyancy to urge the first and second structural members together at the mating connection.
An offshore renewable energy system mounting platform for positioning a renewable energy converter in a body of water, the platform comprising:
- a tetrahedral frame having:
- a triangular base portion comprising three elongate first braces forming a mating connection at each vertex of said triangular base portion, at least one of the first braces comprising a buoyancy;
- an upper portion comprising three elongate second braces, each of the three elongate second braces extending from and engaged at a first end thereof with, a corresponding said mating connection;
- and
- a transition member positioned engaged with a second end of each of the second braces and forming an upper tip of the tetrahedral frame, the transition member arranged to support the renewable energy converter thereon;
- the platform further comprising:
- a mooring member affixed to a tethering location positioned on the upper portion and/or the transition member, and arranged to tether the frame to a bed of the body of water in an in-use configuration;
- and
- wherein in the in-use configuration, a tension provided by the mooring member is arranged to counteract said buoyancy to urge the base portion and the upper portion together at the mating connection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.