US 2025/0042518 A1 · STRUCTURES AND METHODS FOR THE TRANSPORT, INSTALLATION, AND MAINTENANCE OF AN OFFSHORE WIND TURBINE

Abstract

Described herein is an offshore buoyant structure, a floating buoyant structure, and methods of loading and unloading a floatable wind turbine substructure. The offshore buoyant structure includes a split hull constructed and dimensioned in a manner to provide a long moon pool; and a floatable wind turbine substructure accommodated by the split hull and configured to receive a floating wind turbine with a portion of the floating wind turbine extending downwardly into the long moon pool such that relative motion between at least the offshore buoyant structure and the floatable wind turbine substructure or floating wind turbine when received by the floatable wind turbine substructure is minimized. The floating buoyant structure includes a split hull constructed and dimensioned in a manner to provide a long moon pool, the split hull is configured to accommodate a floatable wind turbine substructure or a floating wind turbine assembly and minimize relative motion therebetween.

Claims29

Dependent claims

An offshore buoyant structure comprising:

a split hull constructed and dimensioned in a manner to provide a long moon pool;
and
a floatable wind turbine substructure accommodated by the split hull and configured to receive a floating wind turbine with a portion of the floating wind turbine extending downwardly into the long moon pool such that relative motion between at least the offshore buoyant structure and the floatable wind turbine substructure or floating wind turbine when received by the floatable wind turbine substructure is minimized.

A method of loading and/or unloading a floatable wind turbine substructure, the method comprising:

for loading,
(a) providing a split hull constructed and dimensioned in a manner to provide a long moon pool, wherein the split hull is configured to accommodate the floatable wind turbine substructure, wherein the floatable wind turbine substructure is configured to receive a floating wind turbine;
(b) lowering the split hull to submerge the split hull to below a draft of the floatable wind turbine substructure;
(c) placing the split hull below the floatable wind turbine substructure such that a portion of the floating wind turbine extends downwardly into the long moon pool;
(d) lifting the split hull to accommodate the floatable wind turbine substructure such that relative motion between the split hull and the floatable wind turbine substructure is minimized;
and
for unloading,
providing an offshore buoyant structure, wherein the offshore buoyant structure comprises the split hull constructed and dimensioned in a manner to provide the long moon pool;
and the floatable wind turbine substructure accommodated by the split hull and configured to receive the floating wind turbine with the portion of the floating wind turbine extending downwardly into the long moon pool;
and
lowering the split hull to below the draft of the floatable wind turbine substructure;
and
decoupling the split hull from the floatable wind turbine substructure.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Structures and methods for the transport, installation, and maintenance of an offshore wind turbine

Life of this patent

Structures and methods for the transport, installation, and maintenance of an offshore wind turbine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29