High capacity, shallow draft, ocean-borne wind turbine

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of floats are spaced apart defining an area A between the floats, the blades have a length l, and l/√{square root over (A)} is less than 5.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein connections between the plurality of floats include one or more rigid connectors selected from beams and trusses.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein connections between the plurality of floats include taut cables.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least two floats of the plurality of floats are rigidly connected.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least three floats of the plurality of floats are rigidly connected.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least four floats of the plurality of floats are rigidly connected.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of floats is 2 to 10 floats.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of floats includes floats that are approximately biconical.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, having a mass of at least 30,000 kg and a draft of less than about one ninth of the length of the blades.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the floats are adapted to provide a maximum buoyancy of about 120% to about 300% the weight-required buoyancy for the wind turbine.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the turbine rotor is positioned such that the blades rotate between at least two towers of the plurality of towers.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein each tower of the plurality of towers is connected on top of a float.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a heave frequency larger than about 0.2 Hz, when it is not operating.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wind turbine has a mass of less than 1,000,000 kg.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, not having a nacelle.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electrical generator is positioned between the plurality of towers.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electrical generator, when the wind turbine is floating on water, is positioned closer to the water than the turbine rotor.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the turbine rotor is coupled to the electrical generator with a coupling comprising a sheave holding a belt, the sheave connected to the turbine rotor to rotate with rotation of the turbine rotor and the belt wrapping a smaller drum on a shaft which drives the electrical generator.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sheave has a diameter which is about 10% to about 20% of the diameter of the turbine rotor.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a gear box coupled to a shaft of the electrical generator.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wind turbine, when floating, is adapted to allow the plurality of towers to yaw as a single unitized structure to orient the turbine rotor against the wind.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a mooring cable attached to a fixed underwater mooring point, which, when under tension, points from the underwater mooring point to the hub or to a point in space within a distance from the hub which is less than about 20% of the length of the blades.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of towers is a plurality of lattice towers.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of floats includes four floats configured in a square arrangement with a distance of about 36 meters to about 72 meters, the plurality of towers includes four lattice towers, each of the flour lattice towers attached to the top of one of the four floats, the four lattice towers sloping upward to structurally support the turbine rotor, each pair of diagonally opposite floats being rigidly connected.

A wind turbine, (i) comprising a) a plurality of floats and one or more connectors interconnecting the plurality of floats;

• b) a plurality of towers connected to the plurality of floats;
• c) a turbine rotor, including a hub and a plurality of blades, structurally supported by the plurality of towers, the turbine rotor coupled to an electrical generator;
• and d) a mooring cable attached to an underwater mooring point, which, when under tension, points from the underwater mooring point to the hub or to a point in space within a distance from the hub which is less than about 15% of the diameter of the turbine rotor, and with a slope of about 0.75:1 to about 3:1.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein electric power generated by the wind turbine is used to produce ammonia, hydrogen, liquid fuels, metals, or distilled water.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, comprising a single mooring rope of controlled slope to prevent wind induced pitch while permitting rising with the tide, and yawing to follow the wind.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, comprising a single mooring rope, wherein the mooring rope is a neutrally buoyant rope to prevent catenary sag and compliance.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, having no ballast.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, comprising one or more pressure wheels on a belt carried by a sheave to permit minimum belt tension.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a water source controlled to water-flood the sheave, when driven, to prevent damage in the event of overload.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the turbine rotor has a rotor axle extending through the hub which is structurally supported by the towers at both ends of the rotor axle.

The wind turbine of any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one tower is downwind and one tower is upwind.