Asymmetric mooring system for support of offshore wind turbines
AssigneePrinciple Power, Inc.
InventorsDominique Roddier, Christian Cermelli
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A mooring system for a semi-submersible platform includes buoyancy structures for providing buoyancy to the semi-submersible platform, mooring lines connected to the buoyancy structures, and anchors embedded in the sea floor that are connected to the mooring lines. At least one-half of the mooring lines are attached to one of the buoyancy structures. A ballast control system for a wind turbine platform includes a sensor that is configured to detect a rotation of a wind turbine and a controller that is configured to direct a transfer of ballast to correct the of the wind turbine.
Claims21
A mooring for a semi-submersible platform, comprising:
- a plurality of buoyancy structures providing buoyancy to the semi-submersible platform;
- a plurality of sets of mooring lines each set coupled to one of the plurality of buoyancy structures;
- and a plurality of anchors embedded in a sea floor and each anchor coupled to one of the mooring lines;
- wherein a number of mooring lines in the set attached to one of the plurality of buoyancy structures is different from the numbers of mooring lines in the sets attached to each of the other plurality buoyancy structures.
A ballast control system for a floating wind turbine platform having a plurality of stabilizing columns, each stabilizing column having an internal volume for containing a ballast, and a tower with an attached turbine rotor, the tower mounted in vertical alignment over one of the columns, the ballast control system comprising:
- a sensor that is configured to detect a rotation of the tower;
- and
- a controller, coupled to the sensor, that is configured to direct a transfer of the ballast from an internal volume of the one of the columns to an internal volume of at least one of the other columns, upon the sensor detecting the rotation of the tower.
A method of adjusting a vertical alignment of a floating wind turbine platform having a plurality of stabilizing columns, each stabilizing column having an internal volume for containing a ballast, and a tower with an attached turbine rotor, the tower mounted in vertical alignment over one of the columns, the method comprising:
- detecting, with a sensor, a rotation of the tower;
- and
- transferring the ballast from an internal volume of the one of the columns to an internal volume of at least one of the other columns, upon the detecting.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.