Floating hybrid composite wind turbine platform and tower system
AssigneeUniversity of Maine System Board of Trustee
InventorsHabib J. Dagher, Anthony M. Viselli, Andrew J. Goupee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wind turbine platform is configured for floating in a body of water and includes a hull defining a hull cavity therein. The hull is formed from reinforced concrete. A tower is configured to mount a wind turbine and is also connected to the hull. An anchor member is connected to the hull and to the seabed.
Claims10
A semi-submersible wind turbine platform configured to float semi-submerged on a body of water and supporting a wind turbine, the wind turbine platform comprising:
- a central buoyant pontoon;
- a wind turbine tower mounted on the central buoyant pontoon;
- a wind turbine mounted to the wind turbine tower;
- and
- a plurality of outer buoyant pontoons, the outer pontoons being connected to the central pontoon by structural members, with the central buoyant and outer buoyant pontoons having sufficient buoyancy to support a wind turbine tower;
- wherein a longitudinal axis of the central buoyant pontoon and longitudinal axes of the outer buoyant pontoons are substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to a surface of the body of water in which the semi-submersible wind turbine platform floats;
- wherein the wind turbine is configured to operate while the semi-submersible wind turbine platform floats, semi-submerged, in the body of water;
- and wherein the central buoyant pontoon and the plurality of outer buoyant pontoons are formed from a plurality of sections, with adjacent sections being joined at a connecting joint.
A semi-submersible wind turbine platform configured to float semi-submerged on a body of water and supporting a wind turbine, the wind turbine platform comprising:
- a central buoyant reinforced concrete pontoon formed from a plurality of sections joined at connecting joints, the plurality of sections being connected by a plurality of post-tensioning cables;
- a wind turbine tower mounted on the central buoyant reinforced concrete pontoon;
- a wind turbine mounted to the wind turbine tower;
- and
- a plurality of outer buoyant reinforced concrete pontoons formed from a plurality of sections joined at connecting joints, the plurality of sections being connected by a plurality of post-tensioning cables, and the outer pontoons being connected to the central pontoon by structural members, with the central buoyant and outer buoyant pontoons having sufficient buoyancy to support a wind turbine tower;
- wherein a longitudinal axis of the central buoyant reinforced concrete pontoon and longitudinal axes of the outer buoyant pontoons are substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to a surface of the body of water in which the semi-submersible wind turbine platform floats;
- and
- wherein the wind turbine is configured to operate while the semi-submersible wind turbine platform floats, semi-submerged, in the body of water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.