Floating wind turbine support system

A method of assembling a semi-submersible wind turbine platform, the method comprising:

• forming a reinforced concrete keystone and a plurality of reinforced concrete bottom beams in a dry dock, wherein each bottom beam has an upper wall, a lower wall and opposing side walls, the walls defining a hollow chamber within each bottom beam, each bottom beam defining a buoyant member;
• post-tensioning the bottom beams into the keystone to define a beam assembly;
• flooding the dry dock so that the beam assembly floats;
• moving the floating beam assembly to an assembly area;
• forming a center column from reinforced concrete on the keystone;
• forming an outer column from reinforced concrete on each bottom beam;
• post-tensioning the center column to the keystone;
• post-tensioning each outer column to its associated bottom beam;
• attaching axially loaded top beams between each outer column and the center column;
• attaching a tower to the center column;
• attaching a wind turbine to the tower, thus defining a floating wind turbine platform assembly;
• towing the floating wind turbine platform assembly from the dry dock to a location where it will be moored;
• filling ballast chamber in one or both of the outer columns and the bottom beams;
• upon arrival at its moored location, attaching the floating wind turbine platform assembly to mooring lines which are pre-secured to the seabed;
• and
• attaching the floating wind turbine platform assembly to an underwater power cable.

A semi-submersible wind turbine platform capable of floating on a body of water and supporting a wind turbine, the semi-submersible wind turbine platform comprising:

• a foundation;
• a tower attached to the foundation;
• a wind turbine attached to the tower;
• and
• an active control system having a data acquisition system (DAS);
• wherein the DAS receives sensed environmental data, and receives sensed operational condition data of components the foundation, the tower, and the wind turbine;
• wherein the sensed environmental data and the sensed operational condition data is received from onboard and remote sensors, and
• wherein the DAS changes operating parameters of any of the foundation, the tower, and the wind turbine based on the environmental data and operational condition data received.