초록 ▼

An offshore windpower plant (OWP) including a wind turbine and foundation and a new method of installing them that exclude the use of a jack up crane vessel. By this system and method, named OWP technology, the completely assembled wind turbines are lifted from the shore stand, using the buoyancy fo

An offshore windpower plant (OWP) including a wind turbine and foundation and a new method of installing them that exclude the use of a jack up crane vessel. By this system and method, named OWP technology, the completely assembled wind turbines are lifted from the shore stand, using the buoyancy force of a catamaran wind installer (CWTI), transported to the preinstalled foundation, engaged with it in a manner that would exclude CWTI from rolling and pitching and by this allow to use the installed foundation as the base for stability for safely placing a wind turbine on it allowing placement of wind turbines on foundations regardless of the depth of their installation. The CWTI does not need a heavy lift revolving heavy lift crane and also does not need legs, thus making the system and method simpler, smaller and drastically less expensive than jack up crane vessles.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system for installing a stationary offshore windpower plant (OWP), comprising: a wind turbine generator (WTG),a compliant guyed (CG) foundation having a means for absorbing impact from waves and wind;a high-rise crane station for assembling said WTG near shore,a catamaran wind turbine installer

1. A system for installing a stationary offshore windpower plant (OWP), comprising: a wind turbine generator (WTG),a compliant guyed (CG) foundation having a means for absorbing impact from waves and wind;a high-rise crane station for assembling said WTG near shore,a catamaran wind turbine installer (CWTI) having a means for delivering said CG foundation to a destination site, for installing said CG foundation on a seabed, for lifting a completely assembled wind turbine generator from a shore stand of said high-rise crane station, for transporting said assembled WTG to the preinstalled foundation, and for placing wind turbine generator on the preinstalled foundation;a catamaran service vessel (CSV) having a means for servicing said WTG during operation; andwherein said high-rise crane station includes means for assembling said WTG near shore comprising a stand near shore, on which said WTG is assembled, having similar shape and size of the upper part of said CG foundation, a heavy lift crane with a short boom having a vertical cylindrical column supporting said heavy lift crane with a short boom, and a rotating platform on the lowest part of said vertical column having two oppositely located winches with hoisting lines intended to prevent lifted load from swinging; and a high-rise support structure. 2. The OWP according to claim 1, wherein said WTG is comprised of a nacelle with rotor and a tower through which said WTG is attached to said CG foundation stationary foundation, wherein said tower has thrust stools servicing as the means for lifting and lowering said WTG, an access platform for maintenance personnel positioned on said thrust stools, and a lower end in the form of an outer cone for an engagement with said CG foundation. 3. The OWP according to claim 1, wherein said compliant guyed foundation (CG) has means for absorbing impact from waves and wind, comprising: a tower,at least three mooring lines and at least three anchors, submerged in sea bottom soil,said tower comprising an upper part, lower part, and a tower base;said upper part of said tower includes a receiver-head containing an inner cone, which guides said outer cone of said WTG into engagement with said CG foundation tower, a shock absorber inside said receiver-head comprising a stock of a thin plates, which absorbs the impact energy between said WTG and said CG foundation, at least three receivers for attaching a means for tensioning said mooring lines, at least three sets of clamps with guides for connecting said mooring lines to said tower; a bulkhead inside of said tower upper part that forms buoyancy force that keeps said tower floating vertically, and a pair of journals serving as the lifting points and as a rotating axis for said tower;said lower part of said tower includes a hydraulic cylinder and several hydro-pneumatic accumulators, which are, interconnected through compressed air chamber by pipes, a piston, and a universal joint connecting said piston with said tower base. 4. The OWP according to claim 1, wherein said catamaran wind turbine installer (CWTI) for delivering said foundation to the destination site, for installing said foundation on seabed, having a means for lifting completely assembled wind turbine generator from said shore stand, for transporting assembled wind turbine generator to the preinstalled foundation and, for placing wind turbine on the preinstalled foundation, comprising: a small waterplane area two hull (SWATH) type catamaran vessel and a remotely controlled support catamaran,said SWATH type catamaran vessel is named catamaran wind turbine installer vessel for deepwaters (CWTI-D), includes:a lower and an upper structures,a lower structure comprising two pontoons, each having the shape of an elongated cylinder with a hull on an upper part expanding upward, said hull comprising a bow part, central part and stern part, said central part being taller that said bow and stern parts, said hulls being interconnected by a cross structure, located from said CWTI-D center and toward said CWTI-D bow, a pair of guides that centers said CWTI-D with said wind CG foundation center located near the said center of said CWTI-D and attached to said upper and lower longitudinal beams, an upper and lower engagement arrangements with said CG foundation, each of which include two side rollers, breasting wheel and fixed positioned thrust roller, and at least three sets of supports for transporting anchors;an upper structure comprising a bridge crane, a pair of vertical columns, interconnected by cross beams and sides supports, two pivotal supports for lifting said WTG, an engagement device for connecting with said WTG tower, comprising of two side rollers and a central roller with said hydraulic cylinder to provide flexibility to said central roller in vertical plane, a pair of upper longitudinal beams interconnected by the cross beams, lower longitudinal beams having on their upper part rails on which runs said bridge crane;wherein said remotely controlled support catamaran, comprises a two hulled vessel interconnected by across frame in the middle of said hulls, having in the middle of said cross beam a quick connect-disconnect device for engaging with said lower part of said CG foundation tower, and said hulls having on the stern a propulsion system controlled remotely. 5. The OWP according to claim 1, wherein said CWTI-D has an additional capability to install monopiles in shallow waters and renamed as CWTI-M comprising: a gantry crane for handling said monopiles being added to said CWTI-D with a transition frame, which are positioned above vertical columns of said CWTI-D, said transition frame including a pair of horizontal beams with rails along which said gantry crane can move, a pile driver and transition adapter to one of said monopiles, and a support frame attached to said vertical column of said CWTI-D through several vertical beams, cross-beams and brackets. 6. The catamaran crane according to claim 1, wherein said CWTI-D has an additional capability to replace a major part of said WTG and renamed into a catamaran crane, comprising: a revolving crane with a short boom being added to said CWTI-D with a transition frame, said revolving crane having a support column that has on a lower part a rotating platform and a pair of winches with tension lines attached to lifted load preventing said load from swinging, and said transition frame including a pair of longitudinal beams, a pairs of front columns, rear columns and cross beams. 7. The OWP according to claim 1, wherein said service vessel having the means for servicing said OWP installed at the destination site during operation is named catamaran service vessel (CSV), comprising: said CSV is a small waterplane area two hull (SWATH) type catamaran vessel comprising:a lower structure and upper structures;said lower structure including two pontoons, each of said pontoons extended in the upper direction hull;each hull comprising a bow section, a central section and a stern section;said central section of said hull being taller than said bow and said stern sections;said hulls being interconnected by a cross structure having an upper deck;said lower structure including upper and lower engaging devices; each of said upper and lower engaging devices comprising two side rollers, a breasting wheel and thrust roller;said upper device including a mast, sliding carriage and lifting drive;said mast comprising two vertical columns each having a guiding rail;said sliding carriage having a frame having a deck with hand-rails;on the front side of said deck is positioned thrust dog, through which said sliding carriage engages with said access platform on said WTG tower;two pair of rollers engaged with said guiding rails located on the rear part of said sliding carriage;said lifting drive including chain loop with one sprocket on the top of the mast and one on said deck with a hydraulic motor; andsaid chain loop being attached to said sliding carriage through lower and upper attachment ears. 8. A method of installing an offshore wind power plant (OWP) using the system as in claim 1 in deepwaters using a catamaran wind turbine installer vessel (CWTI-D) as a means while performing processes of said CG foundation installation, comprising the steps of: installing said CG foundation at a destination site;lifting said assembled WTG from a near shore stand; andtransporting said assembled WTG to said installed CG foundation and using the preinstalled said CG foundation as the base for achieving required stability for placing said assembled WTG on said CG foundation during rough seas. 9. A method of installing offshore wind power plant (OWP) in deepwaters as in claim 8, wherein installing CG foundation at the destination site, comprising the steps of: approaching a transfer pier with said CWTI-D;engaging said CSV with a lower part of said CG foundation in a horizontal position;engaging a CWTI-D bridge crane with a pair of journals of an upper part of said CG foundation;lifting up said CG foundation from said transfer pier and moving said CWTI-D with said lifted CG foundation toward destination site; at the destination site disconnecting a support catamaran quick connect-disconnect device from the lower part of said CG foundation, said CG foundation rotating around said journals of said CG foundation from a horizontal position to a vertical position; said CG foundation reaching a vertical position, said bridge crane lowering said CG foundation on a seabed and said CG foundation base penetrating into seabed soil; after installation, said CG foundation keeping a vertical position floating as a buoy; moving said CWTI-D out of engagement with said CG foundation tower in radial direction,after said CWTI-D reaches a certain distance from said installed CG foundation said CWTI-D lowers the first said anchor with said attached mooring lines on the seabed and embedding said anchor into soil;installing second and third said anchors is done by locating said second and third anchors 120 degrees apart and on an equal distance from said buoy of said CG foundation; after installation of anchors is completed moving said CWTI-D back to engagement with said buoy CG foundation tower, and at this position said CWTI-D activates simultaneously and independently at least three hydraulic cylinders, said hydraulic cylinders tension said each mooring line in a manner that place said CG foundation in a strict vertical position; and after completion of said CG foundation installation said CWTI-D moves said hydraulic cylinders from said mooring line and lifts said hydraulic cylinders from said installed CG foundation tower and moves away from the installed said CG foundation. 10. A method of installing offshore wind power plant (OWP) in deepwaters as in claim 8, wherein lifting said assembled WTG from said shore stand, includes the steps of: approaching said shore stand said CWTI-D takes an additional ballast to lower the position of a CWTI-D tower support below said WTG thrust stools;moving toward shore stand the said CWTI-D first comes in contact with said shore stand with said CWTI-D guides, which centers said CWTI-D with said shore stand; coming in contact with said near shore stand through breasting wheels, during the further movement toward said shore stand, absorbing the energy of dynamic impact between said CWTI-D and said shore stand through said breasting wheels hydraulic cylinder compression;bringing said thrust rollers in contact with shore stand stops, said CWTI-D at said shore stand;keeping said thrust rollers pressed to said shore stand by the force of said CWTI-D propulsion system, said CWTI-D starts to pump out the ballast and by this said CWTI-D floats up and brings said WTG supports on said CWTI-D in contact with said thrust stools on the WTG;continuing pumping out ballast, the buoyancy force of said CWTI-D pontoon lifts said WTG from said shore stand; andmoving said CWTI-D with said WTG on board out of engagement with said shore stand to said installed CG foundation. 11. A method of installing an offshore wind power plant (OWP) in deepwaters as in claim 8, wherein transporting said assembled WTG to said installed CG foundation and using the preinstalled CG foundation as a base for achieving required stability for placing said assembled WTG on said CG foundation during rough seas, comprising the steps of: approaching said installed CG foundation said CWTI-D orients itself head-on to prevailing wind or wave action to exclude said CWTI-D from rolling;contacting said CG foundation by said CWTI-D at first through a pair of guides, said guides having centers;moving forward toward said CG foundation, said CWTI-D under propulsion force brings in contact with said CG foundation one or more said breasting wheels of said CWTI-D, said breasting wheels absorbing the energy of the initial impact through said hydraulic cylinders compression;compressing said breasting wheels hydraulic cylinders brings said CWTI-D one or more of said thrust rollers in a contact with said CG foundation and by this stops further movement of said CWTI-D;keeping pressure on said thrust rollers with the force sufficient to overcome wave and wind forces to provide conditions under which said CWTI-D keeps in contact with said CG foundation through thrust rollers simultaneously during said CWTI-D pitching near said CG foundation;taking ballast on the CWTI-D for sinking and when the sea level comes over a bow hull section and a stern hull section, the only active waterplane area being formed by said central hull section, said active central section waterplane area small size excludes pitching and bringing said thrust rollers simultaneously into a firm contact with said CG foundation and by this orienting said CWTI-D perpendicular to said CG foundation regardless of the wave actions;activating side guide rollers of said upper and lower engaging arrangements in conjunction with said thrust rollers locking-up said CWTI-D with said CG foundation;locking-up said CWTI-D with said CG foundation limiting said CWTI-D movement only to vertical direction (heaving);accommodating the energy of the possible dynamic impact during placing said WTG on said CG foundation the said upper part of said CG foundation is achieving through a shock absorber;continuing taking ballast, after said WTG settles on said CG foundation, the said CWTI-D transfers full weight of said WTG transferred to thrust foundation and bringing said CWTI-D tower support for said WTG thrust stools on said CWTI-D out of contact with said WTG thrust stools;rotating outward said pivotal support for said WTG thrust stools on said CWTI-D to provide condition for avoiding possible interference with said WTG said thrust stools, when said CWTI-D start moving upward;pumping ballast out from said pontoons of said CWTI-D raises said bow hull section and said stern hull section above the sea level;disengaging side rollers from contact with said CG foundation starts said CWTI-D pitching, being still in contact with said CG foundation, and simultaneously rising up;continuing pumping ballast out of said pontoons of said CWTI-D bringing CWTI-D into the transport mode at which said CWTI-D reverses the direction of said propulsion unit force and moves away from the installed said Offshore Wind Turbine (OWP) and by this completing the entire process of placing WTG on the said CG foundation.