Offshore wind turbine assembly vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12503344-B2
Application number	US-202118033276-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2021
Priority date	Oct 22, 2020
Publication date	Dec 23, 2025
Grant date	Dec 23, 2025

Abstract

The invention relates to a crane for assembly and installation of offshore wind turbines on an offshore location, to a vessel for assembly and installation of offshore wind turbines on an offshore location, and to a method for assembly and installation of offshore wind turbines on an offshore location. According to the invention the crane is provided with a base section and a top section, wherein the top section is rotatable supported by a bearing, and can be rotated with the wind turbine hoisting device relative to the base section about a vertical axis, wherein a first trolley guide is mounted to a top section of the installation crane for giding a vertically mobile wind turbine supporting trolley. According to the invention the vessel is provided with one or more assembly stations on different sides of the installation crane.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A wind turbine installation crane, to be mounted on the floating hull of a vessel,
wherein the installation crane has an assembly side for facing a wind turbine assembly station, and has an installation side, wherein the installation crane is configured to perform one or more wind turbine assembly steps, and is configured for arranging an assembled wind turbine from the at least one wind turbine assembly station into a mounting position, above a wind turbine foundation adjacent the vessel, at the installation side of the installation crane, and to lower the assembled wind turbine onto the foundation, wherein the installation crane is provided with:
a wind turbine hoisting device having one or more wind turbine suspension elements, said wind turbine hoisting device being adapted to support and to raise and lower in a controllable manner an assembled wind turbine, the assembled wind turbine comprising a mast combined with a nacelle and blades fitted;
a base section and a top section, wherein the top section is rotatable supported by a bearing, and can be rotated with the wind turbine hoisting device relative to the base section about a vertical axis, and the hoisting device can thus transfer at least an upper mast part between the assembly station and the installation side; and
a first trolley guide, mounted to a top section of the installation crane, and a first wind turbine supporting trolley vertically mobile along said first trolley guide, wherein the first trolley supports a wind turbine engagement device.

2 . The installation crane according to claim 1 , wherein the base section of the installation crane is provided with a second trolley guide and a second wind turbine supporting trolley vertically mobile along said second trolley guide on the installation side of the installation crane.

3 . The installation crane according to claim 1 , wherein the second trolley supports a wind turbine engagement device.

4 . The installation crane according to claim 1 , wherein the hoisting device comprises two spaced apart jibs, that support the one or more suspension elements, the one or more suspension elements being connected to the first trolley or to the wind turbine engagement device.

5 . The installation crane according to claim 1 , wherein the installation crane is a two sided installation crane, having the wind turbine hoisting device as a first hoisting device on a first side of the crane and having a second hoisting device on a second, opposed, side of the installation crane, to enable the crane to perform hoisting actions simultaneously on opposite sides of the installation crane.

6 . A vessel for assembling wind turbines and for installing the assembled wind turbine on a foundation, the vessel comprising:
a floating hull; a wind turbine components storage deck, for storing components of a wind turbine; a wind turbine assembly station; and
a wind turbine installation crane mounted on the floating hull,
wherein the installation crane is configured to perform one or more wind turbine assembly steps, wherein the installation crane has an assembly side facing the wind turbine assembly station, and has an installation side, wherein the installation crane is provided with a wind turbine hoisting device having one or more wind turbine suspension elements, said wind turbine hoisting device being adapted to support and to raise and lower in a controllable manner an assembled wind turbine, the assembled wind turbine comprising a mast combined with the nacelle and the blades fitted, wherein the installation crane has a base section and a top section, wherein the top section is rotatable supported by a bearing, and wherein the top section can be rotated with the wind turbine hoisting device relative to the base section about a vertical axis, and wherein the hoisting device can thus transfer at least an upper mast part between the assembly station and the installation side, and wherein the installation crane is configured for arranging the assembled wind turbine from the at least one wind turbine assembly station into a mounting position, above a wind turbine foundation adjacent the vessel, at the installation side of the installation crane, for supporting an assembled wind turbine at the installation side in a mounting position above a foundation and for lowering the wind turbine onto the foundation.

7 . The vessel according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one wind turbine assembly station is a first wind turbine assembly station, and wherein the vessel further comprises a second wind turbine assembly station and a third wind turbine assembly station, wherein the first assembly station is configured for supporting a mast in an upright installation position, wherein the second assembly station is configured for supporting the mast in an upright installation position with the nacelle in an installation position for mounting blades to the nacelle, and wherein the third assembly station is configured for presenting a nacelle, to be lifted by the wind turbine installation crane, and
wherein the first wind turbine assembly station is located on a first side of the installation crane, the second assembly station is located on a second side of the installation crane, the third assembly station is located on a third side of the installation crane, and wherein the installation side is on a fourth side of the crane.

8 . The vessel according to claim 6 , wherein the second and third wind turbine assembly station are located on opposite sides of the installation crane, and the first assembly station is located opposite the installation side of the crane.

9 . The vessel according to claim 6 , wherein the vessel further comprises a blade handling apparatus, for transferring a blade between a horizontal supply position and a fastening position adjacent the nacelle on top of a mast or on top of an upper mast section supported in the second assembly station.

10 . The vessel according to claim 7 , wherein the vessel comprises a foundation restraint system, the foundation restraint system being configured for engaging a floating foundation, and to reduce movement of the floating foundation relative to the vessel and/or monitor the movement of the floating foundation relative to the vessel, and relative to the assembled wind turbine to be mounted on the floating foundation.

11 . The vessel according to claim 6 , wherein the wind turbine installation crane is configured to actively compensate for sea-state induced movement of an assembled wind turbine relative to the foundation onto which the wind turbine is to be lowered.

12 . The vessel according to claim 6 , wherein the vessel comprises a nacelle support, the nacelle support being fixed to the deck of the vessel, such that a nacelle can be supported by the nacelle support at a distance above the deck to enable blades to be mounted to the nacelle.

13 . A method of using the vessel according to claim 6 , for performing a method for assembly and installation of a wind turbine, the method comprising:
moving the wind turbine components from the wind turbine components storage deck to the at least one wind turbine assembly station; and using the installation crane to:
perform one or more assembly steps, by upending the wind turbine mast or by lifting the nacelle onto the top of the mast or the upper mast part;
support the assembled wind turbine at the assembly side and arranging the assembled wind turbine from the assembly station into the mounting position, above a wind turbine foundation adjacent the vessel, at the installation side of the installation crane; and
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Assignees

• Itrec Bv

Inventors

• Wijning Diederick Bernardus
• Roodenburg Joop

Classifications

• B66C23/185 Primary

  for use erecting wind turbines (B66C23/207 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B63B77/10

  specially adapted for electric power plants, e.g. wind turbines or tidal turbine generators · CPC title

• F03D13/25

  specially adapted for offshore installation · CPC title

• Y02E10/727

  Offshore wind turbines · CPC title

• Y02E10/72

  Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction · CPC title