Monopile foundation for offshore wind turbine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9494131-B2
Application number	US-67502208-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2008
Priority date	Aug 29, 2007
Publication date	Nov 15, 2016
Grant date	Nov 15, 2016

Abstract

A method for installing a wind turbine comprises establishing a substructure, the substructure comprising at least one pile extending upwards and the at least one pile being part of a primary structure of the substructure, establishing a support of a secondary structure on the at least one pile, mounting of fittings to the secondary structure, the mounting of the fittings to the secondary structure preferably being established by welding or bolting, and not mounting fittings to at least one of the at least one pile being part of the primary structure. A method may alternatively comprise mounting a wind turbine tower to the at least one pile being part of the primary structure, and the secondary structure constituting an intermediate structure between the at least one pile and the wind turbine tower. Even in the alternative, a method may comprise the mounting of the secondary structure to at least one intermediate tubular section being part of the primary structure and mounting the wind turbine tower to the at least one intermediate tubular section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for installing a wind turbine, comprising:
establishing a substructure in the ground for the wind turbine, the substructure comprising at least one pile extending upwards from the ground or from a foundation for the substructure and having a top end, the top end configured to have a wind turbine tower mounted thereon, the at least one pile being part of a primary structure of the substructure for performing load-bearing of the wind turbine itself,
establishing a secondary structure of the substructure about an upper section of the at least one pile such that the secondary structure extends downwardly from the top end of the at least one pile towards the ground or the foundation, the secondary structure not performing load-bearing of the wind turbine itself,
establishing a support of the secondary structure by the at least one pile such that the at least one pile vertically supports the secondary structure,
mounting fittings to the secondary structure, and
not mounting fittings to at least one pile being part of the primary structure,
wherein the secondary structure is intended for being supported on the at least one pile being part of the primary structure along a top flange of the at least one pile and along a support flange of the secondary structure,
wherein the support flange of the secondary structure is lowered towards and is supported by the top flange of the at least one pile being part of the primary structure,
wherein the wind turbine tower is subsequently lowered towards the support flange of the secondary structure and is mounted to the substructure by securing a bottom flange of the wind turbine tower to the top flange of the at least one pile, and
wherein the support flange of the secondary structure, during mounting of the wind turbine tower to the at least one pile, is located intermediate the top flange of the at least one pile and the bottom flange of the wind turbine tower.

2. A method for installing a wind turbine, comprising:
establishing a substructure in the ground for the wind turbine, the substructure comprising at least one pile extending upwards from the ground or from a foundation for the substructure and having a top end, the top end configured to have a wind turbine tower mounted thereon, the at least one pile being part of a primary structure of the substructure for performing load-bearing of the wind turbine itself,
sliding a secondary structure over the top end of the at least one pile so that the secondary structure is vertically supported by the top end of the at least one pile and extends downwardly from the top end of the at least one pile towards the ground or the foundation about an upper section of the at least one pile such that there is a gap between an outer circumference of the at least one pile and an inner circumference of the secondary structure, the secondary structure not performing load-bearing of the wind turbine itself,
laterally supporting the secondary structure about the upper section of the at least one pile by locating supporting elements in the gap between the at least one pile and the secondary structure,
mounting fittings to the secondary structure, the mounting of fittings to the secondary structure being established by mechanical working, and
mounting the wind turbine tower to the top end of the at least one pile being part of the primary structure, and the secondary structure constituting an intermediate structure between the at least one pile and the wind turbine tower,
wherein the secondary structure is intended for being supported on the at least one pile being part of the primary structure along a top flange of the at least one pile and along a support flange of the secondary structure,
wherein the support flange of the secondary structure is lowered towards and is supported by the top flange of the at least one pile being part of the primary structure,
wherein the wind turbine tower is subsequently lowered towards the support flange of the secondary structure and is mounted to the substructure by securing a bottom flange of the wind turbine tower to the top flange of the at least one pile, and
wherein the support flange of the secondary structure, during mounting of the wind turbine tower to the at least one pile, is located intermediate the top flange of the at least one pile and the bottom flange of the wind turbine tower.

3. A method for installing a wind turbine, comprising;
establishing a substructure in the ground for the wind turbine, the substructure comprising at least one pile extending upwards from the ground or from a foundation for the substructure and having a top end, the top end configured to have an intermediate tubular section mounted thereon, the at least one pile being part of a primary structure of the substructure for performing load-bearing of the wind turbine itself,
providing at least one intermediate tubular section separate from the at least one pile, the at least one intermediate tubular section having a top end configured to have a wind turbine tower mounted thereon, the at least one intermediate tubular section being part of the primary structure,
mounting a secondary structure to the at least one intermediate tubular section, the secondary structure not performing load-bearing of the wind turbine itself, and the mounting of the secondary structure to the at least one intermediate tubular section being established by mechanical working,
lowering the at least one intermediate tubular section towards the at least one pile, the lowering of the at least one intermediate tubular section being terminated by vertically supporting the at least one intermediate tubular section by the top end of the at least one pile, wherein when the secondary structure is mounted to the at least one intermediate tubular section and the at least one intermediate tubular section is being vertically supported by the top end of the at least one pile, the secondary structure extends downwardly from the top end of the at least one pile towards the ground or the foundation and about an upper section of the at least one pile, and
mounting the wind turbine tower to the at least one intermediate tubular section,
wherein the at least one intermediate tubular section is intended for being supported on the at least one pile being part of the primary structure along a top flange of the at least one pile and along a bottom flange of the at least one intermediate tubular section,
wherein the bottom flange of the at least one intermediate tubular section is lowered towards and is supported by the top flange of the at least one pile being part of the primary structure,
wherein the wind turbine tower is intended for being supported on the at least one intermediate tubular section along a top flange of the at least one intermediate tubular section and along a bottom flange of the wind turbine tower, and
wherein the wind turbine tower is subsequently lowered towards the top flange of the at least one intermediate tubular section and is mounted to the substructure by securing the bottom flange of the wind turbine tower to the top flange of the at least one intermediate tubular section.

4. The method according to claim 2 :
where the mounting of the secondary structure furthermore being accomplished by securing at least a part of the secondary structure to the upper section of the at least one pile.

5. The method according to claim 4 , where the sliding is established along with friction-reducing elements between at least part of the outer circumference of the at least one pile and at least part of the inner circumference provided by elements of the secondary structure.

6. The method according to claim 5 , where the provision of friction-reducing elements is established by a plurality of s

Assignees

• Fischer Torsten
• Søe-Jensen Anders
• Vestas Wind Sys As

Inventors

• Fischer Torsten
• Søe-Jensen Anders

Classifications

• F03D13/22

  Foundations specially adapted for wind motors · CPC title

• E02B2017/0065

  Monopile structures · CPC title

• E02B17/0008

  Methods for grouting offshore structures; apparatus therefor (cementing boreholes E21B33/13) · CPC title

• E04H12/34

  Arrangements for erecting or lowering towers, masts, poles, chimney stacks, or the like · CPC title

• E04C3/30

  Columns; Pillars; Struts (not designed for end loading E04C3/02; posts, masts, as independent structures E04H12/00) · CPC title