FLOATING STRUCTURE ALLOWING THE TOWING OF OFFSHORE WIND TURBINES ON THEIR DEEP SEA OPERATING SITE, EQUIPPED WITH ALL THEIR EQUIPMENT, READY TO OPERATE

摘要

The present invention relates to a floating structure of very light and very stable design intended to support offshore wind turbines (1) or any other equipment, towable in a vertical position from their manufacturing site to their site of operation in the deep sea with all their equipment in mind and, this, thanks to its shallow draft, thus freeing itself from any heavy and expensive handling equipment in the open sea. This structure is characterized by the fact that the float (2): - in emergent version, fig.1, allows the towing in vertical position of its manufacturing site to its final site with all its equipment ready to operate, stability being ensured by a permanent ballast (4) located under the float via a balastable column (3). - In submerged version, fig.1 bis, by ballasting (5) of the column and a portion of the float (6) by pumps (7) located in the empty portion of the float, allows to give the whole a good stability and to ensure the wind turbine to operate in sea conditions fixed by the specifications of the operator. - In submerged version fig. 2a, the ballast being lowered deeper by means of a sliding system actuated by a rack mechanism or by pneumatic or hydraulic brake or partreuils or other suitable mechanism, improves the stability in harsher sea conditions.