Construction and installation process to deploy a wind turbine 'WTG' on a tension leg platform/spar in medium to deep water

摘要

Method for installation of a wind turbine generator on a tension leg platform/spar (WTG foundation) using gravity anchors or suction anchors. A concrete WTG foundation is built with the ‘slip form’ method, a combination construction/deployment barge (barge) allows the WTG and WTG foundation to be delivered to the installation site as a complete unit and a split hull hydraulic dump scow facilitates the slip form construction and deployment of the gravity anchors. The barge is sunk as a dry dock to a draft that permits the WTG/WTG foundation to be floated off. The free floating WTG foundation is ballasted with sea water to its operating draft with 5 feet of freeboard. The tension legs from the gravity anchors are attached to the WTG foundation and snugged with equal tension. The sea water is then removed from the WTG foundation. This process tightens the tension legs to their design loads. The WTG/WTG foundation maintains a relatively large water plane and a 5 foot freeboard. The gravity anchors are constructed and deployed to the installation site, with tension legs attached, by means of a split hull hydraulic dump scow. Four gravity anchors are deployed for each WTG installation.