Support structure for an offshore wind turbine

摘要

A support structure for mooring a vertically extending floating wind turbine or the like body has a ring of tether attachment points for connecting respective tethers running down to the seabed. The ring is spaced from the body by a ring of inclined struts running diagonally downwardly and inwardly from the plane of the attachment points.

主权项

1. A moored floating offshore wind turbine structure comprising:
a vertically extending central body comprising: a columnar hollow tubular flotation chamber, and a cylindrical tubular tower coaxial with and supported by said columnar hollow tubular flotation chamber; an outrigger structure comprising a plurality of outrigger arms extending radially from said body, the distal ends of which are interconnected by a ring of horizontal braces, and attachment points spaced radially outwardly from said central body, said attachment points disposed in a plane; and an inclined bracing structure comprising a plurality of inclined bracing struts running from a distal part of said outrigger structure to connect with said central body, said inclined bracing structure running diagonally downwardly and inwardly from the plane of said attachment points, a proximal part of said inclined bracing structure joining said central body near its lower end; and tensioned mooring tethers connected to said attachment points, said tensioned mooring tethers acting to pull the bracing struts downwards and therefore maintain them in compression and the outrigger arms in tension.