University of Maine System

Maine Secure Composites, LLC

Anthony M Viselli

Habib J Dagher

Andrew J Goupee

Eric D Cassidy

Bruce Segee

Christopher K Allen

Jeffrey Lee Lindner

Frederick Scott Gant

Robert E Berry

John S Townsend

Rebecca L Williams

John E Halkyard

Mark A Dwyer

Ryan E Fisher

Neal Pettigrew

Jacob C Ward

Rachael Joyce

John Wallinga

Patrick Fikes

Neil R Fisher

Jeff Lindner

Mark Dwyer

Andrew Goupee

Neal Fisher

A method of assembling and deploying a floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) platform includes floating a buoyant floater and a hollow outer tank in a floating assembly, placing permanent ballast material in the hollow outer tank to define a mass, and sinking the mass to a seabed. The buoyant floater is moved to a position over the mass. Transit lines are attached between a lifting device in the buoyant floater and the mass to define a FOWT platform. The mass is lifted to a point directly under the buoyant floater and the FOWT platform is towed to an installation site. Mooring lines are attached between anchors in the seabed and the buoyant floater, and the mass is lowered to a depth wherein suspension lines attached thereto are taught, the mass with the suspension lines defining a suspended mass. The transit lines are then stored or removed from the mass.

Method of assembling and deploying a floating offshore wind turbine platform

A tuned mass damper (TMD) system in combination with a floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) platform includes a barge type FOWT platform having a hull configured to have a wind turbine tower mounted thereon. A TMD system is mounted in the hull and has a first TMD configured to operate at a first frequency, and a second TMD configured to operate at a second frequency different than the first frequency.

Tuned mass damper for floating structures

A method of assembling a floating wind turbine platform includes forming a base assembly of the floating wind turbine platform in either a cofferdam or a graving dock built in water having a first depth. The base assembly includes a keystone and a plurality of buoyant bottom beams extending radially outward of the keystone, wherein longitudinal axes of each of the plurality of bottom beams are coplanar. The cofferdam or the graving dock is flooded and the assembled base assembly is floated to an assembly area in water having a second depth. A center column and a plurality of outer columns are assembled or formed on the base assembly, a tower is assembled or formed on the center column, and a wind turbine is assembled on the tower, thereby defining the floating wind turbine platform.

Method of assembling a floating wind turbine platform

A motion absorbing system and method for a structure includes the coupling of a container to a structure. The container has a liquid disposed therein wherein a ullage is defined above a surface of the liquid. An elastic element is positioned in the liquid. The elastic element has a natural frequency tuned to damp motion of the liquid.

Motion absorbing system and method for a structure

A wave energy converter () is capable of floating on a body of water (BW), moving in response to waves (W) occurring in the body of water (BW), and includes a hull () connected to a heave plate (). The wave energy converter () is characterized in that the hull () is formed from reinforced concrete, a plurality of connecting tendons () extend between the hull () and the heave plate (), and a power take off () is attached to each connecting tendon ().

Segmented concrete hull for wave energy converters and method of constructing

A wind turbine platform configured to float in a body of water and support a wind turbine thereon includes a buoyant hull platform. A wind turbine tower is centrally mounted on the hull platform and a wind turbine is mounted to the wind turbine tower. An anchor is connected to the hull platform and to the seabed, and a weight-adjustable mass is suspended from the hull platform.

Floating hybrid composite wind turbine platform and tower system with suspended mass

A wind turbine tower includes a plurality of tower sections axially aligned and connected together. Each tower section includes an inner wall having a tapered cylindrical shape concentrically positioned within an outer wall having a tapered cylindrical shape. An annular space is defined between the inner wall and the outer wall, and a layer of concrete is disposed within the annular space. A plurality of post-tensioning cables extend longitudinally within the annular space or outside the outer wall, such that a first one of the tower sections is connected to a second one of the tower sections by a plurality of the post-tensioning cables.

Hybrid concrete-composite tower for a wind turbine and method of manufacturing

A floating wind turbine farmincludes a plurality of anchorsfixed in or on a bed of a body of water. A plurality of floating wind turbine platformsis deployed in the body of water, each of the floating wind turbine platformshaving one or more mooring linesthat extend between, and are attached to, the floating wind turbine platformand one of the anchors. Each anchoris configured to receive two or more mooring lines, wherein each of the mooring linesare from a different one of the plurality of floating wind turbine platforms

Method of mooring floating wind turbine platforms

A method of assembling a floating wind turbine platform includes assembling a keystone having a hollow central cavity from pre-formed concrete sections, and assembling a plurality of buoyant bottom beams from pre-formed concrete sections. Each bottom beam is attached to, and extends radially outward of the keystone to define a base assembly. Each buoyant bottom beam includes a ballast chamber therein. The keystone is post-tensioned to each bottom beam along a longitudinal axis thereof. A center column is assembled upwardly and perpendicularly on the base assembly from pre-formed sections of the center column, the outer columns are assembled on a distal end of each bottom beam from pre-formed sections of the outer columns, and the center column and the outer columns are longitudinally post-tensioned to the base assembly. A tower is assembled on the center column from pre-formed sections, and a wind turbine is assembled on the tower.

A method of constructing and assembling a floating wind turbine platform includes constructing pre-stressed concrete sections of a floating wind turbine platform base, assembling the floating wind turbine platform base sections to form the base at a first location in a floating wind turbine platform assembly area, and moving the base to a second location in the floating wind turbine platform assembly area. Pre-stressed concrete sections of floating wind turbine platform columns are constructed, and the column sections are assembled to form a center column and a plurality of outer columns on the base to define a hull at the second location in the floating wind turbine platform assembly area. The hull is then moved to a third location in the floating wind turbine platform assembly area. Secondary structures are mounted on and within the hull, and the hull is moved to a fourth location in the floating wind turbine platform assembly area. A wind turbine tower is constructed on the center column, and a wind turbine is mounted on the wind turbine tower, thus defining the floating wind turbine platform. The floating wind turbine platform is then moved to a launch platform in a fifth location and launched into a body of water.

Method of construction, assembly, and launch of a floating wind turbine platform

A floating buoy includes a buoy hull having a tower that extends outwardly from the hull. A plurality of sensors are mounted either on the buoy hull, within the buoy hull, and/or on the tower. The plurality of sensors includes at least one met-ocean sensor, at least one ecological sensor, and at least one wind speed measurement sensor. The floating buoy further includes an autonomous power system that is configured to provide electrical power to each of the plurality of sensors. The wind speed measurement sensor may be a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) wind speed measurement sensor, a surface level wind speed sensor, an ultrasonic wind speed sensor, or SODAR.

Buoy with integrated motion compensation

A hull for a semi-submersible wind turbine platform capable of floating on a body of water and supporting a wind turbine includes a keystone and at least three bottom beams extending radially outward of the keystone. Each bottom beam has a primary beam portion and a column base portion, wherein the column base portion is configured to support an outer column of the hull thereon, and wherein the primary beam portion defines a first ballast compartment therein. The first ballast compartment is in fluid communication with water in the body of water in which the hull is floating.

Hull for a floating wind turbine platform

A semi-submersible wind turbine platform is capable of floating on a body of water and supporting a wind turbine, and includes a keystone. At least three bottom beams extend radially outward of the keystone, and a center column extends perpendicularly from an upper surface of the keystone, a first axial end of the center column attached to the keystone; the center column configured to have a tower attached to a second axial end thereof. One of a plurality of outer columns extends perpendicularly from an upper surface of each bottom beam, wherein first axial ends of the outer columns are attached to a distal end of each bottom beam. One of a plurality of top beams extends between a second axial end of each outer column and a second axial end of the center column, wherein the top beams are configured substantially not to resist bending moment of a tower attached to the center column.

Floating wind turbine support system

A hybrid composite panel suitable for forming a container includes a wood layer and a fiber-reinforced polymer composite layer having a sensor system embedded therein. The wood layer is laminated plywood that includes at least one of hard and soft wood, solid-sawn tongue-and-groove hardwood planks, and partially laminated solid-sawn hardwood.

Composite weldable panel with embedded devices

A wind turbine platform is configured for floating in a body of water and includes a hull defining a hull cavity therein. The hull is formed from reinforced concrete. A tower is configured to mount a wind turbine and is also connected to the hull. An anchor member is connected to the hull and to the seabed.

Growing community of inventors

Bangor, ME, United States of America

Anthony M Viselli