US 12,078,146 B2
Offshore wind turbines and methods for deploying and installing same
Marcelo Igor Lourenço de Souza, Rio de Janeiro (BR); Xavier Castello, Rio Grande (BR); Luiz Germano Bodanese, Rio de Janeiro (BR); and Rafael Louzada Bodanese, Rio de Janeiro (BR)
Assigned to HORTON DO BRASIL TECNOLOGIA OFFSHORE, LTDA., Rio de Janeiro (BR)
Appl. No. 17/050,782
Filed by HORTON DO BRASIL TECNOLOGIA OFFSHORE, LTDA., Rio de Janeiro (BR)
PCT Filed Apr. 26, 2019, PCT No. PCT/BR2019/050153
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 26, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/204895, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 31, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/663,469, filed on Apr. 27, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0231105 A1, Jul. 29, 2021
Int. Cl. F03D 13/10 (2016.01); B63B 35/44 (2006.01); F03D 9/34 (2016.01); F03D 13/25 (2016.01); F03D 13/40 (2016.01)
CPC F03D 13/10 (2016.05) [B63B 35/44 (2013.01); F03D 9/34 (2016.05); F03D 13/25 (2016.05); F03D 13/40 (2016.05); B63B 2035/446 (2013.01); F05B 2240/9151 (2013.01); F05B 2240/97 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An offshore wind turbine, comprising:
a ballast adjustable hull;
a telescopic tower movably coupled to the hull, wherein the telescopic tower has a central axis and comprises a plurality of nested concentrically arranged elongate tubulars;
a ballast adjustable elevator disposed about the telescopic tower and movably coupled to the hull, wherein the elevator is configured to lift one or more of the plurality of tubulars axially upward relative to the hull;
a nacelle coupled to the telescopic tower; and
a rotor assembly coupled to the nacelle;
wherein the elevator includes a catch member at an upper end of the elevator and extending radially inward from the elevator into an annulus radially positioned between the elevator and the telescopic tower;
wherein each tubular of the telescopic tower includes a catch member disposed at an upper end of the tubular and extending radially outward from the tubular into the annulus radially positioned between the elevator and the telescopic tower; and
wherein the catch member of the elevator is configured to engage the catch member of each of the tubulars to sequentially raise the tubulars of the telescopic tower to erect the telescopic tower.