阅读说明：本技术 浮体结构物、浮体式风力发电装置及浮体结构物的制造方法 (Floating structure, floating wind power generator, and method for manufacturing floating structure ) 是由 山口高典 北小路结花 粟岛裕治 角尾和彦 吉本治树 于 2020-03-24 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供即便在风车大型化的情况下也能够更换并设置风车的浮体结构物、浮体式风力发电装置及浮体结构物的制造方法。本实施方式所涉及的浮体式风力发电装置(1)具备：第一风车(2),通过接受到风而旋转驱动来进行发电；及浮体结构物(4),具有能够设置第二风车(3)的浮力,上述第二风车(3)具有比安装的第一风车(2)的输出大的输出,且具有将来要进行安装的可能性。在该浮体式风力发电装置(1)中,即便在风车大型化的情况下也不需要制造新的浮体结构物,而基于具有比安装的第一风车(2)大的输出的第二风车(3)的总重量来计算所需的浮力,从而设计、制造浮体结构物(4)。(The invention provides a floating structure, a floating wind power generator, and a method for manufacturing the floating structure, wherein the floating structure can be replaced and provided with a wind turbine even when the wind turbine is large-sized. The floating wind power generation device (1) according to the present embodiment includes: a first wind turbine (2) that generates electricity by being rotationally driven upon receiving wind; and a floating structure (4) having a buoyancy allowing installation of a second wind turbine (3), wherein the second wind turbine (3) has a larger output than the first wind turbine (2) and is likely to be installed in the future. In the floating wind power generator (1), even when the wind turbine is large in size, the floating structure (4) is designed and manufactured by calculating the required buoyancy based on the total weight of the second wind turbine (3) having a larger output than the first wind turbine (2) to be installed, without manufacturing a new floating structure.)

1. A floating body structure is provided, which comprises a floating body,

has a buoyancy capable of providing a second wind turbine having a larger output than the output of the first wind turbine installed.

2. The floating body structure of claim 1, wherein,

the floating structure includes a pedestal that supports the first wind turbine and the second wind turbine so as to be replaceable.

3. The floating body structure of claim 2, wherein,

the floating structure includes a fitting disposed between the first wind turbine and the pedestal or between the second wind turbine and the pedestal.

4. The floating body structure of claim 1, wherein,

the floating body structure has a life span at least longer than the life span of the first windmill.

5. A floating body type wind power generation device,

the wind turbine is provided with a floating structure having buoyancy capable of installing a second wind turbine having a larger output than the output of the first wind turbine installed.

6. The floating wind power plant according to claim 5,

the floating structure includes a pedestal that supports the first wind turbine and the second wind turbine so as to be replaceable.

7. The floating wind power plant according to claim 6,

the floating structure includes a fitting disposed between the first wind turbine and the pedestal or between the second wind turbine and the pedestal.

8. The floating wind power plant according to claim 5,

the floating body structure has a life span at least longer than the life span of the first windmill.

9. A method of making a floating body structure, comprising:

a first step of determining an output of a first wind turbine to be installed;

a second step of determining a maximum output of a second wind turbine having an output greater than that of the first wind turbine and having a possibility of being installed in the future;

a third step of calculating a buoyancy of the floating structure to which the second wind turbine can be installed; and

and a fourth step of designing the floating structure based on the buoyancy.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a floating structure, a floating wind turbine generator, and a method for manufacturing the floating structure, and more particularly, to a floating structure, a floating wind turbine generator, and a method for manufacturing the floating structure, which can accommodate future wind turbine upsizing.

Background

In the field of floating wind power generation devices, the following are typical: after the output (power generation capacity) of the wind turbine is determined, the wind turbine is designed in detail, the total weight of the upper structure (the wind turbine and its accompanying equipment) disposed on the floating structure is calculated, and the floating structure is designed based on the total weight.

For example, although the invention described in patent document 1 aims to provide a method for designing a floating wind turbine generator that can accurately estimate the influence of repeated loads caused by wind and waves and reflect the influence on fatigue strength, paragraph 0020 describes that "the floating body 1 is designed to generate a buoyancy greater than the total weight of the floating wind turbine generator 10a, and the floating wind turbine generator 10a can be floated on the water surface W as a whole. ".

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2005-240785

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

As described above, the floating body structure used in the floating body type wind turbine generator is designed based on the total weight of the upper structure, and is designed to generate the minimum buoyancy necessary to include the safety factor from the viewpoint of cost reduction.

However, in recent years, the output (power generation capacity) of the wind turbine tends to increase, and as the wind turbine increases in size, it is necessary to redesign the floating structure to manufacture a floating structure that can withstand a large-sized wind turbine. Therefore, there is a problem that the manufacturing cost of the floating wind turbine increases as the wind turbine increases in size. In addition, in particular, from the viewpoint of profitability of power generation companies, further cost reduction is required in the field of floating wind turbine generators.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a floating structure, a floating wind turbine generator, and a method for manufacturing the floating structure, which enable the wind turbine to be replaced and installed even when the wind turbine is large in size.

Means for solving the problems

According to the present invention, there is provided a floating body structure having buoyancy allowing installation of a second wind turbine having a larger output than that of a first wind turbine to be installed.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a floating wind turbine generator including a floating structure having a buoyancy allowing installation of a second wind turbine having a larger output than an output of a first wind turbine to be installed.

The floating structure may include a base that supports the first wind turbine and the second wind turbine so as to be replaceable. The floating structure may include a fitting disposed between the first wind turbine and the base, or between the second wind turbine and the base. Further, the floating structure may have a service life at least longer than that of the first wind turbine.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a floating body structure, comprising: a first step of determining an output of a first wind turbine to be installed; a second step of determining a maximum output of a second wind turbine having an output greater than that of the first wind turbine and having a possibility of being installed in the future; a third step of calculating a buoyancy of the floating structure to which the second wind turbine can be installed; and a fourth step of designing the floating structure based on the buoyancy.

Effects of the invention

According to the floating structure, the floating wind turbine generator, and the method for manufacturing the floating structure according to the present invention, since the floating structure has the buoyancy that allows the installation of the second wind turbine having the output larger than the output of the first wind turbine to which the floating structure is installed, it is not necessary to newly manufacture the floating structure even when the wind turbine is increased in size in the future, and the wind turbine having the increased size can be installed by replacing the floating structure used up to now.

Further, according to the present invention, the life of the floating structure can be increased, and the life of the floating structure can be made to correspond to the life in advance, whereby the cost per year (depreciation cost) required for operation can be substantially reduced, and the power generation yield can be easily improved.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an overall configuration diagram illustrating a floating wind turbine generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing a connection portion between the floating body structure and the first wind turbine, wherein (a) shows a developed view of the members, and (B) shows a cross-sectional plan view.

Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a floating body structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view showing a connection portion between the floating body structure and the second wind turbine, where (a) shows a first example and (B) shows a second example.

Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a modification of the connection between the floating structure and the wind turbine, where (a) shows the connection between the first wind turbine and (B) shows the connection between the second wind turbine.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 5 (B). Here, fig. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a floating wind turbine generator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing a connection portion between the floating body structure and the first wind turbine, wherein (a) shows a developed view of the members, and (B) shows a cross-sectional plan view. Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a floating body structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 1, a floating wind turbine generator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a first wind turbine 2 that receives wind and is rotationally driven to generate electricity; and a floating structure 4 having a buoyancy capable of installing the second wind turbine 3, wherein the second wind turbine 3 has an output larger than an output of the first wind turbine 2 to be installed, and is likely to be installed in the future.

The first wind turbine 2, which is an upper structure of the floating structure 4, includes, for example, a tower 21, a nacelle 22, and blades 23. The tower 21 is a column that supports the nacelle 22 and the blades 23, and is connected to a base 47 of the floating structure 4. The nacelle 22 has a generator inside, and generates electric power by rotation of the blades 23. The blades 23 are rotatably supported by the nacelle 22 and are configured to be rotationally driven by wind power.

The floating body structure 4 is for example a Semi-Submersible (Semi-Submersible) type floating body. The floating structure 4 is not limited to a semi-submersible type floating body, and may be a barge type floating body, a girder type floating body, a tension mooring type floating body, or other types of floating bodies.

The semi-submersible floating structure 4 includes, for example: a center column 41 disposed at the center of the floating body structure 4; a plurality of (e.g., three) side pillars 42 arranged on the outer periphery of the center pillar 41; a platform 43 disposed above the center column 41 and the side columns 42; a lower stay 44 connecting the center post 41 and the side post 42; a diagonal arm 45 connecting the platform 43 and the side post 42; and mooring lines 46 for mooring the buoyant structure 4 to the sea floor. The structure of such a semi-submersible floating body is a simple example and is not limited to the structure shown in the drawings.

The center column 41 and the side columns 42 constitute a so-called ballast tank, and are configured to be able to fill seawater into the hollow space therein and discharge seawater from the hollow space therein as necessary. A base 47 on which the first wind turbine 2 is installed is disposed in the center of the platform 43. The lower support arm 44 and the diagonal support arm 45 are members for maintaining the strength of the floating body structure 4.

For example, as shown in fig. 2 (a), the pedestal 47 is a cylindrical or disk-shaped projection formed on the surface plate 43. A support shaft 47a that can be inserted into the tower 21 is erected at the center of the base 47. Further, although not shown, a plurality of bolt holes may be formed in the upper surface of the base 47 in a substantially radial shape around the support shaft 47a. The bolt hole may be formed in a flange portion formed on the outer periphery of the upper surface of the pedestal 47. Although not shown, the pedestal 47 may have a shape other than a cylindrical shape or a disk shape (for example, a prism shape).

The tower 21 includes a cylindrical annular portion 21a formed over a certain range (height) at a lower end portion thereof, and a flange portion 21b formed at an edge portion of the lower end portion. Although not shown, the flange portion 21B is provided with a plurality of openings through which bolts 21c (see fig. 2B) can be screwed into bolt holes formed in the base 47. The outer shape and the opening of the flange portion 21b are formed to match the positions of the bolt holes disposed on the base 47.

Here, as shown in fig. 2 (B), when the diameter of the support shaft 47a is defined as D1, the inner diameter of the annular portion 21a is defined as D2, and the outer diameter of the annular portion 21a is defined as D3, the relationship D1 < D2 < D3 is established. Further, the diameter D1 of the support shaft 47a is set to a size sufficiently smaller than the inner diameter D2 of the annular portion 21a while maintaining a certain strength so that the support shaft 47a can be inserted into the annular portion 21a without contact.

Therefore, when the tower 21 is disposed on the base 47, a gap is generated between the support shaft 47a and the annular portion 21 a. Therefore, the floating wind turbine generator 1 according to the present embodiment includes the fitting 5 fitted to the outer periphery of the support shaft 47a and to the inner periphery of the annular portion 21 a.

As shown in fig. 2 a and 2B, the metal fitting 5 is a cylindrical member having an inner diameter D1 (more precisely, a diameter slightly larger than D1) and an outer diameter D2 (more precisely, a diameter slightly smaller than D2). Since the attachment 5 is disposed between the annular portion 21a of the tower 21 and the support shaft 47a of the base 47, it can be said that the attachment is disposed between the first wind turbine 2 and the base 47.

However, the buoyancy of the floating structure 4 is conventionally designed based on the total weight of the first wind turbine 2 to be installed. Therefore, the life of the floating body structure 4 is generally longer than the life of the first wind turbine 2, and therefore the life (life) of the floating body type wind turbine generator 1 is determined by the life of the first wind turbine 2. Even if only the first wind turbine 2 is replaced with a new wind turbine, the buoyancy of the floating structure 4 is determined based on the total weight of the first wind turbine 2, and therefore a wind turbine larger than the first wind turbine 2 cannot be mounted on the floating structure 4.

On the other hand, in recent years, the output (power generation capacity) demanded by a floating wind turbine generator tends to increase gradually. Therefore, the floating wind turbine generator is installed 5 to 10 years later, and the installation of a larger wind turbine is desired. When the size of the windmill is increased, the total weight thereof is also increased. As a result, in order to cope with the increase in size of the wind turbine, it is necessary to newly manufacture a floating structure commensurate with the increase in size.

Therefore, in the floating wind turbine generator 1 according to the present embodiment, even when the wind turbine is large in size, it is not necessary to manufacture a new floating structure, and the floating structure 4 is designed and manufactured by calculating the required buoyancy based on the total weight of the second wind turbine 3 having a larger output than the first wind turbine 2 to be installed.

That is, as shown in fig. 3, the method for manufacturing the floating body structure 4 according to the present embodiment includes: a first Step1 of determining an output of the first wind turbine 2 to be installed; a second Step2 of determining an output of a second wind turbine 3, the second wind turbine 3 having an output greater than that of the first wind turbine 2 and having a possibility of being installed in the future; a third Step3 of calculating the buoyancy of the floating structure 4 in which the second wind turbine 3 can be installed; and a fourth Step4 of designing the floating structure 4 based on the calculated buoyancy.

For example, when the output (power generation capacity) of the first wind turbine 2 to be installed is 7.5MW class, it is predicted that the output (power generation capacity) of 10MW class is achieved several years later, and the output (power generation capacity) of 15MW class or more is achieved 5 to 10 years later.

When the life span of the floating structure 4 is 30 to 40 years, a wind turbine having an output (power generation capacity) of at least 15MW class or more is assumed as the second wind turbine 3, and the total weight thereof is calculated to obtain a buoyancy necessary for mounting such second wind turbine 3. When designing or manufacturing the floating structure 4 based on the calculated buoyancy, the initial cost for installing the first wind turbine 2 is high, but the costs such as the removal cost and the manufacturing cost required for replacing the first wind turbine 2 with the second wind turbine 3 having a large size can be significantly reduced.

For example, if the service lives of the first wind turbine 2 and the second wind turbine 3 are 10 years each, the service life of the floating body structure 4 may have a service life longer than the total (20 years) of the service lives of the first wind turbine 2 and the second wind turbine 3. In addition, since it is difficult to accurately predict the service life of the second wind turbine 3 to be installed in the future when the first wind turbine 2 is installed, the service life of the floating body structure 4 may be longer than the service life of the first wind turbine 2 by, for example, about 5 to 10 years. That is, the floating body structure 4 is designed and manufactured according to a specification having at least a longer service life than the service life of the first wind turbine 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view showing a connection portion between the floating body structure and the second wind turbine, where (a) shows a first example and (B) shows a second example. The second wind turbine 3 has an annular portion 31a and a flange portion 31b at the lower end of the tower 31. If the inner diameter of the ring portion 31a is defined as D2 ', and the outer diameter of the ring portion 31a is defined as D3', the relationship D1 < D2 '< D3' is obtained.

As shown in fig. 4 a, the fitting 5 ' is a cylindrical member having an inner diameter D1 ' (i.e., a diameter slightly larger than D1 ') and an outer diameter D2 ' (i.e., a diameter slightly smaller than D2 '). Since the fitting 5' is disposed between the annular portion 31a of the tower 31 and the support shaft 47a of the base 47, it can be said that the fitting is disposed between the second wind turbine 3 and the base 47.

In addition, when the first wind turbine 2 is replaced with the second wind turbine 3, the first wind turbine 2 may be removed from the floating structure 4, the attachment 5 may be removed, a new attachment 5' may be provided on the base 47, and the second wind turbine 3 may be provided. Further, the tower 31 is coupled to the base 47 by a bolt 31c. The windmill is not limited to be replaced once, and the floating structure 4 may be used for a long time by continuously replacing the windmill twice or three times.

Normally, the tower 31 tends to be thicker as the wind turbines become larger, but depending on the technical capability when the second wind turbine 3 is installed, the tower 31 may be thinner than the tower 21 of the first wind turbine 2. In this case, for example, as shown in fig. 4 (B), the fitting 5' can be made to have a cylindrical shape with a small wall thickness.

In the above-described embodiment, the annular portions 21a and 31a are fitted to the support shaft 47a via the fittings 5 and 5', but the coupling structure is not limited to this configuration. Here, fig. 5 is a diagram showing a modification of the connection between the floating body structure and the wind turbine, where (a) shows the connection between the first wind turbine and (B) shows the connection between the second wind turbine.

In the modification shown in fig. 5 (a) and 5 (B), the support shaft 47a is not formed on the base 47, the first wind turbine 2 is connected to the base 47 via the attachment 6, and the second wind turbine 3 is connected to the base 47 via the attachment 6'.

The metal fitting 6 shown in fig. 5 (a) includes: a body portion 61 having a truncated cone-shaped outer shape; a first flange portion 62 disposed at the upper end of the body portion 61 and bolted to the flange portion 21 b; and a second flange 63 disposed at the lower end of the body 61 and bolted to the base 47. For convenience of explanation, the drawings are omitted for the bolts that connect the opening formed in the flange portion 21b, the bolt holes formed in the base 47, and the respective portions.

The fitting 6' shown in fig. 5 (B) includes: a body portion 61' having a cylindrical outer shape; a first flange portion 62 'disposed at the upper end of the body portion 61' and bolted to the flange portion 21 b; and a second flange 63' disposed at the lower end of the body 61 and bolted to the base 47. For convenience of explanation, the drawings are omitted for the bolts that connect the opening formed in the flange portion 31b, the bolt holes formed in the pedestal 47, and the respective portions.

In this way, by using the fittings 6 having shapes matching the lower end structures (the annular portions 21a and the flange portions 21b) of the tower 21 of the first wind turbine 2 and the fittings 6' having shapes matching the lower end structures (the annular portions 31a and the flange portions 31b) of the tower 31 of the second wind turbine 3, the first wind turbine 2 and the second wind turbine 3 can be installed on the base 47 of the floating body structure 4.

According to the floating body structure 4, the floating body type wind turbine generator 1, and the method of manufacturing the floating body structure 4 according to the present embodiment described above, since the floating body structure 4 has the buoyancy capable of installing the second wind turbine 3 having the output larger than the output of the first wind turbine 2 to be installed, even when the wind turbine is increased in size in the future, it is not necessary to newly manufacture the floating body structure 4, and the second wind turbine 3 having the increased size can be installed by replacing it with the floating body structure 4 used up to now.

Further, according to the present embodiment described above, the age of using the floating structure 4 can be increased, and the service life of the floating structure 4 is made to correspond to the age in advance, so that the cost per year (depreciation cost) required for operation can be substantially reduced, and the power generation yield can be easily improved.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention.

Description of the reference numerals

A floating wind power generation device

A first windmill

The second windmill

A floating body structure

5. 5 ', 6'

21. 31

21a, 31a

21b, 31b

21c, 31c

Pod 22

Blade

Central column

Side post

43

A lower brace arm

45.. diagonal bracing arm

Mooring line

A pedestal

Support shaft

61. A trunk section 61'

62. A first flange portion

63. A second flange portion.