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EP-4504590-B1 - FLOATING MARINE PLATFORM AND THE MANUFACTURING THEREOF

EP4504590B1EP 4504590 B1EP4504590 B1EP 4504590B1EP-4504590-B1

Inventors

  • CERMELLI, Christian André
  • AUBAULT, Alexia Marie
  • LANOUX, Fabien

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20230407

Claims (8)

  1. Method for manufacturing a floating marine platform (1) by means of templates, wherein the floating marine platform comprises a central column (10), multiple peripheral columns (30) circumferentially around the central column, and radially extending outriggers (50) from the central column that connect the peripheral columns with the central column, wherein the central column (10) comprises a central column circumferential wall (11, 13), and an upper central column mounting (20) and a lower central column mounting (25) that are connected spaced apart from each other with the central column circumferential wall, wherein the peripheral columns each comprise a peripheral column circumferential wall (31), and an upper peripheral column mounting (35) and a lower peripheral column mounting (38) that are connected spaced apart from each other with the peripheral column circumferential wall, wherein the outriggers each comprise an outrigger construction (51, 52, 53) that is connected with an upper inner outrigger mounting (55) that is aligned with the upper central column mounting (20), a lower inner outrigger mounting (57) that is aligned with the lower central column mounting (25), an upper outer outrigger mounting (54) that is aligned with the upper peripheral column mounting (35) and a lower outer outrigger mounting (56) that is aligned with the lower peripheral column mounting (38), wherein the templates comprise an inner outrigger template (140), an outer outrigger template (120), a central column template (180) and a peripheral column template (160), wherein the inner outrigger template (140) comprises an inner outrigger template spacer (141) that is connected with an upper inner outrigger template interface (142) and a lower inner outrigger template interface (145), wherein the outer outrigger template (120) comprises an outer outrigger template spacer (121) that is connected with an upper outer outrigger template interface (122) and a lower outer outrigger template interface (125), wherein the central column template (180) comprises a central column template spacer (181) that is connected with an upper central column template interface (182) and a lower central column template interface (185), and wherein the peripheral column template (160) comprises a peripheral column template spacer (161) that is connected with an upper peripheral column template interface (162) and a lower peripheral column template interface (165), wherein the method comprises the steps of: on a first location (L1) under a first temperature forming a first pair with the inner outrigger template (140) and the central column template (180), in which the upper inner outrigger template interface (142) is aligned with the upper central column template interface (182), and the lower inner outrigger template interface (145) is aligned with the lower central column template interface (185), on a second location (L2) under a second temperature forming a second pair with the outer outrigger template (120) and the peripheral column template (160), wherein the upper outer outrigger template interface (122) is aligned with the upper peripheral column template interface (162), and the lower outer outrigger template interface (125) is aligned with the lower peripheral column template interface (165), on a third location (L3) under a third temperature, manufacturing at least one of the outriggers (50) by means of the inner outrigger template (140) and the outer outrigger template (120), during which the upper inner outrigger template interface (142) is aligned with the upper inner outrigger mounting (55), and the lower inner outrigger template interface (145) is aligned with the lower inner outrigger mounting (57), and the upper outer outrigger template interface (122) is aligned with the upper outer outrigger mounting (54), and the lower outer outrigger template interface (125) is aligned with the lower outer outrigger mounting (56), on a fourth location (L4) under a fourth temperature, manufacturing at least one of the peripheral columns (30) by means of the peripheral column template (160), during which the upper peripheral column template interface (162) is aligned with the upper peripheral column mounting (35), and the lower peripheral column template interface (165) is aligned with the lower peripheral column mounting (40), on a fifth location (L5) under a fifth temperature, manufacturing the central column (10) by means of the central column template (180), during which the upper central column template interface (182) is aligned with the upper central column mounting (20), and the lower central column template interface (185) is aligned with the lower central column mounting (25), and on a sixth location (L6) under a sixth temperature, assembling the floating marine platform (1).
  2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the template interfaces (122; 125; 142; 145; 162; 165; 182; 185) are aligned with and in abutment with the mountings (54; 56; 55; 57; 35; 38; 20; 25) of the floating marine platform (1).
  3. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the template interfaces (122; 125; 142; 145; 162; 165; 182; 185) are aligned with and mounted to the mountings (54; 56; 55; 57; 35; 38; 20; 25) of the floating marine platform.
  4. Method according to claim 3, wherein the template interfaces (122; 125; 142; 145; 162; 165; 182; 185) and the mountings (54; 56; 55; 57; 35; 38; 20; 25) comprise mounting flanges (124; 127; 144; 147; 164; 167; 184; 187; 64; 66; 65; 67; 37; 40; 22; 27) that are bolted against each other.
  5. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the template interfaces (122; 125; 142; 145; 162; 165; 182; 185) are aligned with the mountings (54; 56; 55; 57; 35; 38; 20; 25) of the floating marine platform (1) under a tolerance of less than 1 millimeter.
  6. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the first temperature, second temperature, third temperature, fourth temperature, fifth temperature and sixth temperature differs from the other temperature.
  7. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the first location (L1), second location (L2), third location (L3), fourth location (L4), fifth location (L5) and sixth location (L6) is located more than 100 kilometers from the other locations.
  8. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the floating marine platform (1) comprises structural members (60, 65) spanning between each adjacent pair of peripheral columns (30), wherein the method comprises the step of installing the structural members (60, 65) after mounting the outriggers (50) between the central column (10) and the peripheral columns (30), wherein the structural members (60, 65) are pre-tensioned.

Description

BACKGROUND The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a floating marine platform that comprises a central column, multiple peripheral columns circumferentially around the central column, and radially extending outriggers from the central column that connect the peripheral columns with the central column. Such a method of manufacturing is for example disclosed in patent document WO 2021/148156A1 or GB1 295543A. The floating marine platform can for example be used to carry an offshore wind turbine for generating electricity. An example of such floating marine platform is disclosed in WO2021/148156 of the applicant. The wind turbines are getting larger and economies of scales dictate that the largest wind turbines will be used on gigawatt size wind farms. In order to carry these very large wind turbines, the floating marine platforms are also getting larger. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the conventional way, the floating marine platform can be made of prefabricated parts, and these are finally welded together at a final assembly site. The welding process will require adjustment in the length of components and may result in some eccentricities of the internal load transfer into the structural elements. This process will be time consuming due to the time required to perform the final adjustments, and the welds, including inspection, eventual repairs, and coating repairs around the welds. In an alternative way, the floating marine platform is made of prefabricated parts, that are bolted together at a final assembly site. This process is similar to the current manufacturing and assembly methods of wind turbines, which are made of tower sections, nacelle and blades, all fitted with flange connections, which are bolted together at the final assembly site. Because of the geometry of the floating marine platform, the flanges must be aligned with great accuracy in order to connect together. Typical required tolerances are in the order of 1 millimeter while it is common for conventional large steel construction to be build assuming tolerances of about 5 millimeters. It is very complex and costly to achieve the required higher accuracy, as the required tighter tolerances can only be achieved at an increased cost, using highly accurate dimensioning tools that perform laser-based measurements. Additionally, thermal expansion or contraction of the parts may compromise their ability to be assembled, unless a correction is made in the dimensional survey to account for estimated thermal growth or contraction. This may result in additional risks of parts not properly fitting to each other, or in eccentricities in the internal load transfer. The floating marine platforms are made in large shipyards and then tugged to the wind farm site. However, such large shipyard are scarce and may therefore be far from the wind farm site. It is very costly and time consuming to transport large floating marine platforms over long distances. The offshore wind industry more and more dictates that the floating marine platforms are manufactured efficiently while they are getting larger. Therefore, development of very large wind farms may not be economical using the known strategies. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a floating marine platform that remains efficient while the size of the floating marine platform increases with the size of the wind turbines to be carried. The invention provides a method for manufacturing a floating marine platform by means of templates, wherein the floating marine platform comprises a central column, multiple peripheral columns circumferentially around the central column, and radially extending outriggers from the central column that connect the peripheral columns with the central column,wherein the central column comprises a central column circumferential wall, and an upper central column mounting and a lower central column mounting that are connected spaced apart from each other with the central column circumferential wall,wherein the peripheral columns each comprise a peripheral column circumferential wall, and an upper peripheral column mounting and a lower peripheral column mounting that are connected spaced apart from each other with the peripheral column circumferential wall,wherein the outriggers each comprise an outrigger construction that is connected with an upper inner outrigger mounting that is aligned with the upper central column mounting, a lower inner outrigger mounting that is aligned with the lower central column mounting, an upper outer outrigger mounting that is aligned with the upper peripheral column mounting and a lower outer outrigger mounting that is aligned with the lower peripheral column mounting,wherein the templates comprise an inner outrigger template, an outer outrigger template, a central column template and a peripheral column template,wherein the inner outrigger template comprises an inner outrigger template spacer that is conne