Patent ID: 11885298
Assignee: ITREC B.V.
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  B  E  Y | IPC B  E  F

Claim 0:
1. An offshore wind turbine installation vessel comprising:
a hull having a storage deck, wherein the storage deck is configured for storage thereon of one or more wind turbine foundation piles in horizontal orientation thereof, said foundation piles each having a lower end configured to be driven into the seabed and a top end; and
a crane comprising:
a crane base secured to the hull;
a slewable superstructure mounted on the crane base and slewable about a vertical slew axis relative to the crane base;
a slew drive configured to cause slew motion of the superstructure about the slew axis;
a boom structure comprising a boom that is pivotally connected to the superstructure about an inner pivot axis;
a luffing mechanism comprising a luffing drive and configured to cause luffing motion of the boom structure;
a hoisting assembly comprising a hoisting winch and a hoisting winch driven cable;
a load connector, wherein the winch driven cable extends in a multi-fall arrangement between a sheave set on the boom structure and a sheave set on the load connector;
a pile holder having an upending cradle; and
a computerized crane control system linked to the slew drive, the luffing drive, and the hoisting winch, the computerized crane control system being programmed to perform a routine providing a coordinated pattern of slew motion of the superstructure and of luffing motion of the boom structure, as well as operation of the hoisting winch, so that the load connector moves along a predefined trajectory,

wherein the computerized crane control system is programmed to perform a foundation pile installation routine providing the coordinated pattern of slew motion of the superstructure and of luffing motion of the boom structure, as well as operation of the hoisting winch so that the load connector moves from a foundation pile pick up position thereof, wherein the load connector is connected to the top end of a horizontally oriented foundation pile stored on the deck, to a foundation pile overboarding position thereof, and wherein the foundation pile is vertical suspended from the load connector, outside of the hull,
wherein the upending cradle is configured to support the lower end or a lower section of the foundation pile during upending of the foundation pile during the foundation pile installation routine, and
wherein the predefined trajectory is predefined relative to a pivot axis of the upending cradle of the pile holder.