Patent ID: 9518564
Filing Date: 2016-12-13
CPC Classification: B63B,F03D,F05B,Y02E

Claim Text:
1. A semi-submersible wind turbine platform configured to float semi-submerged on a body of water and supporting a wind turbine, the wind turbine platform comprising: a central buoyant pontoon; a wind turbine tower mounted on the central buoyant pontoon; a wind turbine mounted to the wind turbine tower; and a plurality of outer buoyant pontoons, the outer pontoons being connected to the central pontoon by structural members, with the central buoyant and outer buoyant pontoons having sufficient buoyancy to support a wind turbine tower; wherein a longitudinal axis of the central buoyant pontoon and longitudinal axes of the outer buoyant pontoons are substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to a surface of the body of water in which the semi-submersible wind turbine platform floats; wherein the wind turbine is configured to operate while the semi-submersible wind turbine platform floats, semi-submerged, in the body of water; and wherein the central buoyant pontoon and the plurality of outer buoyant pontoons are formed from a plurality of sections, with adjacent sections being joined at a connecting joint.