Patent ID: 9725870
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: B63B,E02D,F03D,F05B,Y02E,Y02P

Claim:
1. A method of installing a wind turbine to a spar buoy while offshore without the use of a crane barge, the method comprising the steps of: attaching a first truss to the bottom of the wind turbine, wherein the first truss comprises either stabbings or receptacles; attaching a second truss to the top of the spar buoy wherein the second truss is configured to mate to the first truss by stabbings or receptacles; transporting the wind turbine to the spar buoy site using a vessel; positioning the wind turbine at the top of the spar buoy; aligning the stabbings and receptacles; mating the wind turbine and spar buoy by ballasting the vessel downward and deballasting the spar buoy upward until the stabbings are inside the receptacles; and ballasting the vessel and deballasting the spar buoy until all of the weight of the wind turbine is transferred to the spar buoy and the wind turbine is removed from the vessel.