Patent ID: 9139266
Filing Date: 2015-09-22
Classification: B63B,E02B,E04H,F03D,F05B,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A floating wind turbine platform comprising: a) at least three stabilizing columns, each column having an upper and a lower end, and an internal volume for containing a ballast; b) a tower having an upper end and a lower end that is coupled to the floating wind turbine platform, the tower is mounted in vertical alignment over one of the columns and the other columns are not directly under the tower; c) a turbine rotor coupled to an electrical generator, the turbine rotor and the electrical generator are mounted proximate to the upper end of the tower; d) main beams interconnected to the at least three stabilizing columns; e) water-entrapment plates, each of the plates attached to the lower end of one of the stabilizing columns; and f) a ballast control system including an alignment sensor configured to detect a rotation of the tower, and a controller coupled to the alignment sensor, the controller configured to direct a transfer of the ballast from an internal volume of one of the columns to an internal volume of at least one of the other columns upon the alignment sensor detecting rotation of the tower to adjust a vertical alignment of the tower.