US20240043094A1 - Articulated floating structure - Google Patents
Articulated floating structure Download PDFInfo
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- US20240043094A1 US20240043094A1 US18/268,529 US202018268529A US2024043094A1 US 20240043094 A1 US20240043094 A1 US 20240043094A1 US 202018268529 A US202018268529 A US 202018268529A US 2024043094 A1 US2024043094 A1 US 2024043094A1
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- substantially triangular
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- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 24
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Images
Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B35/00—Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for
- B63B35/58—Rafts, i.e. free floating waterborne vessels, of shallow draft, with little or no freeboard, and having a platform or floor for supporting a user
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B1/00—Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils
- B63B1/02—Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils deriving lift mainly from water displacement
- B63B1/10—Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils deriving lift mainly from water displacement with multiple hulls
- B63B1/12—Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils deriving lift mainly from water displacement with multiple hulls the hulls being interconnected rigidly
- B63B1/125—Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils deriving lift mainly from water displacement with multiple hulls the hulls being interconnected rigidly comprising more than two hulls
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B35/00—Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for
- B63B35/34—Pontoons
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B35/00—Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for
- B63B35/44—Floating buildings, stores, drilling platforms, or workshops, e.g. carrying water-oil separating devices
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B1/00—Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils
- B63B1/02—Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils deriving lift mainly from water displacement
- B63B1/10—Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils deriving lift mainly from water displacement with multiple hulls
- B63B1/12—Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils deriving lift mainly from water displacement with multiple hulls the hulls being interconnected rigidly
- B63B1/125—Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils deriving lift mainly from water displacement with multiple hulls the hulls being interconnected rigidly comprising more than two hulls
- B63B2001/126—Hydrodynamic or hydrostatic features of hulls or of hydrofoils deriving lift mainly from water displacement with multiple hulls the hulls being interconnected rigidly comprising more than two hulls comprising more than three hulls
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
- B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING
- B63B35/00—Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for
- B63B35/44—Floating buildings, stores, drilling platforms, or workshops, e.g. carrying water-oil separating devices
- B63B2035/4433—Floating structures carrying electric power plants
- B63B2035/4453—Floating structures carrying electric power plants for converting solar energy into electric energy
Definitions
- the invention relates to floating structures, in particular floating structures made up of frames supported by buoyant members. More specifically, the invention relates to floating structures which provide a platform for an installation, such as an array of PV panels, a desalination plant, or an energy storage unit, or for some other type of use.
- the floating structures may be used both inshore, e.g. on rivers or lakes, or offshore.
- conventional floating structures usually comprise a relatively large rigid frame, which is either supported by separate buoyant members or which is made up of hollow elements providing inherent buoyancy.
- the frame of a conventional floating structure is usually rectangular.
- Conventional floating structures have a relatively high wave resistance, leading to relatively high loads on their frames, which must therefore be strong and comparatively heavy.
- rectangular frames can accommodate movement as a result of frontal waves, they are not suitable for accommodating torsional wave movements.
- Floating structures made up from a number of rectangular frames require relatively complex couplings and a relatively wide spacing to accommodate torsional wave movements.
- Prior art document WO 2017/118998 A1 discloses a rectangular floating solar platform which includes a unified floating structure that is formed of a horizontal mesh of one or more horizontal support members connected to each other in a matrix pattern, and one or more vertical support members fixedly mounted on the horizontal mesh.
- a horizontal planar modular deck is fixedly mounted on the unified floating structure and supports one or more arrays of solar panels. This floating structure is too rigid to follow the waves, resulting in high wave loads on the structure and/or large air gap requirements between the wave surface and the array of solar panels.
- Prior art document WO 2017/023536 A1 discloses a floating solar array made of a closed loop of flexible high density polyethylene pipes with elbows, T fittings and couplings forming a pontoon.
- An anti-lift membrane fills with water and mitigates the wind forces.
- the array can have a stabilizing skirt going downwardly from the border of the array, especially when it is used offshore in the sea.
- This document shows not only rectangular pontoons, but also hexagonal and octagonal pontoons.
- Prior art document KR 101997077 B1 discloses a floating water solar power generation module which comprises: a closed circular or elliptical support frame provided at the outside of a structure; a support net having a rope provided in a lattice shape inside the support frame; an array of solar panels on the support net; and a main floating body coupled to one side of the support frame.
- a floating structure which comprises a plurality of interconnected frames and a plurality of buoyant members supporting the structure, and wherein at least some of the frames are substantially triangular in planform.
- the floating structure may be built relatively easily and swiftly by assembling the frames.
- a plurality of smaller frames is easier to stock, transport and handle than a single large frame. For instance, if the edges of the frames are designed to be no longer than 12 m, they may be transported in standard 40 feet containers.
- Triangular frames are particularly well suited for absorbing and/or transferring shear loads within the plane of the triangle and have a relatively high strength to weight ratio.
- the floating structure might include some frames having a different planform, e.g. a row of rectangular frames at an edge or in a centre of the structure, in one embodiment all frames are substantially triangular in planform. In this way the floating structure as a whole is optimally suited for accommodating in-plane shear loads.
- adjacent triangular frames are movably connected.
- movably connected it is meant that a frame has one or more of six possible degrees of freedom with respect to an adjacent frame.
- adjacent triangular frames are pivotably connected.
- a pivotable connection allows the frames to more or less conform to the waves on the body of water on which the structure floats, thus reducing the loads on the structure even further.
- the triangular frames may have substantially the same shape. In that way they can be mounted relatively closely together.
- a uniform floating structure may be achieved in an embodiment wherein the triangular frames have substantially the same dimensions.
- At least one of the triangular frames may have dimensions which are a multiple of the dimensions of another one of triangular frames. In that way the floating structure might be made up of a combination of larger and smaller triangles.
- each triangular frame may have a base, an apex and two sides connecting opposite ends of the base with the apex, and adjacent triangular frames may be connected along their respective sides such that the base of a first frame is closest to the apex of a second frame and the base of the second frame is closest to the apex of the first frame.
- a row of alternating triangles may be formed, such that the series of bases at opposite sides may form substantially continuous edges.
- each triangular frame may have a base, an apex and two sides connecting opposite ends of the base with the apex, and adjacent triangular frames may be connected along their respective bases. In this way two interconnected triangular frames may form a diamond.
- the triangular frames may comprise right-angles triangles. Such triangular frames may easily be combined to form a rectangular floating structure.
- the triangular frames may comprise isosceles triangles. In this way a uniform floating structure may be formed.
- Uniformity of the floating structure may be further increased by an embodiment in which the triangular frames comprise equilateral triangles.
- the isosceles triangle may have an apex angle between about 20-120°, in particular an apex angle of °.
- At least some of the triangular frames may have at least one corner which is chamfered or rounded.
- corner which is chamfered or rounded.
- At least some of the triangular frames may have a substantially open load-bearing structure, the three sides of the triangle comprising beams connected at or near their ends.
- the beams forming the sides of the triangle may support an internal grid or a platform.
- each triangular frame is supported by at least one buoyant member.
- the frames are self-supporting and do not rely on being connected to other frames for their buoyancy.
- the at least one buoyant member may be connected to the respective triangular frame by at least one post. In this way a distance is maintained between the floating structure and the surface of the body of water in which it floats.
- each triangular frame may be supported by at least three buoyant members.
- each buoyant member may be connected to a respective triangular frame near a corner of the frame. In this way stability of the floating structure is even further increased.
- each buoyant member when adjacent triangular frames are connected along their respective sides or bases, each buoyant member may be connected to a respective triangular frame at a position along a side or base which is offset with respect to a position of a buoyant member along a side or base of an adjacent triangular frame to which the first side or base is connected. In this way there is no risk of buoyant members of adjacent triangular frames colliding during movement of the frames on waves of a body of water on which the structure floats.
- the floating structure may further comprise anchoring means for maintaining the floating structure substantially at a fixed location in a body of water.
- the floating structure may further comprise an installation supported by the floating structure.
- the installation may be arranged on the internal grid or the platform of a respective triangular frame.
- the installation may comprise a plurality of PV panels.
- the installation could comprise e.g. a desalination plant, or an energy storage unit, e.g. an array of batteries.
- Other possible uses for the floating structure are the generation of wind energy through one or more turbines, or the generation of wave energy.
- a further floating structure could support energy intensive activities, like e.g. a hydrogen production unit, a hydrogen-to-fuel conversion plant, or a data center.
- the floating structure could also be used for urbanization, i.e. housing and/or recreation, for agriculture or for aquaculture.
- the floating structure could be used as an offshore mooring or satellite port, where ships could load or offload cargo or supplies, in particular fluidic cargo that can be brought ashore through pipelines.
- the number of buoyant members and their volume, as well as a length of the at least one post may be selected as a function of the weight of a respective frame and its installation, such that the frame is supported at a distance above a still waterline of a body of water in which the floating structure is used. In this way the frame can be kept free of waves on the body of water on which the structure is floating.
- the invention further provides a triangular frame which is evidently intended for use in a floating structure as described above.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective top view of a first embodiment of a floating structure made up of four interconnected triangular frames in accordance with the invention
- FIG. 2 is a perspective top view of a second embodiment of the floating structure in accordance with the invention, made up of triangular frames having a different planform than those of the first embodiment;
- FIG. 3 is a view corresponding with that of FIG. 1 , but showing each triangular frame of the floating structure supporting an array of PV panels;
- FIG. 4 is a perspective bottom view of the floating structure supporting PV panels as shown in FIG. 3 ;
- FIG. 5 is a rear view of the first embodiment of the floating structure according to arrow V in FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 6 is a side view of the first embodiment of the floating structure supporting PV panels according to arrow VI in FIG. 3 , showing an exemplary still waterline around the buoyant members;
- FIG. 7 is a top view of the first embodiment of the floating structure
- FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the first embodiment of the floating structure
- FIG. 9 is a top view of the second embodiment of the floating structure.
- FIG. 10 is a top view of a triangular frame in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention, illustrating both different buoyant members and a different positioning of the buoyant members;
- FIG. 11 is a view corresponding with that of FIG. 3 , but showing a single frame in accordance with the third embodiment
- FIG. 12 is a view corresponding with that of FIG. 11 , but without the array of PV panels;
- FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an example of a pivot connection between adjacent triangular frames in which an edge of one of the frames has been removed for improved clarity;
- FIG. 14 is a general diagram of a triangle illustrating various angles and dimensions.
- FIG. 15 A-C are schematic planforms of various types of triangular frames having the arrangement of the buoyant members of the third embodiment.
- a floating structure 1 ( FIG. 1 ) comprises a plurality of triangular frames 2 , in this embodiment four frames 2 A- 2 D, which are mutually connected along their adjacent edges.
- Each frame 2 is supported by one or more—in this embodiment three—buoyant members 3 .
- each buoyant member 3 is connected to the triangular frame 2 by a single post 6 .
- the three buoyant members 3 are shown to be connected to the respective frame 2 near a corner 7 of the frame 2 , i.e. near one of the three angles of the triangle forming the frame 2 .
- Adjacent triangular frames 2 are connected such as to be movable with respect to one another, so that the floating structure 1 has some degree of flexibility.
- adjacent triangular frames 2 are pivotably connected.
- the frames 2 may be provided with pivotable connecting elements 19 , in this case two connecting elements 19 near the corners 7 .
- These connecting elements 19 may comprise a single lug 8 on one of the triangular frames 2 and a pair of lugs 9 on the other frame 2 , wherein the lugs 8 , 9 may have aligned holes for receiving a pin 10 ( FIG. 12 ).
- the pivotable connections between the frames 2 lead to the formation of an articulated floating structure 1 , in which the triangular frames 2 can follow movement of waves when the structure 1 is floating on a body of water.
- the four triangular frames 2 A- 2 D all have the same shape and dimensions.
- the frames 2 are shown to be formed by equilateral triangles of which the base 11 ( FIG. 14 ) has the same length as each of the two sides 12 which connect the base 11 to the apex 13 .
- the three angles are identical so that each corner can be considered the apex 13 .
- the frames 2 are formed by isosceles triangles, in which the base 11 ( FIG. 13 ) has a different length than the sides 12 and the apex 13 has an angle ⁇ that is different from the angles of the two lower vertices 21 .
- the apex 13 has an angle of 90°, so that the base 11 is some 40 percent longer than the sides 12 , thus forming a blunt triangle.
- the three outer triangular frames 2 A, 2 C and 2 D are arranged mutually parallel and have their apexes 13 all at the same side, while the central triangular frame 2 B is arranged in opposite direction.
- the left and right triangular frames 2 A, 2 C are connected to the central triangular frame 2 C along their respective sides 12
- the foremost triangular frame 2 D is connected to the central triangular frame 2 C along their respective bases 11 .
- the four triangular frames 2 A- 2 D together form a floating structure 1 which is triangular in itself, and has the same triangular shape in planform as the constituting triangular frames 2 .
- the edges of the triangular floating structure 1 are twice as long as those of the individual triangular frames 2 .
- the floating structure 1 could comprise more or less than four triangular frames 2 .
- the floating structure 1 could further comprise triangular frames having different dimensions or different shapes.
- the structure 1 could include a central triangular frame having the same dimensions as a combination of four triangular frames as shown in the drawings, which could be surrounded by combinations of four smaller triangular frames of the type shown in the drawings.
- the length of the edges of the triangular frames 2 can be selected with a view to ease of transportation, and could be a multiple of 6 m (20 feet), which is a standard container size.
- FIG. 1 could be extended e.g. by placing two triangular frames having the same orientation as central frame 2 C on both sides of the foremost triangular frame 2 D, thus leading to an “hourglass” shape, and then adding two isosceles triangles having an apex of 120° at the sides to form a rectangular or square floating structure 1 .
- a square floating structure 1 could also be formed by mirroring the arrangement of FIG. 2 .
- the floating structure 1 could also include frames having a different planform.
- one or more square frames could be arranged between the triangular frames 2 C and 2 D to form an arrow-shaped floating structure.
- relatively narrow rectangular frames could be arranged at the outside of the floating structure, either for increasing buoyancy or to support e.g. walkways for maintenance staff.
- each triangular frame 2 has an open load-bearing structure comprising three beams 14 , which are connected at their ends.
- an internal grid 15 may be arranged between the load-bearing beams 14 .
- the internal grid 15 includes four longitudinal girders 16 and a transverse girder 17 .
- the internal grid 14 not only serves to support an installation, but also forms a connection between the buoyant members 3 and the load-bearing frame 2 , since the posts 6 are shown to be connected to the outer longitudinal girders 16 and to the transverse girder 17 ( FIG. 4 ).
- the beams 14 and girders 16 , 17 are shown here as having closed rectangular cross-sectional profiles, it is conceivable for these members to have different cross-sectional profiles.
- the beams and/or the girders could have a round or oval cross-section, or could have another polygonal cross-section, e.g. triangular.
- the beams and/or the girders could have an open cross-section, and could e.g. be C-shaped, H-shaped, I-shaped or L-shaped. It is also conceivable for the beams and/or the girders to be formed by trusses or by a spaceframe.
- the floating structure 1 supports a solar power generating installation.
- the installation comprises a plurality of arrays of PV panels ( FIG. 3 ).
- each triangular frame 2 carries a substantially triangular array 4 of PV panels.
- the PV panels are shown to be arranged in rows 5 , the length of which decreases from the base 11 towards the apex 13 of the triangle.
- adjacent rows 5 are arranged in the shape of a rooftop, and walkways 18 are shown to be arranged between each pair of rows 5 .
- each triangular frame 2 is covered by the array 4 of PV panels, it is also conceivable to reserve a part of the surface area for other parts of the installation, like e.g. control electronics, a transformer or batteries for storage.
- the floating structure 1 could be made up of triangular frames 2 carrying PV panels and one or more triangular frames 2 carrying other parts of the installation.
- the floating structure 1 could carry a different type of installation, e.g. a desalination plant, a hydrogen production plant or some other installation that requires a large amount of space but involves only limited or no human intervention.
- the triangular frames 2 could be provided with a platform, rather than an internal grid.
- the buoyant members 3 have the shape of an oblate ellipsoid, i.e. a body of revolution about a vertical axis on the basis of an ellipse having a major axis which is horizontal and a minor axis which is vertical.
- an ellipsoid-shaped buoyant member which is described in detail in the applicant's co-pending application entitled: “Floating structure having ellipsoid buoyant members”, has been found to have a very low wave drag, so that loads on each triangular frame 2 will be relatively low and its structure may be light. However, in situations where wave drag is less of an issue, more basic shapes of buoyant members could be considered, as illustrated by the rectangular buoyant members 23 shown in FIGS. 10 - 12 .
- Loads on the triangular frames 2 are further reduced by keeping the frames 2 free of the water during normal use. Moreover, in this way the installation carried by the floating structure, in this case the array 4 of PV panels, is also protected from adverse effects due to the impact of waves.
- the buoyant members 3 are almost fully submerged below the still waterline WL, while the frame 2 is supported at a height h above the still waterline. This is achieved by careful selection of the number of buoyant members 3 and their volume, as well as the length of the posts 6 as a function of the weight of each respective triangular frame 2 and the array 4 of PV panels which it supports.
- the height h above the waterline WL is selected in accordance with the intended use. For inland waters, like lakes or even rivers, where wave heights will be limited, a free height of 1-2 m may be sufficient, whereas for offshore applications much higher structures, possibly with the frames 2 up to 25 m above the still waterline WL may be needed.
- buoyant members 3 are shown to be fully submerged in this embodiment. However, it is also possible to give each buoyant member 3 a greater volume, so that it provides the required buoyancy even when it is only partially submerged. In that case the potential reserve buoyancy that may be generated when the buoyant member 3 is submerged to a greater extent than necessary for carrying the frame 2 may be used to increase dynamic stability of the floating structure 1 . This reserve buoyancy will counter a downward movement of part of the triangular frame 2 when one side of the frame 2 is lifted by an approaching wave.
- each triangular frame 2 may be chamfered or rounded, e.g. in order to provide sufficient strength or to avoid dangerously sharp angles. This is shown in the embodiment of FIG. 10 .
- This embodiment also includes an alternative arrangement of the three buoyant members 3 , in which the buoyant members 3 are not arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line of the triangular frame 2 , as is the case in the previous embodiments.
- the buoyant members 3 of adjacent triangular frames 2 are located directly opposite one another in a direction transverse to the connected edge. Therefore these buoyant members could theoretically collide in case of pivoting movement of the frames 2 due to waves.
- FIGS. 1 - 9 the buoyant members 3 of adjacent triangular frames 2 are located directly opposite one another in a direction transverse to the connected edge. Therefore these buoyant members could theoretically collide in case of pivoting movement of the frames 2 due to waves.
- each buoyant member 3 A-C is connected to the frame 2 —through transverse girder 17 or a diagonal girder 20 —at a position along an edge which is offset with respect to a position of a buoyant member 3 A-C along an edge of an adjacent triangular frame 2 . If a triangular frame 2 is arranged to the right of the frame 2 shown in FIG. 10 , with its apex pointing in the opposite direction, its first buoyant member 3 A would not be directly opposite the first buoyant member 3 A of the shown frame 2 , but instead would be located in the vicinity of, but not directly opposite to the third buoyant member 3 C.
- FIG. 15 shows a frame 2 in the shape of an equilateral triangle, in which the angle ⁇ of the apex 13 and the angles R of the two other vertices 21 are all the same, as are the lengths of the two sides 12 and the base 11 .
- FIG. 15 B illustrates the second embodiment of the frame 2 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9 , in which the buoyant members 3 are arranged offset from the apex 13 and other vertices 21 of the isosceles triangle.
- FIG. 15 A shows a frame 2 in the shape of an equilateral triangle, in which the angle ⁇ of the apex 13 and the angles R of the two other vertices 21 are all the same, as are the lengths of the two sides 12 and the base 11 .
- FIG. 15 B illustrates the second embodiment of the frame 2 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 9 , in which the buoyant members 3 are arranged offset from the apex 13 and other vertices 21 of the isosceles triangle
- FIGS. 15 B and 15 C show another possible shape of the frame 2 ; a right-angle triangle having three different sides 11 , 12 A and 12 B and three different angles ⁇ , ⁇ and ⁇ , respectively.
- the embodiments of FIGS. 15 B and 15 C lend themselves to being combined into a rectangular floating structure 1 fairly easily.
- a lozenge-shaped floating structure 1 could be made by connecting triangular frames as shown in FIG. 15 C along their sides 11 and 12 A bordering the right angle vertex 21 A.
- the floating structure 1 is further provided with anchoring means for maintaining the floating structure 1 substantially at a fixed location in a body of water.
- the anchoring means may e.g. include so-called spud poles, which are driven into the bottom of the body of water and along which the structure 1 can float up and down without changing its orientation.
- the anchoring means could include one or more anchors fixed in the bottom, to which the floating structure 1 could be connected by chains or other flexible elements, so that the structure could change its orientation, e.g. to keep the PV panels in an optimum position relative to the sun.
- the floating structure When used on relatively smaller inland waters, the floating structure could also be anchored to the shore.
- the number of buoyant members supporting a triangular frame could be more or less than three.
- each buoyant member must be inherently stable, e.g. in the way of a float used for fishing. It is also conceivable, e.g. when one of the frames 2 has to carry a very heavy load like the weight of an electrical transformer or the forces exerted by the anchoring means, to provide that frame 2 with (a) buoyant member(s) 3 extending under the entire surface area of the triangular frame 2 , more or less transforming that frame 2 into a barge.
- the number of triangular frames 2 which together constitute the floating structure could be more or less than four. In principle there is no upper limit to the number of triangular frames 2 that can be connected together.
- any suitable material can be used in the construction of the triangular frames 2 , the buoyant members 3 and the posts 6 .
- Such materials include aluminum, steel, concrete or fiber reinforced plastics.
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Abstract
The invention relates to a floating structure, comprising a plurality of interconnected frames and a plurality of buoyant members supporting the structure, wherein the frames are substantially triangular in planform. Adjacent triangular frames may be movably connected, in particular pivotably connected. The triangular frames may comprise right-angle triangles, isosceles triangles or equilateral triangles. The floating structure may support an installation, like e.g. a solar farm. The invention also relates to a triangular frame for use in such a floating structure.
Description
- The invention relates to floating structures, in particular floating structures made up of frames supported by buoyant members. More specifically, the invention relates to floating structures which provide a platform for an installation, such as an array of PV panels, a desalination plant, or an energy storage unit, or for some other type of use. The floating structures may be used both inshore, e.g. on rivers or lakes, or offshore.
- In many parts of the world, land is increasingly scarce, as cities expand and an increasing population requires more land to be reserved for agriculture. Therefore, there is a trend that installations which take up a large surface area, like e.g. solar farms, are increasingly built on large scale floating structures or artificial islands. These floating structures can be positioned in the vicinity of cities where the energy harvested from the solar farm will be used. Many of the world's largest cities are situated near a body of water, like a sea or lake.
- As illustrated by the documents discussed below, conventional floating structures usually comprise a relatively large rigid frame, which is either supported by separate buoyant members or which is made up of hollow elements providing inherent buoyancy. With some exceptions, the frame of a conventional floating structure is usually rectangular. Conventional floating structures have a relatively high wave resistance, leading to relatively high loads on their frames, which must therefore be strong and comparatively heavy. Moreover, although rectangular frames can accommodate movement as a result of frontal waves, they are not suitable for accommodating torsional wave movements. Floating structures made up from a number of rectangular frames require relatively complex couplings and a relatively wide spacing to accommodate torsional wave movements.
- Prior art document WO 2017/118998 A1 discloses a rectangular floating solar platform which includes a unified floating structure that is formed of a horizontal mesh of one or more horizontal support members connected to each other in a matrix pattern, and one or more vertical support members fixedly mounted on the horizontal mesh. A horizontal planar modular deck is fixedly mounted on the unified floating structure and supports one or more arrays of solar panels. This floating structure is too rigid to follow the waves, resulting in high wave loads on the structure and/or large air gap requirements between the wave surface and the array of solar panels.
- Prior art document WO 2017/023536 A1 discloses a floating solar array made of a closed loop of flexible high density polyethylene pipes with elbows, T fittings and couplings forming a pontoon. An anti-lift membrane fills with water and mitigates the wind forces. The array can have a stabilizing skirt going downwardly from the border of the array, especially when it is used offshore in the sea. This document shows not only rectangular pontoons, but also hexagonal and octagonal pontoons.
- Prior art document KR 101997077 B1 discloses a floating water solar power generation module which comprises: a closed circular or elliptical support frame provided at the outside of a structure; a support net having a rope provided in a lattice shape inside the support frame; an array of solar panels on the support net; and a main floating body coupled to one side of the support frame.
- In view of the above, there is a need for improved floating structure.
- In accordance with the invention, a floating structure is provided which comprises a plurality of interconnected frames and a plurality of buoyant members supporting the structure, and wherein at least some of the frames are substantially triangular in planform.
- By interconnecting a plurality of frames, which may be relatively small, rather than using a single frame which is relatively large, the floating structure may be built relatively easily and swiftly by assembling the frames. Moreover, such a plurality of smaller frames is easier to stock, transport and handle than a single large frame. For instance, if the edges of the frames are designed to be no longer than 12 m, they may be transported in standard 40 feet containers.
- And by using triangular frames, rather than the commonly used rectangular frame, loads on the structure can be absorbed and/or transferred in a more efficient manner Triangular frames are particularly well suited for absorbing and/or transferring shear loads within the plane of the triangle and have a relatively high strength to weight ratio.
- And finally, by using separate buoyant members, rather than providing the frame with buoyancy, a clear functional division is established, which allows the frame to be optimized for its load-bearing function. This arrangement also allows the frame to be kept clear of the water, thus reducing wave resistance of the floating structure and keeping the upper surface of the floating structure dry and free of water loads. Moreover, this arrangement leads to less movement of the frame in comparison to a partially submerged frame or pontoon, which is beneficial when the floating structure is used to support an installation.
- Although the floating structure might include some frames having a different planform, e.g. a row of rectangular frames at an edge or in a centre of the structure, in one embodiment all frames are substantially triangular in planform. In this way the floating structure as a whole is optimally suited for accommodating in-plane shear loads.
- In a further embodiment, adjacent triangular frames are movably connected. By providing a movable connection between adjacent frames, they may accommodate movement due to torsional waves more efficiently, so that loads on the floating structure are reduced. By “movably connected” it is meant that a frame has one or more of six possible degrees of freedom with respect to an adjacent frame.
- In yet another embodiment, adjacent triangular frames are pivotably connected. A pivotable connection allows the frames to more or less conform to the waves on the body of water on which the structure floats, thus reducing the loads on the structure even further.
- In order to maximize the useful surface area of the floating structure, in one embodiment the triangular frames may have substantially the same shape. In that way they can be mounted relatively closely together.
- A uniform floating structure may be achieved in an embodiment wherein the triangular frames have substantially the same dimensions.
- In an alternative embodiment of the floating structure, at least one of the triangular frames may have dimensions which are a multiple of the dimensions of another one of triangular frames. In that way the floating structure might be made up of a combination of larger and smaller triangles.
- In one embodiment, each triangular frame may have a base, an apex and two sides connecting opposite ends of the base with the apex, and adjacent triangular frames may be connected along their respective sides such that the base of a first frame is closest to the apex of a second frame and the base of the second frame is closest to the apex of the first frame. In this way a row of alternating triangles may be formed, such that the series of bases at opposite sides may form substantially continuous edges.
- Additionally or alternatively, in one embodiment each triangular frame may have a base, an apex and two sides connecting opposite ends of the base with the apex, and adjacent triangular frames may be connected along their respective bases. In this way two interconnected triangular frames may form a diamond.
- In one embodiment, the triangular frames may comprise right-angles triangles. Such triangular frames may easily be combined to form a rectangular floating structure.
- In another embodiment, the triangular frames may comprise isosceles triangles. In this way a uniform floating structure may be formed.
- Uniformity of the floating structure may be further increased by an embodiment in which the triangular frames comprise equilateral triangles.
- In order to obtain an efficient load-bearing structure of each frame, in one embodiment the isosceles triangle may have an apex angle between about 20-120°, in particular an apex angle of °.
- In one embodiment of the floating structure, at least some of the triangular frames may have at least one corner which is chamfered or rounded. For practical purposes, e.g. in order to provide sufficient strength or to avoid dangerously sharp angles, small deviations from a purely triangular shape may be accepted without loss of the fundamental advantages of that shape.
- In one embodiment of the floating structure, at least some of the triangular frames may have a substantially open load-bearing structure, the three sides of the triangle comprising beams connected at or near their ends. By concentrating the loads acting on the frame in beams forming the edges of the triangle, a well-defined and efficient load distribution may be achieved.
- In order to allow an installation to be mounted on the floating structure, in one embodiment the beams forming the sides of the triangle may support an internal grid or a platform.
- In one embodiment, each triangular frame is supported by at least one buoyant member. In this way the frames are self-supporting and do not rely on being connected to other frames for their buoyancy.
- In one embodiment the at least one buoyant member may be connected to the respective triangular frame by at least one post. In this way a distance is maintained between the floating structure and the surface of the body of water in which it floats.
- In order to ensure stability of the individual frames, in one embodiment of the floating structure each triangular frame may be supported by at least three buoyant members.
- In a further embodiment, each buoyant member may be connected to a respective triangular frame near a corner of the frame. In this way stability of the floating structure is even further increased.
- In one embodiment, when adjacent triangular frames are connected along their respective sides or bases, each buoyant member may be connected to a respective triangular frame at a position along a side or base which is offset with respect to a position of a buoyant member along a side or base of an adjacent triangular frame to which the first side or base is connected. In this way there is no risk of buoyant members of adjacent triangular frames colliding during movement of the frames on waves of a body of water on which the structure floats.
- In one embodiment, the floating structure may further comprise anchoring means for maintaining the floating structure substantially at a fixed location in a body of water.
- In a further embodiment, the floating structure may further comprise an installation supported by the floating structure.
- In yet another embodiment, when the beams forming the sides of the triangle support an internal grid or a platform, the installation may be arranged on the internal grid or the platform of a respective triangular frame.
- In one embodiment, the installation may comprise a plurality of PV panels. Alternatively, the installation could comprise e.g. a desalination plant, or an energy storage unit, e.g. an array of batteries. Other possible uses for the floating structure are the generation of wind energy through one or more turbines, or the generation of wave energy. In addition to one or more floating structures dedicated to energy generation, a further floating structure could support energy intensive activities, like e.g. a hydrogen production unit, a hydrogen-to-fuel conversion plant, or a data center. The floating structure could also be used for urbanization, i.e. housing and/or recreation, for agriculture or for aquaculture. And finally, the floating structure could be used as an offshore mooring or satellite port, where ships could load or offload cargo or supplies, in particular fluidic cargo that can be brought ashore through pipelines.
- In yet another embodiment, the number of buoyant members and their volume, as well as a length of the at least one post may be selected as a function of the weight of a respective frame and its installation, such that the frame is supported at a distance above a still waterline of a body of water in which the floating structure is used. In this way the frame can be kept free of waves on the body of water on which the structure is floating.
- The invention further provides a triangular frame which is evidently intended for use in a floating structure as described above.
- The invention will now be elucidated by way of a number of exemplary embodiments, with reference being made to the annexed drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective top view of a first embodiment of a floating structure made up of four interconnected triangular frames in accordance with the invention; -
FIG. 2 is a perspective top view of a second embodiment of the floating structure in accordance with the invention, made up of triangular frames having a different planform than those of the first embodiment; -
FIG. 3 is a view corresponding with that ofFIG. 1 , but showing each triangular frame of the floating structure supporting an array of PV panels; -
FIG. 4 is a perspective bottom view of the floating structure supporting PV panels as shown inFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 5 is a rear view of the first embodiment of the floating structure according to arrow V inFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 6 is a side view of the first embodiment of the floating structure supporting PV panels according to arrow VI inFIG. 3 , showing an exemplary still waterline around the buoyant members; -
FIG. 7 is a top view of the first embodiment of the floating structure; -
FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the first embodiment of the floating structure; -
FIG. 9 is a top view of the second embodiment of the floating structure; -
FIG. 10 is a top view of a triangular frame in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention, illustrating both different buoyant members and a different positioning of the buoyant members; -
FIG. 11 is a view corresponding with that ofFIG. 3 , but showing a single frame in accordance with the third embodiment; -
FIG. 12 is a view corresponding with that ofFIG. 11 , but without the array of PV panels; -
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an example of a pivot connection between adjacent triangular frames in which an edge of one of the frames has been removed for improved clarity; -
FIG. 14 is a general diagram of a triangle illustrating various angles and dimensions; and -
FIG. 15A-C are schematic planforms of various types of triangular frames having the arrangement of the buoyant members of the third embodiment. - A floating structure 1 (
FIG. 1 ) comprises a plurality oftriangular frames 2, in this embodiment fourframes 2A-2D, which are mutually connected along their adjacent edges. Eachframe 2 is supported by one or more—in this embodiment three—buoyant members 3. In the illustrated embodiment eachbuoyant member 3 is connected to thetriangular frame 2 by asingle post 6. The threebuoyant members 3 are shown to be connected to therespective frame 2 near acorner 7 of theframe 2, i.e. near one of the three angles of the triangle forming theframe 2. - Adjacent
triangular frames 2 are connected such as to be movable with respect to one another, so that the floatingstructure 1 has some degree of flexibility. In the illustrated embodiment, adjacenttriangular frames 2 are pivotably connected. To that end theframes 2 may be provided withpivotable connecting elements 19, in this case two connectingelements 19 near thecorners 7. These connectingelements 19 may comprise a single lug 8 on one of thetriangular frames 2 and a pair oflugs 9 on theother frame 2, wherein thelugs 8, 9 may have aligned holes for receiving a pin 10 (FIG. 12 ). The pivotable connections between theframes 2 lead to the formation of an articulated floatingstructure 1, in which thetriangular frames 2 can follow movement of waves when thestructure 1 is floating on a body of water. - In the illustrated embodiment the four
triangular frames 2A-2D all have the same shape and dimensions. In fact, theframes 2 are shown to be formed by equilateral triangles of which the base 11 (FIG. 14 ) has the same length as each of the twosides 12 which connect the base 11 to the apex 13. In such an equilateral triangle the three angles are identical so that each corner can be considered the apex 13. - In another embodiment (
FIG. 2 ) theframes 2 are formed by isosceles triangles, in which the base 11 (FIG. 13 ) has a different length than thesides 12 and the apex 13 has an angle α that is different from the angles of the twolower vertices 21. In this embodiment the apex 13 has an angle of 90°, so that thebase 11 is some 40 percent longer than thesides 12, thus forming a blunt triangle. - In both embodiments the three outer
triangular frames apexes 13 all at the same side, while the centraltriangular frame 2B is arranged in opposite direction. The left and right triangular frames 2A, 2C are connected to the centraltriangular frame 2C along theirrespective sides 12, while the foremosttriangular frame 2D is connected to the centraltriangular frame 2C along theirrespective bases 11. - In this arrangement, the four
triangular frames 2A-2D together form a floatingstructure 1 which is triangular in itself, and has the same triangular shape in planform as the constituting triangular frames 2. The edges of the triangular floatingstructure 1 are twice as long as those of the individual triangular frames 2. The floatingstructure 1 could comprise more or less than fourtriangular frames 2. The floatingstructure 1 could further comprise triangular frames having different dimensions or different shapes. For instance, thestructure 1 could include a central triangular frame having the same dimensions as a combination of four triangular frames as shown in the drawings, which could be surrounded by combinations of four smaller triangular frames of the type shown in the drawings. For practical purposes, the length of the edges of thetriangular frames 2 can be selected with a view to ease of transportation, and could be a multiple of 6 m (20 feet), which is a standard container size. - Alternatively, the arrangement of
FIG. 1 could be extended e.g. by placing two triangular frames having the same orientation ascentral frame 2C on both sides of the foremosttriangular frame 2D, thus leading to an “hourglass” shape, and then adding two isosceles triangles having an apex of 120° at the sides to form a rectangular or square floatingstructure 1. - A square floating
structure 1 could also be formed by mirroring the arrangement ofFIG. 2 . - In addition to the
triangular frames 2, the floatingstructure 1 could also include frames having a different planform. For instance, one or more square frames could be arranged between thetriangular frames - In the illustrated embodiments, each
triangular frame 2 has an open load-bearing structure comprising threebeams 14, which are connected at their ends. In order to allow an installation to be mounted on the floatingstructure 1, aninternal grid 15 may be arranged between the load-bearing beams 14. In the illustrated embodiments theinternal grid 15 includes fourlongitudinal girders 16 and atransverse girder 17. As illustrated here, theinternal grid 14 not only serves to support an installation, but also forms a connection between thebuoyant members 3 and the load-bearing frame 2, since theposts 6 are shown to be connected to the outerlongitudinal girders 16 and to the transverse girder 17 (FIG. 4 ). - Although the
beams 14 andgirders - In the illustrated embodiment the floating
structure 1 supports a solar power generating installation. The installation comprises a plurality of arrays of PV panels (FIG. 3 ). In this embodiment eachtriangular frame 2 carries a substantiallytriangular array 4 of PV panels. The PV panels are shown to be arranged inrows 5, the length of which decreases from the base 11 towards the apex 13 of the triangle. In this embodiment,adjacent rows 5 are arranged in the shape of a rooftop, andwalkways 18 are shown to be arranged between each pair ofrows 5. - Although in the illustrated embodiment the entire surface area of each
triangular frame 2 is covered by thearray 4 of PV panels, it is also conceivable to reserve a part of the surface area for other parts of the installation, like e.g. control electronics, a transformer or batteries for storage. The floatingstructure 1 could be made up oftriangular frames 2 carrying PV panels and one or moretriangular frames 2 carrying other parts of the installation. - Instead of a solar power generating installation, the floating
structure 1 could carry a different type of installation, e.g. a desalination plant, a hydrogen production plant or some other installation that requires a large amount of space but involves only limited or no human intervention. In such cases, thetriangular frames 2 could be provided with a platform, rather than an internal grid. - In the illustrated embodiment the
buoyant members 3 have the shape of an oblate ellipsoid, i.e. a body of revolution about a vertical axis on the basis of an ellipse having a major axis which is horizontal and a minor axis which is vertical. Such an ellipsoid-shaped buoyant member, which is described in detail in the applicant's co-pending application entitled: “Floating structure having ellipsoid buoyant members”, has been found to have a very low wave drag, so that loads on eachtriangular frame 2 will be relatively low and its structure may be light. However, in situations where wave drag is less of an issue, more basic shapes of buoyant members could be considered, as illustrated by the rectangular buoyant members 23 shown inFIGS. 10-12 . - Loads on the
triangular frames 2 are further reduced by keeping theframes 2 free of the water during normal use. Moreover, in this way the installation carried by the floating structure, in this case thearray 4 of PV panels, is also protected from adverse effects due to the impact of waves. As shown inFIG. 6 , thebuoyant members 3 are almost fully submerged below the still waterline WL, while theframe 2 is supported at a height h above the still waterline. This is achieved by careful selection of the number ofbuoyant members 3 and their volume, as well as the length of theposts 6 as a function of the weight of each respectivetriangular frame 2 and thearray 4 of PV panels which it supports. The height h above the waterline WL is selected in accordance with the intended use. For inland waters, like lakes or even rivers, where wave heights will be limited, a free height of 1-2 m may be sufficient, whereas for offshore applications much higher structures, possibly with theframes 2 up to 25 m above the still waterline WL may be needed. - The
buoyant members 3 are shown to be fully submerged in this embodiment. However, it is also possible to give each buoyant member 3 a greater volume, so that it provides the required buoyancy even when it is only partially submerged. In that case the potential reserve buoyancy that may be generated when thebuoyant member 3 is submerged to a greater extent than necessary for carrying theframe 2 may be used to increase dynamic stability of the floatingstructure 1. This reserve buoyancy will counter a downward movement of part of thetriangular frame 2 when one side of theframe 2 is lifted by an approaching wave. - Although the
frames 2 have thus far been shown to be purely triangular, small deviations from this shape can be used without departing from the inventive concept. For practical purposes thecorners 7 of eachtriangular frame 2 may be chamfered or rounded, e.g. in order to provide sufficient strength or to avoid dangerously sharp angles. This is shown in the embodiment ofFIG. 10 . - This embodiment also includes an alternative arrangement of the three
buoyant members 3, in which thebuoyant members 3 are not arranged symmetrically with respect to a center line of thetriangular frame 2, as is the case in the previous embodiments. In the embodiments ofFIGS. 1-9 thebuoyant members 3 of adjacenttriangular frames 2 are located directly opposite one another in a direction transverse to the connected edge. Therefore these buoyant members could theoretically collide in case of pivoting movement of theframes 2 due to waves. In the embodiment ofFIGS. 10-12 eachbuoyant member 3A-C is connected to theframe 2—throughtransverse girder 17 or adiagonal girder 20—at a position along an edge which is offset with respect to a position of abuoyant member 3A-C along an edge of an adjacenttriangular frame 2. If atriangular frame 2 is arranged to the right of theframe 2 shown inFIG. 10 , with its apex pointing in the opposite direction, its firstbuoyant member 3A would not be directly opposite the firstbuoyant member 3A of the shownframe 2, but instead would be located in the vicinity of, but not directly opposite to the thirdbuoyant member 3C. Similarly, if anotherframe 2 would be arranged to the left of theframe 2, again with its apex pointing in the opposite direction, its secondbuoyant member 3B would be offset from the secondbuoyant member 3B of the shownframe 2. The same applies if a further triangular frame would be arranged below theframe 2 ofFIG. 10 , again with its apex pointing in the opposite direction. - As shown in
FIG. 15 , this alternative positioning of thebuoyant members 3 can be used in any embodiment of thetriangular frame 2.FIG. 15A shows aframe 2 in the shape of an equilateral triangle, in which the angle α of the apex 13 and the angles R of the twoother vertices 21 are all the same, as are the lengths of the twosides 12 and thebase 11.FIG. 15B illustrates the second embodiment of theframe 2 as shown inFIGS. 2 and 9 , in which thebuoyant members 3 are arranged offset from the apex 13 andother vertices 21 of the isosceles triangle. And finally,FIG. 15C shows another possible shape of theframe 2; a right-angle triangle having threedifferent sides FIGS. 15B and 15C lend themselves to being combined into a rectangular floatingstructure 1 fairly easily. Alternatively, a lozenge-shaped floatingstructure 1 could be made by connecting triangular frames as shown inFIG. 15C along theirsides - Although not shown in the drawings, the floating
structure 1 is further provided with anchoring means for maintaining the floatingstructure 1 substantially at a fixed location in a body of water. The anchoring means may e.g. include so-called spud poles, which are driven into the bottom of the body of water and along which thestructure 1 can float up and down without changing its orientation. Alternatively, the anchoring means could include one or more anchors fixed in the bottom, to which the floatingstructure 1 could be connected by chains or other flexible elements, so that the structure could change its orientation, e.g. to keep the PV panels in an optimum position relative to the sun. When used on relatively smaller inland waters, the floating structure could also be anchored to the shore. - Although the invention has been illustrated by a number of exemplary embodiments, it will be apparent that many modifications could be made within the scope of the claims.
- For instance, the number of buoyant members supporting a triangular frame could be more or less than three. When using less than three buoyant members, each buoyant member must be inherently stable, e.g. in the way of a float used for fishing. It is also conceivable, e.g. when one of the
frames 2 has to carry a very heavy load like the weight of an electrical transformer or the forces exerted by the anchoring means, to provide thatframe 2 with (a) buoyant member(s) 3 extending under the entire surface area of thetriangular frame 2, more or less transforming thatframe 2 into a barge. - Also the number of
triangular frames 2 which together constitute the floating structure could be more or less than four. In principle there is no upper limit to the number oftriangular frames 2 that can be connected together. - Any suitable material can be used in the construction of the
triangular frames 2, thebuoyant members 3 and theposts 6. Such materials include aluminum, steel, concrete or fiber reinforced plastics. - The scope of the invention is defined solely by the following claims.
Claims (27)
1. A floating structure comprising a plurality of interconnected frames and a plurality of buoyant members supporting the structure, wherein at least some of the frames are substantially triangular in planform.
2. The floating structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein all of the frames are substantially triangular in planform.
3. The floating structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least two adjacent ones of said frames are substantially triangular in planform and the adjacent frames that are substantially triangular in planform are movably connected.
4. The floating structure as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the adjacent frames that are substantially triangular in planform are pivotably connected.
5. The floating structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the triangular frames that are substantially triangular in planform have substantially the same shape.
6. The floating structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the triangular frames that are substantially triangular in planform have substantially the same dimensions.
7. The floating structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the frames that are substantially triangular in planform has dimensions which are a multiple of the dimensions of another one of the frames that are substantially triangular in planform.
8. The floating structure as claimed in claim 5 , wherein each said frame that is substantially triangular in planform has a base, an apex and two sides connecting opposite ends of the base with the apex, at least two adjacent ones of said frames are substantially triangular in planform and adjacent ones of said frames that are substantially triangular in planform are connected along their respective sides such that the base of a first frame is closest to the apex of a second frame and the base of the second frame is closest to the apex of the first frame.
9. The floating structure as claimed in claim 5 , wherein each said frame that is substantially triangular in planform has a base, an apex and two sides connecting opposite ends of the base with the apex, at least two adjacent ones of said frames are substantially triangular in planform and adjacent ones of said frames that are substantially triangular in planform are connected along their respective bases.
10. The floating structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the frames that are substantially triangular in planform comprise at least one triangles including a right angle.
11. The floating structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the frames that are substantially triangular in planform comprise at least one isosceles triangles.
12. The floating structure as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the frames that are substantially triangular in planform comprise at least one equilateral triangles.
13. The floating structure as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the at least one isosceles triangle has an apex angle of between about 20-120°.
14. The floating structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least some of the frames that are substantially triangular in planform have at least one corner which is chamfered or rounded.
15. The floating structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least some of the frames that are substantially triangular in planform have a substantially open load-bearing structure, wherein all three sides of the triangle comprise beams connected at or near their ends.
16. The floating structure as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the beams of the sides of the triangle support an internal grid or a platform.
17. The floating structure as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each said frame that is substantially triangular in planform is supported by at least one said buoyant member.
18. The floating structure as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the at least one buoyant member supporting each said frame is connected to the respective frame that is substantially triangular in planform that it supports by at least one post.
19. The floating structure as claimed in claim 17 , wherein each said frame that are substantially triangular in planform is supported by at least three said buoyant members.
20. The floating structure as claimed in claim 19 , wherein each said buoyant member is connected to a respective frame that is substantially triangular in planform near a corner of the frame.
21. The floating structure as claimed in claim 19 , wherein at least two adjacent ones of said frames are substantially triangular in planform, each said frame that is substantially triangular in planform has a base, an apex and two sides connecting opposite ends of the base with the apex, at least two adjacent ones of said frames are substantially triangular in planform, adjacent ones of said frames that are substantially triangular in planform are connected along their respective sides such that the base of a first frame is closest to the apex of a second frame and the base of the second frame is closest to the apex of the first frame and each said buoyant member is connected to a respective frame that is substantially triangular in planform at a position along one said side or the base which is offset with respect to a position of another said buoyant member along a side or base of an adjacent frame that is substantially triangular in planform to which the first side or base is connected.
22. The floating structure as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising anchoring means for maintaining the floating structure substantially at a fixed location in a body of water.
23. The floating structure as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an installation supported by the floating structure.
24. The floating structure as claimed in claim 23 , wherein at least some of the frames that are substantially triangular in planform have a substantially open load-bearing structure, wherein all three sides of the triangle comprise beams connected at or near their ends, the beams of the sides of the triangle support an internal grid or a platform and the installation is arranged on the internal grid or the platform of a respective triangular frame.
25. The floating structure as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the installation comprises a plurality of PV panels.
26. The floating structure as claimed in claim 23 , wherein at least one said buoyant member is connected to the respective frame that is substantially triangular in planform that it supports by at least one post, the number of the buoyant members and a volume of the buoyant members, as well as a length of the at least one post are selected as a function of a weight of a respective frame and its installation, such that the frame is supported at a distance above a still waterline of a body of water in which the floating structure is used.
27. A triangular frame, intended for use in the floating structure as claimed in claim 1 .
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KR101171683B1 (en) * | 2011-08-19 | 2012-08-07 | 한국수자원공사 | Connecting structure of the photovoltaic power generator with connecting hinge |
FR3014830B1 (en) * | 2013-12-16 | 2017-02-17 | Ciel Et Terre Int | FLOATING DEVICE PHOTOVOLTAIC PANEL SUPPORT |
US10411643B2 (en) | 2015-08-03 | 2019-09-10 | 4CSOLAR, Inc. | Floating solar panel array with one-axis tracking system |
WO2017118998A1 (en) | 2016-01-08 | 2017-07-13 | Agarwal Siddhant | Floating solar platform |
KR101997077B1 (en) | 2018-04-19 | 2019-07-05 | 주식회사 택한 | Floating solar power generation module on the surface of water |
-
2020
- 2020-12-23 WO PCT/EP2020/087842 patent/WO2022135730A1/en active Application Filing
- 2020-12-23 US US18/268,529 patent/US20240043094A1/en active Pending
- 2020-12-23 KR KR1020237024985A patent/KR20230128038A/en active Search and Examination
- 2020-12-23 JP JP2023538898A patent/JP2024506124A/en active Pending
- 2020-12-23 EP EP20839102.9A patent/EP4267455A1/en active Pending
- 2020-12-23 CN CN202080108107.1A patent/CN116601075A/en active Pending
-
2021
- 2021-12-23 TW TW110148397A patent/TW202239663A/en unknown
- 2021-12-23 AR ARP210103647A patent/AR124492A1/en unknown
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN117963093A (en) * | 2024-03-29 | 2024-05-03 | 上海海事大学 | Marine floating type photovoltaic power generation detection platform and monitoring device |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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TW202239663A (en) | 2022-10-16 |
CN116601075A (en) | 2023-08-15 |
KR20230128038A (en) | 2023-09-01 |
JP2024506124A (en) | 2024-02-09 |
EP4267455A1 (en) | 2023-11-01 |
WO2022135730A1 (en) | 2022-06-30 |
AR124492A1 (en) | 2023-04-05 |
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