Testing Aikido Technologies self-installing floating wind turbine
Conference/JournalMARIN Report 138
Date20 Dec 2024
Aikido Technologies is designing a floating wind concept that is optimised to handle the installation and logistics challenges faced by the industry.
As the floating wind industry moves towards commercial projects, there is a renewed focus on identifying technologies that can support the industrialisation of this growing sector.
As the floating wind industry moves towards commercial projects, there is a renewed focus on identifying technologies that can support the industrialisation of this growing sector.
Contact
James McNaughton
Project Manager
While the west coast of America has huge wind resources and deep waters that make floating wind a favourable energy technology, bridges that surround many of the suitable supply ports have been designed around containerships. A floating wind turbine can require 3-4 times the typical bridge clearance of around 60 m, and with deeper draughts and greater widths than containerships, existing navigation channels may also be unsuitable.
UNIQUE APPROACH
Aikido’s pioneering platform is designed to overcome these restrictions. It starts out as a folded-up platform, with dimensions similar to a containership, but once it has cleared the port restrictions, the platform is upended with the help of a carefully controlled ballasting procedure to become a very stable semi-submersible platform. This unique approach can be performed with the turbine nacelle and blades in place, removing the need for heavy lift operations offshore which is a challenge faced by fixed and floating wind industries, as turbines are starting to reach the limits of offshore crane heights.
Impression of the upending process on the demo day
Tags
floating windfloating wind turbine