DE102024000107A1 - Sailing wind turbine vessel capable of pivoting for efficient and resilient energy production and transport - Google Patents

Abstract

TECHNICAL FIELD AND SCOPE OF APPLICATION
The invention relates to the further development of energy production from offshore wind power and its energy transport by means of a novel sailing wind turbine ship.
SUMMARY
The invention describes a wind turbine ship (1) that sails autonomously on the high seas using wind turbines (2) and produces, stores, and transports energy. The wind turbine ship (1) is a multi-hull ship with three or more hulls (3), between which at least one wind turbine (2) is installed. The hulls (3) are installed rotationally symmetrically parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wind turbine ship (1). This enables the wind turbine ship (1) to pivot, i.e., rotate around its own longitudinal axis, in order to be resilient during sea storms. In the event of it capsizing in strong winds or waves, it retains its full structural and functional integrity thanks to its rotationally symmetric design. The wind turbines (2) are used in two ways simultaneously. Firstly, for the production of electrical energy, which is stored on board in the hulls (3), e.g., in batteries or with power-to-hydrogen. Second, the wind turbines (2) are used as sails for propulsion and steering of the wind turbine ship (1) through yaw movements. This allows it to sail autonomously on the high seas in areas where wind conditions are favorable for energy production, i.e., to take advantage of stronger and more consistent winds and transport the energy stored on board to where it can be fed into the energy grid.

Description

AREA OF APPLICATION

The invention relates to the further development of energy production from offshore wind power and its energy transport by means of a novel sailing wind turbine ship.

STATE OF THE ART AND ITS ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

The current state of the art for offshore wind energy production is horizontal offshore wind turbines, which generate electrical energy and feed it into the onshore power grid via submarine cables. Recently, the use of gas pipelines in combination with Power-to-X technologies instead of power cables has also been investigated and piloted (https://aquaductus-offshore.de). Compared to onshore wind turbines, offshore wind turbines can harness stronger and more consistent winds at sea. Currently installed offshore wind turbines are predominantly fixed-foundation wind turbines, which are attached to the seabed by monopile, jacket, or similar foundations. These are currently limited to coastal waters up to 80 kilometers from the coast and less than 60 meters deep ( National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Future of wind, Chapter 2.3 Offshore Wind Outlook to 2050, 2019 Deeper and more remote locations for fixed-foundation offshore wind turbines increase technical difficulties and costs and have therefore led to the development of floating platforms for offshore wind turbines, which is particularly relevant for coastal areas without shallow waters. 80% of the world's offshore wind resource potential lies in waters deeper than 60 m, meaning that floating offshore wind is required to further scale offshore wind energy production (Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), Floating Offshore Wind - A Global Opportunity, 2022). ( Bauer, NREL, 2022) (Joshua Bauer, NREL, Offshore Wind Energy: Technology Below the Water, 2022 ) shows various floating wind turbine concepts with their anchoring in the seabed and connection to dynamic and static power cables.

Moored floating offshore wind turbines (VSOWs) offer great potential for increasing offshore wind energy production in the near future. Commercial viability is expected between 2025 and 2030 (DNV, Floating Offshore Wind: The Next Five Years, 2022). Another key advantage is that VSOWs have less negative visual impact than onshore and fixed-foundation offshore wind turbines close to the coast, as they can be installed out of sight farther from the coast.

1. I. EINGESCHRÄNKTE SKALIERBARKEIT - Obwohl VSOW bis zu einer Wassertiefe von 1.000 m als technisch machbar gelten ( World Bank Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), Offshore Wind Technical Potential Analysis, Going Global Report, 2019 ), wird die maximale Tiefe für die kommerzielle Realisierbarkeit derzeit bei etwa 200-300 Metern Wassertiefe angenommen ( Impacts of water depth increase on offshore floating wind turbine dynamics, Ocean Engineering Volume 224, 2021 ). Angesichts der durchschnittlichen Tiefe des Ozeans von 3.800 m wird damit nur ein Bruchteil des Offshore-Windpotenzials durch VSOW adressiert. Darüber hinaus sind die Windgeschwindigkeiten in der Regel in weiter Entfernung vom Ufer höher und gleichmäßigere ( Liu et al, Wind power distribution over the ocean, Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 35, L13808, 2008 ), aber lassen sich durch die oben beschriebenen Einschränkungen durch VSOW nicht nutzen.
2. II. HOHE KOMPLEXITÄT/KOSTEN BEI DER INSTALLATION - Schwimmende Plattformen, Verankerungssysteme, dynamische und statische Stromkabel oder Gaspipelines und der Netzanschluss sind komplex und materialintensiv. Die Montage erfordert umfangreiche Hafeninfrastrukturen und die Installation auf offener See führt zu hoher Komplexität/Kosten, da spezielle Offshore-Installationsschiffe benötigt werden⁴.
3. III. HOHER WARTUNGSAUFWAND/-KOSTEN - Materialermüdung, Korrosion und Komplikationen durch Fischereiaktivitäten führen zu zusätzlichen hohen Wartungskosten/-komplexität ( Floating Offshore Wind: Market and Technology Review, Carbon Trust, Prepared for the Scottish Government, 2015 ), da häufig Teile repariert und ersetzt werden müssen. Angesichts der rauen Umgebung auf offener See können schwimmende Plattformen und Windturbinen nicht vollständig auf See gewartet werden. Für den Austausch von größeren Komponenten oder um sehr hohe Kosten für oft schwer verfügbare Schwerlastschiffe, die Vorort Komponenten austauschen könnten, zu vermeiden, müssen sie mit speziellen und ebenfalls kostenintensiven Offshore-Installationsschiffen von den Verankerungen und Stromkabeln/Gaspipelines gelöst und zum Hafen zurückgeschleppt werden ( Operation and maintenance for floating wind turbines: A review, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews Volume 163, July 2022 ) (sogenanntes „Tow-to-Shore“). All diese Komplexitäten/Kosten nehmen mit der Wassertiefe und der Entfernung von der Küste zu und tragen daher zu den eingangs erwähnten Skalierbarkeitseinschränkungen bei.
4. IV. AERODYNAMISCHE HERAUSFORDERUNGEN - Aufgrund der Plattform- und damit Windturbinenbewegungen auf offener See entlang von sechs Freiheitsgraden (Heben, Schwanken, Schwallen, Rollen, Neigen und Gieren) ergeben sich für VSOW aerodynamische Herausforderungen, die die Energieproduktion verringern und den Verschleiß erhöhen können ( D. Micallef and A. Rezaeiha, Floating offshore wind turbine aerodynamics: Trends and future challenges, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews Volume 152, 2021 ).
5. V. KOMPLEXITÄT DURCH REGULIERUNG - Dauerhafte Installationen in küstennahen Gewässern erfordern umfangreiche Genehmigungen ( IRENA and GWEC, Enabling frameworks for offshore wind scaleup: Innovations in permitting, International Renewable Energy Agency, Abu Dhabi, 2023 ). Stromkabel und Verankerungen haben beispielsweise Auswirkungen auf die Fischerei, den Tourismus und die Tierwelt, wodurch Bedenken der Öffentlichkeit entstehen können, die adressiert werden müssen ( Inside the Global Race to Tap Potent Offshore Wind, IEEE Spectrum, 2023 ). Zum dem müssen in der Regel Pachtkosten bezahlt werden.

However, moored floating offshore wind turbines (VSOW) also have the following structural disadvantages:

1. I. LIMITED SCALABILITY - Although VSOW are considered technically feasible up to a water depth of 1,000 m ( World Bank Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), Offshore Wind Technical Potential Analysis, Going Global Report, 2019 ), the maximum depth for commercial viability is currently assumed to be around 200-300 meters water depth ( Impacts of water depth increase on offshore floating wind turbine dynamics, Ocean Engineering Volume 224, 2021 ). Given the average ocean depth of 3,800 m, this only addresses a fraction of the offshore wind potential through VSOW. Furthermore, wind speeds are generally higher and more consistent further from shore ( Liu et al, Wind power distribution over the ocean, Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 35, L13808, 2008 ), but cannot be used due to the restrictions described above by VSOW.
2. II. HIGH COMPLEXITY/COST OF INSTALLATION - Floating platforms, mooring systems, dynamic and static power cables or gas pipelines, and grid connection are complex and material-intensive. Installation requires extensive port infrastructure, and offshore installation results in high complexity/cost, as dedicated offshore installation vessels are required. ⁴
3. III. HIGH MAINTENANCE EFFORT/COSTS - Material fatigue, corrosion and complications from fishing activities lead to additional high maintenance costs/complexity ( Floating Offshore Wind: Market and Technology Review, Carbon Trust, Prepared for the Scottish Government, 2015 ), as parts often need to be repaired and replaced. Given the harsh environment on the open sea, floating platforms and wind turbines cannot be fully serviced at sea. For the replacement of larger components or to avoid very high costs for often hard-to-find heavy loads To avoid damage to vessels that could replace components on-site, they must be detached from the moorings and power cables/gas pipelines using special and equally costly offshore installation vessels and towed back to port ( Operation and maintenance for floating wind turbines: A review, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews Volume 163, July 2022 ) (so-called "tow-to-shore"). All these complexities/costs increase with water depth and distance from the coast and therefore contribute to the scalability limitations mentioned above.
4. IV. AERODYNAMIC CHALLENGES - Due to the platform and thus wind turbine movements on the open sea along six degrees of freedom (heave, sway, surge, roll, pitch and yaw), VSOWs face aerodynamic challenges that can reduce energy production and increase wear ( D. Micallef and A. Rezaeiha, Floating offshore wind turbine aerodynamics: Trends and future challenges, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews Volume 152, 2021 ).
5. V. COMPLEXITY DUE TO REGULATION - Permanent installations in coastal waters require extensive permits ( IRENA and GWEC, Enabling frameworks for offshore wind scaleup: Innovations in permitting, International Renewable Energy Agency, Abu Dhabi, 2023 ). Power cables and anchorages, for example, have impacts on fishing, tourism, and wildlife, which can raise public concerns that need to be addressed ( Inside the Global Race to Tap Potent Offshore Wind, IEEE Spectrum, 2023 ). In addition, lease costs usually have to be paid.

In light of these disadvantages, various approaches for free-floating offshore wind turbines have been developed. The following tables describe prior art references relevant to this invention in the field of free-floating offshore wind turbines. The tables name the reference, describe the approach with an illustration (if available), and describe its disadvantages, which are mitigated, among other things, by the present invention. Table 1 Reference (Ref.1) Reference (Ref.1) System for propulsion of boats by means of winds and streams and for recovery of energy (Vidal Jean Pierre, Patent: System for propulsion of boats by means of winds and streams and for recovery of energy US4371346A , 1983) Approach illustration A wind turbine is installed on a catamaran which mechanically drives a propeller to propel the catamaran. see 6 State of the art Ref.1 Disadvantages • The system is not designed for energy production. This would be inefficient with the approach chosen here, as the rotational energy of the wind turbine is used for mechanical ship propulsion. This would reduce the wind turbine's potential for energy production. The approach of converting the rotational energy for mechanical ship propulsion with a water turbine requires maintenance of the mechanical parts and creates additional material wear, which would further reduce efficiency. • There is no dynamic adaptation to the wind turbine movements along the three degrees of freedom (roll, pitch, yaw) caused by sea and wind conditions. Therefore, it cannot be guaranteed that the wind turbine is optimally aligned with the wind to prevent it from listing out of the wind, as with a sailboat. • The high center of gravity due to the turbine mounted on top leads to a high risk of capsizing in stormy seas. Table 2 Reference (Ref.2) Reference (Ref.2) Dynamically positioned floating offshore wind turbine concept ( R. Alwan et al, Investigation of a dynamically positioned floating off shore wind turbine concept, 2018 ) Approach illustration A wind turbine is installed on a floating platform. Unlike a conventional floating offshore wind turbine, it has no anchorages. Instead, underwater propellers are used to keep the wind turbine stationary. The floating wind turbine can also be optionally equipped with an integrated energy storage system. see 7 State of the art Ref.2 Disadvantages • The underwater propellers consume power to prevent the turbine from drifting in the direction of the wind and/or current, which reduces the net energy production (see also Xu et al. ( Xu, S., Murai, M., Wang, ), which show that approximately 50%-80% of the energy production is consumed to maintain the stationary position). • The stationary approach makes it difficult to access more remote offshore areas with higher wind speeds that change dynamically due to weather developments. • The design does not take into account stability aspects to cope with rough sea conditions and adaptation to the three degrees of freedom (roll, pitch, yaw) caused by sea and wind conditions. Table 3 Reference (Ref.3) Reference (Ref.3) Unmoored: a free-floating wind turbine invention and autonomous open-ocean wind farm concept (" Jack H Raisanen et al., Unmoored: a free-floating wind turbine invention and autonomous open-ocean wind farm concept, EERA DeepWind Offshore Wind R&D Conference, 2022 ) ¹⁷ Approach illustration Free-floating offshore wind turbine for deep waters that uses a large underwater propeller to maintain its position and move as needed, while two small propellers rotate the unit. see 8 State of the art Ref.3 Disadvantages • The approach has the same disadvantages as described in (Ref.2). • The proposed further development of this concept, linking several of these free-floating wind turbines into a floating wind farm, cannot significantly eliminate the aforementioned disadvantages. Tugboats at each corner of the wind farm are expected to keep the tethered wind turbines at a distance from each other and pull them to target positions, which in turn consumes additional energy. Table 4 Reference (Ref.4) Reference (Ref.4) Autonomous Vessel Robot AI System ( Nelson James Kruschandl, Patent: Autonomous Vessel Robot AI System GB251173, 2013 ) Approach illustration Describes a vessel capable of continuous autonomous operation at sea, powered exclusively by renewable energy. It utilizes computers, sensors, navigation equipment, terrestrial radio and satellite communications, mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic actuators, and a multi-hull design for course keeping and navigation on the high seas. no fig. available Disadvantages • It will only describe a system for autonomous maritime navigation, but not a system for energy production. Table 5 Reference (Ref. 5) Reference (Ref.5) Innovative Autonomously-Driven Offshore Wind Turbines: a prefeasibility analysis ( Xavier Martinez Beseler, Innovative Autonomously-Driven Offshore Wind Turbines: a prefeasibility analysis, DTU Department Electrical Engineering, 2019 ) Approach illustration Autonomously powered offshore wind turbine vessel based on a hydrodynamic floating platform (a catamaran) with an underwater propeller for ship propulsion and an energy storage system. see 9 State of the art Ref.5 Disadvantages • It consumes energy to drive the water propeller, which reduces net energy production. • The high center of gravity due to the high mounted wind turbine is associated with a high risk of capsizing in stormy seas. Table 6 Reference (Ref.6) Reference (Ref.6) Wind Trawler: operation of a wind energy system in the far offshore environment ( Annan, AM, Lackner, MA, and Manwell, JF: Wind Trawler: operation of a wind energy system in the far offshore environment, J. Phys.-Conf. Ser., 1452, 012031, 2020 ) Approach illustration Mobile floating wind and water turbine with a streamlined hull, featuring a single mounted wind turbine and two mounted underwater hydrokinetic turbines. Combined with a hydrogen synthesis and storage system within the substructure. see 10 State of the art Ref.6 Disadvantages • The approach causes high complexity/costs for the installation of wind and water turbines for power generation and water propellers for propulsion. • Similar to (Ref.5), the water propeller-based propulsion system consumes energy, which reduces the net energy production. • The high center of gravity due to the high-mounted wind turbine leads to a high risk of capsizing in stormy seas. Table 7 Reference (Ref.7) Reference (Ref.7) Exploitation of the far-offshore wind energy resource by fleets of energy ships ( Aurelien Babarit et al, Exploitation of the far-offshore wind energy resource by fleets of energy ships-Part 1: Energy ship design and performance and Part 2 Updated ship design and cost of energy estimate, 2020, 2021 ) Approach illustration An autonomously sailing energy vessel that uses Flettner rotors for wind propulsion. Water turbines mounted beneath its hull generate electricity. Power-to-X systems on board are used to store the generated energy. see 11 State of the art Ref.7 Disadvantages • The described energy generation has efficiency disadvantages because wind energy must first be converted into kinetic energy for ship propulsion, which is then converted into electrical energy using water turbines. • The proposed approach requires the application of Betz’s law twice instead of once. • The maximum power that can be extracted from the wind for energy generation must be applied twice, instead of the single factor of 16/27 of the Betz coefficient: once for the energy extraction from the wind and a second time for the energy extraction from the relative water current below the energy vessel with the water turbines. Table 8 Reference (Ref.8) Reference (Ref.8) Multi-objective optimization for an autonomous unmoored offshore wind energy system substructure ( Annan, AM, Lackner, MA, and Manwell, JF: Multi-objective optimization for an autonomous unmoored offshore wind energy system substructure, J. of Applied Energy, Volume 344, 121264, 2023 ) Approach illustration Optimized hull structure for the wind trawler concept mentioned in (Ref.6). Trimaran hull construction (primary hull and two symmetrically equivalent outriggers), optimized using multi-objective optimization (MOO) for bimodal operation as an energy generator and energy transporter with respect to opposing geometric longitudinal and transverse characteristics. no fig. available Disadvantages • The geometric parameters of the hull design, which affect both energy production and capital expenditure (in terms of structural steel mass), are optimized. However, the fundamental drawbacks mentioned in (Ref.6) remain.

• • „Counterintuitive Performance of Land and Sea Yachts“ von Kirk T. McDonald ( Kirk T. McDonald, Counterintuitive Performance of Land and Sea Yachts Joseph Henry Laboratories, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, 2021 ), liefert eine historische Übersicht von mit Windkraft angetrieben Propelleryachten.
• • „ Comparison of optimal power production and operation of unmoored floating offshore wind turbines and energy ships“ von P. Connolly and C. Crawford (Connolly and C. Crawford, Comparison of optimal power production and operation of unmoored floating offshore wind turbines and energy ships, Wind Energy Science, Articles Volume 8, issue 5 WES, 8, 725-746, 2023 ) liefert einen Vergleich zwischen einigen der oben beschrieben Referenzen.

Additional relevant references are cited in the following publications:

• • “Counterintuitive Performance of Land and Sea Yachts” by Kirk T. McDonald ( Kirk T. McDonald, Counterintuitive Performance of Land and Sea Yachts Joseph Henry Laboratories, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, 2021 ), provides a historical overview of wind-powered propeller yachts.
• • “ Comparison of optimal power production and operation of unmoored floating offshore wind turbines and energy ships” by P. Connolly and C. Crawford (Connolly and C. Crawford, Comparison of optimal power production and operation of unmoored floating offshore wind turbines and energy ships, Wind Energy Science, Articles Volume 8, issue 5 WES, 8, 725-746, 2023 ) provides a comparison between some of the references described above.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

1. I. Erhöhung der Energieproduktion von Offshore-Windturbinen
   1. a) Erhöhung der Energieproduktion bei einer gegebenen Windkapazität
   2. b) Skalierung der Energieproduktion durch Erhöhung der adressierbaren Windkapazität
2. II. Senkung der Kosten für die Offshore-Windenergieproduktion und deren Transport
   1. a) Senkung der Kosten bei der Fertigung und der Installation
   2. b) Senkung der Kosten während der Energieproduktion
   3. c) Senkung der Kosten für den Energietransport

The overall objective of the present invention is to overcome the above-described and other disadvantages of the prior art for the production and transport of offshore wind energy. The goal is to design a better solution that ultimately improves efficiency, i.e., increases the energy production of offshore wind turbines and/or reduces costs. This overall objective can be divided into the following sub-objectives, which the sailing wind turbine vessel (1) presented here is intended to achieve:

1. I. Increasing energy production from offshore wind turbines
   1. a) Increasing energy production for a given wind capacity
   2. b) Scaling energy production by increasing addressable wind capacity
2. II. Reducing the costs of offshore wind energy production and transport
   1. a) Reducing manufacturing and installation costs
   2. b) Reducing costs during energy production
   3. c) Reducing the costs of energy transport

The ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION section refers to these objectives and describes how they are achieved by the sailing wind turbine vessel (1) presented here, capable of pivoting for efficient and resilient energy production and energy transport. Resilience is considered a component of cost reduction in energy production and for replacement new construction and new installations, as resilience reduces damage, repair, and replacement costs.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

1. 1. Rotationssymmetrische Mehrrumpfschiffsarchitektur für die Fähigkeit zu Pivotieren
2. 2. Segelmechanismus mit Steuerung der Windturbinenausrichtung zu Wind und Rümpfen
3. 3. Elastische Halterung der segelnden Windturbinen mit freiem Rotorraum für die Fähigkeit zu Pivotieren
4. 4. Aktive Kugelgelenksteuerung zum Gieren, Rollen und Neigen der Windturbinen
5. 5. Oszillierende Blatteinstellung während der Rotorrotation zur Optimierung beim Gieren
6. 6. Energiespeicherung an Bord mit hybridem elektromechanischen Energiemanagementsystem
7. 7. Flutbare Rümpfe für absichtliches Pivotieren des Windturbinenschiffes und Unterwasserschutz
8. 8. Zusätzliche Rumpfverbesserungen
   • 8.1. Finnen zur Reduktion der Abdrift und Verbesserung beim Kreuzen und Amwindsegeln
   • 8.2. Rumpferweiterungen mit Windtrichtereffekt
   • 8.3. Rumpfformen für die Fähigkeit zu Pivotieren

The present invention describes a sailing wind turbine vessel (1) capable of pivoting for efficient and resilient energy production and energy transport. The drawings 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 and 5 represent the invention as a whole. In the following, the devices and methods that characterize the invention are described in detail in 8 sections.

1. 1. Rotationally symmetrical multihull ship architecture for pivoting capability
2. 2. Sail mechanism with control of the wind turbine orientation to the wind and hulls
3. 3. Elastic mounting of the sailing wind turbines with free rotor space for the ability to pivot
4. 4. Active ball joint control for yaw, roll and pitch of the wind turbines
5. 5. Oscillating blade adjustment during rotor rotation to optimize yaw
6. 6. On-board energy storage with hybrid electromechanical energy management system
7. 7. Floodable hulls for intentional pivoting of the wind turbine vessel and underwater protection
8. 8. Additional hull improvements
   • 8.1. Fins to reduce drift and improve tacking and close-hauled sailing
   • 8.2. Hull extensions with wind funnel effect
   • 8.3. Hull shapes for pivoting ability

1. Rotationally symmetrical multihull ship architecture for pivoting capability

The architecture of the wind turbine ship (1) comprises at least three hulls (3) which are installed rotationally symmetrically along the longitudinal axis of the wind turbine ship (1). 12 shows three options with three to five hulls (3). Beyond these three options, the rotationally symmetrical multihull architecture can be realized with any number of hulls (3), and any number of hulls (3) can be floating on the water simultaneously.

The rotationally symmetric architecture allows the wind turbine vessel (1) to pivot around its own longitudinal axis when exposed to strong winds or waves during sea storms. This means that the wind turbine vessel (1) can capsize while maintaining its full structural and functional integrity thanks to its rotationally symmetric design. The ability to pivot enables a lightweight design of the wind turbine vessel (1), as no structural countermeasures against capsizing need to be considered in the event of sea storms, strong gusts of wind, so-called "monster waves," or other harsh weather conditions. 13 shows the mechanism of pivoting the wind turbine ship (1) in four steps starting from strong wind or wave action.

All installations on the wind turbine vessel (1) must take into account the ability to pivot, thus ensuring functionality in any orientation around the longitudinal axis of the wind turbine vessel (1). The devices and procedures presented in the following sections take this requirement into account.

2. Sail mechanism with control of the wind turbine orientation to the wind and hulls

The wind turbine (2) can be flexibly positioned in the wind. The rotation axis can have different yaw angles (to exclude any potential application, any degree numbers for γ) relative to the wind direction, e.g. from γ > -90° to γ < 90°, depending on the wind conditions and the navigational destination or the necessary sailing course, as in 14 shown.

The direction of the ship's hull (3) can also be flexibly turned into or against the wind, similar to a sailboat (SB). This combination of the orientation of the wind turbine (2) and the hull (3) to the wind enables the ship (1) to sail various courses, including tacking against the wind. The sailing mechanism presented here utilizes the wind forces generated by the aerodynamic properties of currently prevalent horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) and vane-shaped rotor blades (6) in combination with suitable yaw positions. Vane-shaped rotor blades (6) generate lift and drag as the wind turbine (2) rotates. They play a key role in improving the aerodynamic performance and structural durability of the rotor blades ( US Department of Energy, Airfoils, Where the Turbine Meets the Wind, Wind Energy Technologies Office, www.energy.gov, 2023 ). 15 ( Richard J Crossly, Wind Turbine Blade Design Review, Journal of Wind Engineering, 2012 ) shows how a lift force (A) generated by the rotating wing-shaped rotor blades (6) is decomposed.

The lift force (A) is decomposed into a torque (D) and a thrust force (S). The torque (D) rotates the rotor and generates electrical energy via the generator in the wind turbine (2). The thrust force (S) points perpendicular to the rotor plane, downwind along the rotation axis of the wind turbine (2). In a typical stationary wind turbine, this thrust force (S) is absorbed by the wind turbine tower and generates a reaction force R(dr) in 15 .

In the invention presented here, this thrust force (S) is used to push the ship's hulls (3), which are structurally connected to the wind turbine (2), to leeward in the water. Due to the water resistance on the leeward side of the hull (3), the ship therefore moves forward through a vector force decomposition, as described below.

The wind turbine ship (1) uses this thrust (S) to sail, similar to a lift force (F _AS ) that a curved sail generates in the wind. This lift force (F _AS ), together with a drag force (Fws) on the keel or side line of the sailboat hull, results in a forward force (Fvs) of the sailboat (SB), as shown in 16 shown.

17 shows the sailing mechanism for the wind turbine ship (1), which follows the same course as the one in 16 The thrust (S) perpendicular to the rotor plane, as shown in 15 described, is broken down into the drag force (Fww) and the resulting forward force (Fwv) of the wind turbine vessel (1), which points in the desired direction of movement. The distance between the wind turbines (2) is large enough to mitigate wake losses between the wind turbines (2). Further explanations of this sailing mechanism and the sail control of the wind turbine vessel (1) for various sailing courses, including upwind courses for tacking against the wind, are described in the EXAMPLES section.

The sail mechanism is controlled by two controls: First, the wind turbines (2) are flexibly rotated into the wind. The rotation axis can have different yaw angles relative to the wind direction, as shown in 14 described. Yaw angle control can be achieved with a ball joint (8), as shown in section 4, or alternative means. Second, the orientation of the hulls is controlled either with a conventional rudder, mounted, for example, at the stern of the hulls (3). Alternatively, to avoid the need for a rudder, which increases complexity and cost, yaw control of the rear and front turbines is used. By varying the yaw angles of the turbine (2.H) (rear steering) or the front turbine (2.V) (front steering), a steering movement of the wind turbine vessel (1) results. 18 shows the control of a starboard turn, in which the rear turbine (2.H) is controlled parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wind turbine vessel (1), as well as the control of a port turn, in which instead the front turbine (2.V) is controlled parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wind turbine vessel (1).

Instead of controlling the yaw angle of the wind turbines (2) differently, the same effect can be achieved by aerodynamically braking the wind turbines (2) by changing the rotor blade setting or by mechanically braking the wind turbines (2) on the rotor shaft. The braked wind turbines (2) generate a lower lift force (A) and thus also a lower thrust force (S). Due to the relatively lower lateral force at the stern (port turn) or at the front (starboard turn), the hulls (1) rotate around the center of the wind turbine vessel (1) in the desired direction of movement.

• • Beim Segelmechanismus eines Segelboots (SB) erfolgt die Umwandlung von Windenergie in kinetische Energie, die das Segelboot (SB) bewegt, direkter. Der Wind umströmt das gewölbte Segel (Schritt 1) und erzeugt ein Auftrieb (Schritt 2). Diese Auftriebskraft (F_AS) ergibt zusammen mit der Driftwiderstandskraft (F_WS) des Segelboots die Vorwärtskraft (F_VS) (Schritt 3).
• • Beim Segelmechanismus des Windturbinenschiffs (1) ist es indirekter und erfordert einen zusätzlichen Energieumwandlungsschritt. Der Wind umströmt die Rotorblätter (6) (Schritt 1) und erzeugt einen Auftrieb auf der Oberseite des flügelförmigen Rotorblatts (6) (Schritt 2). Diese Auftriebskraft (L) wird in eine Schubkraft (S) senkrecht zur Rotorebene und ein Drehmoment (D) zerlegt (siehe 15) (Schritt 3). Die Schubkraft (S) drückt die Windturbine (2) entlang der Rotationsachse in Lee-Richtung (siehe 17). Diese Schubkraft (S) wird wie die Auftriebskraft (F_AS) am Segel des Segelboots (SB) verwendet, die zerlegt wird und zu einer Vorwärtskraft (FFV) des Windturbinenschiffes (1) führt. Dieser letzte Schritt bezieht sich auf (Schritt 3) des Segelmechanismus des Segelboots (SB) und entspricht (Schritt 4) des Segelmechanismus des Windturbinenschiffs (1).

The invention of the sailing mechanism with wind turbines (2) presented here is derived from the sailing concept of sailboats (SB), but it is not the same concept but a further development.

• • In the sail mechanism of a sailboat (SB), the conversion of wind energy into kinetic energy, which moves the sailboat (SB), occurs more directly. The wind flows around the curved sail (step 1) and creates lift (step 2). This lift force (F _AS ), together with the drag force (F _WS ) of the sailboat, produces the forward force (F _VS ) (step 3).
• • In the sail mechanism of the wind turbine ship (1), it is more indirect and requires an additional energy conversion step. The wind flows around the rotor blades (6) (step 1) and creates a lift on the upper side of the wing-shaped rotor blade (6) (step 2). This lift force (L) is decomposed into a thrust force (S) perpendicular to the rotor plane and a torque (D) (see 15 ) (Step 3). The thrust force (S) pushes the wind turbine (2) along the rotation axis in the leeward direction (see 17 ). This thrust force (S) is used like the lift force (F _AS ) on the sail of the sailboat (SB), which is decomposed and results in a forward force (FFV) of the wind turbine vessel (1). This last step refers to (step 3) the sail mechanism of the sailboat (SB) and corresponds to (step 4) the sail mechanism of the wind turbine vessel (1).

Therefore, an additional step, i.e. an additional force decomposition as shown in the flow chart in 19 shown, required for the sailing mechanism of the wind turbine ship presented here (1).

While the rotation of the wind turbine (2) is used to drive the wind turbine ship (1) as described above, the rotation of the wind turbine (2) simultaneously generates electrical energy. However, with increasing yaw angle, which is a fundamental feature of the above-mentioned mechanism, the conversion of kinetic wind energy into electrical energy is reduced. The reduction of the rotor area facing the wind and aerodynamic effects such as dynamic flow separation at the rotor blades affect the power output. These effects have been intensively studied for onshore and offshore wind turbines ( Daniel Micallef and Tonio Sant, Wind Turbines, - Design, Control and Applications, Chapter 2: Review of Wind Turbine Yaw Aerodynamics, Intech Open, 2016 ). The reduction in the conversion of kinetic wind energy into electrical power of the wind turbine (2) (also called power coefficient CP ²⁵ ) is in the range of 80 % to 100 % of CPmax (i.e. maximum power coefficient at γ = 0°) in the yaw angle range from γ > -30° to γ < 30 ( Husaru et al, Effect of yaw angle on the global performances of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine - QBlade simulation, 2019 IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Closely. 595 012047 ). This yaw angle range is sufficient for the sailing maneuvers described above (see also the EXAMPLES section). Only at yaw angles greater than 45° does the power generated by the wind turbines drop by half ( Husaru et al, Effect of yaw angle on the global performances of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine - QBlade simulation, 2019 IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Closely. 595 012047 ), as in 20 ( Husaru et al, Effect of yaw angle on the global performances of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine - QBlade simulation, 2019 IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Closely. 595 012047 ). The x-axis indicates the yaw angle. The y-axis shows the power coefficient (left side) and the output power in watts (right side).

3. Elastic mounting of the sailing wind turbines with free rotor space for the ability to pivot

The adjustment of the yaw angle and the desired sailing course is essential for the sailing mechanism of the wind turbine ship (1) as described in Section 2. In order for the wind turbines (2) to continue to rotate freely at various yaw angles γ > -90° to γ < 90°, a mount (4) is required that does not block the rotor blades (6) when rotating at any yaw angle. In a typical stationary wind turbine, the tower of the wind turbine is perpendicular to the rotor axis. In a stationary setup, this type of mounting enables the wind turbine (2) to rotate unblocked at any yaw angle. However, due to the rotationally symmetrical multi-hull construction, the invention presented here requires a different mount (4) for the ability to pivot, as presented in Section 1. After pivoting around the longitudinal axis of the wind turbine ship (1), the rotor blades (6) must still be able to rotate freely at any yaw angle and must not be blocked by the mount (4). Mounting the wind turbine on a tower (T) or similar support perpendicular to the rotor axis would block the rotor, as shown in 21 shown (not part of this invention).

The bracket (4) must provide a clearance (FR) for the rotation of the rotor blades after each pivoting of the wind turbine vessel (1). No brackets (4) for the wind turbines (2) can be mounted in this clearance (FR).

22 shows this free rotor space (FR) marked as a hatched area in a two-dimensional view from above. The free rotor space (FR) is defined by the maximum yaw angle. When the wind turbine vessel (1) pivots around the longitudinal axis, the cross-sectional area of (FR) forms as in 22 shown, a body of revolution, which is a sphere (K) hollowed out on two sides by two embedded cones (EK) (see right in 22 ).

To maintain free rotor space (FR), the supports (4) must first follow the direction along the rotor axis at a yaw angle of 0°, in this case equal to the longitudinal axis of the wind turbine vessel (1), before the supports (4) can run perpendicular to the rotor axis. In the latter direction, the supports (4) must finally be structurally connected to the hulls (3) to ensure the functional statics of the wind turbine vessel (1) with the wind turbines (2). 23 shows various ways of maintaining the free rotor space (FR) by first connecting the bracket (4) to the fuselages (3) in the direction along the rotor axis and only behind the free rotor space (FS) to the rotor axis.

The invention presented here focuses on elastically bent brackets (4). Elastically bent or deformed materials such as metals deform when pressed, pulled, and twisted and can return to their original shape after the external forces and pressures that caused the deformation cease ( RD Knight, “Elasticity,” in Physics for Scientists and Engineers: A Strategy Approach, 2nd ed., USA: Pearson Addison-Wesley, 2008, pp. 278 ). Most materials have a certain force or pressure at which they deform elastically. If more force or pressure is applied, plastic deformation occurs ( Hawkes et al, “Deformation and Elasticity,” in Physics for Scientists and Engineers, 1st ed. Toronto: Cengage, 2014, pp. 265-268 .). For this reason, the supports (4) presented in this invention are elastically bent or deformed, so that they also function as a spring that stores elastic potential energy. This energy is also referred to as elastic free energy ( PM Chaikin and TC Lubensky, Principles of Condensed Matter Physics, Chapter 6: Generalized Elasticity, Cambridge University Press, 1995 ), which generates a restoring force (F _R ) against the deformation. 24 shows various options for elastically bent mounts (4). The present invention encompasses these options and those elastically bent mounts (4) of wind turbines (2), in which the restoring force (F _R ) acts perpendicularly away from the longitudinal axis of the wind turbine vessel (1) and is not limited to the 24 options shown.

The restoring forces (F _R ) act perpendicularly away from the longitudinal axis and thus push the hulls (3) outwards, i.e. the restoring forces (F _R ) act as expanding forces on the architecture of the hulls (3). Conversely, the contracting forces (F _K ) of the shrouds (5) pull the hulls (3) together. Overall, the two forces (F _K ) and (F _R ) act in opposite directions. The contracting forces (F _K ) and the restoring forces (F _R ) thus keep the wind turbine (2) in balance and ensure stable statics. At the same time, they ensure an elastic mounting (4) for the wind turbines (2), which contributes to the stability and resilience of the wind turbine ship (1), since both the wind turbines (2) and the hulls (3) are spring-mounted.

How the wind turbines (2) are connected to the brackets (4) described above is described in the next section 4.

4. Active ball joint control for yaw, roll and pitch of the wind turbine (2)

25 shows the roll movement of the wind turbine (2) around the longitudinal X-axis of the wind turbine ship (1), the pitch movement around the transverse Y-axis and the yaw movement around the vertical Z-axis.

The yaw motion of the wind turbine (2) has already been described in Section 2, along with how the yaw angle control is used for the sail mechanism of the wind turbine ship (1). In addition, the yaw motion of the wind turbine (2) is also influenced by the yaw motion of the wind turbine ship (1), which in turn is influenced by the sea and wind conditions, e.g. waves, currents, gusts of wind, or different wind strengths at different heights, so-called wind shear. Similarly, the roll and pitch movements of the wind turbine (2) are also influenced by the roll and pitch movements of the wind turbine ship (1), which in turn are influenced by the sea and wind conditions. This also includes the heeling of the ship (1), which is essentially a prolonged rolling motion of the wind turbine ship (1) caused by the wind force acting on the sails, or in this case the wind turbines (2). All of this can negatively impact the wind flow through the rotor plane of the wind turbine (2) and thus energy production. Uncontrolled roll, pitch, and yaw movements of the wind turbine (2) reduce the rotor surface facing the wind and change the wind flow on the wing-shaped rotor blades. This reduces the power output, as already shown in 20 with respect to the yaw angle, and the analogous effect must also be taken into account for the roll and pitch movements.

For this reason, the present invention provides for controlling the roll, pitch, and yaw movements of the wind turbine (2) by means of an active ball joint (8). On the one hand, the active ball joint (8) is used to control the yaw angle of the wind turbine (2) for the sail mechanism of the wind turbine ship (1). On the other hand, the active ball joint (8) is used to counteract and thus neutralize the roll, pitch, and yaw movements of the wind turbine (2) caused by sea and wind conditions. 26 shows the three-axis control of the active ball joint (8), including roll, pitch and yaw. 27 shows one horizontal and two vertical installation options of the active ball joints (8) and how they are structurally connected to the wind turbine (2).

The horizontal ball joint installation offers an axisymmetric, lightweight solution. However, it requires a strong active ball joint torque to hold heavy wind turbines (2). The vertical active ball joint installation provides more favorable statics. However, a rotation motor (7) is required as an additional element. The rotation motor (7), e.g., electrically, hydraulically, or otherwise, rotates the active ball joint (8) together with the installed wind turbine (2) around the longitudinal axis of the wind turbine vessel (1). This allows the wind turbine (2) to be returned to this downward-hanging position after the wind turbine vessel (1) has been pivoted. This option has more favorable statics because the wind turbine (2) can be fixed at its center of mass, reducing the forces acting on the active ball joint (8). If it is technically more advantageous for the functioning of the active ball joint (8), the wind turbine (2) can also be installed in the same way standing on the active ball joint (8). This means by a 180° rotation of the vertical active ball joint (8) so that gravity pushes the ball head into the ball joint housing, see right side of 27 .

The active ball joint can be built and controlled electromechanically, as described in IEEE Transactions of Robotics ( K. Abe, K. Tadakuma and R. Tadakuma, “ABENICS: Active Ball Joint Mechanism with Three-DoF Based on Spherical Gear Meshings,” in IEEE Transactions on Robotics, vol. 37, no. 5, pp. 1806-1825, 2021 and patent application JP2023038119A filled in 2021). Another gimbal implementation of the active ball joint (8), here called spherical parallel joint, is described in (Skyentific, 2023) ( www.skyentific.com , Spherical Parallel Joint (stepper motors, 3DoF), 2023). Other alternative technical embodiments are active magnetic ball joints. Active magnetic ball joints operate smoothly and are maintenance-free ( Fang Zhang et al., Electromagnetic Driving Modal and Control of Magnetic Levitation Spherical Active Joint, 3rd Annual International Conference on Mechanics and Mechanical, 2017 ). However, their energy consumption for the active generation of electromagnetic fields must be considered in comparison to the improved performance of the wind turbines (2), which is achieved by neutralizing the externally induced roll, pitch, and yaw movements. Other possible technical embodiments for controlling the three-axis movements are: three-axis gimbal suspension with mechanical bearings or active magnetic bearings, combined pan and tilt units, Stewart platforms or so-called hexapods on a turntable, or artificial muscle-based ball joints (L. Grunert, Patent Disclosure: Controllable Ball Joint, DE 10 2008 037 930 A1 , DPMA, 2010) or another functionally equivalent three-axis control.

5. Oscillating blade pitch angle during rotor rotation to optimize yaw

As described in Section 2, the yaw manipulation of the wind turbine (2) is fundamental to the sail mechanism of the wind turbine (2). However, as described, the torque of the wind turbine (2) and thus the power output decreases with increasing yaw angle (see 20 ). For this reason, the present invention has a mechanism for oscillating blade adjustment during rotor rotation in order to optimize the wind flow angle at the rotor blades (6) when the turbine (2) is in yaw position. It is state of the art to adapt the blade pitch angle depending on wind conditions. The novelty and key element of this part of the invention is that the blade pitch angle of the rotor blade (6) is adjusted back and forth in an oscillating movement, not just occasionally when the ambient wind conditions change, but continuously during each rotor rotation. This optimizes the wind flow around the rotor blades (6) because the yaw angle acts differently on the rotor blades (6) depending on the rotational position of the rotor blades (6) when the wind turbine (2) yaws. 28 shows the wind turbine (2) at yaw angle γ and its rotor blades (6) in different rotation positions. The left side shows the view from above, with the true wind coming from the side with yaw angle γ. The right side shows a rotor blade (6) in four rotation positions. tion positions (0°, 90°, 180°, 270°). The true wind direction is taken from the observer's perspective and is perpendicular to the plane of the drawing (here also the rotor plane) with a yaw deviation to the right of the rotor axis.

Four cross sections QS0°, QS90°, QS180° and QS270° are marked. The drawings 29 until 32 show the wind triangle vector diagrams at these cross-sections. It can be seen that the optimal blade pitch angle γ is different at each rotation position in order to optimize the streamlined wind flow around the airfoil-shaped rotor blades (6). This improves the lift of the rotor blade (6) as well as the generation of torque and thrust. The angle of attack "α" remains the same because it is fixed by the design of the airfoil profile of the rotor blade (6). The different blade pitch angles β0°, β90°, β180° and β270° for the four rotation positions (0°, 90°, 180°, 270°) of the rotor blade (6) and corresponding blade pitch angles for all rotor positions in between define the oscillating blade pitch angle during rotor rotation for optimization during yaw.

29 shows the wind triangle vector diagram at the rotor blade (6) in cross section QS0° at 0° rotation. The difference to the classic wind triangle diagram of a horizontal wind turbine with a wing-shaped rotor blade profile (as shown in textbooks ( Erich Hau, Wind Turbines: Fundamentals, Technology, Application, Economic Efficiency, p. 93ff, 4th Edition, Springer, 2008 )) is that the true wind direction comes from an angle γ, and the wind turbine (2) is thus in yaw position. The vector decomposition results in an inflow velocity w _0° , which leads to a smaller blade pitch angle β _0° than in an equivalent scenario without yaw position with frontal wind.

β _0° can be calculated as follows with the $${\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="0"\; label="\beta "\; filenames="DE102024000107A1\_0078.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">\beta </figure-callout>}}_{0°}={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\circ \left({\overrightarrow{\text{v}}}_{0°}+\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right)}{\left|\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right|\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{v}}}_{0°}+\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right|}\right)-\mathrm{\alpha }$$

$${\mathrm{\chi }}_{0°}={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\circ {\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{0°}}{\left|\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right|\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{0°}\right|}\right)$$

$${\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{0°}={\overrightarrow{\text{v}}}_{0°}+\overrightarrow{\text{u}}$$

G1 _0° is based on G2 _0° , G3 _0° and G4 _0° as follows: $$\mathrm{\alpha }+{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="0"\; label="\beta "\; filenames="DE102024000107A1\_0078.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">\beta </figure-callout>}}_{0°}={\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="0"\; label="\chi "\; filenames="DE102024000107A1\_0078.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">\chi </figure-callout>}}_{0°}\iff {\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="0"\; label="\beta "\; filenames="DE102024000107A1\_0078.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">\beta </figure-callout>}}_{0°}={\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="0"\; label="\chi "\; filenames="DE102024000107A1\_0078.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">\chi </figure-callout>}}_{0°}-\mathrm{\alpha }$$

$${\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="0"\; label="\chi "\; filenames="DE102024000107A1\_0078.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">\chi </figure-callout>}}_{0°}={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\circ {\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{0°}}{\left|\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right|\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{0°}\right|}\right)$$

$${\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{0°}={\overrightarrow{\text{v}}}_{0°}+\overrightarrow{\text{u}}$$

30 shows the wind triangle on the rotor blade (6) in cross section QS90° at 90° rotation. 30 Includes a 3D orientation aid that visualizes the direction of the true wind in this 90° rotation position of the rotor blade (6). To derive the inflow velocity w _90° , which influences the optimal blade pitch angle of the rotor blade (6) β _90° , a projection of the true wind speed v _90° onto the rotor axis is required. Only this projected component influences the blade pitch angle β _90° , since the remaining component runs parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rotor blade (6) and thus cannot influence the blade pitch, regardless of the length of this component.

β _90° can be calculated as follows with the $${\mathrm{\beta }}_{90°}={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\circ \left({\overrightarrow{\text{e}}}_{\text{ra}}\cdot \text{cos}\left(\mathrm{\gamma }\right)\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{v}}}_{90°}\right|+\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right)}{\left|\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right|\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{e}}}_{\text{ra}}\cdot \text{cos}\left(\mathrm{\gamma }\right)\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{v}}}_{90°}\right|+\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right|}\right)-\mathrm{\alpha }$$

$${\mathrm{\chi }}_{90°}={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\cdot {\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{90°}}{\left|\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right|\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{90°}\right|}\right)$$

$${\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{90°}={\overrightarrow{\text{p}}}_{90°}+\overrightarrow{\text{u}}$$

$${\overrightarrow{\text{p}}}_{90°}={\overrightarrow{\text{e}}}_{\text{ra}}\cdot \text{cos}\left(\mathrm{\gamma }\right)\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{v}}}_{90°}\right|,{\text{ e}}_{\text{ra}}=\text{Einheitsvektor parallel zur Rotorachse}\left(\text{Richtung Referenzwind}\right)$$

G1 _90° is based on G2 _90° , G3 _90° , G4 _90° and G5 _90° as follows: $$\mathrm{\alpha }+{\mathrm{\beta }}_{90°}={\mathrm{\chi }}_{90°}\iff {\mathrm{\beta }}_{90°}={\mathrm{\chi }}_{90°}-\mathrm{\alpha }$$

$${\mathrm{\chi }}_{90°}={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\cdot {\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{90°}}{\left|\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right|\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{90°}\right|}\right)$$

$${\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{90°}={\overrightarrow{\text{p}}}_{90°}+\overrightarrow{\text{u}}$$

$${\overrightarrow{\text{p}}}_{90°}={\overrightarrow{\text{e}}}_{\text{ra}}\cdot \text{cos}\left(\mathrm{\gamma }\right)\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{v}}}_{90°}\right|,{\text{ e}}_{\text{ra}}=\text{Einheitsvektor parallel zur Rotorachse}\left(\text{Richtung Referenzwind}\right)$$

31 shows the wind triangle vector diagram at the rotor blade cross-section QS _180° at 180° rotation. Visually, it is obvious that β _180° is greater than β _0° . The section "Working Examples" shows corresponding calculations and confirms this.

β _180° can be calculated as follows with the $${\mathrm{\beta }}_{180°}={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\circ \left({\overrightarrow{\text{v}}}_{180°}+\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right)}{\left|\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right|\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{v}}}_{180°}+\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right|}\right)-\mathrm{\alpha }$$

$${\mathrm{\chi }}_{180°}={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\circ {\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{180°}}{\left|\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right|\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{180°}\right|}\right)$$

$${\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{180°}={\overrightarrow{\text{v}}}_{180°}+\overrightarrow{\text{u}}$$

G1 _180° is based on G2 _180° , G3 _180° and G4 _180° as follows: $$\mathrm{\alpha }+{\mathrm{\beta }}_{180°}={\mathrm{\chi }}_{180°}\iff {\mathrm{\beta }}_{180°}={\mathrm{\chi }}_{180°}-\mathrm{\alpha }$$

$${\mathrm{\chi }}_{180°}={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\circ {\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{180°}}{\left|\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right|\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{180°}\right|}\right)$$

$${\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{180°}={\overrightarrow{\text{v}}}_{180°}+\overrightarrow{\text{u}}$$

32 shows the wind triangle vector diagram at the rotor blade cross-section QS _270° at 270° rotation. Here, too, a projection, here p _270° , is required to derive the wind vector that influences the optimal blade pitch angle (6).

β _270° can be calculated as follows with the $${\mathrm{\beta }}_{270°}={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\circ \left({\overrightarrow{\text{e}}}_{\text{ra}}\cdot \text{cos}\left(\mathrm{\gamma }\right)\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{v}}}_{270°}\right|+\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right)}{\left|\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right|\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{e}}}_{\text{ra}}\cdot \text{cos}\left(\mathrm{\gamma }\right)\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{v}}}_{270°}\right|+\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right|}\right)-\mathrm{\alpha }$$

$${\mathrm{\chi }}_{270°}={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\circ {\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{270°}}{\left|\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right|\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{270°}\right|}\right)$$

$${\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{270°}={\overrightarrow{\text{p}}}_{270°}+\overrightarrow{\text{u}}$$

${\overrightarrow{\text{p}}}_{270°}={\overrightarrow{\text{e}}}_{\text{ra}}\cdot \text{cos}\left(\mathrm{\gamma }\right)\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{v}}}_{270°}\right|,{\text{ e}}_{\text{ra}}=\text{Einheitsvektor parallel zur Rotorachse}\left(\text{Richtung Referenzwind}\right)$

Die verallgemeinerte Berechnungsgleichung für jeden Rotationswinkel $\varrho$

des Rotorblatts (6) für ${\mathrm{\beta }}_{\varrho }$

ist definiert durch, die wahre Windgeschwindigkeit ${\text{v}}_{\varrho },$

die einerseits auf die Rotorachse projiziert wird (Richtung Referenzwind), um ${\text{p}}_{\varrho }$

zu erhalten, und andererseits auf eine beliebige Parallele zur Umfangsgeschwindigkeit u, um eine Verlängerung der Umfangsgeschwindigkeit u₊ zu erhalten. Vektoraddition von ${\text{p}}_{\varrho }+\text{u}+{\text{u}}_{+}$

liefert die Anströmgeschwindigkeit ${\text{w}}_{\varrho }.$

Der Winkel zwischen u und ${\text{w}}_{\varrho }$

ergibt ${\mathrm{\chi }}_{\varrho }$

und dann ${\mathrm{\beta }}_{\varrho }$

durch Abzug des Anstellwinkels α. Zusätzlich wird die Anströmgeschwindigkeit durch den relativen Fahrtwind beeinflusst, der durch die Vorwärtsbewegung des Windturbinenschiffes (1) verursacht wird. Dieser relative Fahrtwindvektor kann zusätzlich zur Berechnung der Anpassung des Blatteinstellwinkels ${\mathrm{\beta }}_{\varrho }$

herangezogen werden. Berechnungen für den Blatteinstellwinkel ${\mathrm{\beta }}_{\varrho }$

bei verschiedenen Rotationswinkeln $\varrho$

finden sich im Abschnitt AUSFÜHRUNGSBEISPIELE. Es zeigt sich, dass β_0° = B_Min, und β_180° = β_Max. mit β_0° < β_90° < β_180° > β_270° > β_0° und dementsprechend für alle Rotationswinkel zwischen den beschriebenen vier Fällen. 33 zeigt dieses Muster in einem qualitativen Oszillationsdiagramm mit dem Rotationswinkel des Rotorblatts (6) auf der horizontalen x-Achse und dem eingestellten Blatteinstellwinkels β auf der vertikalen y-Achse.G1 _270° is based on G2 _270° , G3 _270° , G4 _270° and G5 _270° as follows: $$\mathrm{\alpha }+{\mathrm{\beta }}_{270°}={\mathrm{\chi }}_{270°}\iff {\mathrm{\beta }}_{270°}={\mathrm{\chi }}_{270°}-\mathrm{\alpha }$$

$${\mathrm{\chi }}_{270°}={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\circ {\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{270°}}{\left|\overrightarrow{\text{u}}\right|\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{270°}\right|}\right)$$

$${\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{270°}={\overrightarrow{\text{p}}}_{270°}+\overrightarrow{\text{u}}$$

${\overrightarrow{\text{p}}}_{270°}={\overrightarrow{\text{e}}}_{\text{ra}}\cdot \text{cos}\left(\mathrm{\gamma }\right)\cdot \left|{\overrightarrow{\text{v}}}_{270°}\right|,{\text{ e}}_{\text{ra}}=\text{Einheitsvektor parallel zur Rotorachse}\left(\text{Richtung Referenzwind}\right)$

The generalized calculation equation for each rotation angle $\varrho$

of the rotor blade (6) for ${\mathrm{\beta }}_{\varrho }$

is defined by the true wind speed ${\text{v}}_{\varrho },$

which is projected on the one hand onto the rotor axis (direction of reference wind) in order to ${\text{p}}_{\varrho }$

and on the other hand to any parallel to the circumferential velocity u to obtain an extension of the circumferential velocity u ₊ . Vector addition of ${\text{p}}_{\varrho }+\text{u}+{\text{u}}_{+}$

provides the flow velocity ${\text{w}}_{\varrho }.$

The angle between u and ${\text{w}}_{\varrho }$

results ${\mathrm{\chi }}_{\varrho }$

and then ${\mathrm{\beta }}_{\varrho }$

by subtracting the angle of attack α. In addition, the approach speed is influenced by the relative wind force caused by the forward movement of the wind turbine vessel (1). This relative wind force vector can be used in addition to calculating the adjustment of the blade pitch angle ${\mathrm{\beta }}_{\varrho }$

Calculations for the blade pitch angle ${\mathrm{\beta }}_{\varrho }$

at different rotation angles $\varrho$

can be found in the EXAMPLES section. It turns out that β _0° = B _Min , and β _180° = β _Max . with β _0° < β _90° < β _180° > β _270° > β _0° and accordingly for all rotation angles between the four cases described. 33 shows this pattern in a qualitative oscillation diagram with the rotation angle of the rotor blade (6) on the horizontal x-axis and the set blade pitch angle β on the vertical y-axis.

Typically, the aerodynamic optimization of wind turbines attempts to eliminate and avoid any type of oscillating vibrations, as these typically increase vibration forces and thus material fatigue. However, this is a countermeasure to neutralize or at least reduce an otherwise oscillating effect caused by the changing wind flow conditions during rotor rotation when the wind turbine (2) is in yaw mode. The above describes the setting of the optimal blade pitch angle for wind speeds up to the rated wind speed for which a specific wind turbine (2) is designed. At higher wind speeds, it is state of the art to change the blade pitch angle in order to control or reduce the power transferred from the wind to the generator at higher rated wind speeds. The same mechanism can also be applied accordingly with the mechanism presented here for controlling oscillating blade pitch angles during rotor rotation for yaw optimization. For technical feasibility, state-of-the-art wind sensors can be used, and the blade pitch can be adjusted using motors, so-called pitch actuators. An extension of the mechanism for oscillating blade adjustment described above involves dynamically oscillating the rotation of the rotor blades (6) during rotor rotation. The exact dynamic rotation angle can be calculated in the same way as above for the blade pitch of the rotor blade (6). Technically, this extension can be implemented, for example, using flexible rotor blades (6) and dynamically adjusting the rotation angle at individual cross-sections using electric servos or other actuators.

6. Onboard energy storage with hybrid electromechanical energy management system

The energy generated by the wind turbines (2) is stored on board the wind turbine ship (1). The energy storage is housed inside the hulls (3). The energy storage technology can be electric batteries or any liquid, gas, or solid-based energy storage system, e.g., fuels such as hydrogen, methanol, or ammonia. For the energy storage system, the core element of this part of the invention is to directly utilize the mechanical energy available at the drive train (9) of the wind turbine (2) for specific process steps of the electromechanical energy management. Instead of using part of the electrical energy generated by the wind turbines (2) for specific process steps of the energy management system that require mechanical energy, the mechanical energy provided by the wind turbine (2) at the drive train (9) is directly utilized. This has the advantage of avoiding inefficiencies that arise from converting the rotational energy, i.e., mechanical energy of the wind turbine (2), into electrical energy and back into mechanical energy. In the case of hydrogen storage, this can be used, for example, to desalinate seawater or to compress hydrogen to increase energy storage density. The process of desalinating seawater requires an operating pressure of 800 to 1000 psi to convert seawater to hydrogen by reverse osmosis ( David M. Warsinger, Emily W. Tow, Kishor G. Nayar, Laith A. Maswadeh, John H. Lienhard V, Energy efficiency of batch and semi-batch (CCRO) reverse osmosis desalination, Water Research, Volume 106, 2016 ) against a salt-repellent membrane. The process of hydrogen compression is necessary because hydrogen is typically produced by fuel cells at low pressure (20-30 bar) and must be compressed to increase energy storage density, for example, by using reciprocating or rotary compressors, i.e., mechanical compressors (www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/gaseous-hydrogen-compression). 34 shows how the hybrid electromechanical energy management system is integrated into the wind turbine (2) by installing one or more compressors or other mechanical device (N) directly on the drive train (9).

The compressors or other mechanical devices are connected to other devices such as fuel cells, desalination units, etc. via pipes or hoses, partial drive trains, or other connecting elements. The generated electrical energy or the produced hydrogen, methanol, ammonia, or other fuels is then transferred to the hulls (3) via cables, pipes or hoses, or other means, where the energy storage devices, e.g., batteries or fuel tanks, are placed. Furthermore, discharge interfaces are integrated into the hulls (3) to enable external access to the energy storage device.

7. Floodable hulls for intentional pivoting of the wind turbine vessel and underwater protection

The sailing wind turbine vessel (1) presented here has the ability to pivot around its longitudinal axis when exposed to harsh weather and sea conditions, while maintaining its full structural and functional integrity. The mechanism presented in this section also allows the wind turbine vessel (1) to pivot intentionally without external influence. This can be used for maintenance work. This can be useful for facilitating access to the upper part of the wind turbine vessel (1) or for utilizing redundant systems (e.g., rudders or engines installed at the ends of the hull) that can be used after pivoting. Furthermore, the intentional pivoting mechanism can be used to resiliently handle severe sea storms. The wind turbine vessel (1) can pivot underwater. This allows it to seek underwater shelter in stormy seas, reducing its exposure to stormy wind speeds and rough waves. 35 shows the mechanism of intentional pivoting in five steps. Step 2 is the underwater protection application.

The hulls (3) have a floodable compartment separated from a non-floodable compartment for the energy storage system, e.g., batteries or fuel tanks. When not flooded, the floodable compartments generate buoyancy that allows the wind turbine vessel (1) to float.

Step 1 of the intentional pivoting mechanism begins with flooding of hull (A) (see 35 ) by opening one or more valves to allow water to flow in, and one or more additional valves to allow air or other gases inside the hull (A) to escape. The floodable chamber of the hull (A) fills with water and sinks. Additionally, the hull (B) is pulled down.

Step 2 completes this movement, and the wind turbine vessel (1) floats upside down on hulls (B) and (C), with hull (A) submerged. In this position, the wind turbine vessel (1) can seek shelter beneath the water's surface in the event of severe storms and critical winds or waves that could compromise the structural integrity of the wind turbine vessel (1). To support this maneuver, the wind turbine (2) is designed to be watertight.

Step 3 floats the wind turbine vessel (1) by partially flooding the hull (B) and, a little later, simultaneously partially filling the hull (A) with air or gas. This creates a downward movement of the hull (B) and an upward movement of the hull (A). Filling with air is achieved by pumping air through pipes or hoses from parts of the wind turbine vessel (1) that are above the water surface. Alternatively, if the energy storage system is based on a lighter-than-air gas, such as hydrogen, this gas can be used to fill the buoyancy chambers. The gas is released from the storage tanks into the floodable chambers via appropriate valves. The gas inflates the floodable chambers, and the water inside is forced out.

Step 4 stops the partial flooding of hull (B) once hull (B) and hull (A) are at the same height. Subsequently, both hulls (B) and (A) are completely filled with air or gas, allowing the wind turbine ship (1) to ascend.

Step 5 completes the buoyancy movement and the wind turbine ship (1) floats with two hulls (B) and (A) on the water surface, while hull (C) is in the air.

In this way, the wind turbine ship (1) can perform an intentional pivoting.

8. Additional hull improvements

• 8.1. Finnen zur Reduktion der Abdrift und Verbesserung beim Kreuzen und am Wind Segeln
• 8.2. Rumpferweiterungen mit Windtrichtereffekt
• 8.3. Rumpfformen für die Fähigkeit zu Pivotieren

This section presents various hull improvements in addition to those already listed above:

• 8.1. Fins to reduce drift and improve sailing when sailing upwind and upwind
• 8.2. Hull extensions with wind funnel effect
• 8.3. Hull shapes for pivoting ability

8.1. Fins to reduce drift and improve sailing when tacking and close-hauled

For the sailing mechanism described in section 2, the drag force (Fww) is of particular importance to ensure that the wind turbine vessel (1) is not drifted too strongly to leeward when sailing and thus cannot maintain the desired sailing course (see 17 ). In order to improve the shape of the hull (3) and to generate more drag force (F _WW ) compared to a simple cylindrical hull shape as presented so far, the hulls (3) optionally have fins that act like a keel on the hulls (3). 36 shows the fins from a rear or front cross-sectional view of the wind turbine vessel (1) on the left and from a side view on the right.

One or more fins (10) are constructed from flexible material and are foldable. 37 describes the folding mechanism, which is based on an active joint (11) at the front of the fin (10), a luff (12) that holds the front of the fin (10), and a flexible material (13) that contracts when the fin is folded. When the active joint (11) rotates upwards, the fin (10) unfolds. When the active joint (11) rotates downwards, the fin (10) folds up. On the hulls (3) floating on the water, the fins (10) are fully unfolded underwater to create additional drift resistance. On the upper hull (3), the fins (10) serve as sails when the wind turbine vessel (1) is sailing on a close-hauled course. When the wind turbine vessel (1) is sailing on other courses, the fins (10) can be folded up to create no resistance.

8.1. Hull extensions with wind funnel effect

38 shows an alternative extension for the hulls (3). This hull extension (13) creates a wind funnel effect, which increases the capacity factor of the wind turbines (2) by directing additional wind flow from above the wind turbine vessel (1) into the rotor surfaces of the wind turbines (2). In addition, a negative pressure is created behind the wind turbines (2) due to strong vortices, which suck more wind flow into the wind turbines (2). Consequently, this additional wind flow increases the power output ( Yuji Ohya and Takashi Karasudani, A Shrouded Wind Turbine Generating High Output Power with Wind-lens Technology, MDPI Energies journal, 2010 ). This wind funnel effect is maximized on a beam reach, as in 38 shown in cross-section and side view of the wind turbine ship (1).

In addition to the wind funnel effect, this hull extension (13) creates a keel effect below the hulls (3) floating on the water surface. Therefore, it increases the drag force (Fww) and thus reduces the drift of the wind turbine vessel (1), similar to the hull improvement presented in Section 8.1.

8.3. Hull shapes for pivoting ability

• • Vertikal ovale Rumpfformen bieten einen höheren Abdriftwiderstand als kreisförmige Rumpfformen.
• • Flache Rumpfformen haben einen geringen Tiefgang.
• • V-förmige Rümpfe durchschneiden das Wasser und die Wellen und sorgen so für mehr Stabilität bei rauem Seegang. Darüber hinaus erzeugen sie eine Welle, die das Schiff hebt und so dessen Vorwärtswiderstand verringert.
• • Hydrofoil (Wassertragflügel)-Rumpfverlängerungen heben den Schiffsrumpf zum Teil vollständig über die Wasseroberfläche und reduzieren damit den Vorwärtswiderstand.
• • SWATH-Formen (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull) haben einen relativ hohen Vorwärtswiderstand, sind daher langsamer, verhalten sich dafür aber bei schwerem Seegang deutlich ruhiger und schwanken weniger (Stenger Jacob Johannes, Patent: Surface vessel, US3279407A , 1964).
• • Asymmetrische Rumpfformen verringern den Interferenzwiderstand zwischen den Rümpfen ( Yanuar et al., Drag reduction of X-pentamaran ship model with asymmetric-hull outrigger configurations and hull separation, Energy Reports of 6th International Conference on Power and Energy Systems Engineering (CPESE) Japan, 2019 ).

The state of the art includes various hull shapes for multihull vessels, each optimized for different characteristics. For example:

• • Vertically oval hull shapes offer higher drift resistance than circular hull shapes.
• • Flat hull shapes have a shallow draft.
• • V-shaped hulls cut through the water and waves, providing greater stability in rough seas. They also create a wave that lifts the ship, reducing its forward drag.
• • Hydrofoil (waterfoil) hull extensions partially raise the ship’s hull completely above the water surface, thereby reducing forward drag.
• • SWATH forms (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull) have a relatively high forward drag and are therefore slower, but behave much more calmly in heavy seas and sway less (Stenger Jacob Johannes, Patent: Surface vessel, US3279407A , 1964).
• • Asymmetrical hull shapes reduce interference resistance between the hulls ( Yanuar et al., Drag reduction of X-pentamaran ship model with asymmetric-hull outrigger configurations and hull separation, Energy Reports of 6th International Conference on Power and Energy Systems Engineering (CPESE) Japan, 2019 ).

39 shows some of the above-mentioned multihull shapes in cross-section based on their wetted surface, i.e. the total surface area of the hull and appendages below the waterline.

The part of the invention presented in this section assumes any hull shape of a multihull ship (not limited to the 39 shown selection) and duplicates the wetted surface in a rotationally symmetric reflection to enable the pivoting capability of the wind turbine ship (1), thus forming novel shapes for the hull (3) for the wind turbine ship (1) presented here. Each hull (3) of the wind turbine ship (1) has two wetted surfaces of the selected hull shape. According to the number of hulls (3) of the wind turbine ship (1) (see 12 in section 1) The degree of rotationally symmetric reflection is: 360° divided by the number of hulls (3) of the wind turbine vessel (1). This ensures that the wetted surface of the hull form (3) is always correctly aligned with the water plane in every pivot position.

40 shows a combination of the oval and V-shaped hull options for the wind turbine ship (1) with three hulls before and after a 120° turn.

The 40 The combination of an oval and a V-shaped hull (3) shown provides a keel effect that reduces drift, as shown in section 8.1, and a wind funnel effect that increases the power output of the wind turbine (2), as also shown in section 8.2.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

1. I. Erhöhung der Energieproduktion von Offshore-Windturbinen
   1. a) Erhöhung der Energieproduktion bei einer gegebenen Windkapazität
      • i) Direkte Umwandlung von Windkraft in elektrische Energie: Die hier vorgestellte Erfindung wandelt die kinetische Energie des Windes direkt in elektrische Energie um, ohne ineffiziente Umwege, wie z. B. zuerst ein Schiff mit der Windkraft zu bewegen um dann elektrische Energie mit Wasserturbinen unter dem Rumpf zu erzeugen, wie es im Stand der Technik dargestellt ist, zum Beispiel (Ref.6), (Ref.7) und (Ref.8). Diese Ansätze wandeln die Windkraft zunächst teilweise in kinetische Energie für den Schiffsantrieb um, die dann mithilfe von Wasserturbinen in elektrische Energie umgewandelt wird. Dies erfordert die zweimalige Anwendung des Betz'schen Gesetzes statt einer einmaligen. D.h. der Betz-Koeffizient 16/27 muss zweimal anstatt nur einmal faktorisiert werden zur Berechnung der maximalen Leistung, die dem Wind zur Energiegewinnung entnommen werden kann (siehe auch Nachteile von (Ref.7) zur Erklärung).
      • ii) Direkte Nutzung der Windkraft für den Schiffsantrieb anstatt separatem Antriebsmotor: In der hier vorgestellten Erfindung werden die Windturbinen (2) auf zwei Arten gleichzeitig genutzt. Erstens für die elektrische Energieproduktion, die an Bord in den Rümpfen (3) gespeichert wird. Zweitens werden die Windturbinen (2) als Segel für den Schiffsantrieb genutzt. Im Vergleich zu anderen im Stand der Technik vorgestellten Ansätzen, beispielsweise (Ref.2), (Ref.3), (Ref.5), (Ref.6) und (Ref.8), verbraucht der hier vorgestellte Ansatz keine zuvor produzierte elektrische oder anderweitig gespeicherte Energie für ein separates Antriebssystem. Zusätzliche Effizienzverluste durch Umwandlung von einer Energieform in eine andere entfallen. Dadurch wird die Nettoenergiebilanz im Vergleich zum oben genannten Stand der Technik verbessert.
      • iii) Nutzung erhöhter relativer Windgeschwindigkeiten durch die Vorwärtsbewegung des Windturbinenschiffes (1): Zusätzlich zu den beiden oben beschriebenen Vorteilen nutzt die hier vorgestellte Erfindung auch die erhöhte Geschwindigkeit des scheinbaren Windes, der durch die Kombination aus wahrem Wind und relativem Wind durch die Vorwärtsbewegung des Windturbinenschiffes (1) verursacht wird. Abhängig vom Segelkurs des Windturbinenschiffes (1) kann die Geschwindigkeit des scheinbaren Windes langsamer oder schneller sein als der ursprüngliche wahre Wind. Im Halbwindkurs nimmt der scheinbare Wind bei hoher Fahrtgeschwindigkeit im Vergleich zum wahren Wind deutlich zu. Trotz des Reduktionsfaktors, der durch den Gierwinkel zwischen der Windturbine (2) und diesem schnelleren scheinbaren Wind verursacht wird, kann der kubische Einfluss der Windgeschwindigkeit auf die Leistungsabgabe die Nettoleistungsabgabe um bis zum Faktor 1,5 im Vergleich zu einer sich nicht bewegenden stationären Windturbine, wie z.B. verankerte Offshore-Windturbinen aus dem Stand der Technik. Daher bietet dieser Halbwindkurs-Effekt ein erhebliches Potenzial zur Steigerung der Energieproduktion bei gegebener Windkapazität.
      • iv) Vermeidung von Nachlaufverlusten in Windparks: Nachlaufverluste sind ein entscheidender Faktor bei großskalierten Windparks. Bei bestimmten Windrichtungen und Windgeschwindigkeiten und dichten Abständen zwischen den Anlagen können Nachlaufverluste bis zu 30 % betragen. Ein optimiertes Layout für einen typischen Offshore-Windpark sorgt dafür, dass die Nachlaufverluste insgesamt im Bereich von 10% oder weniger des potenziellen Jahresenergieertrags reduziert werden. ( Dr. Martin Dörenkämper, Großskalige Windparkeffekte - Ein zentraler Beitrag zum wirtschaftlichen Betrieb eines Windparks, Blog Fraunhofer-Institut für Windenergiesysteme, 2022 ) Der Vorteil der hier vorgestellten Erfindung ist, dass es in einer Flotte von Windturbinenschiffen (1) keine Nachlaufverluste gibt. Durch die Mobilität können sich die Windturbinenschiffe (1) so zum Wind positionieren, dass Nachlaufverluste vermieden werden und somit im Vergleich zu stationären Windparks bis zu 10% mehr Leistungsabgabe erreicht werden kann.
      • v) Adressierung von Bewegungen entlang der drei Freiheitsgrade direkt an der Windturbine (2): Bewegungen der Windturbine entlang von drei Freiheitsgraden (Roll-, Nick- und Gierbewegungen) verursacht durch See- und Windbedingungen, wirken sich negativ auf die Leistungsabgabe der Windturbine aus und erhöhen die Materialermüdung. Im Bereich der verankerten schwimmenden Windturbinen (siehe IV. AERODYNAMISCHE HERAUSFORDERUNGEN im Abschnitt STAND DER TECHNIK) wurden verschiedene Lösungen vorgestellt (e.g. D. Roddier and C. Cermelli, Patent: Floating wind turbine platform with ballast control and mooring system , US9139266B2 ) und umgesetzt (e.g. www.principlepower.comjwindfloatjadvantagejperformance) oder befinden sich noch in der Forschung (e. g. B. Wen et al, Power performance of an offshore floating wind turbine in platform pitching motion, Energy journal, volume 154, 2018 or www.floatech-project.com ). Die Herausforderung der Roll-, Neige- und Gierbewegungen wird dort jedoch auf der Ebene der schwimmenden Plattform- und nicht auf der Turbinenebene angegangen. Für die Gegenbewegungen muss die gesamte schwimmende Plattform bewegt werden, was naturgemäß mehr Energie erfordert, als die Gegenbewegungen direkt auf Turbinenebene anzuwenden. Die hier vorgestellte Erfindung wendet die Gegenbewegungen auf eine energieeffizientere Art und Weise direkt an der Windturbine (2) an. Mit einem aktiven Kugelgelenk (8) werden Gegenbewegungen zum Gieren, Rollen und Neigen der Windturbine (2) gesteuert (siehe Abschnitt 4). Im Gegensatz dazu wird diese Herausforderung im Stand der Technik (Ref.1) bis (Ref.7) vorgestellten mobilen, nicht verankerten, schwimmenden Offshore-Windturbinen weder erwähnt noch angegangen. Nur (Ref.8) adressiert Rollbewegungen teilweise, indem unterschiedliche Krängungswinkel (5°, 10°, 15°) berücksichtigt und minimiert werden, um die Leistung der Windturbine zu verbessern, indem der Abstand der Trimaran-Ausleger vom Hauptrumpf vergrößert wird. Allerdings wird auch hier das Problem wieder auf Plattformebene angegangen und nicht direkt auf der Turbinenebene.
      • vi) Oszillierender Blatteinstellwinkel während der Rotorrotation zur Optimierung beim Gieren: Wie in Abschnitt 2 beschrieben, ist die Gierstellung der Windturbine (2) von grundlegender Bedeutung für den Segelmechanismus des Windturbinenschiffes (1). Allerdings nimmt, wie beschrieben, das Drehmoment der Windturbine (2) und damit die Leistungsabgabe mit zunehmendem Gierwinkel ab (siehe 20). Aus diesem Grund beinhaltet diese Erfindung einen Mechanismus zur oszillierenden Blatteinstellung während der Rotorrotation, um den Windströmungswinkel an den Flügelblättern zu optimieren, wenn sich die Windturbine (2) in einem Gierwinkel befindet und somit die Verringerung der Leistungsabgabe beim Gieren zu reduzieren. Es ist Stand der Technik, die Blatteinstellung je nach Windverhältnissen anzupassen. Die Neuheit und das wesentliche Element dieses Teils der Erfindung besteht darin, dass die Blatteinstellung in einer oszillierenden Hin- und Herbewegung verstellt wird, und zwar nicht nur gelegentlich, wenn sich die Windverhältnisse ändern, sondern kontinuierlich während jeder Rotorrotation. Dadurch wird die Windumströmung der Rotorblätter (6) wie in Abschnitt 5 beschrieben optimiert. Der Stand der Technik berücksichtigt kein Segeln mit Windturbinen. Daher werden dort keine vergleichbaren Optimierungen beschrieben.
      • vii) Erhöhte Leistungsabgabe durch Windtrichtereffekt der Rümpfe (3): Der Windtrichtereffekt zur Steigerung der Leistungsabgabe von Windturbinen ist im Stand der Technik bekannt. Jedoch wurde er noch nicht berücksichtigt für mobile freischwimmende segelnde Windturbinen (2) wie in Abschnitt 8 beschrieben.
   2. b) Skalierung der Energieproduktion durch Erhöhung der zugänglichen Windkapazität
      • i) Zugang zu weit entfernten Offshore-Regionen mit stärkeren und gleichmäßigeren Winden: Stationär verankerte, schwimmende Offshore-Windturbinen sind wie im Abschnitt STAND DER TECHNIK in ihrer Skalierbarkeit eingeschränkt in Bezug auf Wassertiefe und Entfernung vom Ufer. Die hier präsentierte Erfindung teilt den Vorteil der freischwimmenden mobilen Windturbinenkonzepte (Ref.1) bis (Ref.8) des vorgestellten Standes der Technik, dass sie nicht durch diese Skalierbarkeitsbeschränkungen eingeschränkt ist und den Zugang zu weit entfernten Offshore-Regionen ermöglicht mit stärkeren und gleichmäßigeren Winden.
      • ii) Weniger Einschränkungen durch Regulierung und langwierige Genehmigungsverfahren: Das freischwimmende mobile Konzept der hier vorgestellten Erfindung hat den Vorteil, Offshore-Regionen für die Windenergieerzeugung außerhalb küstennaher Hoheitsgewässer und d.h. außerhalb der 12-Seemeilen-Zonen und auch außerhalb der ausschließliche Wirtschaftszonen (AWZ) von 200-Seemeilen zu erschließen. Dies trägt dazu bei, ökologische und sozioökonomische Probleme im Zusammenhang mit Küstenregionen z.B. aus Sicht des Umweltschutzes oder der Fischerei und des Tourismus zu lindern. Dadurch verringert sich auch die Regulierungskomplexität, wie in V. REGULIERUNGSKOMPLEXITÄT im Abschnitt STAND DER TECHNIK beschrieben, da keine langwierigen Genehmigungsverfahren für ortsfeste Anlagen durchlaufen werden müssen.
2. II. Senkung der Kosten für die Offshore-Windenergieproduktion und deren Transport
   1. a) Senkung der Kosten bei der Fertigung und der Installation
      • i) Fähigkeit zu Pivotieren und Unterwasserschutzstellung ermöglichen leichtgewichtige Architektur:
        • Typischerweise muss jede Plattform oder jedes Schiff zur Gewinnung von Offshore-Windenergie mit einer sehr starken und robusten Architektur konstruiert werden, um den rauen Wind- und Seebedingungen auf dem Meer standzuhalten. Dadurch wird versucht, massive Roll-, Neige- und Gierbewegungen der Plattform oder des Schiffes zu verhindern. Verankerte schwimmende Offshore-Windplattformen zum Beispiel, verwenden schwere, halbtauchende Strukturen, um den Einfluss von starkem Wellengang zu reduzieren. Ein extremer Fall von Rollbewegungen, also das Kentern, wird durch Festmacheranker verhindert. Oder z.B. bei mobilen freischwimmenden Offshore-Windturbinen wie in (Ref.8) beschreiben durch Vergrößerung des Abstands zwischen den Trimaran-Auslegern und somit durch Erhöhung der Strukturmasse entgegnet. Die hier vorgestellte Erfindung hat den Vorteil, dass es konstruktionsbedingt nicht darauf ausgelegt ist, den rauen Wind- und Seebedingungen standzuhalten, sondern mit ihnen resilient umzugehen. Einerseits wird Roll-, Neige- und Gierbewegungen mit der aktiven Kugelgelenk (8)-basierten Steuerung entgegengewirkt und diese werden dadurch neutralisiert (siehe Abschnitt 4). Andererseits wird ein Kentern des Windturbinenschiffes (1) bei starkem Seegang und Sturm mit der Fähigkeit zu Pivotieren bewältigt (siehe Abschnitt 1). Bei sehr starken Stürmen kann das Windturbinenschiff (1) zudem die flutbaren Rümpfe nutzen und durch absichtliches Pivotieren unter Wasser Schutz suchen (siehe Abschnitt 7). Daher kann das hier vorgestellte Windturbinenschiff (1) mit einer viel leichteren Architektur gebaut werden, was die Baukosten und den Materialverbrauch senkt.
      • ii) Leichte elastische Halterungen (4) und Wanten (5) statt schwerer Windturbinentürme: Typische dem Stand der Technik entsprechende horizontale Windturbinen sind auf vertikalen Türmen montiert. Dabei handelt es sich um schwere und starke Konstruktionen, da sie das gesamte Gewicht der Windturbine und des Rotors tragen und den aerodynamischen Windkräften und -lasten standhalten müssen. Insbesondere die Schubkraft entlang der Rotationsachse in Lee-Richtung erfordert eine sehr stabile und starke Statik des Turms. Für schwimmende Offshore-Windturbinen, verankerte oder freischwimmende, stationäre oder mobile, ist dieses Konzept grundsätzlich nachteilig, da der Schwerpunkt oben liegt und die Länge des Turms damit zur Vervielfachung der Roll-, Neige- und Gierbewegungen beiträgt. Die hier vorgestellte Erfindung hat den Vorteil, eine leichtere Halterung (4) zu verwenden. Die elastisch gebogenen Halterungen (4) halten zusammen mit den Wanten (5) die Windturbine (2) innerhalb des Windturbinenschiffes (1) und nicht an deren oberer Spitze (siehe Abschnitt 3), wodurch die Schwerpunktlage verbessert wird.
      • iii) Für die Installation sind keine speziellen Offshore-Installationsschiffe erforderlich: Die hier vorgestellte Erfindung eines autonom segelnden Windturbinenschiffes (1), erfordert konstruktionsbedingt keine Unterstützung durch spezielle Offshore-Installationsschiffe. Das Windturbinenschiff (1) wird in einer Werft gebaut und navigiert dann selbständig an den Einsatzort. Dies ist ein Vorteil gegenüber dem Stand der Technik bei verankerten schwimmenden Offshore-Windturbinen, bei denen spezielle und teure Schiffe erforderlich sind, um die Windturbine zum Zielort zu schleppen und die Anker sowie Strom- oder Gasleitungen zu installieren, wie im Stand der Technik beschrieben.
   2. b) Senkung der Kosten während der Energieproduktion
      • i) Für die Wartung sind keine speziellen Offshore-Installationsschiffe erforderlich: Offshore-Wartung und -Support sind komplex/kostspielig, da der Einsatz von Wartungspersonal und Material auf hoher See anspruchsvoller ist als an Land. Darüber hinaus können verankerte schwimmende Windturbinenplattformen angesichts der rauen Seebedingungen nicht vollständig auf See gewartet werden, sondern müssen mit speziellen Offshore-Installationsschiffen von den Liegeplätzen und Kabeln/Pipelines gelöst und zurück zum Hafen geschleppt werden zum Austausch wichtiger Komponenten oder zur Vermeidung ( J. McMortand, Operation and maintenance for floating wind turbines: A review, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews Volume 163, July 2022 ) von noch teureren und oft schwer verfügbaren Schwerlastschiffen, die den Austausch der Komponenten am Offshore-Standort übernehmen könnten. All diese Komplexitäten/Kosten nehmen mit der Wassertiefe und der Entfernung vom Ufer zu und tragen somit zu Einschränkungen der Skalierbarkeit bei. Im Gegensatz dazu arbeitet die hier vorgestellte Erfindung vollständig mobil und kehrt regulär für den integrierten Energietransport zur Entladung der gespeicherten Energie autonom und regelmäßig zum Hafen oder zur Nearshore- oder Offshore-Entladestation zurück, wo parallel auch regelmäßige Wartungen synergetisch durchgeführt werden können. Auch der Austausch größerer Komponenten kann vom mobilen Betriebsmodell profitieren und durchgeführt werden, wenn das Windturbinenschiff (1) autonom in den Hafen zurückkehrt. Dies wird durch mehrere Redundanzoptionen ermöglicht, z.B. kann der Betrieb mit zwei von drei Rümpfen (3) fortgesetzt werden, indem ein absichtliches Pivotieren durchgeführt wird oder indem man drei Windturbinen (2) auf einem Windturbinenschiff (1) installiert, so dass bei Ausfall einer noch zwei für den Segelantrieb und die Energieerzeugung genutzt werden können. Sollte das Windturbinenschiff (1) dennoch außer Betrieb sein, kann es ohne Demontage von Verankerungen oder Stromkabelinstallationen oder Pipelines zum Hafen zurückgeschleppt werden.
      • ii) Weniger Schäden beim Betrieb auf hoher See durch Stürme: Schäden bei extremen Wetterbedingungen wie Hurrikanen und Taifunen oder durch sogenannte „Monster“-Wellen werden durch die Nutzung der Unterwasserschutzfähigkeit der flutbaren Rümpfe (3) reduziert (siehe Abschnitt 7).
   3. c) Senkung der Kosten für den Energietransport
      1. i) Flexibler mobile Energietransport ohne Netzanbindung: Dynamische Stromkabel und Exportkabel oder Gaspipelines, Umspannwerke und Netzanschlüsse stellen eine hohe Komplexität/Kostenbelastung für schwimmende Offshore-Windkraftlösungen aus dem Stand der Technik dar. Das hier vorgestellte segelnde Windturbinenschiff (1) hat den Vorteil, dass es autonom und mobil mit integriertem Energiespeicher betrieben werden kann. Dies ermöglicht es, die Energie dann und dort hinzu transportieren, wo sie benötigt wird, basierend auf einer vorausschauenden, optimierten dynamischen Routenplanung und Navigation unter Berücksichtigung der Windbedingungen auf der dynamisch geplanten Route und des Zeitplans für die Energielieferung an gewünschten Zielen, wie in Abschnitt 6 dargestellt.

The present invention offers several advantages with regard to the goal of improving the efficiency of offshore energy production and transport, i.e., increasing energy production and/or reducing costs. These advantages relate to the stated objectives in the OBJECT OF THE INVENTION section and are achieved as follows:

1. I. Increasing energy production from offshore wind turbines
   1. a) Increasing energy production for a given wind capacity
      • i) Direct conversion of wind power to electrical energy: The invention presented here converts the kinetic energy of the wind directly into electrical energy, without inefficient detours, such as first propelling a ship with wind power and then generating electrical energy with water turbines under the hull, as shown in the prior art, for example (Ref.6), (Ref.7) and (Ref.8). These approaches first partially convert the wind power into kinetic energy for ship propulsion, which is then converted into electrical energy using water turbines. This requires the application of Betz's law twice instead of once. This means that the Betz coefficient 16/27 must be factored twice instead of just once to calculate the maximum power that can be extracted from the wind for energy generation (see also disadvantages of (Ref.7) for an explanation).
      • ii) Direct use of wind power for ship propulsion instead of a separate propulsion engine: In the invention presented here, the wind turbines (2) are used in two ways simultaneously. Firstly, for electrical energy production, which is stored on board in the hulls (3). Secondly, the wind turbines (2) are used as sails for ship propulsion. Compared to other approaches presented in the prior art, for example (Ref.2), (Ref.3), (Ref.5), (Ref.6), and (Ref.8), the approach presented here does not consume previously produced electrical or otherwise stored energy for a separate propulsion system. Additional efficiency losses due to conversion from one form of energy to another are eliminated. This improves the net energy balance compared to the aforementioned prior art.
      • iii) Utilization of increased relative wind speeds due to the forward motion of the wind turbine vessel (1): In addition to the two advantages described above, the invention presented here also utilizes the increased speed of the apparent wind caused by the combination of true wind and relative wind due to the forward motion of the wind turbine vessel (1). Depending on the sailing course of the wind turbine vessel (1), the speed of the apparent wind can be slower or faster than the original true wind. On a half-wind course, the apparent wind increases significantly at high cruising speed compared to the true wind. Despite the reduction factor caused by the yaw angle between the wind turbine (2) and this faster apparent wind, the cubic influence of wind speed on the power output can increase the net power output by up to a factor of 1.5 compared to a non-moving stationary wind turbine, such as moored offshore wind turbines of the prior art. Therefore, this half-wind course effect offers significant potential to increase energy production for a given wind capacity.
      • iv) Avoiding wake losses in wind farms: Wake losses are a critical factor in large-scale wind farms. For certain wind directions and speeds, and with close spacing between turbines, wake losses can be as high as 30%. An optimized layout for a typical offshore wind farm ensures that overall wake losses are reduced to 10% or less of the potential annual energy yield. Dr. Martin Dörenkämper, Large-scale wind farm effects - A key contribution to the economic operation of a Wind farms, blog Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems, 2022 The advantage of the invention presented here is that there are no wake losses in a fleet of wind turbine ships (1). Their mobility allows the wind turbine ships (1) to position themselves relative to the wind in such a way that wake losses are avoided, thus achieving up to 10% more power output compared to stationary wind farms.
      • v) Addressing movements along the three degrees of freedom directly on the wind turbine (2): Movements of the wind turbine along three degrees of freedom (roll, pitch, and yaw) caused by sea and wind conditions negatively impact the power output of the wind turbine and increase material fatigue. In the field of moored floating wind turbines (see IV. AERODYNAMIC CHALLENGES in the STATE OF THE ART section), various solutions have been presented (e.g. D. Roddier and C. Cermelli, Patent: Floating wind turbine platform with ballast control and mooring system , US9139266B2 ) and implemented (e.g. www.principlepower.comjwindfloatjaadvantagejperformance) or are still in research (e. G. B. Wen et al, Power performance of an offshore floating wind turbine in platform pitching motion, Energy journal, volume 154, 2018 or www.floatech-project.com ). However, the challenge of roll, pitch, and yaw movements is addressed there at the level of the floating platform and not at the turbine level. For the counter-movements, the entire floating platform must be moved, which naturally requires more energy than applying the counter-movements directly at the turbine level. The invention presented here applies the counter-movements directly to the wind turbine (2) in a more energy-efficient manner. Counter-movements for the yaw, roll, and pitch of the wind turbine (2) are controlled using an active ball joint (8) (see Section 4). In contrast, this challenge is neither mentioned nor addressed in the mobile, unmoored, floating offshore wind turbines presented in the prior art (Ref.1) to (Ref.7). Only (Ref.8) partially addresses roll motions by considering and minimizing different heel angles (5°, 10°, 15°) to improve wind turbine performance by increasing the distance of the trimaran booms from the main hull. However, here, too, the problem is addressed at the platform level rather than directly at the turbine level.
      • vi) Oscillating blade pitch angle during rotor rotation for yaw optimization: As described in Section 2, the yaw position of the wind turbine (2) is of fundamental importance for the sailing mechanism of the wind turbine vessel (1). However, as described, the torque of the wind turbine (2) and thus the power output decreases with increasing yaw angle (see 20 ). For this reason, this invention includes a mechanism for oscillating blade adjustment during rotor rotation in order to optimize the wind flow angle at the blades when the wind turbine (2) is at a yaw angle and thus reduce the reduction in power output during yaw. It is state of the art to adapt the blade adjustment depending on wind conditions. The novelty and essential element of this part of the invention is that the blade adjustment is adjusted in an oscillating back and forth motion, not just occasionally when wind conditions change, but continuously during each rotor rotation. This optimizes the wind flow around the rotor blades (6) as described in section 5. The state of the art does not take sailing with wind turbines into account. Therefore, no comparable optimizations are described there.
      • vii) Increased power output through the wind-funnel effect of the hulls (3): The wind-funnel effect for increasing the power output of wind turbines is known in the state of the art. However, it has not yet been considered for mobile, free-floating, sailing wind turbines (2) as described in Section 8.
   2. b) Scaling energy production by increasing accessible wind capacity
      • i) Access to remote offshore regions with stronger and more consistent winds: As discussed in the PRIOR ART section, stationary, floating offshore wind turbines are limited in their scalability with respect to water depth and distance from shore. The invention presented here shares the advantage of the free-floating mobile wind turbine concepts (Ref.1) to (Ref.8) of the presented prior art in that it is not limited by these scalability limitations and enables access to remote offshore regions with stronger and more consistent winds.
      • ii) Fewer restrictions due to regulation and lengthy approval procedures: The free-floating mobile concept of the invention presented here has the advantage of being able to use offshore regions for wind energy production outside coastal territorial waters, i.e. outside the 12-nautical mile zones and also outside the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles. This contributes to alleviating ecological and socioeconomic problems associated with coastal regions, for example, from the perspective of environmental protection, fisheries, and tourism. It also reduces regulatory complexity, as described in V. REGULATORY COMPLEXITY in the STATE OF THE ART section, since there is no need to go through lengthy permitting procedures for stationary installations.
2. II. Reducing the costs of offshore wind energy production and transport
   1. a) Reducing manufacturing and installation costs
      • i) Pivoting capability and underwater protection position enable lightweight architecture:
        • Typically, any platform or vessel used to generate offshore wind energy must be constructed with a very strong and robust architecture to withstand the harsh wind and sea conditions at sea. This is done to prevent massive roll, pitch, and yaw of the platform or vessel. Moored floating offshore wind platforms, for example, use heavy, semi-submersible structures to reduce the influence of strong waves. An extreme case of roll, i.e., capsizing, is prevented by mooring anchors. Or, for example, in mobile, free-floating offshore wind turbines as described in (Ref.8), this can be countered by increasing the distance between the trimaran booms and thus increasing the structural mass. The invention presented here has the advantage that, by design, it is not designed to withstand the harsh wind and sea conditions, but to cope with them resiliently. On the one hand, roll, pitch, and yaw movements are counteracted and neutralized with the active ball joint (8)-based control (see Section 4). On the other hand, capsizing of the wind turbine ship (1) in heavy seas and storms is managed with the ability to pivot (see Section 1). In very strong storms, the wind turbine ship (1) can also utilize the floodable hulls and seek shelter underwater by intentionally pivoting (see Section 7). Therefore, the wind turbine ship (1) presented here can be built with a much lighter architecture, which reduces construction costs and material consumption.
      • ii) Lightweight elastic mounts (4) and shrouds (5) instead of heavy wind turbine towers: Typical state-of-the-art horizontal wind turbines are mounted on vertical towers. These are heavy and strong structures, as they must support the entire weight of the wind turbine and rotor and withstand the aerodynamic wind forces and loads. In particular, the thrust along the rotation axis in the leeward direction requires very stable and strong tower statics. For floating offshore wind turbines, whether moored or free-floating, stationary or mobile, this concept is fundamentally disadvantageous, as the center of gravity is at the top and the length of the tower thus contributes to multiplying the roll, pitch, and yaw movements. The invention presented here has the advantage of using a lighter mount (4). The elastically bent brackets (4) together with the shrouds (5) hold the wind turbine (2) inside the wind turbine vessel (1) and not at its upper tip (see section 3), thereby improving the center of gravity.
      • iii) No special offshore installation vessels are required for installation: The invention of an autonomously sailing wind turbine vessel (1) presented here, by its design, does not require the support of special offshore installation vessels. The wind turbine vessel (1) is built in a shipyard and then navigates independently to the installation site. This is an advantage over the state of the art for anchored floating offshore wind turbines, which require special and expensive vessels to tow the wind turbine to the destination and install the anchors, as well as power or gas lines, as described in the prior art.
   2. b) Reducing costs during energy production
      • i) No dedicated offshore installation vessels are required for maintenance: Offshore maintenance and support are complex/costly, as the deployment of maintenance personnel and equipment is more demanding offshore than onshore. Furthermore, given the harsh sea conditions, moored floating wind turbine platforms cannot be fully serviced at sea, but must be detached from the berths and cables/pipelines by dedicated offshore installation vessels and towed back to port for the replacement of critical components or to avoid ( J. McMortand, Operation and maintenance for floating wind turbines: A review, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews Volume 163, July 2022 ) of even more expensive and often difficult to obtain heavy-lift vessels that could undertake the replacement of components at the offshore location. All of these complexities/costs increase with water depth and distance from shore, thus contributing to scalability limitations. In contrast, the invention presented here operates fully constantly mobile and returns regularly and autonomously to the port or to the nearshore or offshore unloading station for integrated energy transport to discharge the stored energy, where regular maintenance can also be carried out synergistically in parallel. The replacement of larger components can also benefit from the mobile operating model and be carried out when the wind turbine vessel (1) returns to the port autonomously. This is made possible by several redundancy options, e.g., operations can continue with two of three hulls (3) by deliberately pivoting or by installing three wind turbines (2) on a wind turbine vessel (1) so that if one fails, two can still be used for sail propulsion and energy generation. Should the wind turbine vessel (1) nevertheless be out of service, it can be towed back to the port without dismantling any moorings or power cable installations or pipelines.
      • (ii) Reduced damage during offshore operations due to storms: Damage from extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes and typhoons or from so-called ‘monster’ waves is reduced by utilising the underwater protection capability of floodable hulls (3) (see Section 7).
   3. c) Reducing the costs of energy transport
      1. i) Flexible mobile energy transport without grid connection: Dynamic power and export cables or gas pipelines, substations, and grid connections represent a high complexity/cost burden for state-of-the-art floating offshore wind power solutions. The sailing wind turbine vessel (1) presented here has the advantage of being able to operate autonomously and mobile with integrated energy storage. This allows energy to be transported when and where it is needed, based on predictive, optimized dynamic route planning and navigation, taking into account the wind conditions on the dynamically planned route and the schedule for energy delivery to desired destinations, as presented in Section 6.

EXAMPLES OF IMPLEMENTATION

i. Four sailing course examples

1. Downwind course

41 shows the wind turbine vessel (1) on a downwind course. The wind turbine (2) generates a thrust force (S) parallel to the rotor axis in the leeward direction. The drag force (F _WW ) is relatively low compared to the other courses, as in this course it corresponds to the forward drag of the hull (3), i.e. the water resistance force that counteracts the forward motion, which is low by design. Therefore, the forward force (F _VW ) equals the thrust force (S) minus the drag force (F ww ), as shown in the vector diagram on the right side of 41 shown.

Compared to the other sailing course examples, the downwind course of the wind turbine vessel (1) is less suitable for efficient energy generation, especially for wind turbine vessels (1) with more than one wind turbine (2), because a) the wind turbines (2) are arranged in a row, which leads to significant wake loss effects and b) the relative wind (headwind) resulting from the movement of the wind turbine vessel (2) blows directly opposite to the wind direction, which significantly reduces the apparent wind at the wind turbine (2).

2. Downwind course

42 shows the wind turbine ship (1) on a crosswind course. As explained in section 2, the thrust force (S) is decomposed into the drag force (F _WW ) and the forward force (Fvw) (see vector decomposition diagram on the right side of 42 ).

The rotation axes of the wind turbines (2) point directly into the wind. With sufficient spacing between the wind turbines (2), no wake losses (or at least significantly lower than in the previous example on a downwind course) reduce the generated power output and thrust. Furthermore, no yaw deviation contributes to the true wind direction (which would otherwise reduce the power output, see 20 ) contributes to a relatively high forward force (Fvw) and power output. However, here too, the relative wind from the movement of the wind turbine vessel (1) reduces the apparent wind and leads to a resulting yaw deviation of the wind turbine (2) from the apparent wind, depending on the speed of movement of the wind turbine vessel (1).

3. Beam reach

43 shows the wind turbine ship (1) sailing a half-wind course perpendicular to the wind direction. The wind turbines (2) are at a yaw angle of 30°.

Due to the yaw deviation of 30°, the power output is reduced to 80% (see 20 ). This also reduces the thrust (S) accordingly and thus also reduces the forward force (F _VW ). The relative wind from the movement of the wind turbine ship (1) increases the apparent wind on the one hand and, depending on the speed of movement of the wind turbine ship (1), also increases the actual yaw angle to the apparent wind on the other hand. At a very high speed of movement of the wind turbine ship (1) combined with a low yaw angle (significantly smaller than the 43 shown 30°), the wind turbines (2) on this half-wind course can achieve up to 1.5 times the power output compared to non-moving stationary wind turbines (see section ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION).

4. Upwind course

44 shows the wind turbine vessel (1) sailing on an upwind course. This course allows the wind turbine vessel (1) to gradually tack against the wind, so that, together with the utilization of changing wind directions, the wind turbine vessel (1) has full control over navigation to any destination. The hulls (3) are turned slightly into the wind, e.g. 18° upwind from the beam reach course. The wind turbines (2) are still at a 30° yaw angle. The resulting angle between thrust (S) and drag force (Fww) is then: 30° - 18° = 12°. This reduces the forward force (Fvw) and thus also the speed of movement of the wind turbine vessel (1). The influence of the relative wind from the movement of the wind turbine vessel (1) on the increase in the yaw angle and also on the apparent wind is also reduced due to the reduced speed of movement.

In addition to the four described sailing courses, any course in between can be sailed with the wind turbine vessel (1), with the exception of the typical sailing area directly into the wind, also known as the dead zone. The effects on the power output of the wind turbines (2) and the forward forces (Fvw), and thus on the forward speed of the wind turbine vessel (1), are then also a combination of the courses described above for the four courses.

ii. Four calculations of the oscillating blade pitch angle

• • Durchmesser d: 100 m
• • Schnelllaufzahl A: 7
• • Anstellwinkel α: 10°
• • Gierwinkel y: 30°
• • ungestörte Windgeschwindigkeit am Standort der Windturbine v_u: 12 m/s
• • wahre Windgeschwindigkeit an der Rotorebene v: 8 m/s (typischerweise 2/3 der tatsächlichen Windgeschwindigkeit v_u)
• • Blattspitzengeschwindigkeit v_t: 84 m/s (mit Schnelllaufzahl λ = 7 und v_u = 12 m/s)

The following sections show calculations of the oscillating blade pitch angle β for four rotor rotation scenarios at 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270° for a wind turbine (2). The wind turbine (2) has the following parameters in all four scenarios:

• • Diameter d: 100 m
• • Tip speed ratio A: 7
• • Angle of attack α: 10°
• • Yaw angle y: 30°
• • undisturbed wind speed at the location of the wind turbine v _u : 12 m/s
• • True wind speed at the rotor plane v: 8 m/s (typically 2/3 of the actual wind speed v _u )
• • Blade tip speed v _t : 84 m/s (with tip speed ratio λ = 7 and v _u = 12 m/s)

The four scenarios each consider the cross-section in the middle of the rotor blade (6), where the rotational wind speed u = 42 m/s (half of the blade tip speed v _t ).

a) Blade pitch angle at 0° rotor blade rotation

• • $\text{u}=42\text{ m/s},\text{ in Vektornotation}\left(\begin{array}{c}x\\ y\\ z\end{array}\right):\overrightarrow{u}=\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ 42\\ 0\end{array}\right),$
  
  siehe Vektorraumdimensionen in 45
• • ${\text{<figure-callout id="0" label="v" filenames="DE102024000107A1\_0078.png" state="{{state}}">v</figure-callout>}}_{0°}=8\text{ m/s},\text{ in Vektornotation}:{\overrightarrow{v}}_{0°}=\left(\begin{array}{c}8cos\left(30°\right)\\ 8sin\left(30°\right)\\ 0\end{array}\right)$
  
• • ${\text{w}}_{0°}=\mathrm{46,5}\text{ m/s},\text{ mit}:{\overrightarrow{w}}_{0°}=\left(\begin{array}{c}8cos\left(30°\right)\\ 42+8sin\left(30°\right)\\ 0\end{array}\right)=\left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ 46\\ 0\end{array}\right),$
  
  siehe Abschnitt 5 Gleichung (G4_0°)

Under the given scenario, the blade pitch angle at 0° rotor rotation is β _0° = -1.6°, calculated with the corresponding wind speed vectors:

• • $\text{u}=42\text{ m/s},\text{ in Vektornotation}\left(\begin{array}{c}x\\ y\\ z\end{array}\right):\overrightarrow{u}=\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ 42\\ 0\end{array}\right),$
  
  see vector space dimensions in 45
• • ${\text{<figure-callout id="0" label="v" filenames="DE102024000107A1\_0078.png" state="{{state}}">v</figure-callout>}}_{0°}=8\text{ m/s},\text{ in Vektornotation}:{\overrightarrow{v}}_{0°}=\left(\begin{array}{c}8cos\left(30°\right)\\ 8sin\left(30°\right)\\ 0\end{array}\right)$
  
• • ${\text{w}}_{0°}=\mathrm{46,5}\text{ m/s},\text{ mit}:{\overrightarrow{w}}_{0°}=\left(\begin{array}{c}8cos\left(30°\right)\\ 42+8sin\left(30°\right)\\ 0\end{array}\right)=\left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ 46\\ 0\end{array}\right),$
  
  see section 5 equation (G4 _0° )

• • ${\mathrm{\beta }}_{0°}=co{s}^{-1}\left(\frac{\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ 42\\ 0\end{array}\right)\cdot \left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ 46\\ 0\end{array}\right)}{\left|\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ 42\\ 0\end{array}\right)\right|\cdot \left|\left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ 46\\ 0\end{array}\right)\right|}\right)-10°=co{s}^{-1}\left(\frac{1932}{42\cdot \mathrm{46,5}}\right)-10°=\mathrm{8,4}°-10°=-\mathrm{1,6}°$
  

Using Section 5 equation (G3 _0° ) and (G2 _0° ) we get (G1 _0° ):

• • ${\mathrm{\beta }}_{0°}=co{s}^{-1}\left(\frac{\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ 42\\ 0\end{array}\right)\cdot \left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ 46\\ 0\end{array}\right)}{\left|\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ 42\\ 0\end{array}\right)\right|\cdot \left|\left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ 46\\ 0\end{array}\right)\right|}\right)-10°=co{s}^{-1}\left(\frac{1932}{42\cdot \mathrm{46,5}}\right)-10°=\mathrm{8,4}°-10°=-\mathrm{1,6}°$
  

45 shows the calculation results in a geometric context. For orientation, the vector space dimensions are shown for both the frontal and top views.

b) Blade pitch angle at 90° rotor blade rotation

• • $\text{u}=42\text{ m/s},\text{ in Vektornotation}\left(\begin{array}{c}x\\ y\\ z\end{array}\right):\overrightarrow{u}=\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ 0\\ 42\end{array}\right),$
  
  siehe Vektorraumdimensionen 46
• • v_90° = 8 m/s
• • ${\overrightarrow{p}}_{90°}=\left(\begin{array}{c}8cos\left(30°\right)\\ 0\\ 0\end{array}\right)$
  
  siehe Abschnitt 5 Gleichung (G5_90°)
• • ${\text{w}}_{90°}=\mathrm{42,6}\text{ m/s},\text{ mit}:{\overrightarrow{w}}_{90°}=\left(\begin{array}{c}8cos\left(30°\right)\\ 0\\ 42\end{array}\right)=\left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ 0\\ 42\end{array}\right),$
  
  siehe Abschnitt 5 Gleichung (G4_90°)

Under the given scenario, the blade pitch angle at 90° rotor rotation is β _90° = -0.4°, calculated with the corresponding wind speed vectors:

• • $\text{u}=42\text{ m/s},\text{ in Vektornotation}\left(\begin{array}{c}x\\ y\\ z\end{array}\right):\overrightarrow{u}=\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ 0\\ 42\end{array}\right),$
  
  see vector space dimensions 46
• • v _90° = 8 m/s
• • ${\overrightarrow{p}}_{90°}=\left(\begin{array}{c}8cos\left(30°\right)\\ 0\\ 0\end{array}\right)$
  
  see section 5 equation (G5 _90° )
• • ${\text{w}}_{90°}=\mathrm{42,6}\text{ m/s},\text{ mit}:{\overrightarrow{w}}_{90°}=\left(\begin{array}{c}8cos\left(30°\right)\\ 0\\ 42\end{array}\right)=\left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ 0\\ 42\end{array}\right),$
  
  see section 5 equation (G4 _90° )

• • ${\mathrm{\beta }}_{90°}=co{s}^{-1}\left(\frac{\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ 0\\ 42\end{array}\right)\cdot \left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ 0\\ 42\end{array}\right)}{\left|\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ 0\\ 42\end{array}\right)\right|\cdot \left|\left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ 0\\ 42\end{array}\right)\right|}\right)-10°=co{s}^{-1}\left(\frac{1764}{42\cdot \mathrm{42,6}}\right)-10°=\mathrm{9,6}°-10°=-\mathrm{0,4}°$
  

Using Section 5 equation (G3 _90° ) and (G2 _90° ) we get (G1 _90° ):

• • ${\mathrm{\beta }}_{90°}=co{s}^{-1}\left(\frac{\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ 0\\ 42\end{array}\right)\cdot \left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ 0\\ 42\end{array}\right)}{\left|\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ 0\\ 42\end{array}\right)\right|\cdot \left|\left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ 0\\ 42\end{array}\right)\right|}\right)-10°=co{s}^{-1}\left(\frac{1764}{42\cdot \mathrm{42,6}}\right)-10°=\mathrm{9,6}°-10°=-\mathrm{0,4}°$
  

46 shows the calculation results in a geometric context. For orientation, the vector space dimensions are shown for both the frontal and top views.

c) Blade pitch angle at 180° rotor blade rotation

• • $\text{u}=42\text{ m/s},\text{ w in Vektornotation}\left(\begin{array}{c}x\\ y\\ z\end{array}\right):\overrightarrow{u}=\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ -42\\ 0\end{array}\right),$
  
  siehe Vektorraumdimensionen 47
• • ${\text{v}}_{180°}=8\text{ m/s},\text{ in Vektornotation}:{\overrightarrow{v}}_{180°}=\left(\begin{array}{c}8cos\left(30°\right)\\ 8sin\left(30°\right)\\ 0\end{array}\right)$
  
• • ${\text{w}}_{180°}=\mathrm{38,6}\text{ m/s},\text{ mit}:{\overrightarrow{w}}_{180°}=\left(\begin{array}{c}8cos\left(30°\right)\\ -42+8sin\left(30°\right)\\ 0\end{array}\right)=\left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ -38\\ 0\end{array}\right),$
  
  siehe Abschnitt 5 Gleichung (G4_180°)

Under the given scenario, the blade pitch angle at 180° rotor rotation is β _180° = 0.1°, calculated with the corresponding wind speed vectors:

• • $\text{u}=42\text{ m/s},\text{ w in Vektornotation}\left(\begin{array}{c}x\\ y\\ z\end{array}\right):\overrightarrow{u}=\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ -42\\ 0\end{array}\right),$
  
  see vector space dimensions 47
• • ${\text{v}}_{180°}=8\text{ m/s},\text{ in Vektornotation}:{\overrightarrow{v}}_{180°}=\left(\begin{array}{c}8cos\left(30°\right)\\ 8sin\left(30°\right)\\ 0\end{array}\right)$
  
• • ${\text{w}}_{180°}=\mathrm{38,6}\text{ m/s},\text{ mit}:{\overrightarrow{w}}_{180°}=\left(\begin{array}{c}8cos\left(30°\right)\\ -42+8sin\left(30°\right)\\ 0\end{array}\right)=\left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ -38\\ 0\end{array}\right),$
  
  see section 5 equation (G4 _180° )

• • $${\mathrm{\beta }}_{180°}=co{s}^{-1}\left(\frac{\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ -42\\ 0\end{array}\right)\cdot \left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ -38\\ 0\end{array}\right)}{\left|\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ -42\\ 0\end{array}\right)\right|\cdot \left|\left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ -38\\ 0\end{array}\right)\right|}\right)-10°=co{s}^{-1}\left(\frac{1596}{42\cdot \mathrm{38,6}}\right)-10°=\mathrm{10,1}°-10°=\mathrm{0,1}°$$
  

Using Section 5 equation (G3 _180° ) and (G2 _180° ) we get (G1 _180° ):

• • $${\mathrm{\beta }}_{180°}=co{s}^{-1}\left(\frac{\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ -42\\ 0\end{array}\right)\cdot \left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ -38\\ 0\end{array}\right)}{\left|\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ -42\\ 0\end{array}\right)\right|\cdot \left|\left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ -38\\ 0\end{array}\right)\right|}\right)-10°=co{s}^{-1}\left(\frac{1596}{42\cdot \mathrm{38,6}}\right)-10°=\mathrm{10,1}°-10°=\mathrm{0,1}°$$
  

47 shows the calculation results in a geometric context. For orientation, the vector space dimensions are shown for both the frontal and top views.

d) Blade pitch angle at 270° rotor blade rotation

• • $\text{u}=42\text{ m/s},\text{ in Vektornotation}\left(\begin{array}{c}x\\ y\\ z\end{array}\right):\overrightarrow{\text{u}}=\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ 0\\ -42\end{array}\right),$
  
  siehe Vektorraumdimensionen in 48
• • v_270° = 8 m/s
• • ${\overrightarrow{\text{p}}}_{270°}=\left(\begin{array}{c}8\text{ cos}\left(30°\right)\\ 0\\ 0\end{array}\right)$
  
  siehe Abschnitt 5 Gleichung (G5_270°)
• • ${\text{W}}_{270°}=\mathrm{42,6}\text{ m/s},\text{ mit}:{\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{270°}=\left(\begin{array}{c}8\text{ cos}\left(30°\right)\\ 0\\ -42\end{array}\right)=\left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ 0\\ -42\end{array}\right),$
  
  siehe Abschnitt 5 Gleichung (G4_270°)

Under the given scenario, the blade pitch angle at 270° rotor rotation is β _270° = -0.4°, calculated with the corresponding wind speed vectors:

• • $\text{u}=42\text{ m/s},\text{ in Vektornotation}\left(\begin{array}{c}x\\ y\\ z\end{array}\right):\overrightarrow{\text{u}}=\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ 0\\ -42\end{array}\right),$
  
  see vector space dimensions in 48
• • v _270° = 8 m/s
• • ${\overrightarrow{\text{p}}}_{270°}=\left(\begin{array}{c}8\text{ cos}\left(30°\right)\\ 0\\ 0\end{array}\right)$
  
  see section 5 equation (G5 _270° )
• • ${\text{W}}_{270°}=\mathrm{42,6}\text{ m/s},\text{ mit}:{\overrightarrow{\text{w}}}_{270°}=\left(\begin{array}{c}8\text{ cos}\left(30°\right)\\ 0\\ -42\end{array}\right)=\left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ 0\\ -42\end{array}\right),$
  
  see section 5 equation (G4 _270° )

• • ${\mathrm{\beta }}_{270°}={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ 0\\ -42\end{array}\right)\cdot \left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ 0\\ -42\end{array}\right)}{\left|\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ 0\\ -42\end{array}\right)\right|\cdot \left|\left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ 0\\ -42\end{array}\right)\right|}\right)-10°={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{1764}{42\cdot \mathrm{42,6}}\right)-10°=\mathrm{9,6}°-10°=-\mathrm{0,4}°$
  

Using Section 5 equation (G3 _270° ) and (G2 _270° ) we get (G1 _270° ):

• • ${\mathrm{\beta }}_{270°}={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ 0\\ -42\end{array}\right)\cdot \left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ 0\\ -42\end{array}\right)}{\left|\left(\begin{array}{c}0\\ 0\\ -42\end{array}\right)\right|\cdot \left|\left(\begin{array}{c}\mathrm{6,9}\\ 0\\ -42\end{array}\right)\right|}\right)-10°={\text{cos}}^{-1}\left(\frac{1764}{42\cdot \mathrm{42,6}}\right)-10°=\mathrm{9,6}°-10°=-\mathrm{0,4}°$
  

48 shows the calculation results in a geometric context. For orientation, the vector space dimensions are shown for both the frontal and top views.

Using the same method as presented in Section 5 and applied as an example in the calculations above, any other scenario for wind turbine parameters (2), wind conditions and rotor positions can be calculated.

The above oscillating blade pitch method and corresponding calculations can be further extended to consider an additional wind vector caused by the relative wind of the traveling wind turbine vessel (1). However, the moving speed of the traveling wind turbine vessel (1) is relatively slow compared to the offshore wind speeds and the peripheral speed at the rotor blades (6). Therefore, the influence of the relative wind of the traveling wind turbine vessel (1) is less significant for the overall calculation of the oscillating blade pitch angles and is therefore neglected in the above calculations. The wind vector of the headwind can be added to further increase the accuracy.

Regardless, it can be seen that a clockwise rotating wind turbine (2) offers aerodynamic advantages on a sailing course with a yawed wind turbine (2) (see, for example, beam reach and close-hauled course above) when the wind is coming from the port side of the wind turbine vessel (1). This is the opposite situation to that shown in the example calculations a) - d) above in ii. with wind direction from starboard. The apparent wind speed in a) - d), for a given yaw deviation of the wind turbine (2), is highest at the top, i.e., at 0° rotation of the rotor blade (6), and lowest at the bottom, i.e., at 180° rotation of the rotor blade (6). Although far less strong at sea than on land, the wind is typically relatively stronger at altitude than near the surface, which is referred to as wind shear. If the wind comes from the port side of the ship (1) instead of the starboard side, as shown in a) - d), the apparent wind is relatively stronger at the lower position of the rotor blade (6), i.e., at 180° rotor rotation, and relatively weaker at the upper position, i.e., at 0° rotation of the rotor blade (6). Thus, the oscillating blade setting can compensate for or at least counteract the wind shear effect with wind from the port side, thus ensuring a more balanced load on the wind turbine (2), which is beneficial, for example, for reducing material fatigue.

Another aspect to consider is that oscillating blade pitch also consumes energy. In the event that this does not provide a net benefit for power output under certain environmental conditions (e.g., frequent wind direction changes, gusts, wake losses, or other aerodynamic effects), or if there is a relatively high energy consumption for continuously adjusting the blade pitch, the presented method can still be used to calculate the optimal average blade pitch for a given wind turbine yaw angle (2) for a specific sailing course.

QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

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Claims (9)

A ship (1) for efficient and resilient energy production from wind power and for energy transport, comprising at least one wind turbine (2) installed on the ship (1) and a hull (3) of the ship (1), characterized in that a) the hull (3) is a multi-hull construction having at least three hulls (3) that are attached rotationally symmetrically to the longitudinal axis of the ship, wherein the ship (1) floats on the water with at least two hulls (3) and at least one hull (3) is in the air and not on the water, so that the ship (1) can be rotated (here also called "pivoted") about its longitudinal axis by external or internal influences, so that subsequently at least one hull (3), which was previously in the air, subsequently floats on the water together with at least one further hull (3) and thus the ship (1) continues to float on at least two hulls and/or b) the wind turbine (2) is a wind turbine known from the prior art, which is used for one is used for electrical energy production and the other for propulsion and steering of the ship (1) by a method which is characterized by the use of the wind turbine (2) as a sail by a suitable yaw position of the wind turbine (2) with yaw angles in the range γ > -90° to γ < 90°, so that 1) the yaw position of the wind turbine (2) allows the wind to flow around wing-shaped rotor blades (6), 2) the resulting wind flow generates a lift (A) on the leeward side of the rotor blades (6), 3) the lift (A) is split on the one hand into a torque (D), which drives the wind turbine (2), and on the other hand into a thrust force (S), which runs leeward parallel to the rotor axis, 4) the thrust force (S) is in turn split into a drift resistance force (Fww) of the ship (1) and a forward force (Fvw) of the ship, so that with a suitable yaw angle γ propulsion of the ship (1) is brought about, 5) the ship (1) can be steered to port and starboard, either with a rudder or differential motor drive known from the prior art or, in the case of a ship (1) with at least two installed wind turbines (2), by different control of at least one front and at least one rear wind turbine (2), which steers the ship (1), either by suitable different yaw positions of at least one front and at least one rear wind turbine (2), which result in different directions of the thrust vectors for steering the ship (1), or by different mechanical or aerodynamic (i.e. resulting from changing the blade pitch angle) braking of the front and rear wind turbines (2) with the same effect, so that 6) all typical sailing courses from the downwind course to the close-hauled course can be sailed with the ship (1) by the suitable yaw position of the wind turbines (2) and the steering of the ship (1) to port and starboard, and 7) Due to the forward movement of the ship (1) and the resulting wind, the power output of the wind turbine (2) can be increased by up to 1.5 times. Ship (1) to Claim 1 , with at least one bracket (4) and at least one shroud (5), characterized in that a) the wind turbine (2) is installed with the bracket (4) and the shroud (5) on the hulls (3), b) the bracket (4) is made of an elastically bent material, c) the bracket (4) ensures a free rotor space (FR) for the free rotation of the rotor blades (6) in yawing positions of the wind turbine (2) with a yaw angle γ > -90° to γ < 90°, d) the bracket (4) ensures this free rotor space (FR) even after a rotation or after pivoting of the ship (1) about the longitudinal axis of the ship (1), e) the shroud (5) is fastened between each two hulls and pulls the hulls (3) pushed apart by the elastically bent bracket (4) together in such a way that f) in equilibrium the restoring force (F _R ) of the elastically bent bracket (4) together with the contracting force (F _K ) of the shroud (3) pulling the hulls (3) together results in stable statics. Ship (1) according to one of the preceding claims with at least one ball joint (8), characterized in that a) the wind turbine (2) is fastened to the holder (4) with the ball joint (8) on its bolt, b) the ball joint (8) is active, ie controllable, and the wind turbine (2) can roll around the x-axis, tilt around the y-axis and yaw around the z-axis along the three-dimensional xyz degrees of freedom, c) the housing of the ball joint (8) is fastened horizontally to the holder (4) or d) the housing of the ball joint (8) is fastened vertically downwards to the holder (4) and can be rotated by a rotary motor (7) about the longitudinal axis of the ship (1) or e) the housing of the ball joint (8) is fastened vertically upwards to the holder (4) and can be rotated by a rotary motor (7) about the longitudinal axis of the ship (1). Ship (1) according to one of the preceding claims with a method for blade adjustment of the rotor blades (6) of the wind turbine (2) in yaw position, characterized in that the blade adjustment angle ${\mathrm{\beta }}_{\varrho }$

is adjusted oscillatingly during the rotation of the rotor blades (6) along the rotor axis of the wind turbine (2) continuously at each rotation position a) by calculating the projection of the vector of the true wind speed ${\text{v}}_{\varrho },$

to the rotor axis (direction of reference wind at 0° yaw deviation) to ${\text{p}}_{\varrho }$

b) by calculating the projection u ₊ the vector of the true wind speed ${\text{v}}_{\varrho },$

to any parallel to the circumferential speed u at the respective rotor position, ie u ₊ is an extension of the circumferential speed u, c) by vector addition of ${\text{p}}_{\varrho }+\text{u}+{\text{u}}_{+}+{\text{v}}_{\text{FW}\text{,}}$

to the flow velocity ${\text{w}}_{\varrho }$

to be obtained at the respective rotor position with velocity vector v _FW given by the wind speed resulting from the forward movement of the ship (1), d) by calculating the angle between u and ${\text{w}}_{\varrho }$

around the angle ${\mathrm{\chi }}_{\varrho }$

which is the sum of the blade pitch angle ${\mathrm{\beta }}_{\varrho }$

and the angle of attack α determined during the design of the rotor blades (6), e) by calculating the blade pitch angle ${\mathrm{\beta }}_{\varrho }$

by subtracting the angle of attack α from the angle ${\mathrm{\chi }}_{\varrho },$

f) to then continuously adjust the blade setting at the respective rotation position with the blade setting angle ${\mathrm{\beta }}_{\varrho }$

and g) repeat this procedure continuously for each rotational position of the rotor blades (6). Ship (1) according to one of the preceding claims with at least one energy management system on board the ship (1), characterized in that a) the energy management system comprises at least one energy storage device on board the ship (1) in the hull (3) or in the wind turbine (2) or elsewhere on the ship (1), b) the energy management system functions in a hybrid electromechanical manner, ie at least one mechanical device (N), e.g. a compressor or a desalination device, which requires mechanical energy, can use this mechanical energy directly on the drive train (9) of the wind turbine (2) and c) the mechanical device (N) is connected to the energy storage device on board the ship (1) or to further mechanical devices (N) via pipes or hoses or partial drive trains or other connecting elements. Ship (1) according to one of the preceding claims with at least one hull (1), characterized in that a) the hull (1) is floodable with water, b) the hull (1) can be filled with air from the environment or a gas from the energy storage devices on board, so that c) a method for intentionally rotating or pivoting about the longitudinal axis of the ship (1) can be carried out as follows: 1) at least one hull (A) is flooded and sinks, 2) the ship (1) begins to rotate or pivot about its own longitudinal axis and then floats upside down, i.e. at least one hull (B), which was previously in the air, floats on the water surface and at least hull (A) floats below the water surface, 3) then at least hull (A) is partially filled with air or gas and at least hull (B) is partially flooded, 4) then at least hull (A) and at least hull (B) are filled with air or gas and 5) at least both hulls (A) and (B) float, so that the ship (1) is rotated or pivoted around the longitudinal axis. Ship (1) according to one of the preceding claims with at least one hull (3), characterized in that a) the hull (1) is extended with at least one fin (10), b) the fin (10) can be unfolded and folded together by means of an active, ie controllable, joint (11), c) the fin (10) consists of a flexible material (13) which is attached to a stable luff (12) which is connected to the joint (11) so that the fin (10) can be folded together. Ship (1) according to one of the preceding claims with at least one hull (3), characterized in that the hull (1) is extended with at least one hull extension (13) with a wind funnel effect along the longitudinal side of the hull (3). Ship (1) according to one of the preceding claims with at least one hull (3), characterized in that a) the shape of the hull (3) is created by duplicating any hull shape of a multi-hull ship, b) the duplication is a rotationally symmetrical reflection of any hull shape of a multi-hull ship and c) the angle of the rotationally symmetrical reflection is 360° divided by the number of hulls (3) of the ship (1).

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