Catamaran floating offshore wind turbine transportation and installation vessel

1 . A method of installing a wind turbine on a foundation in a marine environment, comprising the steps of:

a) transporting the wind turbine from a first location to a second location with a floating installation vessel having two spaced apart hulls with a gap between the hulls, said turbine having a column and a column lower end portion;

b) positioning the wind turbine in the gap between the hulls in step “a”;

c) spanning spaced apart bow and stern gantries from one hull to the other hull, the gantries including a first gantry and a second gantry;

d) wherein said second gantry is positioned next to the stern;

e) wherein said first gantry is spaced between the bow and stern;

f) said hulls and said first gantry defining an open area that is part of said gap and that is sized and shaped to receive the lower end portion of the wind turbine column;

g) moving the wind turbine foundation in relation to said hulls from a position in front of said bow into said open area by positioning said foundation toward said stern;

h) holding the lower end portion of the wind turbine column with a turbine support mechanism that includes a plate having an open ended recess that is occupied by the turbine column lower end portion;

i) selectively raising or lowering the plate with hydraulic rams that each connect to the plate and to the bow gantry;

j) aligning the turbine column lower end portion with the foundation;

k) forming a connection of the turbine column to the foundation; and

l) wherein each of the gantries remain connected to the hulls and spacing the hulls apart in steps “d” through “k”.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the plate has a curved portion that corresponds in shape to the outer surface of the turbine column.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the hydraulic rams include laterally extending rams and inclined rams.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein each said gantry is a truss.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the first location is in a dock, port or shipyard.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein in step “a” the wind turbine is fully assembled at the first location.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the turbine has blades and in step “d” the plate is positioned below the blades.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of the hydraulic rams are motion compensated hydraulic rams.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the rams include rams that are oriented generally horizontally or laterally extending.

10 . The method of claim 8 wherein the rams include rams that are oriented generally inclined or vertically extending.

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein each gantry attaches to one hull with a pinned connection.

12 . The method of claim 1 wherein the rams include vertically oriented rams and laterally or horizontally oriented rams.

13 . The method of claim 1 further comprising compensation of relative motions between the foundation and the wind turbine.

14 . The method of claim 1 further comprising reduction of relative motions between the foundation and the wind turbine.

15 . A method of installing a wind turbine on a foundation in a marine environment, comprising the steps of:

a) transporting the wind turbine from a first location to a second location with a floating installation vessel having two spaced apart hulls with a gap between the hulls, said turbine having a column and a column lower end portion;

b) positioning the wind turbine in the gap between the hulls in step “a”;

c) spanning spaced apart bow and stern gantries from one hull to the other hull, the gantries including a bow gantry and a stern gantry;

d) holding the lower end portion of the wind turbine column with a turbine support mechanism that includes a plate having an open ended recess that is occupied by the turbine column lower end portion;

e) selectively raising or lowering the plate with hydraulic rams that each connect to the plate and to the bow gantry;

f) aligning the turbine column lower end portion with the foundation;

g) forming a connection of the turbine column to the foundation; and

h) wherein in step “d” there are trunnions on the turbine column and recesses on the plate that are configured to connect with the trunnions.

16 . A wind turbine marine installation apparatus for installing a wind turbine on a foundation comprising:

a) a catamaran vessel having spaced apart hulls, a space between said hulls, vessel bow and stern end portions and a vessel central portion spaced in between said bow and stern end portions;

b) a first gantry that connects to each hull at said central portion;

c) a second gantry that connects to each hull next to the stern end portion;

d) a turbine support mechanism that is removably connectable to the turbine at a turbine base or lower end portion, said mechanism including a table having an open ended recess that is sized and shaped to receive the turbine base or lower end portion;

e) one or more hydraulic lifting devices that form an interface between the table and the first gantry;

f) extension and retraction of said hydraulic lifting devices enable selective positioning of said table relative to said foundation;

g) wherein each gantry forms a structural connection with each hull that maintains spacing of the hulls while enabling movement of each hull relative to the other hull responsive to wave action; and

h) wherein said space includes an open portion in between said hulls and in between said bow end portions and said first gantry that enables movement of the foundation relative to the hulls from said bow toward said first gantry.

17 . The wind turbine marine installation apparatus of claim 16 wherein the hydraulic lifting devices are hydraulic rams, each having a ram cylinder and an extendable/retractable pushrod.

18 . The wind turbine marine installation apparatus of claim 16 wherein the table has three closed sides and one open side at said open ended recess.

19 . The wind turbine marine installation apparatus of claim 16 wherein each hull has a bow and the first gantry is so positioned that the foundation can occupy said space aft of each said hull bow.

20 . The wind turbine marine installation apparatus of claim 16 wherein the foundation has an upper edge and the upper edge is connectable with the wind turbine at a position in between the hulls and behind each hull bow.

21 . A wind turbine marine installation apparatus for installing a wind turbine on a foundation comprising:

a) a catamaran vessel having spaced apart hulls and a space between said hulls;

b) a bow gantry that connects to each hull;

c) a stern gantry that connects to each hull;

d) a turbine support mechanism that is removably connectable to the turbine at a turbine base or lower end portion, said mechanism including a table having an open ended recess that is sized and shaped to receive the turbine base or lower end portion;

e) one or more hydraulic lifting devices that form an interface between the table and the bow gantry;

f) extension and retraction of said hydraulic lifting devices enable selective positioning of said table relative to said foundation;

g) wherein the table has three closed sides and one open side at said open ended recess; and

h) wherein each hydraulic lifting device attaches to a table closed side.

22 . A wind turbine marine installation apparatus for installing a wind turbine having a column and a base on a foundation comprising:

a) a catamaran vessel having spaced apart hulls and a space between said hulls, said vessel having bow and stern portions;

b) a first gantry that connects to each hull;

c) a second gantry that connects to each hull next to said stern portion;

d) a turbine support mechanism that is removably connectable to the turbine lower end portion, said mechanism including a frame having an open ended recess that is sized and shaped to receive the turbine base or lower end portion;

e) one or more hydraulic lifting devices that form an interface between the frame and the bow gantry;

f) extension and retraction of said hydraulic lifting devices enable selective positioning of said frame relative to said foundation;

g) wherein each gantry forms a structural connection with each hull that maintains spacing of the hulls while enabling movement of each hull relative to the other hull responsive to wave action; and

h) wherein said space includes a forward open bow end portion enabling relative movement of the foundation and hulls and alignment of the turbine end portion with the foundation via the open bow end portion.