The offshore wind turbine, known as the "Qihang", is undoubtedly a "giant" - its hub center is 151 meters high, the wind turbine diameter is 260 meters, and the swept area is equivalent to 7 football fields. Even in the face of a Category 17 typhoon and a maximum wind speed of 74 meters per second, it can still stand steadily in strong winds and waves like a "bumblebee", continuously capturing wind energy. Behind this, the three core technological achievements are indispensable.

Floating center higher than center of gravity

At the bottom of the crew platform, three floats with a diameter of 15 meters form a triangular giant "swimming circle". The internal ballast tank adjusts the water volume flexibly to "increase weight and reduce load", ensuring that the center of gravity is always lower than the floating center, thereby forming a stable self recovering torque, like a tumbler with its own balance buff.

To lose weight and gain muscle, one should be as light as a swallow and as hard as steel

To balance economy, the designer adopts the concept of "building blocks" to achieve the integrated design of the floating platform and wind turbine unit. More challenging in terms of materials: replacing traditional steel with carbon fiber not only reduces the overall weight by 20%, but also easily resists the fierce tearing of a 17 level typhoon, achieving a perfect unity of "light as a swallow" and "hard as steel".

Invisible 'Kite Thread' - Everything is Under Control

To prevent the crew from being "carried away" by wind and waves, it relies entirely on this catenary mooring system: 9 specially designed "super kite lines" are connected to the seabed suction tube in a 3 × 3 layout, and the floating platform is firmly confined in a specific area by the weight of the anchor chain itself, like a "stabilizing sea needle", using the steady "taming" of 1500 ton anchor chains to withstand the strong wind of 74 meters per second.

Nowadays, the winds of the deep sea are gradually being 'controlled' by us. These energy giants floating on the sea are injecting power into cities, pastures, and the hydrogen production industry. This is not only a milestone in technology, but also marks a new stage of harmony in the sea of people. (This article is from the official website www.seetao.com of Jian Dao. Reproduction without permission is prohibited, otherwise it will be prosecuted. Please indicate Jian Dao website+original link when reprinting.) Jian Dao website infrastructure engineering column editor/Wang Xia