Patents by Inventor Kim Mittendorf
Kim Mittendorf has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20240117788Abstract: Delivery of a high volume of floating systems for wind turbines can make floating wind economic. The delivery can involve the standard design of sections, such as “tubes” or “cans,” comprising a rolled plate and ring stiffeners. The delivery can then involve the transportation of the sections in block to an assembly site that is closer to the planned installation point. The sections are used to manufacture floating vessels, such as semi-submersibles, buoyant towers, and/or spars, at the assembly site, which can include a barge with cranes. For semi-submersibles, the delivery can then involve the installation of the Tower, the nacelle, and blades using the barge cranes. Alternatively, for spars or buoyant towers, the nacelle and blades can be installed at an off-shore location using a platform, such as a standard jack-up vessel or a crane jacket.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2023Publication date: April 11, 2024Inventors: James V MAHER, Kim MITTENDORF
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Publication number: 20240035447Abstract: An off-shore wind turbine system is assembled using a platform or jack-up vessel, and a first base anchored to the seafloor at a blade assembly off-shore location. A buoyant tower is attached to the first base. A crane provided on the platform or jack-up vessel is used to lift blades and blades, which are then coupled to a turbine held in a nacelle provided at the top of the buoyant tower. The buoyant tower, the nacelle, and the blades are detached from the first base. The buoyant tower, the nacelle, and the blades are towed to a wind farm and connected to a second base provided in the wind farm. The buoyant tower, the nacelle, and the blades are further stabilized using mooring lines spanning between the buoyant towers and other bases provided in the wind farm. The first base and/or the second base include anti-rotation features.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 22, 2022Publication date: February 1, 2024Inventors: JAMES MAHER, KIM MITTENDORF
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Patent number: 11867148Abstract: Delivery of a high volume of floating systems for wind turbines can make floating wind economic. The delivery can involve the standard design of sections, such as “tubes” or “cans,” comprising a rolled plate and ring stiffeners. The delivery can then involve the transportation of the sections in block to an assembly site that is closer to the planned installation point. The sections are used to manufacture floating vessels, such as semi-submersibles, buoyant towers, and/or spars, at the assembly site, which can include a barge with cranes. For semi-submersibles, the delivery can then involve the installation of the Tower, the nacelle, and blades using the barge cranes. Alternatively, for spars or buoyant towers, the nacelle and blades can be installed at an off-shore location using a platform, such as a standard jack-up vessel or a crane jacket.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2022Date of Patent: January 9, 2024Assignee: Trendsetter Vulcan Offshore, Inc.Inventors: James V Maher, Kim Mittendorf
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Patent number: 11739732Abstract: An off-shore wind turbine system is assembled using a platform or jack-up vessel, and a first base anchored to the seafloor at a bade assembly off-shore location. A buoyant tower is attached to the first base. A crane provided on the platform or jack-up vessel is used to lift blades and blades, which are then coupled to a turbine held in a nacelle provided at the top of the buoyant tower. The buoyant tower, the nacelle, and the blades are detached from the first base. The buoyant tower, the nacelle, and the blades are towed to a wind farm and connected to a second base provided in the wind farm. The buoyant tower, the nacelle, and the blades are further stabilized using mooring lines spanning between the buoyant towers and other bases provided in the wind farm. The first base and/or the second base include anti-rotation features.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2023Date of Patent: August 29, 2023Assignee: TRENDSETTER VULCAN OFFSHORE, INC.Inventors: James Maher, Kim Mittendorf
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Publication number: 20230160369Abstract: An off-shore wind turbine system is assembled using a platform or jack-up vessel, and a first base anchored to the seafloor at a bade assembly off-shore location. A buoyant tower is attached to the first base. A crane provided on the platform or jack-up vessel is used to lift blades and blades, which are then coupled to a turbine held in a nacelle provided at the top of the buoyant tower. The buoyant tower, the nacelle, and the blades are detached from the first base. The buoyant tower, the nacelle, and the blades are towed to a wind farm and connected to a second base provided in the wind farm. The buoyant tower, the nacelle, and the blades are further stabilized using mooring lines spanning between the buoyant towers and other bases provided in the wind farm. The first base and/or the second base include anti-rotation features.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 18, 2023Publication date: May 25, 2023Inventors: JAMES MAHER, KIM MITTENDORF
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Publication number: 20220260058Abstract: Delivery of a high volume of floating systems for wind turbines can make floating wind economic. The delivery can involve the standard design of sections, such as “tubes” or “cans,” comprising a rolled plate and ring stiffeners. The delivery can then involve the transportation of the sections in block to an assembly site that is closer to the planned installation point. The sections are used to manufacture floating vessels, such as semi-submersibles, buoyant towers, and/or spars, at the assembly site, which can include a barge with cranes. For semi-submersibles, the delivery can then involve the installation of the Tower, the nacelle, and blades using the barge cranes. Alternatively, for spars or buoyant towers, the nacelle and blades can be installed at an off-shore location using a platform, such as a standard jack-up vessel or a crane jacket.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 15, 2022Publication date: August 18, 2022Inventors: James V MAHER, Kim MITTENDORF
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Patent number: 10961677Abstract: A monitoring system for use in a marine riser system coupled to a rig vessel includes one or more subsea inertial measurement units adapted for mounting to a lower end of a riser, an LMRP, or both. The one or more subsea inertial measurement units may acquire time series data of inclination and acceleration. The one or more subsea inertial measurement units may transmit, to a vessel transceiver, frequency data computed from the time series data, low-pass filtered values of the time series data, or both. The monitoring system includes a surface processing unit that is in communication with the vessel transceiver. The surface processing unit may be programmed to compute, for example, fatigue along the marine riser system, the difference between the inclination of the lower end of the riser and the inclination of the LMRP, or both, by applying predetermined functions to the transmitted data.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2017Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Inventors: James V. Maher, Kim Mittendorf
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Publication number: 20200071898Abstract: A monitoring system for use in a marine riser system coupled to a rig vessel includes one or more subsea inertial measurement units adapted for mounting to a lower end of a riser, an LMRP, or both. The one or more subsea inertial measurement units may acquire time series data of inclination and acceleration. The one or more subsea inertial measurement units may transmit, to a vessel transceiver, frequency data computed from the time series data, low-pass filtered values of the time series data, or both. The monitoring system includes a surface processing unit that is in communication with the vessel transceiver. The surface processing unit may be programmed to compute, for example, fatigue along the marine riser system, the difference between the inclination of the lower end of the riser and the inclination of the LMRP, or both, by applying predetermined functions to the transmitted data.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 13, 2017Publication date: March 5, 2020Inventors: James V. Maher, Kim Mittendorf
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Patent number: 9039381Abstract: A wind turbine for generating electrical energy may include a wind turbine blade including a plurality of vortex generators integrally formed in the outer surface of the blade. The vortex generator includes a first component that defines a portion of the outer surface of the blade and a second component defining the shape of the vortex generator and at least partially surrounded by the first component. A method of manufacturing the wind turbine blade includes disposing a first plurality of layers of structural material over a mold main body and a removable insert member with a shaped cavity. A shaped plug is then pressed into the shaped cavity, and a second plurality of layers of structural material is disposed over the plug and the mold main body to complete manufacture of a wind turbine blade with a vortex generator.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2011Date of Patent: May 26, 2015Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/SInventors: Ronald Grife, Carsten Hein Westergaard, Joshua Bryant, David Chao, Kim Mittendorf, Jou-Young Choi, Abigail Arrington
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Publication number: 20120282105Abstract: A wind turbine for generating electrical energy may include a wind turbine blade including a plurality of vortex generators integrally formed in the outer surface of the blade. The vortex generator includes a first component that defines a portion of the outer surface of the blade and a second component defining the shape of the vortex generator and at least partially surrounded by the first component. A method of manufacturing the wind turbine blade includes disposing a first plurality of layers of structural material over a mold main body and a removable insert member with a shaped cavity. A shaped plug is then pressed into the shaped cavity, and a second plurality of layers of structural material is disposed over the plug and the mold main body to complete manufacture of a wind turbine blade with a vortex generator.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 7, 2011Publication date: November 8, 2012Applicant: Vestas Wind Systems A/SInventors: Ronald Grife, Carsten Hein Westergaard, Joshua Bryant, David Chao, Kim Mittendorf, Jou-Young Choi, Abigail Arrington
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Patent number: 8123484Abstract: A wind turbine includes a tower, a nacelle located adjacent a top of the tower, a rotor coupled to the nacelle, and a dynamic vibration damper coupled to the tower and configured to dampen vibrations induced in the tower in a torsional direction while negligibly effecting vibrations induced in the tower in bending directions. The dynamic vibration damper may be tuned to a resonant frequency of the wind turbine in the torsional direction. A method of retrofitting a wind turbine with a vibration damper is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2011Date of Patent: February 28, 2012Assignee: Vestas Wind Systems A/SInventors: Jou-Young Choi, Rasmus Svendsen, Kim Mittendorf
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Publication number: 20110150631Abstract: A wind turbine includes a tower, a nacelle located adjacent a top of the tower, a rotor coupled to the nacelle, and a dynamic vibration damper coupled to the tower and configured to dampen vibrations induced in the tower in a torsional direction while negligibly effecting vibrations induced in the tower in bending directions. The dynamic vibration damper may be tuned to a resonant frequency of the wind turbine in the torsional direction. A method of retrofitting a wind turbine with a vibration damper is also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2011Publication date: June 23, 2011Applicant: Vestas Wind Systems A/SInventors: Jou-Young Choi, Rasmus Svendsen, Kim Mittendorf