Installation vehicle for a tidal power plant and method for the operation thereof

Abstract

An installation vehicle for a nacelle of a tidal power plant having a turbine-generator unit includes at least two floating devices with a plurality of ballast tanks, the buoyancy of which is settable, a drive device acting in different directions, and a controllable fastening device for holding the nacelle. The fastening device is connected at least indirectly to a support element, which produces a connection between the floating devices. The connection between the floating devices and the support element is embodied by a detachable coupling unit or the support element includes a device for size adaptation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A submersible installation vehicle for a nacelle of a tidal power plant having a turbine-generator unit, the submersible vehicle comprising:
 at least two floating devices having a plurality of ballast tanks, a buoyancy of said plurality of tanks being settable;   a drive device configured for acting in different directions and coupled at least indirectly with said at least two floating devices;   a support element;   a device for setting a spacing of said plurality of floating devices; and   a controllable fastening device configured for holding the nacelle, said controllable fastening device being attached at least indirectly to said support element to form a connection between said plurality of floating devices, wherein at least one of:
 said connection between said plurality of floating devices and said support element is a detachable coupling unit; and 
 said support element is a device for size adaptation. 
   
     
     
         2 . The submersible installation vehicle according to  claim 1 , said plurality of floating devices being fastenable on a plurality of different fastening points of said support element. 
     
     
         3 . The submersible installation vehicle according to  claim 1 , wherein said connection between said plurality of floating devices and said support element is a detachable coupling unit and said detachable coupling unit includes a bolt connection between said plurality of floating devices and said support element. 
     
     
         4 . The submersible installation vehicle according to  claim 1 , said plurality of ballast tanks associated with one of said floating devices are arranged in a row. 
     
     
         5 . The submersible installation vehicle according to  claim 4 , said floating devices including a plurality of modules which are individually replaceable, each of said plurality of ballast tanks being assigned to one of said modules. 
     
     
         6 . The submersible installation vehicle according to  claim 5 , said modules including a plurality of detachable connection components configured for coupling to adjacent said modules. 
     
     
         7 . The submersible installation vehicle according to  claim 6 , said at least two floating devices are adaptable in size. 
     
     
         8 . A method for operating a submersible installation vehicle for a nacelle of a tidal power plant having a turbine-generator unit, the method comprising the steps of:
 setting a buoyancy of a plurality of ballast tanks of at least two floating devices;   providing a drive device connected at least indirectly with said at least two floating devices and causing said drive device to act in different directions;   holding the nacelle with a controllable fastening device, said controllable fastening device being attached at least indirectly to a support element to produce a connection between said at least two floating devices;   setting a spacing between said at least two floating devices by one of a replacement and a length adaptation of said support element, dependent upon at least one of a size of the nacelle and a weight of the nacelle having the turbine generator unit.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , further comprising the step of constructing said at least two floating devices from a plurality of individual load-bearing modules connected to one another, said plurality of modules being adapted to at least one of a size and a weight of the nacelle having the generator unit.