• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
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    • 专利摘要:
    Offshore structure that is provided with a supporting system with one, two, three orInore suction buckets (l) to be installed in the seabed, which buckets are fastened to the rest of the foundation system and with a star—shaped, seen in top view, connector body (6) of reinforced mineral cement concrete with the same number of external corners as there are suction buckets, which external corners are formed by the radial outwardly extending arms which provide the star shape and with a single vertical central column (5) placed centrally between the suction buckets, seen in top view, formed by a single tube and made of e.g. thin—walled steel, which carries the gondola of the windmill at its top, the gondola with the rotor blades at least 20 meters above the local water level.
    公开号:NL2028088A
    申请号:NL2028088
    申请日:2021-04-28
    公开日:2021-11-02
    发明作者:Erik Riemers Mark
    申请人:Spt Equipment Bv；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    Concrete connector body for an offshore wind turbine. The invention relates to a system to support an offshore payload, preferably an offshore wind energy installation, however also applicable to oil or gas applications. The supporting system is provided with one, two, three or more suction buckets (hereafter also called “bucket”). The supporting system is in particular designed for the next generation offshore wind energy installations of 9 or 11 MW and higher. Particularly the supporting system is designed for supporting a single upright mast (also called pole or post or supporting pole} which supports the payload, preferably at its top end. In case of a wind energy installation the mast preferably is provided by an upright monopole and on top of it an upright tower, wherein the tower supports the nacelle, carrying the blades, at its top. Instead of a nacelle the payload could comprise e.g. a platform, e.g. for oil or gas application or a transformer platform for an offshore substation. The mast (and thus the monopole and tower in case these provide the mast) is preferably a single tube and/or made of steel however reinforced mineral cement concrete is also feasible. The payload preferably will be located high above the sea, e.g. at least 10 or 20 metre above the water line. Sea depth typically will be at least 10 or 20 or 50 or 60 metres.
    Suction buckets and how to install them are a.o. known from GB-B-2300661 and EP-B-0011894, which are enclosed in here by reference. Briefly, a suction bucket is a thin walled steel or reinforced mineral cement concrete sleeve or pipe or cylinder, which cylinder is closed at its longitudinal top end by a bulkhead (also called top plate) or different sealing means of steel or reinforced mineral cement concrete and which cylinder is sealingly located on the subsea bottom with the open end opposite the bulkhead since this open end penetrates the subsea bottom due to the weight of the suction bucket. Thus the cavity, also called suction space, delimited by the cylinder and the bulkhead is sealed by the subsea floor such that vacuum or suction can be generated by removing water from within the suction space such that a resulting force tends to force the suction bucket deeper into the subsea floor. The creation of the suction can be with the aid of a suction source, such as a pump, being on, or close to or at a distance from the suction bucket and connected to the suction space.
    The applied level of the suction can be e.g. at least substantially constant, smoothly increase or decrease or else pulsate, for which there are convenient means.
    After use, the suction bucket can easily be removed by creating an overpressure within the suction space, e.g. by pumping in (sea) water.
    A self installing marine structure, e.g. platform applying suction buckets is known from e.g.
    WO99/51821 (SIPl) or EP-A-1 101 872 (SIP2) of the present inventor.
    WO 02/088.475 (SIP3) discloses a tower carrying a wind turbine at the top and suction buckets as supporting system.
    Suction buckets are more and more applied as (part of) a supporting system of an offshore wind energy turbine.
    For such application, typically three or more mutually spaced suction buckets are applied, providing a static balanced (in case of three suction buckets) or overbalanced {in case of more than three suction buckets) support.
    In operation, one or more of the following applies: the suction buckets have at least almost completely penetrated the sea bed; are at equal or substantially equal level; are adjacent each other or have a mutual horizontal spacing providing a clearance of at least 5 metre, typically in the order of 10 or 15 or 20 metre or more and/or less than 30 or 40 or 50 metre, e.g. between 15 and or 35 metres, or a clearance of at least 0.5 or 1.0 or 1.5 times and/or less than 2.5 or 3 or 3.5 or 5 times the diameter of the suction bucket (clearance means the shortest distance between the facing side walls). This assembly of suction buckets 30 carries a single monopole or a space frame (also called jacket) of steel beams or tubes and on top of it a vertical tower supporting at its upper end the nacelle of the wind energy turbine provided with rotor blades, typically rotating around a horizontal axis and driven by the wind.
    The wind energy turbine converts wind energy into electrical energy.
    The wind turbine is typically part of a wind farm of identical wind turbines each provided with its own supporting system of one, two, three or more suction buckets. A cable brings the electricity from the wind turbine generator to an electricity consumer onshore, e.g. a household. One of the benefits of suction buckets is that a marine structure can be designed tobe self bearing and/or self installing by providing it with one or more suction buckets. So the hoisting device and the plant for installing the-supporting system, e.g. crane vessel and hammering device, can be completely eliminated. Since the structure is provided with one or more suction buckets, removal (also called decommissioning) after use is made easier in that by pressing out the suction bucket, the anchoring of the structure to the underwater bottom can be completely removed. The structure is typically at least substantially, or completely, made from metal, typically steel and/or mineral cement concrete. Preferably each suction bucket has one or more of: a diameter of at least 5 metres and/or less than 20 metres, typically between 7 or 10 and 15 metre or even more; a height of at least 5 metres, typically between 10 and 15 metre or even more and/or less than or 30 metre, subject to the soil conditions; a wall thickness 20 of at least 1 centimetre, typically at least 2, 3 or 5 centimetre and/or less than 4 or 5 or 7 centimetre; the longitudinal axis of the suction bucket and the relevant supporting leg (of the upper structure to be supported by the suction bucket) are substantially in line or eccentric.
    OBJECT OF THE INVENTION Particularly for wind energy turbines there are stringent requirements on many topics. Examples of these topics are: verticality of the tower for the complete service life (typically 20-25 years) of the structure; vibration frequency; low production costs; fast and efficient installation in a matter of 1-8 hours; environmental friendly; efficient recovery of verticality to repair a failure; tolerant for constructive fatigue damage. For verticality, typically, a deviation of more than 1 degree from the vertical will result in a seizure of the wind turbine operation, which could lead to penalty claims. Such deviation can occur at any time during the lifetime of the structure, e.g. caused by settlement of the soil underneath or near the suction buckets, excessive forces from sea waves or the wind.
    As an example for the vibration frequency topic, the design must be such that vibrations generated during operation may not lead to structural damage to the offshore structure. Natural frequencies play an important role in this respect. Resonance, e.g. of the type close to the natural eigen frequency of the entire structure and 1-p and 3-p (typically for 3 bladed wind turbine generators) wind turbine frequencies is preferably avoided.
    The object of the invention is versatile and can be learned from the information disclosed in the application documents.
    The present inventor has developed, preferably, a solution to this object embodied by a supporting system for an offshore wind energy installation, having one or more of the following: N, being at least one or two or three, suction buckets, e.g. at the corners of an imaginary, preferably regular, polygon, seen in top view; a, preferably box shaped or round or polygonal or star shaped, connector body, seen in top view, which preferably has at least N radially external corners and supports the payload, e.g. the mast of the wind energy installation, preferably at its centre, and which is, at each of N mutually spaced locations, e.g. corners, connected to, e.g. the top end of, a relevant suction bucket by, e.g. rigid, connection means, such that all N suction buckets are, possibly rigidly, connected to the connector body; the connector body is provided completely below sea level and/or has a hollow, e.g. box shaped, monocoque structure or load bearing skin, possibly providing radial stays and/or being non tube like; the connector body being of open or closed profile for its complete extension or part of it, if closed preferably without any slits and/or having an impermeable skin; the cross section of the connector body radially towards the outside narrows in height (i.e. axial direction of suction bucket) and/or width (i.e. tangential direction); the vertical distance between a suction bucket or its top plate and the connector body is less than 5 or 2 or 1 metre, more preferably less than 25 centimetre; vertical distance between the seabottom and the connection, e.g. weld seam or joint or coupling, of the tower to the connector body 5 is less than 10 or 15 metre; the vertical distance between the seabottom and the top of the connector body is less than 10 or 15 metre.
    The invention is also defined in the claims.
    Thus, the upper structure comprising the mast is supported by the connector body and the connector body is supported by the suction buckets.
    In different words, the upper structure rests upon the connector body and the connector body rests upon the suction buckets or the connector body rests upon the seafloor and is fixed to the seafloor by the suction buckets.
    Preferably one or more of the following applies to the connector body: comprises a centrally located mast (e.g. the bottom part of it) receiving element; is designed to be or is filled with ballast material, preferably for at least 50% of its enclosed volume using e.g. seawater, sand or any other material; is made of reinforced mineral cement concrete; is thin walled; transfers all the loads (including vertical and horizontal loads, bending moments and torsion) from the mast to the suction buckets; is compact in height, e.g. to allow fabrication in a shop, which preferably does not exceed 1.5 times the outer diameter of the prismatic part of the mast; a width such that, seen in top view, the supporting system provides an envelope having a maximum span measuring at least 3 times the outer diameter of a suction bucket; overlaps, seen in top view, with the suction buckets and preferably does not radially extend beyond the suction buckets; extends substantially horizontal or at an angle of less than 10 or 20 degrees with the horizontal; substantially box shaped; made from flat sheets; one or more of side face, upper face and lower face are substantially flat and/or make corners, preferably right angled, where they mutually join and/or are locally provided with stiffeners, preferably inside; has an angular cross section, at least for its arms; is present above the top plate of the suction buckets; is indeed or not free from the sea bed; keeps no gap or keeps a gap with the sea bed of at least 25 or 50 centimetre; its arms have a height, preferably measured at their location of maximum height, at least 0.5 or
    0.6 or 0.75 and/or less than 1.5 or 2 or 2.5 times the diameter of the mast at the level of the connector body; its arms have a width, preferably measured at their location of maximum width, at least 0.25 or 0.5 and/or less than 1.0 or 1.5 or 2 times the height, preferably measured at their location of maximum height, of the arms; is substantially star or triangular or sguare shaped as seen in top view; has a wall thickness at least 100 or 200 or 400 and/or less than 800 or 1000 or 1500 millimetre; has a substantially flat lower side. The arm (“leg” is a synonym) is the member extending from the central part towards a bucket.
    If star shaped, the connector body preferably has at least three arms, each extending radially outward from the central part of the connector body, preferably of equal length and/or having identical angular spacing mutually.
    The invention is based on the discovery, made by the inventor, that one or more or all the stringent requirements can be fully met by keeping the supporting system as deep as possible below the water level, preferably below 10 or 15 meters above the seabed. Thus the mast must be as long as possible.
    The invention is also based on the teaching, obtained by the inventor, that one or more of the following is possible: tilting correction; ease of transport over water to the final offshore destination; deeper penetration of the suction buckets into the sea bottom; locating ballast on top of the suction buckets; minimizing pumping effect caused by cyclic loading of bucket top plate by the payload.
    Fase of transport over water to the final offshore destination is preferably by designing the structure such that it has sufficient buoyancy of its own to independently float in the body of water like a vessel, preferably in the upright orientation which is the orientation of the structure when the installation is completed and the wind turbine is in full operation. The connector body and/or the suction buckets are preferably used to provide at least 50% or 75% or 90% or 95%
    or 99% or all of the required buoyancy of the structure, e.g. by designing them hollow, sufficiently seal the hollow spaces such that they are leak free for sea water while floating and fill the hollow spaces with a floating material, e.g. a gas or air or keep them empty. By designing the connector body and suction buckets as hollow bodies and keeping the hollow spaces empty or filled with floating material while the structure is located in the body of water, these elements can provide a water displacement such that they act like a barge or vessel to make the whole structure floating. The connector body and/or suction buckets provide stability to the whole structure that is independently floating in the body of water, also during lowering the structure onto the sea bottom. The independently floating capacity also allows limited crane support while the structure sinks to the sea bottom.
    Preferably the design of the structure is such that if the connector body and/or suction buckets are completely flooded, the structure has insufficient buoyancy to independently float in the body of water, and that due to keeping hollow spaces of the connector body and/or suction buckets free from water or ballasting material the structure obtains the required buoyancy to be able to independently float in the body of water.
    During tow to the final offshore destination and/or during the complete installation procedure at the final offshore destination, the structure preferably is vertically oriented (i.e. has the orientation equal to the orientation when the installation at the final offshore destination is completed) and/or comprises one or more of the connector body, the suction buckets, the coupling tube, the mast, the nacelle, the turbine blades, the upright structure extending between the connector body and the wind turbine and carrying the wind turbine, the complete wind turbine. Preferably the structure is towed to the final offshore destination such that, at arrival at the final offshore destination, the structure is merely lowered by only removing floating capacity of the structure, such that a small capacity hoisting device, e.g. floating crane is sufficient at the final offshore destination. Preferably the structure is towed, preferably from the site where towing is started (e.g. a harbour), to the final offshore destination as complete structure for wind energy such that adding components at the final offshore destination is avoided.
    For one or more of the mast/monopole/tower one or more of the following applies: the lower part connecting to the connector body has an enlarged diameter, e.g. diameter 10 or 12 metre compared to 6.5 metre at the prismatic part; diameter at water level at least 1 or 2 metre smaller than at the level of the connector body; wall thickness at least 20 or 35 millimetre and/or less than 200 millimetre, e.g about 50 millimetre; hollow; thin walled; cylindrical for substantially its complete height; above the level of the upper face of the suction bucket top plate or the under side or top side of the connector body.
    The prior art shows many proposals for a supporting system for a mast or monopole or tower. Examples are: WO2012103867A1 (Weserwind) discloses a below sea level extending tripod type supporting system for offshore wind energy application using three into the sea bed rammed piles; EP2558648Bl (Siemens) discloses ancther tripod type for offshore wind energy application using three into the sea bed rammed piles; EP1805414B1 (Bard Engineering) discloses a from the sea bed to above sea level extending tripile type for offshore wind energy application using three into the sea bed rammed piles, and also addresses the need for avoiding the natural frequency of the foundation being equal to the rotor frequency to avoid resonance; US5567086A discloses a below sea level extending tension leg type system for offshore oil drilling; EP1074663A1 discloses an into the ground embedded star type supporting system for wind energy application using ground anchoring rods.
    The in this application cited documents are inserted in here by reference and each provide technical background for a better understanding of this invention.
    After installation into the sea bed is completed, a gap {also called “woid”) can remain between the top of a soil plug inside the suction space and the closed suction bucket top.
    For wind turbine applications, such gap needs be filled with filler material or a filler body to prevent settlement of the suction bucket and to transfer the loads, e.g. downward or shear, from the wind turbine and structure in to the seabed.
    It is feasible that this filler material cures or hardens or becomes rigid after it has entered the gap.
    This filler material provides a body (hereafter also called “slab”) inside the suction space.
    Obviously, this slab is typically provided after the suction bucket is sunk to the water bottom and penetrated the water soil to its final depth, by pouring or casting the at that time flowable material of the slab into the sea water filled space between the top bulkhead and the top face of the soil plug within the suction bucket.
    This slab typically has a height of at least 10 or 20 or 30 centimetres and/or less than 50 or 100 or 150 centimetres.
    It is noted that the invention is preferably directed to suction buckets for supporting systems, in other words designed to carry the weight of an upper structure, e.g. wind turbine or platform, placed on top, to avoid that such upper structure sinks into the subsea bottom.
    Thus a supporting system suction bucket bears loads from the associated upper structure which tend to force the suction bucket further into the ground.
    The slab below the top bulkhead is designed to prevent that the suction bucket moves deeper into the subsea bottom due to the pushing loads generated by the weight and/or overturning moment of the upper structure.
    A supporting system suction bucket is by the nature of its loading different from a suction bucket for anchoring, which anchoring suction bucket must withstand pulling forces from the anchored object which tries to leave its desires location by trying to pull the anchoring suction bucket out of the subsea bottom.
    Preferably one or more of the following applies: the suction required to penetrate the suction bucket into the subsea bottom during installation and/or the overpressure applied during settlement correction or to extract the suction bucket from the sea bed is generated within the suction bucket above the slab or above the top bulkhead of the suction bucket, preferably since the suction side of a suction pump means or the pressure side of a pressure pump means is connected to the suction bucket at a location above the slab, e.g. the top bulkhead is provided with a nozzle or different sealable port for fluid connection of the suction space with a suction or pressure pump means; the diameter of the suction bucket is constant over its height (the height is the direction from the top bulkhead towards the opposite open end); from the top bulkhead the cylinder walls of the suction bucket extend parallel; the open end of the suction bucket, designed to be located on the sea floor first is completely open, in other words, its aperture is merely bordered by the cylinder walls; the water depth is such that the suction bucket is completely below the water surface when its lower end contacts the sea floor, in other words when its lower end has not penetrated the sea floor yet; the supporting system comprises one, two, three, four or more mutually spaced suction buckets; the slab completely fills the gap; with the penetration of the suction bucket into the sea floor completed, the top bulkhead is spaced from the sea floor and/or the lower side of the slab bears onto the sea floor which is possibly at elevated level within the suction bucket, compared to the seafloor level external from the suction bucket, due to raising of the seabed plug within the suction space caused by penetration of the suction bucket into the seabed; the by releasable sealing means, e.g. a valve, selectively closable port in the top bulkhead to allow water entering and/or exiting the suction bucket is provided with a coupling means designed for temporary engagement of a suction and/or pressure pump at the time of installing, settlement correction and removing, respectively, of the suction bucket into and from, respectively, the seafloor soil, which port is associated with the fluid flow channel.
    Preferably, the design of the suction bucket is such that fluid from a source, e.g. pressure pump, flows from the source through a sealed channel, terminating below the bulkhead and within the suction space.
    During sucking in the pressure is typically at least 0.1 or 0.25 or 0.5 or 1 bars below the local water pressure external from the suction bucket. During pressing out {correction operation or decommissioning) the pressure is typically at least 0.25 or 0.5 or 1 or 2 bars above the local water pressure external from the suction bucket. The suction bucket is also preferably provided with known as such valves and/or hatches adjacent or at its top bulkhead for selectively allowing water and air to enter or exit the suction space through the top side of the suction bucket.
    Preferably the invention is directed to an offshore supporting system or a suction bucket of said system, the suction bucket preferably provided by an open bottom and closed top, advantageously cylindrical, elongate shell providing a suction compartment or suction space, said closed top having an externally facing upper face and an opposite, toward the suction space facing lower face and preferably provided with one or more valves selectively allowing fluid communication between the suction space and the environment. Preferably, the suction space being provided with a fixedly located slab and wherein, in use, the slab bottom bears onto a top of a soil plug inside the suction space, the top bulkhead of the suction bucket bears onto the slab.
    A possible procedure is as follows: the supporting system provided with at least one or two or three suction buckets is installed and when the buckets have arrived at their final penetration depth into the sea bed, e.g. of sand or clay, the slab, if applied, is provided by introducing the flowable filler material such that the gap is completely or substantially filled. Subsequently the upper structure to be supported by the supporting system is installed. First, the monopole is located on top of the supporting system, followed by installing the tower on top of the monopole. The tower carries the wind energy turbine nacelle at its top end. The tower is completely or partly above water level.
    The ballast material applied preferably has a specific weight of at least 1,400 (e.g. sand) or 2,000 (e.g. rock) kg per cubic metre, thus at least 1.4 times or twice the specific gravity of water. Preferably the ballast is concentrated near the suction buckets, e.g. located on top of the suction buckets. The ballast can have a thickness of at least 1 or 1.5 or 2 metres. Application of ballast to the connector body and/or the suction buckets is also feasible.
    The connection between connector body and mast can be provided by grouting or welding or mechanical fastening means, e.g. riveting or bolting. Use of a quick coupling is preferred, e.g. of so called slip joint type, such as disclosed in EP 2 910 686 (KCI the engineers, disclosed in here by reference) and to which a patent claim is directed. A quick coupling of slip joint type is preferably provided (see also the drawing) by wedging walls inclined at a sharp angle relative to the axial direction of the mast and located at the mast and/or connector body at locations where the mast penetrates into the connector body, or vice versa, and oriented such that said wedging walls extend outward from the tower, as viewed in upward direction of the mast in its final vertical attitude as installed, such that the wedging walls provide a conical shaped circumferential or peripheral, e.g. ring like, means, a first one at the mast, a second one at the connector body and configured such that if the mast and connector body are mutually penetrated or inserted, the wedging walls of the first and second one mutually engage and contact, retaining the mast against further lowering by gravity action and also generating radially inward directed clamping forces between these wedging walls, keeping the tower clamped to the connector body. The first one and the second one make a pair and preferably there are two pairs, mutually spaced axially of the mast, at least 0.5 meter. By way of example the installation procedure is as follows: the structure floats in the body of water, preferably independently due to its own buoyancy, and is towed to the installation location. At the installation site at the final offshore destination the following steps: (1) lowering the supporting system onto the seabottom; (2) penetrating the suction buckets into the seabottom by suction. The invention is e.g. applicable to an offshore structure wherein the suction buckets are rigidly connected to the supporting system and/or have a fixed position relative to the supporting system.
    Preferably, the connector body is provided with at least two or three separate, preferably mutually spaced, ballast spaces, e.g. tanks, preferably each located at a corner of an imaginary, triangle or rectangle or polygon, preferably with all sides of equal length, seen in top view or along the tower longitudinal axis, preferably outside the radial extend of the tower or part of it, e.g. foot or root.
    These are preferably connected to fill means for ballast material, e.g. liquid, preferably designed to control the fill level of each ballast space individually, e.g. by way of individual fill valves and/or supply means, e.g. pumps.
    In this manner, in particular with at least three ballast spaces, the vertical attitude of the offshore structure during floating in the body of water can be levelled or adjusted, e.g. by providing mutually differing fill levels of these ballast spaces.
    Preferably, the walls of the ballast spaces are provided by cement concrete and/or the ballast spaces contain a dividing wall, dividing the ballast space in two, radially.
    The connector body preferably comprises (viz. e.g. fig. 12-13), seen in top view or along the tower longitudinal axis, a central core member and at least three from the central core member radially outward extending, preferably equally long and/or hollow, arms, preferably of rectangular cross section and mutually keeping an equal angular spacing.
    The core member is designed for fastening of, or is fastened to, the mast foot or root.
    The radial outer ends of the arms connect each to a relevant suction bucket, e.g. directly or through an intermediate member.
    The suction buckets are e.g. located at the corners of a triangle, rectangle or polygon, with straight sides of equal length, and these sides are provided by flat sheets that are oriented vertically or parallel to the tower longitudinal axis.
    Each arm preferably contains a ballast space.
    Going along an arm towards the relevant suction bucket, the distance between this arm and associated flat sheet (providing the side of the polygon) decreases continuously.
    Preferably, from each flat sheet, approximately midway its length from the one to the other associated suction bucket, a flat cross sheet extends and connects to the central core member, providing a dividing wall of the space at the inward facing face of the associated flat sheet. A cover plate at top and bottom are sealed to all the flat sheets (providing the side of the ploygon), wherein these cover plates and flat sheets provide the external boundary of the connector body, such that the inner space delimited by these cover plates and flat sheets is sealed from the environment and could be used as a buoyancy body.
    Preferably, one or more of the walls and dividing walls of the ballast spaces, the flat sheets, the arms and the cover plates are provided by reinforced mineral cement concrete.
    Preferably, the applied mineral cement concrete is at least C30/37 or C35/45 or C40/50 (according to NEN-EN206-1:2014) and/or at least 2400 kg/m3 specific weight. Everywhere in this disclosure, “concrete”, “cement concrete” and “mineral cement concrete” mean “reinforced mineral concrete” (“prestressed reinforced mineral concrete” is a synonym).
    The words “mast”, “monopole” and “tower” have individual meaning, however also identical meaning, e.g. more general, such as: each being an elongated tube or pole like object. Thus, if any of these three words is used in this disclosure, it can also have a meaning identical to any of the two other of these three words and/or the more general meaning. In here, the word “mast” could also mean a length part of it, e.g. the lower length part of it, typically the monopole.
    The invention is further illustrated by way of non-limiting, presently preferred embodiments providing the best way of carrying out the invention and shown in the drawings, showing: Fig. 1A-C a first example of a connector body from three different angles; Fig. 2-4 a perspective view of a second, third and fourth example of a connector body, respectively; Fig. 5A-C a perspective view, of exploded type, of three alternative ways of mounting the monopole to the supporting system; Fig. 6-7 alternatives to Fig. 1A; Fig. 8-10 in side view the three main phases during a possible manner of installing the offshore wind energy installation; Fig. 11 a double slip joint in section from the side; Fig. 12-13 the cross section A-A and B-B of a modification of the Fig. 2 connector body, fabricated from reinforced mineral cement concrete; Fig. 14-25 a further embodiment in different views, wherein the connector body is fabricated from reinforced mineral cement concrete.
    Fig. 1 shows three suction buckets, on top of it a star shaped connector body having three arms, each radially outward converging, and there above a single upright tube providing a mast. The lower part of the mast has a conical shape.
    Fig. 2 shows three suction buckets, there above a triangular shaped connector body and there above a prismatic mast. The water level 100 is also illustrated. Fig. 3 shows four suction buckets, a star shaped connector body having four arms and above it a prismatic mast. Fig. 4 shows a star shaped connector body having three arms and a prismatic mast. At the radially outer end of each of its three (fig. 4) or four (fig. 3) arms, or at each of its three corners (fig. 2), the connector body is mounted to a suction bucket 1.
    In fig. 5A the lower end of the mast penetrates the connector body. In fig. 5B the lower end of the mast penetrates a from the connector body upwards projecting coupling tube. In fig. 5C the coupling tube penetrates the lower end of the mast. In all three cases the slip joint can be applied.
    According to fig. 8, the suction buckets and connector body provide a sub assembly separate from the mast. This subassembly was sailed to its final offshore location and there the suction buckets were penetrated into the sea bed. After that part of the lower part of the mast (e.g. the monopole) was added (fig. 9) and after that the upper part of the mast (e.g. tower) was added (fig. 10). The relative location of the water line during tow (WLtow) and if the installation of the structure at the final offshore destination is completed (WLfinal) and of the sea bottom (ML) are indicated.
    Different from fig. 8-10, an alternative manner of installation is to sail the subassembly shown in fig. 9 (buckets, connector body and monopole mutually assembled at a remote location) to the final offshore location and install it there,
    after which the payload (e.g. tower + wind turbine) is added.
    Typically, there are three stages during penetration of the suction bucket into the sea floor by suction within the suction space.
    In the initial stage the open bottom of the suction bucket has penetrated the seabed by gravity, such that the suction space is sealed.
    The second stage is obtained by removing water from the suction space by pumping, such that suction is created within the suction space such that the suction bucket penetrates deeper into the seabed, thus its top comes closer to the seabed.
    In the third stage the suction bucket is penetrated to its final depth, providing its design load bearing capacity for a weight resting on top of it.
    Typically, the top bulkhead is spaced from the sea floor.
    Within the suction space internal from the side wall of the bucket, the surface of the sea floor material rises due to penetration of the suction bucket.
    Such seabed part captive within the suction space is also called soil plug.
    Typically the void between the bulkhead and the soil plug is filled by a slab or body.
    The suction space is bounded by the top bulkhead, the cylindrical side wall and the open end opposite the top bulkhead.
    Fig. 11 shows an inner tube, e.g. the monopole, and an outer tube, e.g. the wall of the central hole of the connector body to receive the monopole.
    Each tube is provided with two axially spaced conical rings, providing two pairs of each an inner ring of the inner tube and an outer ring of the outer tube.
    Due to the downward directed force Fv, oriented according to the gravity force, the radially inward directed clamping forces are generated (only shown for the upper pair). The connector body typically comprises a floor plate and a roof plate, mutually opposite and spaced, and two web plates, mutually opposite and spaced and bridging the floor and roof plate, such that these four plates provide a box shaped structure, extending horizontally.
    The monopole e.g. passes through the roof plate (viz. fig.
    DA) or ends above the roof plate (viz. fig. 5B or 5C). The floor plate and/or the roof plate preferably comprise a central section and at least three arm sections extending radially outward from the central section, to provide a star shaped plate.
    Preferably, the thickness of at least one of the floor plate, roof plate and web plate, is at least 5 or 10 and/or less then 20 or 30 times the thickness of the axial wall of the suction bucket.
    Fig. 12-13 show ballast tanks 11 integrated within the connector body 2. Different from the fig. 2 embodiment, the roof of the connector body 2 is level with the top of the suction buckets
    1.
    Fig. 14-23 show a further embodiment of the connector body.
    The floor of the connector body is level with the top of the suction bucket. Importantly, the top bulkhead of the suction bucket is provided by reinforced mineral cement concrete and simultaneously provides the floor of the connector body, thus the top bulkhead and the floor are integrated parts. As an alternative, e.g. based on the fig. 12-13 embodiment, the top bulkhead of the suction bucket and the roof of the connector body could be integrated parts.
    The floor (and thus the top bulkhead) completely covers the space enclosed by the outer circumference of the axial wall of the suction bucket and also extends outside said outer circumference at all radial locations. Thus, the floor (or the roof in case of the alternative embodiment) provides an gas tight oversized uninterrupted cover of the axial wall of the suction bucket.
    As fig. 17, 19, 20 and 22 show, the top bulkhead is provided with a downward directed flange (lengthe.g. at least 10 centimetre) overlapping with and fastened to the top part of the axial wall (i.e. the cylindrical wall) of the suction bucket, for load transfer between the connector body and the suction bucket and/or for a gas tight connection of the top bulkhead to the axial wall of the suction bucket, required to be able to generate a vacuum within the suction bucket to suck the bucket into the sea bottom. Preferably, this flange, extending completely around the axial wall of the suction bucket, is one or more of: made of concrete; cast against the axial wall of the suction bucket; integral part of the top bulkhead; encloses the axial wall of the suction bucket internally and externally (e.g. the axial wall of the suction bucket is embedded in the flange (viz. fig. 17), or is sandwiched between a flange pair (viz. fig. 22). Preferably, anchor elements penetrate the axial wall of the suction bucket and the flange, to increase the loading capacity.
    Preferably, a sealing element, e.g. of neoprene or other elastomeric material, is applied in the joint between the axial wall of the suction bucket and the top bulkhead, to improve the gas tight connection.
    Fig. 18-20 show the cross sections indicated in fig. 17.
    Prestressing tendons, preferably of steel, are embedded internally of each of the roof plate, floor plate and web plates. Preferred tendon cross section diameter: at least 25 or 30 and/or less than 50 or 60 millimetre. Preferably, a tendon is build up of multiple strands, e.g. et least four and/or less than fourty, each with a cross section of at least 100 or 140 and/or less than 200 or 150 square millimetre.
    Fig. 21-22 show design details of the connection between the mast and the connector body, and of the connection between the connector body and the suction bucket, respectively. The connector body has, preferably arranged in the central area, a first connection area that is prepared and arranged to connect a wind turbine mast to the connector body. The connector body has, preferably at the distal end of each arm, a second connection area that is prepared and arranged to connect a suction bucket to the connector body.
    Fig. 23-25 show design alternatives for the tendons.
    The invention is not limited to the above described and in the drawings illustrated embodiments. E.g. the marine structure can have a different number of suction buckets. The drawing, the specification and claims contain many features in combination. The skilled person will consider these also individually and combine them to further embodiments. Features of different in here disclosed embodiments can in different manners be combined and different aspects of some features are regarded mutually exchangeable. All described or in the drawing disclosed features provide as such or in arbitrary combination the subject matter of the invention, also independent from their arrangement in the claims or their referral.
    权利要求:
    Claims (10)
    [1]
    1. Marine structure equipped with a support system with one, two, three or more suction piles for installation in the seabed, which piles are fixed to the rest of the support system.
    [2]
    Marine structure according to claim 1 or 2, and having a star-shaped, in plan view, connector body (6) of mineral cement concrete having as many external corners as there are suction piles, which external corners are formed by the radially outwardly extending arms which provide the star shape; and/or with a single vertical tower (5) placed centrally between the suction piles, seen in top view, formed by a single tube and made of, for example, thin-walled steel, which supports the nacelle of the windmill at its top, the nacelle with the rotor blades are at least 20 meters above the local water level (100).
    [3]
    Marine structure according to claim 1 or 2, the floor or roof of the connector body is flush with the top of the suction pile and the upper end bulkhead of the suction pile is provided by reinforced mineral cement concrete and at the same time provides the floor or roof, respectively, of the connector body, i.e. the top end bulkhead and the floor or roof are integrated parts.
    [4]
    A marine structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the floor or roof completely covers the space enclosed by the perimeter of the axial wall of the suction pile and also extends beyond that outer perimeter at all radial locations; and/or the floor or roof provides a gas-tight, oversized covering of the axial wall of the suction pile.
    [5]
    The structure according to any one of claims 1-4, the connector body (6) comprises a floor plate and a roof plate opposing and spaced from each other, and two web plates opposing and spaced from each other and the floor - bridge a roof sheet so that these four sheets provide a box-like structure extending horizontally; and/or the mast (5) extends beyond the roof plate (see Fig. BA) or ends above the roof plate (see Fig. 5B or 5C); and/or the floor plate and/or the roof plate comprise a central section and a minimum of three arms extend radially outwardly from the central section to provide a star-shaped body.
    [6]
    A construction according to any one of claims 1-5, the thickness of at least one of the floor, roof and web plates is at least 5 or 10 and/or less than 20 or 30 times the thickness of the axial wall of the suction pile
    [7]
    A structure according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein one or more of the following applies: - the upper end bulkhead is provided with a downwardly directed flange (2) of length, for example at least 10 centimetres, overlapping with and attached to the upper part of the axial wall (1) of the suction pile, for load transfer between the connector body and the suction pile and/or for a gas-tight connection of the upper end bulkhead to the axial wall of the suction pile, necessary to be able to generating a negative pressure within the suction pile to suck the pile into the seabed; - the flange (2), which extends completely around the axial wall of the suction pile, is one or more of: concrete; cast against the axial wall of the suction pile; integral part of the upper end bulkhead; encloses the axial wall of the suction pile internally and externally (for example, the axial wall of the suction pile is embedded in the flange (see fig. 15), or is accommodated between a pair of flanges (see fig. 20); — penetrating anchor elements (3) the axial wall of the suction pile and the flange (2), to increase the load capacity, — a sealing element (4), e.g. of neoprene or other elastomeric material, is used in the joint between the axial wall of the suction pile and the upper end bulkhead, to improve the gas-tight connection, — prestress bundles, preferably of steel, are embedded within one or more of the roof, floor and web plates, — cross-sectional diameter of the prestress bundle: minimum 25 or 30 and/ or less than 50 or 60 millimetres, — a bundle is composed of several strands, for example at least four and/or less than forty, each with a cross-section of at least 100 or 140 and/or less than 200 or 150 square millimetres, connector body, placed in the central area, a first connection area configured and arranged for connecting a wind turbine tower (5) to the connector body; - the connector body has, at the distal end of each arm, a second connection region configured for connecting a suction pile to the connector body.
    [8]
    A marine construction according to any one of claims 1-7 having one or more of; the tower, connector body and suction piles are rigidly mounted together such that all loads, including vertical and horizontal loads, bending moments and torsion, are transferred from the tower via the connector body to the suction piles; the attachment of the tower to the connector body and/or of the connector body to the suction piles is arranged as a beam clamped with a single longitudinal end such that the tower extends vertically upwards from the connector body, or each suction pile extends vertically downwards from the connector body , as a cantilever beam (so-called “cantilever beam”), in other words the tower is above the connector body, or each suction pile is below the connector body, free of structures that transfer mechanical stress from the tower to the seabed.
    [9]
    A marine construction according to any one of claims 1-8. the foundation system extends a maximum of 15 meters above the local seabed and is located entirely below the highest point of the connector body and extends only in the area downwards from the highest point of the connector body. secured the tower and load, preferably any load, structures transferring from the tower to the seabed,
    [10]
    A connector body for the construction according to any one of claims 1-9.
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    WO2021221506A1|2021-11-04|
    引用文献:
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    法律状态:
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    NL2025456|2020-04-29|PCT/NL2021/050282| WO2021221506A1|2020-04-29|2021-04-29|Offshore wind turbine foundation|
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