KR101762743B1

KR101762743B1 - Leg management apparatus and operating method thereof

Info

Publication number: KR101762743B1
Application number: KR1020150120069A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 박주신; 황맹권
Original assignee: 삼성중공업 주식회사
Priority date: 2015-08-26
Filing date: 2015-08-26
Publication date: 2017-08-04
Also published as: KR20170024716A

Abstract

Leg management equipment and method of operation thereof are provided. The leg management device includes a first connection portion for holding a first brace; A second connecting portion for holding the second brace different from the first brace; An interval adjusting unit connected to the first connecting unit and the second connecting unit to adjust an interval between the first connecting unit and the second connecting unit; And a position sensing unit installed in the gap adjusting unit and sensing a relative position between the first brace, the second brace, and a chord.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a leg management apparatus and an operating method thereof,

The present invention relates to a leg management device and its operating method.

MODU (Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit) has a larger breadth, a smaller depth and a shorter length than a normal commercial line. In addition, unlike ordinary ships, they are hardly moved when they are installed in a designated sea area. The legs that the MODU uses in jackup mode must be able to withstand out-of-environment loads (waves, winds, etc.) in the installed waters. Thus, the legs are designed to receive less of high strength materials and environmental loads.

For example, the legs may be manufactured in the form of a lattice, a rectangle, or a cylinder, but are not limited thereto. Depending on the connection method and the structure of the hull and the leg, various shapes are provided.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2015-0054035 (May 20, 2015)

A problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a leg management apparatus capable of minimizing a manufacturing error of a leg.

Another problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method of operating a leg management device capable of minimizing a manufacturing error of the leg.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a leg management apparatus comprising: a first connection unit for holding a first brace; A second connecting portion for holding the second brace different from the first brace; An interval adjusting unit connected to the first connecting unit and the second connecting unit to adjust an interval between the first connecting unit and the second connecting unit; And a position sensing unit installed in the gap adjusting unit and sensing a relative position between the first brace, the second brace, and a chord.

A first rack gear which adjusts a position of the first connecting portion, a first pinion gear which rotates in engagement with the first rack gear, a second rack gear which adjusts a position of the second connecting portion, And a second pinion gear that rotates in engagement with the second rack gear.

The first connection portion may include a first band surrounding a portion of the first brace and the second connection portion may include a second band surrounding a portion of the second brace.

The position sensing unit may sense a reference point installed in the code.

A first angle adjusting portion provided between the gap adjusting portion and the first connecting portion to adjust an angle between the first brace and the cord, and a second angle adjusting portion provided between the gap adjusting portion and the second connecting portion, And a second angle adjuster for adjusting an angle between the cord and the cord.

The first angle adjuster and the second angle adjuster may each include a hinge.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating a leg management device including a first connection part, a second connection part, an interval adjustment part for adjusting an interval between the first connection part and the second connection part, A first angle adjusting unit connected between the first connecting unit and the gap adjusting unit and a second angle adjusting unit connected between the second connecting unit and the gap adjusting unit, Wherein the first brace is held by the first connecting portion, the second brace is held by the second connecting portion, and after the holding, the position of the cord is sensed by the position sensing portion, Adjusting the relative position between the first brace, the second brace, and the cord by operating at least one of the adjusting unit, the first angle adjusting unit, and the second angle adjusting unit, And welding the cord to the first brace or the second brace after the positioning.

The details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a floating structure.
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A shown in Fig.
Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view for explaining the legs shown in Figs. 1 and 2, showing a chord, a rack, and a brace.
Figure 4 is a top plan view illustrating the relationship between leg management equipment and legs in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a view showing the leg management device of FIG. 4 in detail.
6 and 7 are views for explaining a method of operating a leg management apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The advantages and features of the present invention and the manner of achieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Is provided to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

Unless defined otherwise, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein may be used in a sense commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Also, commonly used predefined terms are not ideally or excessively interpreted unless explicitly defined otherwise.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a floating structure. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A shown in Fig. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view for explaining the legs shown in Figs. 1 and 2, showing a chord, a rack, and a brace.

1 to 3, the floating structure 1 includes a main body 10 capable of floating in water, a leg 20 penetrating the main body 10 in the up and down direction, a leg 20, And a leg supporting portion 30 for supporting the leg 20 in a relatively vertical direction relative to the main body 10.

For example, the floating structure 1 may be a mobile offshore drilling unit (MODU), a jacket rig, a wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV), or a jackup platform, but is not limited thereto.

The main body 10 includes a first hull 12 and a second hull 13, a center hull 14 disposed between the first hull 12 and the second hull 13, And may be formed in a catamaran shape. The first hull 12 and the second hull 13 can extend in parallel in the longitudinal direction (traveling direction) of the floating structure 1 and are connected to the center hull 14 by welding. The first hull 12, the second hull 13 and the upper surface of the center hull 14 are flush with each other to form a deck 11. The first hull 12 and the second hull 13 are formed to protrude further downward than the center hull 14 so that the main body 10 may have a catenary shape as a whole.

A sofa device 50 provided in a downwardly protruding shape may be provided at the lower portion of the center hull 14. [ The sofa device 50 can shake the main body 10 due to waves by crushing the wave load acting in a state of being trapped in the space between the first hull 12 and the second hull 13. For example, as the sofa device 50, a porous cube may be used and may be provided in one or more numbers.

(Not shown) according to the function of the floating structure 1 can be loaded on the deck 11 of the main body 10. For example, the main body 10 may be loaded with blades, nacelles, towers, and the like, which are parts of an offshore wind power generator, as a load.

In addition, the main body 10 may be provided with a propulsion device (not shown) for movement and position control.

The leg 20 is provided to penetrate the main body 10 in the up and down direction and the main body 10 is provided with a leg supporting portion 30 for supporting the leg 20. The legs 20 can be moved downwardly of the main body 10 to be fixed to the seabed and formed to have a rigidity enough to withstand the load of the main body 10 in the jack-up state. The legs 20 may be formed in various shapes such as a cylinder, a square truss structure, and a triangular truss structure. In this embodiment, the legs 20 are formed in a triangular truss structure.

Specifically, a plurality of legs 20 may be provided in each of the first hull 12 and the second hull 13, and two legs 20 may be provided in the first hull 12 and the second hull 13, And a total of four legs 20 are provided. The legs 20 provided in the first hull 12 and the legs 20 provided in the second hull 13 can be disposed at positions corresponding to each other.

The leg 20 has three cords 21 extending in the vertical direction and a plurality of braces 24 and 25 connecting the cords 21 and a rack gear 23 provided on both sides of the cords 21 . The rack gear 23 can be interlocked with the pinion gear 32 of the leg support portion 30 to be described later.

The legs 20 pass through the first hull 12 and the second hull 13 and are provided with leg supports 30 for relatively moving the legs 20 and the body 10 in the vertical direction. Specifically, the leg support portion 30 is provided with a driving device such as a motor, and the leg portion 20 is moved up and down with respect to the main body 10 by the operation of the driving device, In the vertical direction.

Quot; relative movement in the vertical direction "between the legs 20 and the main body 10 means that the legs 20 move in the vertical direction with respect to the main body 10 and that the main body 10 moves up and down with respect to the legs 20 The present invention is not limited thereto.

The leg support 30 includes a leg well 31 through which the leg 20 passes, a pinion gear 32 providing power for the relative movement of the leg 20 and the main body 10 in the vertical direction, And an impact absorbing portion 33 for preventing damage caused by collision of the legs 20 with the main body 10. [

Here, the floating structure 1 will be described by using the rack gear 23 and the pinion gear 32 as power transmitting means. However, the spirit of the present invention is not limited to this, and the leg 20 may be moved up and down Other power transmission means may be used.

The leg support portion 30 is provided on the inner side of the first hull 12 and the second hull 13. Since the first hull 12 and the second hull 13 are elongated in the vertical direction, it is possible to provide a sufficient space in which the leg supports 30 can be installed. When the leg supports 30 are provided inside the first hull 12 and the second hull 13, the area available for the loading space or work space at the deck 11 is increased.

The leg support portion 30 is provided on the inner side of the first hull 12 and the second hull 13, but the spirit of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the leg support portion 30 may be provided in the form of a case protruding upward from the main body 10 by a predetermined length so as to surround a portion of the leg 20.

On the other hand, the main body 10 can be provided with a crane 40 capable of carrying a load (not shown) and a residence 15 in which a crew can live.

The floating structure 1 having the above configuration can be operated in a transit mode and a jackup mode.

The floating structure (1) moves to the destination position in the navigation mode. In the general navigation mode, the floating structure 1 can move in a state in which the legs 20 are moved upward in order to reduce the resistance by the legs 20.

The floating structure 1 can be accurately positioned by using dynamic positioning after moving to the target position.

The floating structure 1 is then switched to the jack-up mode to fix the legs 20 to the undersea. In this process, the legs 20 can be moved downwardly of the main body 10 by the gravity and the driving device of the leg support 30.

When the lower end of the leg 20 touches the seabed, the leg 20 can no longer move downward. In this state, the floating structure 1 actuates the driving device of the leg support 30 to move the main body 10 upward along the legs 20. The load of the main body 10 acts as a force to infiltrate the leg 20 into the seabed so that the leg 20 penetrates into the seabed and is fixed.

The main body 10 can be spaced apart from the sea surface by moving the main body 10 upward along the legs 20 so that the main body 10 is separated from the sea surface, The state can be referred to as a jack-up state.

The floating structure 1 is installed in the jack-up state by using the crane 40, and when the installation work is completed, the operation can be started again in the reverse order of the above procedure.

The jack-up mode of the floating structure 1 includes a step of performing a desired operation in the jack-up state from the step of lowering the leg 20 to the main body 10, and a step of lifting the leg 20 again . &Lt; / RTI > The method of switching the floating structure 1 to the jack-up state is merely an example.

As described above, the legs 20 have to be connected to each other by a plurality of braces 24, 25, for example, three codes 21. Particularly, as shown in Fig. 1, the cord 21 and the braces 24 and 25 must be connected while maintaining a certain angle and degree. However, when the legs 20 are manufactured, the cord 21 and the braces 24 and 25 are frequently not spaced from each other due to welding deformation and various manufacturing errors. It is very difficult to stably weld the plurality of braces 24 and 25 to the correct position of the cord 21 because the length of the leg 20 (cord 21) is very long.

Hence, a tooling (leg management device) is required to connect the cord 21 and the braces 24, 25 to each other (weld) so that the cord 21 and the braces 24, 25 are in place. Such a tool will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 4 to 7. Fig.

Figure 4 is a top plan view illustrating the relationship between leg management equipment and legs in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a view showing the leg management device of FIG. 4 in detail.

4 and 5, the leg management apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention includes a first connection unit 220, a second connection unit 222, a gap adjustment unit 210, a position sensing unit 230, And may include an angle adjusting unit 240 and a second angle adjusting unit 242.

The first connection part 220 holds the first brace 24. The second connecting portion 222 holds the second brace 25 and the second brace 25 different from the first brace 24.

5, the first connection part 220 may be in the form of a band surrounding a part of the first brace 24. Similarly, the second connection portion 222 may be in the form of a band surrounding a portion of the second brace 25. The band shape is merely exemplary, and any other shape is possible as long as the first brace 24 and the second brace 25 can be fixed. For example, the first connection part 220 and the second connection part 222 can hold the first brace 24 and the second brace 25 in a bolting manner.

The gap adjusting unit 210 is connected to the first connection unit 220 and the second connection unit 222. As shown in the drawing, the first connection part 220 and the second connection part 222 may be provided on both sides of the gap adjustment part 210. [ The interval adjusting unit 210 adjusts the interval between the first brace 24 and the second brace 25 by adjusting the interval between the first connecting unit 220 and the second connecting unit 222. [

5, the gap adjusting unit 210 may include a first rack gear 217, a second rack gear 215, a first pinion gear 213, and a second pinion gear 211 .

The first rack gear 217 adjusts the position of the first connection part 220. The first pinion gear 213 rotates in engagement with the first rack gear 217. In accordance with the rotation of the first pinion gear 213, the first connecting portion 220 and the first brace 24 can be moved left and right.

Similarly, the second rack gear 215 adjusts the position of the second connection portion 222. [ And the second pinion gear 211 rotates in engagement with the second rack gear 215. In accordance with the rotation of the second pinion gear 211, the second connecting portion 222 and the second brace 25 can move left and right.

The position sensing unit 230 may be installed on the front surface of the gap adjusting unit 210, for example. The position sensing unit 230 senses the reference point 22a installed in the code 21, for example. The reference point 22a may be, for example, a fluorescent substance and may be a substance that can be sensed by the position sensing unit 230 (sensor). The reference point 22a may be the center point of the positions where the first brace 24 and the second brace 25 should be attached. The reference point 22a and the position sensing unit 230 may face each other. Accordingly, the position sensing unit 230 senses the relative position between the first brace 24, the second brace 25, and the cord 21. That is, after the position sensing unit 230 and the reference point 22a face each other, the first brace 24 and the second brace 25 can be welded to predetermined positions on both sides.

The first angle adjusting unit 240 may be installed between one side of the gap adjusting unit 210 and the first connecting unit 220. That is, the first angle adjuster 240 may be, for example, in the form of a hinge. Accordingly, the first angle adjusting part 240 can adjust the angle between the gap adjusting part 210 and the first connecting part 220. Accordingly, the first angle adjuster 240 adjusts the angle between the first brace 24 and the cord 21 (the degree of contact between the first brace 24 and the cord 21).

Similarly, the second angle adjusting portion 242 may be installed between the other side of the gap adjusting portion 210 and the second connecting portion 222. That is, the second angle adjuster 242 may be, for example, in the form of a hinge. Accordingly, the second angle adjusting portion 242 can adjust the angle between the gap adjusting portion 210 and the second connecting portion 222. The second angle adjusting portion 242 adjusts the angle between the second brace 25 and the cord 21 (the degree of contact between the second brace 25 and the cord 21).

6 and 7 are views for explaining a method of operating a leg management apparatus according to some embodiments of the present invention.

6, first, the first brace 24 is held by the first connection part 220, and the second brace 25 is held by the second connection part 222. Referring to FIG.

The position sensing unit 230 senses the position of the code 21 (i.e., the reference point 22a). That is, it senses the relative position between the first brace 24, the second brace 25, and the cord 21. 6 shows a case where the position sensing unit 230 and the reference point 22a do not face each other.

Referring to FIG. 7, the interval adjusting unit 210, the first angle adjusting unit 240, and the second angle adjusting unit 242 are disposed such that the position sensing unit 230 and the reference point 22a face each other, ). &Lt; / RTI > By doing so, the relative position between the first brace 24, the second brace 25, and the cord 21 is adjusted. Then, the second brace 25 and the cord 21 are welded to each other.

The first brace 24 or the second brace 25 and the cord 21 are welded to each other (see reference numerals A and B). It is possible to stably weld the plurality of braces 24 and 25 to the correct positions of the cord 21 even if the lengths of the legs 20 and the cord 21 are very long.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, It will be understood. It is therefore to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive.

10: main body 20: leg
21: Code 23: Racks
24: first brace 25: second brace
30: leg support portion 32: pinion gear
210: an interval adjusting unit 220:
222: second connection part 230: position sensing part
240: first angle adjusting portion 242: second angle adjusting portion

Claims

A first connection portion for holding a first brace;
A second connecting portion for holding the second brace different from the first brace;
An interval adjusting unit connected to the first connecting unit and the second connecting unit to adjust an interval between the first connecting unit and the second connecting unit;
And a position sensing unit installed in the gap adjusting unit and sensing a relative position between the first brace, the second brace, and a chord,
Wherein the gap adjusting unit moves the first connection unit and the second connection unit individually to adjust an interval between the first connection unit and the second connection unit.

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gap adjusting unit
A first rack gear which adjusts the position of the first connecting portion, a first pinion gear which rotates in engagement with the first rack gear,
A second rack gear that adjusts the position of the second connecting portion, and a second pinion gear that rotates in engagement with the second rack gear.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
The first connection portion includes a first band surrounding a portion of the first brace,
And the second connection portion includes a second band surrounding a portion of the second brace.

The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the position sensing unit senses a reference point installed in the code.

The method according to claim 1,
A first angle adjusting unit installed between the gap adjusting unit and the first connecting unit to adjust an angle between the first brace and the cord,
And a second angle adjuster installed between the gap adjusting unit and the second connecting unit for adjusting an angle between the second brace and the cord.

6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the first angle adjuster and the second angle adjuster each include a hinge.

An interval adjusting unit for adjusting an interval between the first connecting unit and the second connecting unit, a position sensing unit installed at the interval adjusting unit, and a second connecting unit connected between the first connecting unit and the interval adjusting unit And a second angle adjusting unit connected between the second connecting unit and the gap adjusting unit,
Holding the first brace with the first connection portion, holding the second brace with the second connection portion,
After the hold, the position of the cord is sensed by the position sensing unit,
Adjusting a relative position between the first brace, the second brace and the cord by operating at least one of the gap adjusting unit, the first angle adjusting unit, and the second angle adjusting unit according to the sensing result,
And welding the cord to the first brace or the second brace after the positioning.