KR20140008591A - Floating structure - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a floating structure. Provided according to an aspect of the present invention is the floating structure operated in a transit mode and a jackup mode, comprising: a main body capable of floating on the sea; a plurality of legs penetrating the main body in an up and down direction; a leg guide part arranged on a corresponding leg well and moving the main body and the leg relatively in an up and down direction; a derrick installed at the upper part of one among the leg guide parts and extending a pipe via the leg well of the leg guide part; and a crane installed at the derrick.

Description

{Floating structure}

The present invention relates to a floating structure.

As the demand for environmentally friendly energy development grows, the development using wind power generators is getting popular all over the world. However, installation of wind turbines requires strict environmental conditions. For example, the place where the wind turbine is installed should be a place where a certain level of wind speed can be guaranteed to obtain significant rotation of the blade, and the pollution caused by the noise generated when driving the wind turbine should not be an issue do. Even if the environmental conditions are satisfied, there is a problem that a very large area of space is required for installing the wind turbine generator.

In recent years, interest in offshore wind turbines has increased, which is relatively free from the above-mentioned constraints. Offshore wind turbines can be installed in a variety of ways, but generally they are constructed by dividing the components into several units, making them on land, and then transferring the units to sea for assembly.

A ship that moves offshore wind turbine units on the sea to the sea and installs offshore wind turbine generators is commonly referred to as a wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV).

Wind turbine installation The ship can be operated in the transit mode and the jackup mode according to the characteristics of the operation. Specifically, the ship installed with the wind turbine moves to the navigation mode to the position where the off-axis wind turbine is to be installed. In navigation mode, the legs may remain moved upward of the body to reduce resistance by seawater. Thereafter, the wind generator installation vessel switches to jack-up mode, lowers the leg into the seabed, and lifts the main body along the leg so that the main body can be spaced a certain distance from the sea surface. When the main body reaches a certain position, the wind turbine installation ship stops the movement of the main body and installs the offshore wind turbine generator. When the installation is completed, proceed in the reverse order to move to the next installation position.

Wind turbine installation Both the ship and the jack-up platform are operated by separate ships even though they operate in both sailing mode and jack-up mode. Therefore, the two floating structures must be moored in the port when they do not perform their original purpose, so the utilization is low. In particular, there is a limit to the number and location of wind turbines that can be installed in a wind turbine installation ship. Therefore, it is impossible to install only a wind turbine generator within a year, and most wind turbines can be installed only for about 50 to 60% Perform the installation.

U.S. Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2010/0067989 (published on May 18, 2010) U.S. Published Patent Application No. US2008 / 0247827 (published on September 10, 2008) U.S. Published Patent Application No. US5580189 (published Dec. 3, 1996)

Embodiments of the present invention provide a floating structure capable of installing a wind turbine generator and installing a drill pipe.

The present invention also provides a floating structure capable of securing a wide loading space.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a body, comprising: a body suspended in water and comprising a plurality of leg wells; A leg extending through each of said leg wells; A leg guide portion provided on the leg well to relatively move the main body and the leg in a vertical direction; A derrick disposed at an upper portion of one of the leg guide portions to extend the pipe through the leg well; And a crane installed in the derrick.

In addition, the crane may provide a floating structure installed on the derrick.

In addition, the crane may provide a floating structure that is installed in the middle zone of the derrick.

Further, the derrick may be provided with a crane support portion for supporting the crane, and the crane may provide a floating structure rotatably connected to the crane support portion.

The crane may include: a seating part rotatably seated on the crane supporting part; A crane body installed in the seating part; And a crane boom connected to the crane body.

Also, the derrick may be formed on one of the leg guide portions, and the leg may move in a vertical direction; A drill floor formed at one side of the body and including a hole through which the pipe passes; And a derrick crane capable of lifting and connecting the pipe.

In addition, the crane can provide a floating structure that can move up and down along the derrick.

Further, the derrick is provided with a crane support for supporting the crane, and the crane is rotatably seated on the crane support, wherein the derrick comprises: a rack gear extending vertically; And a guide portion for guiding movement of the crane supporting portion in the up and down direction, wherein the crane supporting portion is provided with a driving portion including a pinion gear interlocked with the rack gear.

In addition, the leg may provide a floating structure capable of moving vertically through the derrick and the crane.

Embodiments of the present invention can provide a crane for installation of a wind turbine generator and a derrick for installation of a drill pipe, thereby installing or drilling a wind turbine generator.

Also, by using the leg well formed in the main body as a space for installing the drill pipe, it is possible to secure a wide working space while installing the crane and the derrick at the same time.

In particular, by installing the crane and the derrick in combination, it is possible to secure a wider working space while simultaneously installing the crane and the derrick.

1 is a side view showing a floating structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;
2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I 'of FIG.
3 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the floating structure of FIG.
4 is a cross-sectional view showing still another embodiment of the floating structure of FIG. 1;
5 is an enlarged view of a portion A in Fig. 4

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In the following description of the present invention, detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when it may make the subject matter of the present invention rather unclear.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a floating structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line I-I 'of FIG.

1 and 2, a floating structure 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 10 capable of floating in water, a leg 20 extending vertically through the main body 10, And a leg guide portion 30 for relatively moving the leg 20 and the main body 10 in the vertical direction and supporting the leg 20.

The main body 10 also includes a crane 40 for carrying a blade, a nacelle, a tower and the like to install an offshore wind power generator, and a derrick 50 for installing a pipe 60 for drilling the sea bed B . With this configuration, the floating structure 1 can selectively perform the operation of installing or drilling the wind turbine generator.

The body 10 may have a flat structure of a floatable rectangular shape and may be formed in a structure having a wide width, a low height, and a short length as compared with a general commercial line (e.g., a container line). However, this is merely an example, and the body 10 according to the teachings of the present invention may have any three-dimensional structure in which the legs 20 and the leg guide portions 30 can be installed.

When the floating structure 1 is used for installing a wind turbine in the main body 10, blades, nacelles, towers, and the like can be loaded, and when used for drilling, pipes and the like can be loaded.

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

A plurality of legs 20 may be provided depending on the purpose of use of the floating structure 1. In the embodiment of the present invention, a total of four legs 20 are provided, one pair at each of the port and starboard sides of the main body 10 I will explain what is provided as an example.

The leg 20 is installed to penetrate the main body 10 in the up and down direction, and the leg 10 is formed in the main body 10 through which the leg 20 passes. The legs 20 can be moved downwardly of the main body 10 and fixed to the seabed so that they are rigid enough to withstand the loads of the main body 10 in a jack-up state as shown in FIG. 1, Structure, a triangular truss structure, or the like. In the present embodiment, the legs 20 are formed in a triangular truss structure.

The leg guide 20 is provided at a position corresponding to the leg well W so that the leg 20 can pass therethrough and the leg 20 ). Specifically, the leg guide unit 30 includes a drive unit 34 such as a motor. The leg unit 20 is moved up and down with respect to the body 10 by the operation of the drive unit 34, (10) can be moved up and down with respect to the leg (20). For example, the leg guide portion 30 is provided with the pinion gear 35 and the motor 34, the leg 20 is provided with the rack gear 24, and the pinion gear 35 and the rack gear 24, The relative movement of the leg 20 and the main body 10 in the vertical direction can be achieved.

The vertical movement of the leg 20 and the main body 10 in the present embodiment means that the leg 20 moves in the vertical direction with respect to the main body 10 and that the main body 10 moves in the vertical direction relative to the leg 20 It will be understood that the present invention includes both moving in the up and down direction.

Further, the leg well W can be understood as a concept including a space through which the leg 20 is inserted in the leg guide portion 30. That is, the leg well W is formed from the main body 10 to the leg guide portion 30 and means a space through which the leg 20 passes vertically.

Although the leg guide portion 30 is protruded upward from the main body 10 in the present embodiment, the leg guide portion 30 may be embedded in the main body 10.

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 navigation mode to the position where an offshore wind power generator is installed or a drilling operation is desired. 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.

After the floating structure 1 has moved to the target position, it may be positioned accurately to lower the leg 20 by using dynamic positioning. The automatic position control can be continued until the leg 20 descends and touches the seabed.

Thereafter, the floating structure 1 is switched to the jack-up mode to insert the legs 20 into the seabed B. Fig. In this process, the legs 20 can be moved downward of the main body 10 by the gravity and the driving device of the leg guide portion 30. [

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

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

The floating structure 1 can be installed in an offshore wind turbine using a crane 40 in a jack-up state or can be drilled using a derrick 50. When the installation work is completed, And the operation can be started again.

The method of switching the floating structure 1 to the jack-up state is merely an example, and various changes can be made within the scope of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the drilling operation is performed in the jack-up state of the floating structure 1, for example, as shown in FIG.

The crane 40 and the derrick 50 are installed together on the upper side of one leg guide portion 30.

Specifically, the derrick 50 includes a body 51 formed on one of the plurality of leg guide portions 30 and configured to allow the leg 20 to move in the vertical direction, A derrick crane 53 mounted on the body 51 and capable of lifting up the individual pipes 60, a crane 53 mounted on the body 51, And a crane support portion 55 provided on the upper side and on which the crane 40 is rotatably seated.

The body 51 may be formed in a truss structure and may have a shape that surrounds the leg 20 similarly to the leg guide portion 30. [ When the body 51 has a shape to surround the leg 20, a hole corresponding to the leg well W may be formed in the body 51 in the vertical direction, (30), the main body (10), and the derrick (50).

The drill floor 52 and the derrick crane 53 may be arranged so as not to interfere with the legs 20 moving in the vertical direction. At this time, the drill floor 52 and the derrick crane 53 are arranged at least in the upper space of the leg well W. Specifically, a pipe hole (not shown) is formed in the drill floor 52 so that the pipe 60 can be continuously connected to the seabed, and the pipe hole is disposed on the upper side of the leg well W. More specifically, the pipe hole formed in the drill floor 52 may be disposed at a position corresponding to the space between the leg 20 and the side wall of the leg well W. The derrick crane 53 may be disposed above the drill floor 52 so as to lift up the pipes 60 individually loaded on the main body 10 and to connect to the installed pipes 60.

At this time, the drill floor 52 may be provided in the boundary area between the leg guide portion 30 and the body 51, and may be provided in the body 51 or the leg guide portion 30, . ≪ / RTI >

The crane supporting portion 55 is provided in the form of a plate capable of supporting the crane 40 at the upper end of the body 51. A hole (not shown) having a shape corresponding to the leg well W is formed at the center portion of the crane support portion 55 so that the leg 20 can pass through.

The crane (40) is rotatably seated on the crane support (55). More specifically, the crane 40 includes a seat portion 41 rotatably mounted on the crane supporting portion 55, a crane body 42 mounted on the seat portion 41 and equipped with a driving device for winding the wire, And a crane boom (43) connected to the body (42).

The seat portion 41 may be coupled to the crane support portion 55 in a swivel hinge type so that the seat portion 41 can be rotated at a predetermined angle above the crane support portion 55. The swivel hinge can be implemented in various ways as a known construction, and the idea of the present invention includes any pivotal structure in which the seat portion 41 can be installed so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction on the crane support portion 55. A power transmission means such as a motor and a rack gear / pinion gear or the like may be provided on the seating portion 41 or the crane supporting portion 55 for rotational movement of the seating portion 41, The rotation angle of the crane 40 can be adjusted.

The seat portion 41 may include a hole having a shape corresponding to the leg well W at the center so that the leg 20 can pass therethrough like the crane supporting portion 55. [

The crane body 42 includes a drive device that provides power to lift an object and may include a control box on which an operator can operate to operate the crane 40. [ The crane body 42 may include a hole having a shape corresponding to the leg well W at the center so that the leg 20 can pass therethrough like the crane support portion 55 and the seat portion 41. [ That is, when the leg 20 is moved in the vertical direction by the leg guide portion 30, it can pass through the derrick 50 and the crane 40 as well.

Here, for example, the crane 40 for installing the wind turbine can be clearly distinguished from the derrick crane 53 in terms of size, capacity, and the like.

With the above structure, the derrick 50 can use the leg well W as a kind of Moonpool for extending the pipe 60 to the sea floor. Specifically, the space between the legs 20 and the side walls of the leg well W is used as a space for extending the pipe 60 to the sea floor.

2, the leg 20 includes a plurality of pillars 22 extending in the vertical direction, a connecting portion 26 connecting the pillars 22, a rack gear 24 provided on the pillars 22, . ≪ / RTI > The legs 20 may have a triangular shape when viewed from above, and the pillar portions 22 may be disposed at the vertex positions of the triangle. The connecting portion 26 may be provided so that a plurality of the pillar portions 22 are connected to each other so as to support the load applied to the pillar portion 22.

The rack gears 24 may be formed at both sides of the pillar portion 22, respectively, and may extend along the extending direction of the pillar portion 22. A pair of rack gears 24 provided on one pillar 22 may be arranged symmetrically with respect to each other so that the legs 20 can be stably supported on the leg guide portion 30. [

At this time, the columnar portion 22 may have a cylindrical shape, and the rack gear 24 may be formed to protrude from both sides of the columnar portion 22 across the central portion of the columnar portion 22. [

The shape of the leg 20 is merely an example, and the leg 20 can be provided in various forms as long as the spirit of the present invention is maintained. For example, the legs 20 may be provided in a rectangular shape when viewed from above, or may be provided in a cylindrical shape. In addition, the rack gear 24 may have other arrangements.

The leg guide portion 30 includes a case 31 forming a leg well W through which the leg 20 is vertically passed. The leg accommodating portion 32 may be formed in a shape of a longitudinal section of the leg 20, that is, a hole having a triangular shape as a whole. A pinion gear 35, The receiving portion 33 may be provided. A driving device 34 such as a motor for rotating the pinion gear 35 is provided in the case 31. [

The pinion gear 35 and the driving device 34 may be arranged such that a plurality of pairs of the pinion gear 35 and the driving unit 34 are paired on both sides of one pillar 22 and three pairs are arranged in the present embodiment.

In the present embodiment using the leg 20 and the leg guide portion 30 having the above structure, the pipe 60 has a side wall that forms the connection portion 26 and the leg well (W), that is, of the case 31 It may extend downward through the space between the inner walls.

The leg well W may be formed to have a sufficiently large width so that the distance between the connecting portion 26 and the inner wall of the case 31 can be made longer so that the pipe 60 can be connected without interfering with the surrounding structure.

The pipe 60 may also extend through any one of the three connecting portions 26 and the space between the inner walls of the case 31 to allow the drill floor 52 and the derrick crane (53).

The floating structure 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include a crane 40 for installing a wind turbine generator and a derrick 50 for installing a pipe 60 at the same time to install a wind turbine generator, As shown in FIG. That is, the floating structure 1 can be used to install a wind turbine generator for a certain period of time, and can be used for drilling if necessary.

By using the leg well W formed in the main body 10 as a space for installing the pipe 60, it is possible to secure a wide working space while installing the crane 40 and the derrick 50 at the same time. In the past, in order to perform the drilling operation, the derrick was installed on the doorpipes, the pipe was extended to the seabed through the doorpipes, or the derrick was moved to the outside of the hull to extend the pipe. In the embodiment of the present invention, There is no need to provide devices for moving the drapery or derrick by utilizing the well as a space for extending the pipe. Accordingly, it is possible to additionally secure a work space corresponding to the work space.

Particularly, by providing the crane 40 and the derrick 50 together on the upper side of one leg guide portion 30, it is possible to provide both of the functions of installation and drilling of the wind power generator, and at the same time, the space utilization can be greatly improved.

In the present embodiment, the legs 20 pass through both the derrick 50 and the crane 40, but the spirit of the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, if the derrick 50 is formed to a height above a certain level, the legs 20 may be formed so as not to pass through the crane 40.

3 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the floating structure of FIG.

3, the crane support 55 and the crane 40 may be installed in the middle zone of the derrick 50. [ Although the present embodiment is shown as being installed in the center portion of the derrick 50, the idea of the present invention is not limited thereto.

In this case, if the crane 40 is installed at the upper end of the derrick 50 as in the above embodiment, the crane 40 can be prevented from being damaged by the crane 40, The height of the installed portion is too high, which may interfere with the installation work of the wind turbine generator.

In order to solve this problem, the crane support portion 55 and the crane 40 can be installed at a suitable height in the middle portion of the derrick 50. At this time, the crane body 42 of the crane 40 can be provided to be rotatable not only the leg 20 but also the derrick 50. Or the derrick 50 may be divided into an upper portion and a lower portion and a crane 40 may be installed in the middle portion thereof.

In the case of the present embodiment, the height of the crane 40 can be appropriately set, thereby increasing the efficiency of the wind turbine installation work.

4 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the floating structure of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of portion A of FIG.

4 and 5, the crane 40 can be installed to be movable up and down along the derrick 50. To this end, the crane support portion 55 and the seat portion 41 may be configured to be movable along the derrick 20.

Specifically, the body 51 of the derrick 50 includes a plurality of column portions 511 extending in the vertical direction, a rack gear 512 extending in the vertical direction along the column portion 511, 511 extending in the vertical direction. The rack gear 512 and the guide rail 513 are provided in at least one of the plurality of pillars 511.

The crane support part 55 may include a leg insertion hole 551 into which the leg 20 is fitted, and a driving part 70 that provides a driving force for moving the crane support part 55 and the crane 40 in the vertical direction. . The driving unit 70 includes a pinion gear 72 provided on a side surface of the leg insertion hole 551 and interlocked with the rack gear 512 of the body 51 and a motor 71 for driving the pinion gear 72 .

The crane support portion 55 may further be provided with a roller 553 which is moved along the guide rail 513 so that the crane support portion 55 can be stably moved along the derrick 50. The guide rails 513 and the rollers 553 serve to guide the crane support portion 55 so that the crane support portion 55 can linearly move and can be provided in various known structures.

On the other hand, the seat portion 41 and the crane body 42 may be formed with insertion holes 411 and 421 in which the legs 20 are inserted.

The control unit of the floating structure 1 controls the height of the crane support unit 55 by operating the drive unit 60 when the height of the crane 40 needs to be adjusted, In the vertical direction.

While the present invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments of the floating structure according to the embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited thereto, and should be construed as having the widest range according to the basic idea disclosed in this specification do. Skilled artisans may implement a pattern of features that are not described in a combinatorial and / or permutational manner with the disclosed embodiments, but this is not to depart from the scope of the present invention. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be readily made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

1: Floating structure 10: Body
20: leg 22:
24: Rack gear 26:
30: leg guide portion 31: case
34: drive device 33: pinion gear receiving portion
35: Pinion gear 40: Crane
41: seat part 42: crane body
43: Crane boom 50: Derrick
51: Body 52: Drill Floor
53: Derrick crane 55: Crane support
60: pipe 70:

Claims (9)

In a floating structure operated in a jack-up mode,
A body suspended in water and comprising a plurality of leg wells;
A leg extending through each of said leg wells;
A leg guide portion provided on the leg well to relatively move the main body and the leg in a vertical direction;
A derrick disposed at an upper portion of one of the leg guide portions to extend the pipe through the leg well; And
And a crane installed in the derrick. The method of claim 1,
Wherein the crane is mounted on top of the derrick. The method of claim 1,
The crane is a floating structure installed in the middle section of the derrick. The method of claim 1,
Wherein the derrick is provided with a crane support portion for supporting the crane,
Wherein the crane is rotatably mounted on the crane support. 5. The method of claim 4,
The crane,
A seating portion rotatably seated on the crane support portion;
A crane body installed in the seating part; And
And a crane boom connected to the crane body. 5. The method of claim 4,
The derrick,
A body formed on an upper portion of the leg guide portion, the leg being movable in a vertical direction;
A drill floor formed at one side of the body and including a hole through which the pipe passes; And
And a derrick crane capable of lifting and connecting said pipe. The method of claim 1,
Wherein the crane is movable up and down along the derrick. The method of claim 7, wherein
Wherein the derrick is provided with a crane support for supporting the crane,
Wherein the crane is rotatably seated on the crane support,
The derrick,
A rack gear extending vertically; And
And a guide portion for guiding the vertical movement of the crane supporting portion,
Wherein the crane supporting portion is provided with a driving portion including a pinion gear interlocked with the rack gear. The method of claim 1,
Wherein the legs are vertically movable through the derrick and the crane.

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