DE102012206907B4 - Device for reducing the propagation of sound, vibrations and pressure surges in a liquid - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for reducing the propagation of sound, vibrations and pressure surges in a liquid, in particular sound occurring when an object (1) is introduced into a subsurface and/or in particular in water, with several damping bodies (2) which can be filled with a gas and a carrier ( 3), on which the damping bodies (2) can be arranged in a suitable relative position to one another, the carrier (3) having a frame (4), characterized in that the frame (4) has several pivotable relative to one another about at least one pivot axis (7). Frame parts (8) or linkage elements (5, 6).

Description

The present invention relates to a device for reducing the propagation of sound, vibrations and pressure surges in a liquid, in particular sound occurring when an object is introduced into a subsurface and/or in particular in water, with several damping bodies that can be filled with a gas and a carrier in which the damping bodies can be arranged in a suitable relative position to one another, the carrier having a frame.

From the EP 2 441 892 A2 A generic device is already known which has a plurality of damping bodies 23 that can be filled with a gas and a carrier on which the damping bodies 23 can be arranged in a suitable relative position to one another, the carrier having a frame 60 with horizontal linkage elements 61, 62, 63, 64 .

From the DE 103 02 219 A1 A sound insulation cushion for hydraulic construction sites is also known, wherein an object located in the water is surrounded by several gas-filled hollow bodies with a membrane-like surface that at least partially enclose the object. These hollow bodies can be attached to a frame.

Furthermore, from the WO 2009/121336 A2 a device for reducing the propagation of sound, vibrations and pressure surges in a liquid is known. The known device has several damping bodies that can be filled with a gas and are attached to a support. The carrier and the damping body are made in one piece from a thin, elastic hose material, with the damping bodies being separated from one another by constrictions or welded webs of the hose material. The damping bodies can be fixed in a cage using the carrier.

The documents also contain “Mitigation of underwater piling noise using new hydrosound dampers (HSD). In: Presentation at the FMGM 2011: 8th International Symposium on Field Measurements in GEOMechanics, Berlin, September 2011” and “Status of the development of noise-minimizing measures in the construction of offshore wind turbines. In: Study commissioned by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN), July 2011, 37-44 and 79-82.” Devices according to the preamble of claim 1 known.

Finally, it shows DE 196 81 467 C2 the use of an eyelet for attaching bodies to frame structures in the maritime sector.

Devices of the type mentioned at the beginning serve in particular to reduce underwater noise during pile driving work for offshore wind turbines. During the foundation work to build such facilities, impact pile drivers are predominantly used, which generate extremely intense sound underwater, which can damage the hearing organs of marine mammals and fish. In addition, the animals' behavior can be affected over a radius of many kilometers. There is therefore an urgent need to reduce underwater sound propagation during pile driving operations. Such pile driving work includes not only the insertion of piles, but also the insertion of nails into the subsoil in order to fix base elements for support piles on the seabed or water bottom. When such nails are inserted, intense sound is also generated underwater.

At the from the WO 2009/121336 A2 The problem with the known device is that if damage and leakage of a damping body occur during use of the device, it is virtually impossible to replace the damping body. Ultimately, the entire hose-like carrier with all the additional damping bodies on it must be replaced or removed from the liquid or water for repairs. It may happen that repairing the damping body is not possible at all due to the size of the leak or the extent of the damage. The result is a permanent functional impairment with regard to the respective carrier, since only the remaining intact damping bodies are effective. Consequently, the known device is extremely inflexible, particularly in the event of repairs or when individual damping bodies need to be replaced, and safe operation of the device cannot be guaranteed over the long term.

The present invention is based on the object of designing and developing a device of the type mentioned in such a way that safe operation of the device is made possible with structurally simple means.

According to the invention, the above object is achieved by a device having the features of claim 1.

With a view to particularly safe operation and a particularly stable design of the device, the frame could have several vertical and horizontal linkage elements arranged perpendicular to one another. In other words, the frame could be a kind of lattice structure made of rod elements arranged perpendicular to one another elements. The device could be arranged around an object to be inserted into a subsurface in such a way that the vertical linkage elements could run essentially parallel to, for example, a post or nail to be inserted. The term horizontal or vertical ultimately refers to an orientation relative to the ground or water bottom, both of which essentially run in a horizontal plane.

With regard to a particularly safe and stable design, the frame could be made of metal, for example. The metal that could be used here, for example, is steel or stainless steel. A design made of plastic, in particular fiber-reinforced plastic, would be conceivable with a view to making the device easier to handle for reasons of weight, especially during transport.

In a further preferred embodiment, the frame could have several frame areas made up of horizontal linkage elements, which are coupled to one another via cables. In other words, the different frame areas made up of horizontal linkage elements could be positioned at different depths in the liquid. These frame areas are then coupled via ropes, which essentially replace the vertical linkage elements present in the previously explained exemplary embodiment. The connection of the frame areas via the ropes holds the entire device together and enables particularly space-saving storage or transport of the device when it is not in use. Ultimately, the frame areas could be positioned close to one another when the ropes are rolled up or otherwise gathered together in order to achieve the space-saving effect. Ultimately, this design of the device also enables material savings, since less material is usually required to provide the ropes than for vertical linkage elements. In the space-saving arrangement with frame areas arranged next to one another, damping bodies attached to the horizontal linkage elements could be vented and/or arranged one above the other. Ultimately, a kind of folding of the device could be achieved with this explained exemplary embodiment.

With regard to a particularly comfortable and simple design of the last explained exemplary embodiment, an uppermost frame region could be designed as a floating body, which could be positioned on the surface or in the area of the surface of the liquid when the device is in use. The remaining frame areas could be designed so that they do not experience any buoyancy.

With regard to easy handling of the ropes connecting the frame areas, winches for the ropes could be assigned to this uppermost frame area. The winches could be hydraulic winches. Furthermore, the winches could be firmly coupled to the uppermost frame area.

With a view to adapting the design of the device as flexibly as possible to the circumstances present when using the device, for example the shape of an object to be introduced, the frame according to claim 1 has a plurality of frame parts or linkage elements which can be pivoted relative to one another about at least one pivot axis. In this case, several linkage elements could form a frame part that can be pivoted in this way, or pivot axes could also be implemented between individual linkage elements, which enable angular positioning of the linkage elements relative to one another.

With a view to a particularly safe operation of the device and with a view to a particularly effective reduction in the propagation of sound, the frame parts or linkage elements could be pivotable relative to one another in such a way that a cylindrical jacket-like frame with a substantially closed jacket can be produced. Such a jacket could, for example, securely enclose a pile to be driven into a subsoil during ramming in such a way that a maximum reduction effect with regard to the propagation of sound can be achieved. The cylindrical jacket-like frame could enclose a post or another object as a cylindrical jacket with a polygonal base area corresponding to the number of frame parts or linkage elements. In a further advantageous embodiment, the frame parts or linkage elements could be pivotable relative to one another in such a way that a substantially hood-shaped frame can be produced. A nail to be inserted into a substrate could be essentially enclosed from above and laterally by means of such a hood-shaped frame. A hood that can be placed on a nail in this way could have a passage for a striking tool that acts on the nail. The damping bodies could also be releasably attached to the foundation body before the foundation is submerged and, triggered from above, float up for reuse after the ramming process.

With a view to safely filling the damping bodies with the desired gas, a pressure line for introducing the gas into the damping bodies could be assigned to the frame be. Specifically, each damping body could be fluidly connected to the pressure line. A separate flow connection or flow line or pressure line from a pressure source to each individual damping body would also be conceivable and could enable particularly individual pressurization of the damping bodies. The pressure line or the pressure lines could or could basically be routed along the frame and attached to the outside of the frame. With regard to a particularly safe and protected operation of the device, the pressure line or the pressure lines could be integrated into the frame or arranged in the linkage elements. This could safely prevent damage to the pressure lines from the outside.

To compensate for different pressure conditions at different depths in the liquid, the damping bodies could be subjected to different gas pressures - preferably depending on their depth position in the liquid. This could ensure that the damping bodies always occupy the same volume in the liquid, regardless of any existing depth-related external pressure.

With regard to comfortable and safe pressurization of the damping bodies, the pressure line could be assigned a pressure control device and/or at least one pressure reducer. Depending on the intended depth position in the liquid, pressure reducers with different reduction characteristics could be used in the pressure line. In principle, damping bodies positioned at the same depth could be subjected to the same pressure. Damping bodies positioned deeper could be subjected to higher pressure in order to counteract the external pressure that increases with increasing depth.

In order to achieve particularly effective sound absorption and reduce the spread of sound, the damping bodies could have a sound-insulating open- or closed-pored material in their interior - preferably on their inner wall. Such a material could be foam, which is particularly effective in an open-pore design. Particularly when gas is introduced into the damping body, open-pored foam or an open-pored material usually relaxes.

So-called lifting cushions with, for example, an area size of 1 to 1.5 m ² could be used as damping bodies in a particularly advantageous and practical manner. Such lifting cushions are particularly easy to handle, particularly due to their size. Ultimately, these are flat damping bodies when not filled with gas, which can be inflated and therefore unfolded by introducing the gas.

Such damping bodies could have a soft covering medium made of rubber with a reinforcement, preferably an aramid cord insert. This results in a high level of robustness against external damage and corrosion. Furthermore, so-called lifting bags are usually pressure-resistant up to 8 bar and can therefore be used in a liquid, such as water, up to a depth of at least 70 meters.

In a particularly simple manner, the damping bodies could have at least one eyelet for attachment to the frame, to a frame part or to a linkage element. The ease of assembly also means that it can be easily replaced in the event of damage.

The damping bodies attached to the frame, in particular lifting cushions, align upwards in the liquid or water even without filled gas due to the buoyancy effect. The damping bodies or lifting cushions can be attached to the frame in such a way that the entire device allows a flow of liquid to pass through, so that when the device is installed, little lateral force is exerted on the device by the flow. This makes it easier to install the device in the area of use.

As soon as the device is positioned around an object to be introduced, for example, the damping bodies can be filled with the gas or supplied with compressed air.

The reduction in the spread of sound results in particular from the fact that sound waves or sound pressure have to penetrate into the damping body after a short distance of water between an object to be introduced and the device of approximately 0.5 to 1 m. Depending on the preferred design of the damping body, this means penetration into the outer rubber of a cushion, into the foam, through the compressed air in the cushion, back into the foam and then back into the rubber of the cushion, until sound waves or sound pressure ultimately disrupt the system leaves or leaves the environment in a weakened form.

• 1 in einer perspektivischen Darstellung ein Ausführungsbeispiel einer erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung zur Verminderung der Ausbreitung von Schall in einer Flüssigkeit,
• 2 in einer Seitenansicht, teilweise und vergrößert, die Vorrichtung aus 1,
• 3 in einer Seitenansicht, teilweise und vergrößert, die Vorrichtung aus 1 mit mit einem Gas befüllten Dämpfungskörpern,
• 4 in einer perspektivischen Darstellung, schematisch, das Ausführungsbeispiel aus 1 ohne Dämpfungskörper und im geöffneten Zustand und
• 5 in einer perspektivischen Darstellung, schematisch, das Ausführungsbeispiel aus 1 ohne Dämpfungskörper und im geschlossenen Zustand.

There are now various ways to advantageously design and develop the teaching of the present invention. On the one hand, reference is made to the subordinate claims and, on the other hand, to the following explanation a preferred embodiment of the invention can be referred to with reference to the drawing. In conjunction with the explanation of the preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention based on the drawing, generally preferred embodiments and developments of the teaching are also explained. Show in the drawing

• 1 in a perspective view an embodiment of a device according to the invention for reducing the propagation of sound in a liquid,
• 2 in a side view, partial and enlarged, the device 1 ,
• 3 in a side view, partial and enlarged, the device 1 with damping bodies filled with a gas,
• 4 in a perspective view, schematically, the exemplary embodiment 1 without damping body and in the open state and
• 5 in a perspective view, schematically, the exemplary embodiment 1 without damping body and in the closed state.

1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a device for reducing the propagation of sound in a liquid. The device is used when introducing an object 1 into a substrate. In this exemplary embodiment, the object 1 is formed by a pile that is to be inserted into the subsoil of a body of water. The device has a plurality of damping bodies 2 that can be filled with a gas and a support 3 on which the damping bodies 2 are arranged in a suitable position relative to one another. With a view to safe operation of the device with structurally simple means, the carrier 3 has a frame 4 with horizontal linkage elements 5. The damping bodies 2 are attached to these linkage elements 5.

The damping bodies 2 are according to 1 arranged around the object 1 in such a way that the object 1 is essentially completely enclosed. For this purpose, the damping bodies 2 overlap slightly or in a suitable manner.

The frame 4 has a plurality of vertical linkage elements 6 and horizontal linkage elements 5 arranged perpendicular to one another in order to ensure particularly high stability and therefore particularly safe operation. To position the device around the object 1, the closed state can be changed to an open state of the device. For this purpose, the frame 4 has several pivot axes 7 so that individual frame parts 8 can be pivoted relative to one another.

The 2 and 3 show the exemplary embodiment in a partial and enlarged side view 1 . In 2 the damping bodies 2 designed as cushions are not yet filled with gas. However, the damping bodies 2 are already essentially arranged in their position of use even when they are not yet filled with gas, since the buoyancy prevailing under water pushes the damping bodies 2 attached to the horizontal linkage elements 5 upwards. 3 shows the same situation with damping bodies 2 that are filled with gas.

The 4 and 5 show schematically the exemplary embodiment 1 , where in 4 the one already mentioned above and in 5 the above-mentioned closed state of the device is shown. Specifically, the frame 4 has several frame parts 8 that can be pivoted relative to one another about pivot axes 7. The frame parts 8 can be pivoted relative to one another in such a way that a cylindrical jacket-like frame 4 with a substantially closed jacket can be produced, as shown in FIG 5 is shown. Thus, an object 1, such as a pile, can easily be completely enclosed by the device during driving into a subsoil, so that a reliable reduction in the propagation of sound generated during the driving process can be achieved.

In an exemplary embodiment not shown here, the vertical linkage elements 6 can be replaced by ropes, so that the device is ultimately constructed from several ring-like frame parts 8, which are coupled to one another via the ropes. In this case, a particularly space-saving storage of the device outside of its use is possible.

Reference symbol list

1

object

2

Damping body

3

carrier

4

Frame

5

Linkage element, horizontal

6

Linkage element, vertical

7

Pivot axis

8th

frame part

Claims (7)

Device for reducing the propagation of sound, vibrations and pressure surges in a liquid, in particular sound occurring when an object (1) is introduced into a subsurface and/or in particular in water, with several damping bodies (2) which can be filled with a gas and a carrier ( 3), on which the damping bodies (2) can be arranged in a suitable relative position to one another, the carrier (3) having a frame (4), characterized in that the frame (4) has several pivotable ones about at least one pivot axis (7). Frame parts (8) or linkage elements (5, 6). Device according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the frame (4) has a plurality of vertical (6) and horizontal linkage elements (5) arranged perpendicular to one another. Device according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the frame parts (8) or linkage elements (5, 6) can be pivoted relative to one another in such a way that a cylindrical jacket-like frame (4) with a substantially closed jacket or a hood-shaped frame can be produced. Device according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , characterized in that the frame (4) is assigned a pressure line for introducing the gas into the damping body (2), the pressure line preferably being integrated into the frame (4). Device according to one of the Claims 1 until 4 , characterized in that the damping bodies (2) can be subjected to different gas pressures - preferably depending on their depth position in the liquid. Device according to Claim 4 or 5 , characterized in that the pressure line is or is assigned a pressure control device and/or at least one pressure reducer. Device according to one of the Claims 1 until 6 , characterized in that the damping bodies (2) have a sound-insulating open- or closed-pored material in their interior - preferably on their inner wall.

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