EP3276084B1 - Noise reduction - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for sound insulation for underwater piling, wherein the device at least one fixable on the seabed line having a plurality of bores, and at least one compressor, with which compressed air is introduced into the conduit, so that these from the Holes can emerge, wherein the conduit has at least one longitudinal portion in the form of a tube.

In the construction of, for example, offshore wind turbines, it is necessary to ram the piles of such wind turbines into the seabed. For such work usually heavy piling equipment is required, which bring large sound levels, for example, more than 130 dB in the environment that may be harmful to the marine fauna.

In order to reduce sound levels when driving piles underwater into the seabed, so-called bubble veils are nowadays placed around the pile to be excavated, which serve the purpose of interrupting the transmission of sound through the water and thereby transmission of the sound pressure generated by the pile collisions on living in the sea water To avoid animals. Devices for forming such a bubble curtain are, for example, from DE 10 2010 048 474 A1 or the EP 2 963 186 B1 known. A generic device is in the DE 10 2012 202 132 A1 and also in the EP 2 746 462 A2 described. In the devices of the prior art, it is often difficult to to keep pipes filled with compressed air safely on the sea floor, as they have a high buoyancy. To hold the lines on the seabed beats the DE 10 2012 202 132 A1 Therefore, to introduce weighting bodies in a line. Such a weighting body may be, for example, a steel chain arranged in the pipe. However, such a steel chain considerably restricts the clear width of such a conduit and makes it difficult to introduce the compressed air into the conduit, which can result in the formation of an insufficient and / or unstable bubble curtain for sound reduction.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for sound insulation for underwater piling, which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and in particular allows improved introduction of compressed air and can ensure stable formation of sufficient bubble curtain, the compressed air acted lead safely to lie on the seabed.

The object is achieved according to the invention in that the tube has a layered wall structure comprising, from the inside to the outside, an inner layer, a first reinforcement layer, an intermediate layer, a second reinforcement layer and an outer layer, wherein at least one weighting body is embedded in the intermediate layer.

It can also be provided that in the intermediate layer weighting bodies are arranged substantially uniformly distributed over the circumference of the hose or weighting bodies are arranged only in a partial region of the circumference, preferably in a resting on the seabed area.

The weighting body may, for example, be in the form of a plate, a rod or a ball. In the device according to the invention, weighting bodies of different shapes can be present in order to optimally meet the requirements of the line during or introducing, for example, the winding and unwinding of a drum to be adapted.

It is also provided that the holes are provided in the majority in an upper region of the hose, opposite the resting on the seabed area.

It is also proposed that at least one spring wire spiral be embedded in the intermediate layer and arranged so as to extend spirally in a longitudinal direction of the tube.

The spring wire spiral serves as a kink protection when winding or unwinding the line, but holds on the other hand, the shape of the hose at positive or negative pressure stable.

It is preferably provided that weighting bodies are arranged between spiral turns of the spring wire spiral.

It is preferably proposed that the reinforcement layers comprise a textile fabric layer and / or a metal reinforcement.

It is also proposed that the textile fabric layer comprises cotton fibers and / or plastic fibers. The metal reinforcement is preferably a wire mesh.

It is envisaged in an embodiment that the weighting body may be made of a material selected from the group consisting of metal, preferably precious metal, metal alloy and mineral material, preferably concrete.

In addition, it is proposed that the inner layer, the intermediate layer and the outer layer may be made of a styrene-butadiene rubber material.

It is further provided that a winding device with a drum on which the line can be wound up, may be included.

In addition, it is proposed that the line has a length of 20-50 m.

Furthermore, it can be provided that a plurality of lines are coupled to one another via a coupling means.

Finally, it is provided that the tube has an inner diameter of 50-300 mm, preferably 50-200 mm, and a wall thickness of 10-20 mm.

The present invention also provided compressor provides the introduced into the line compressed air and is usually mounted on the water surface on a ship or the like. Compressed ambient air is then supplied to the conduit via a supply hose and exits the conduit via a plurality of bores which are mounted along the length of the conduit.

Surprisingly, it has been found for the device according to the invention for sound insulation for pile work that the line used has a high robustness, buckling strength and dimensional stability and, moreover, compressed air can be introduced into the line in a simple and reliable manner in order to produce a stable bubble curtain.

Since the weighting body is embedded in the wall of the tube, the outer shape of the tube remains unchanged, so that it can be easily removed and / or introduced, as is well known in the art. In particular, the line can easily be wound up or unwound on a winding device with a drum.

Due to the weighting body, the pipe lies safely on the seabed and shows a negative buoyancy.

The line of the device according to the invention for sound insulation can be produced in conventional methods, for example by extrusion, wherein the weighting elements and spring wire spiral can be embedded directly into the intermediate layer of the layered wall structure of the hose during manufacture.

The material of the inner layer is preferably made of smooth and nonporous styrene-butadiene rubber and resistant to oily air. The outer layer preferably also consists of styrene-butadiene rubber, which is resistant to aging as well as operating and seawater and shows abrasion resistance.

The reinforcement layer serves to stabilize the tubular structure and preferably comprises a textile fabric layer.

Individual conduits may be assembled into a single long conduit by means of fasteners known in the art, for example using a sleeve. For example, if the length of a single pipe is 20-50 m, a plurality of pipes may be assembled into a total length of, for example, 1000 m and more, to be laid around the pile in a ring shape or the like.

If several lines are combined to form a line system, it may be advantageous to feed in a securing element in this line system. This may for example be a rope, preferably with high tensile force, which runs through all lines. In the event of an accident or damage to the piping system, this could be obtained via the cable, which can be connected to an application device. Of course, such a fuse element is conceivable even when applying a single line. A securing element may be, for example, a thin wire rope or a rope made of plastic fibers with high tensile force.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment with reference to the drawing, in which FIG. 1 shows a cross section along a longitudinal axis through a hose wall of a conduit of the device according to the invention for sound insulation.

A hose with a layered wall structure for forming a conduit for use in a device according to the invention for sound insulation for pile driving is disclosed in US Pat FIG. 1 shown in a section in the longitudinal direction of a hose. The hose comprises an inner layer 1, a first reinforcement layer 2, an intermediate layer 3, a second reinforcement layer 4 and an outer layer 5. Within the intermediate layer 3, weighting bodies 6 are arranged between turns of a spring wire spiral 7. The hose further has bores (not shown) leading from the inner side of the hose from the inner layer 1 to the outer layer 5, so that compressed air introduced into the hose or line escapes through these bores to the outside and then when desired in the seawater Bubble veil can form. It is obvious that the holes are placed at those points of the hose, which are not occupied in the intermediate layer by weighting body or the spring wire spiral. As already stated above, the device according to the invention can advantageously be used for sound insulation for underwater piling operations by showing high robustness, buckling resistance and dimensional stability and can provide for the formation of a stable bubble curtain for sound reduction.

The conduit of the device of the invention may be deployed in a manner preferably annular around a pile, as known to those skilled in the art. The simultaneous application of multiple lines is possible. Preferably, the application takes place via a winding device of a drum on which the line is wound up.

The features disclosed in the specification, in the claims and in the drawings may be essential both individually and in any combination for realizing the invention in its various embodiments.

List of Reference Numerals (part of the description)

1. 1 inner layer
2. 2 reinforcements
3. 3 interlayer
4. 4 reinforcement
5. 5 outer layer
6. 6 weighting body
7. 7 spring wire spiral

Claims (13)

1. Device for noise insulation for underwater piling work, wherein the device has at least one line, which is fixable to the seabed and which has a multiplicity of bores, and at least one compressor, by means of which compressed air can be introduced into the line such that said compressed air can emerge from the bores, wherein the line has at least one longitudinal portion in the form of a hose, characterized in that the hose has a layered wall structure which, from the inside to the outside, has an inner layer (1), a first strengthening member layer (2), intermediate layer (3), a second strengthening member layer (4) and an outer layer (5), wherein at least one reinforcement body (6) is embedded in the intermediate layer.
2. Device for noise insulation according to Claim 1, wherein, in the intermediate layer, reinforcement bodies are arranged so as to be distributed substantially uniformly over the circumference of the hose, or multiple reinforcement bodies (6) are arranged only in a partial region of the circumference, preferably in a region lying on the seabed.
3. Device for noise insulation according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the bores are provided as a plurality in an upper region of the hose, opposite the region lying on the seabed.
4. Device for noise insulation according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one spring wire spiral (7) is embedded in the intermediate layer and is arranged so as to extend in spiral fashion in a longitudinal direction of the hose.
5. Device for noise insulation according to Claim 4, wherein reinforcement bodies (6) are arranged between spiral windings of the spring wire spiral (7) .
6. Device for noise insulation according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the strengthening member layers (2, 4) comprise a textile fabric layer and/or a metal armouring.
7. Device for noise insulation according to Claim 6, wherein the textile fabric layer comprises cotton fibres and/or plastics fibres.
8. Device for noise insulation according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the reinforcement body (6) is composed of a material selected from the group comprising metal, preferably high-grade metal, metal alloy and mineral material, preferably concrete.
9. Device for noise insulation according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the inner layer (1), the intermediate layer (3) and the outer layer (5) are produced from a styrene-butadiene rubber material.
10. Device for noise insulation according to any of the preceding claims, furthermore comprising a winding device with a drum onto which the line can be wound.
11. Device for noise insulation according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the line has a length of 20-50 m.
12. Device for noise insulation according to any of the preceding claims, wherein multiple lines are coupled to one another by a coupling means.
13. Device for noise insulation according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the hose has an inner diameter of 50-300 mm, preferably 50-200 mm, and a wall thickness of 10-20 mm.

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