EP3990705A1

EP3990705A1 - Installation arrangement with jack-up rig and a barge and a method for setting up the installation arrangement

Info

Publication number: EP3990705A1
Application number: EP20732190.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Klaas OLTMANN
Original assignee: Tractebel Overdick GmbH
Current assignee: Tractebel Overdick GmbH
Priority date: 2019-06-26
Filing date: 2020-06-09
Publication date: 2022-05-04
Anticipated expiration: 2040-06-09
Also published as: DE102019117268A1; EP3990705C0; US11795647B2; EP3990705B1; WO2020260011A1; US20220243415A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an installation arrangement with a barge (2) and a jack-up rig (1) which floats in a first position on the sea and has a hull (7) which is slotted vertically with respect to the surface (17) of the sea and has a slot width which is greater than a width (BB) of the barge (2) so that the barge (2) can move into a slot (6), wherein the jack-up rig (1) has support legs (9a, 9b, 9c, 9d) which can move backwards and forwards along a height (H) relative to the hull (7) and can be set down on the seabed, and the hull (7) can be lifted, together with the barge (2) which has moved in, out of the water into a raised position by means of a lifting mechanism along the support legs (9a, 9b, 9c, 9d) which have been set down on the seabed, and wherein the slot (6) extends along the entire longitudinal extent of the barge (2) which has moved in, over the entire height (H) of the hull (7), and securing means (13a, 13b) are arranged on the barge (2) and on the slot (6) and said securing means interact and secure the barge (6) in the raised position in a positionally fixed fashion on the jack-up rig (1).

Description

Installation arrangement with jack-up platform and a barge and a method for assembling the installation arrangement

The invention relates to an installation arrangement according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to a method for constructing an installation arrangement with a jack-up platform and a barge.

Installation arrangements are known in the prior art.

From DE 10 201 1 118 712 A1, a watercraft consisting of a barge and a dock ship is known. The dock ship completely encases the barge on the bottom side and makes it possible to lift the barge out of the water on four support legs using jacking systems.

US Pat. No. 3,537,413 discloses a slotted ship for receiving a plurality of barges, which can be brought to the same height along their subsoil by means of jacking systems, so that the barges, which are pulled individually in inland waters, are a compact unit for the open sea can be made seaworthy.

EP 3 170 732 A1 discloses a buoyant lifting pontoon for receiving goods to be transported. The lifting pontoon has two side walls that are connected to one another via a loading deck. The lifting pontoon can be lifted out of the water on four support legs.

From GB 2555414 A a ship with a deck and side ballast tanks is known, which is intended for the transport of loads between the sea and a quay.

In GB 2567218 A, a buoyant and lowerable ship is disclosed, which o. The like for the assembly of jackets for wind turbines. can be used.

From WO 2019 081 440 A1, a self-propelled offshore installation ship is known with a jack-up platform which has a continuous main loading deck. The jack-up platform has a recess that is not continuous along its height in the rear area, the floor of which is designed as the main loading deck. Components to be assembled can be loaded onto the main loading deck. The main loading deck is therefore basically dry during transport. It is also conceivable that the jack-up platform is temporarily lowered, the main loading deck is flooded and a barge floats over the main loading deck. The The main loading deck is then drained by lifting the jack-up platform using a ballast system so that the barge rests on the main loading deck.

The disadvantage of the installation arrangement described is the fact that the jack-up platform requires a complex ballast system in order to be able to be loaded with a barge. In addition, the drainage of the jack-up platform's main loading deck is problematic.

It is therefore, in a first aspect, the object of the present invention to provide an installation arrangement mentioned at the beginning which avoids the disadvantages mentioned above.

In a second aspect, the object of the present invention is to provide a method for constructing an installation platform which avoids the disadvantages mentioned above.

In its first aspect, the object is achieved by an installation arrangement with the features of claim 1 mentioned at the beginning.

The installation arrangement comprises two main components: on the one hand a barge and on the other hand a jack-up platform. The term barge is to be understood broadly here; it can be a self-propelled or a non-self-propelled ship, which preferably has a main loading deck on which components for wind turbines, transformer stations, drilling rigs, etc. can be transported.

The jack-up platform is designed to be self-floating. It can be self-propelled, i.e. H. have a drive that allows the jack-up platform to be brought from the port to the location without additional tugs. The jack-up platform can have a crane, preferably a slewing crane, with which the components are unloaded from the barge and installed directly on the seabed or on parts that have already been created

can be.

The jack-up platform has a hull that is slotted vertically to the surface of the sea, the term “slot” also being understood here broadly. The slot can have a width that is half, 60%, 70% or even more of the width of the jack-up platform as a whole along the respective cross-section, and the slot can have a length that extends over half, 60%, 70% or even 80% of the length of the jack-up platform. In the section of the slot, the jack-up platform is preferably U-shaped when viewed from above. A width of the slot is greater than a width of the barge. Preferably, a width of the slot in each cross-section in the longitudinal direction is greater than an associated width of the barge. The associated width of the barge means the width of the location of the barge which is arranged in the same cross section when the barge is completely retracted into the slot.

The slot is designed in such a way that the barge can move into or out of the slot.

The jack-up platform has movable support legs. This can involve at least three support legs, preferably four; but there are also five, six or any higher number of support legs conceivable. The support legs can be moved back and forth along a height relative to the hull of the jack-up platform. They can be moved individually or in groups. The support legs can preferably be moved perpendicular to the sea surface when the jack-up platform is floating in the sea. Each of the support legs has a lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism makes it possible to lift the hull of the jack-up platform together with the barge retracted into the slot from the sea, so that in a raised position of the jack-up platform, both the hull of the jack-up platform and the barge no longer have contact with the sea surface.

According to the invention, the slot extends along the entire longitudinal extent of the retracted barge over the entire height of the hull, in other words: the jack-up platform has no main loading deck running under the barge. The area on the seabed side of the barge is open because the slot extends over the entire height of the jack-up platform. According to the invention, holding means are arranged on the barge and the slot, which cooperate and hold the barge in a fixed position on the jack-up platform in the raised position. The holding means can be designed in different ways.

The inventive design of the jack-up platform enables a barge to enter the slot without ballasting the jack-up platform and, on the other hand, when the jack-up platform is raised, immediate and rapid drainage of the slot is possible, since the jack-up platform does not have a main loading deck between the preferably has parallel legs of the slot.

The holding means can for example be formed by consoles which run along the two opposite inner sides of the legs of the slot. The consoles can be continuous or interrupted. The consoles can be attached to the inside the inner walls of the slot, but also, as it were, as an inner extension of the underside of the hull on the sea floor. In the first case, the barge can have corresponding lateral projections; in the second case, the width of the barge on the seabed side is designed so that it can be moved over the consoles and the width is greater than the clear distance between the consoles.

However, other holding means, for example locking devices or the like, are also conceivable.

However, consoles have the advantage that a further fastening step is not necessary. The barge can simply drive itself or be pulled into the slot using appropriate ropes or pulling devices, and when the jack-up platform is raised, the barge rests on the consoles by itself and is therefore held in the raised position on the jack-up platform. The slot can extend over at least 30%, preferably at least 50%, particularly preferably at least 90% of the longitudinal extent of the fuselage.

So that the jack-up platform can stand stable on the seabed, at least one support leg is advantageously arranged on the bow side of the slot, two or more support legs can also be arranged on the bow side of the slot and at the same time two or more support legs in the stern section of the jack-up platform, i.e. in the area of the slot Jack-up platform, preferably a support leg, can be provided on one leg of the slot.

Conveniently, the jack-up platform has a slewing crane that enables components arranged on the barge to be lifted, swiveled to the side and lowered at the desired point, for example in order to set up a wind turbine, a transformer station or an oil rig offshore or to replace heavy components such as transformers offshore .

In its second aspect, the invention is achieved by a method having the features of claim 8.

The method is particularly suitable for setting up an installation arrangement according to one of the installation arrangements mentioned above. Conversely, any of the above installation arrangements can be constructed using one of the methods described below.

The installation arrangement includes a jack-up platform and a barge. The jack-up platform is brought to the location. The jack-up platform has a hull slotted vertically to the sea surface with a slot with a slot width which is slightly larger than a width of the barge, wherein the slot extends along the entire longitudinal extent of the retracted barge over the entire height of the hull. The jack-up platform is self-floating.

After the jack-up platform has been deployed, the support legs are lowered until they are placed on the seabed. However, this step can also be done later.

The barge is retracted into the slot of the jack-up platform, the support legs can be lowered before or after. The holding means on the barge and on the slot cooperate and the jack-up platform is lifted out of the water with the barge. A conventional jacking system, which is arranged on the jacking platform's support legs, is used for lifting.

The method according to the invention makes it possible to move the jack-up platform to location and to refrain from ballasting the jack-up platform on location. The jack-up platform does not need to be lowered further into the sea. The barge can drive into the jack-up platform brought to the location; A new ballasting is also not necessary, but the jack-up platform can be lifted out of the sea immediately with the barge retracted using the lifting system of the support legs.

When entering the slot, the barge preferably forms a clear distance from the sea floor over its entire longitudinal extent of its underwater surface. The barge therefore does not drive over a floor or a deck, in particular not a main loading deck, the jack-up platform, but rather it moves into a slot which is designed in the form of a recess that is largely completely open towards the seabed, so that the barge with its entire underwater area has a clear distance to the sea floor.

The invention is described in thirteen figures using exemplary embodiments:

1 shows an installation arrangement according to the invention in a first perspective view,

2 shows the installation arrangement according to the invention in a second perspective view,

3 shows the installation arrangement in a third perspective view, 4 shows the installation arrangement of FIG. 1 in a top view without a barge,

5 shows a jack-up platform of the installation arrangement in a rear perspective view,

6 is a perspective top view of the jack-up platform without the barge,

7 is a top view of the jack-up platform with barge,

8 is a sectional view of the installation arrangement perpendicular to the slot;

9a to 9e show a method according to the invention for setting up the installation arrangement in FIG. 1

The installation arrangement according to the invention shown in the figures comprises a jack-up platform 1 and a barge 2. The jack-up platform 1 is designed to be self-floating and can also be self-propelled. The jack-up platform 1 has a bow 3 and a stern section 4 which is slotted. The concept of a slot 6 is to be understood here as a recess in the rear section 4 in a longitudinal direction L of the jack-up platform 1, which corresponds to the usual direction of travel, the slot 6 having a width Bs of approximately half a width BH of the jack-up platform 1 along the respective cross section may have.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the slot 6 has a width Bs of 32.2 m and a length Ls of 100 m in the embodiment according to FIG. The jack-up platform 1 itself can have a length LH of 160 m and a width BH of 60 m, but these are only exemplary dimensions.

The slot 6 extends along the longitudinal direction L, preferably along the entire longitudinal extent of the fully retracted barge 2 over an entire height Hs of a hull 7. In particular, the hull 7 does not have a main loading deck in the area of the stern section 4 and the slot 6. The slot 6 forms two lateral legs 7a, 7b in the fuselage 7, the stern section 4 of the jack-up platform 1 is therefore essentially U-shaped in a plan view, and the U-legs 7a, 7b extend over their entire length and over their entire length Height a clear distance from each other.

The jack-up platform 1 in FIG. 1 comprises four recesses through which four support legs 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d are guided. Each of the support legs 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d is provided with a lifting mechanism which allows the support legs 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d to be pushed through the recess in the jack-up platform 1 lowering to the sea floor and also lifting the hull 7 of the jack-up platform 1 out of the water along the support legs 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d which are arranged parallel to one another and standing vertically on the seabed, so that the hull 7 no longer makes contact in a raised position to a sea surface 17 has.

The jack-up platform 2 comprises a slewing crane 8, which is locked in place on the raised support legs 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d during transport of the jack-up platform 1 from the port to enable safe and motion-free transport. The jack-up platform 1 can have a helicopter landing pad 11, a control bridge 12, etc. The bow 3 of the jack-up platform

1 is formed continuously along the width BH in each cross section. A deck on which components can also be transported is provided between the two bow-side support legs 9a, 9b. In particular, a barge 2 has moved into the slot 6 according to FIG. 1. The barge 2 rests in a raised position with lateral projections running in the longitudinal direction L on brackets 13a, 13b arranged on the inside of the U-legs 7a, 7b. The jack-up platform 1 is thus lifted out of the sea together with the barge 2 when the installation arrangement is lifted.

FIG. 2 shows the jack-up platform in FIG. 1 in a slightly more lateral view, so that the consoles 13, a, 13b between barge 2 and slot 6 can be seen. On the inside of the inner walls of the legs 7a, 7b, the brackets 13a, 13b are arranged on the slot 6 and extend over almost the entire longitudinal extent of the slot 7 along each of the two legs 7a, 7b.

The jack-up platform 1 is designed in such a way that when the support legs 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d are raised, as in Fig. 2, with and without the barge 2 retracted into the slot 6, it floats independently on the surface of the sea and, by means of a drive (not shown), also self-propelled on location can be brought. The slot-side retaining means designed as consoles 13a, 13b are arranged at such a height relative to sea level and on the legs 7a, 7b that a barge 2 assigned to jack-up platform 1 and constructed on jack-up platform 1, which is already in the slot in FIG 6 is retracted, has lateral projections 16a, 16b at a height H such that the lateral projections 16a, 16b of the loaded barge

2 are arranged above the consoles 13a, 13b, ie are arranged at a higher distance from the seabed than the consoles 13, 13b of the jack-up platform, so that the barge with its lateral projections 16a, 16b over the consoles 13a, 13b into the slot 6 of Jack-up platform 1 can move in or can be pulled into it. A bow-side section of an outer circumferential shape of the barge 2 corresponds to the inner circumferential shape of the slot 7, the outer shape of the barge 2 is designed so that it has a width BB and a length LB is slightly smaller than the clear width Bs of the slot 7 and is also designed as the clear length Ls of the slot 7, so that it can be completely received in the slot 6 as shown in FIG.

Fig. 3 shows the installation arrangement in a bow-side lateral view, the jack-up platform 1 has the control bridge 12 on the bow 3, from which the jack-up platform 1 can be controlled. The slewing crane 8 is retracted in FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 shows the jack-up platform of FIGS. 1 to 3 in a top view. The slot 6 of the jack-up platform 1 extends in the longitudinal direction L over at least 50%, preferably at least 60%, particularly preferably at least 70% or 80% of the longitudinal extent of the jack-up platform 1. The slot 6 has the constant width Bs over almost its entire longitudinal extent, which is about half the width BH of the jack-up platform. However, the width can also make up at least 40% or at least 60% of the width BH of jack-up platform 1 in stern section 4. The consoles 13a, 13b run along the inner sides of the U-legs 17a, 17b of the slot 6. They have a length which is approximately half, preferably at least 60%, preferably at least 70%, preferably at least 80% of the length Ls of the slot 6 corresponds.

FIG. 5 shows the jack-up platform 1 in FIG. 2 without the slewing crane 8 in a rear view which shows the consoles 13a, 13b somewhat more clearly.

In FIG. 6, jack-up platform 1 is shown in a top view from a rear perspective, in which the two consoles 13a, 13b and the U-shaped configuration of rear section 4 of jack-up platform 1 can also be seen.

FIG. 7 shows a top view of jack-up platform 1 in FIG. 2 with the barge 2 retracted. In principle, the term barge 2 is to be interpreted broadly; it can be a self-propelled or non-self-propelled ship, preferably with an essentially level main loading deck, on which very heavy components can also be transported.

FIG. 8 shows a possible form of the design of the holding means 13a, 13b, 7a, 7b in a basic design in a sectional view. The two legs 7a, 7b in the rear section 4 of jack-up platform 1 are arranged laterally. At the end of the legs 7a, 7b on the seabed side, one of the brackets 13a, 13b is arranged, which protrude on the inside into the clear distance between the legs 7a, 7b. The console 13a, 13b is intended that a barge 2 with lateral projections 16a, 16b on the consoles 13a, 13b in the retracted State rests when the jack-up platform 1 is lifted out of the sea by its support legs 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d.

8 shows the installation arrangement without the support legs 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d in a raised state of the jack-up platform 1 and the barge 2 above the sea surface 17.

In FIGS. 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d, 9e, a method for setting up an installation arrangement of FIGS. 1 to 8 is shown. The installation arrangement comprises jack-up platform 1 and barge 2.

First, jack-up platform 1 is brought to the location according to FIG. 9a. The jack-up platform 1 can be self-propelled and without another tractor or the like. move to location yourself.

The barge 2 shown in FIG. 9b is usually loaded with components which are intended for a technical installation to be erected on site, such as a wind power installation, a transformer platform or an oil platform or components thereof. In FIG. 9b, however, the main loading deck of the barge 2 is empty. The barge 2 is moved vertically into the slot 6 from the rear direction. In FIG. 9 b, the bow 3 of the barge 2 has already moved somewhat into the slot 6 of the jack-up platform 1. The slewing crane 8 is in the locked state.

In a third process step, the barge 2 is already completely retracted into the slot 6 of the jack-up platform 1 and, what FIG. 9c does not show, is arranged with its lateral projections 16a, 16b above the consoles 13a, 13b of the jack-up platform 1. If the barge 2 is so heavily loaded that it is too deep in the water and its lateral projections 16a, 16b are not arranged above the consoles 13a, 13b before entering the slot 6, there is the possibility of ballasting. The jack-up platform 1 has chambers which can be flooded with sea water, so that the jack-up platform 1 sinks in the sea relative to the sea surface 17. The jack-up platform 1 is lowered so far that its consoles 13a, 13b are arranged below the lateral projections 16a, 16b of the barge 2, so that the barge 2 can be pulled into the slot 6. Ropes or other pulling mechanisms can be provided for this, which are not shown in the figures. in Fig. 9d, the support legs 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d are lowered to the seabed, and each of their feet is in contact with the seabed. Jack-up platform 1 is now lifted out of the sea with the lifting mechanism, a jacking system. 9e shows the jack-up platform in the raised position. The four support legs 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d can each be moved individually relative to the body 7 of the jack-up platform 1. A lifting mechanism in the form of a jacking system or similar is required for this. intended. First, the support legs 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d are lowered onto the sea floor until each of the support legs 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d is in contact with the sea floor. In principle, this lowering of the support legs 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d onto the sea floor can also take place before the barge 2 is inserted into the slot 6.

After the lowering of the support legs 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d onto the sea floor, the support legs 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d are arranged perpendicular to the sea floor and are arranged parallel to one another. The lifting system makes it possible to lift the hull 7 of the jack-up platform 1 together with the barge 2 resting on the consoles 13a, 13b out of the sea, so that both the barge 2 and the hull 7 of the jack-up platform 1 no longer have any contact with the Have sea surface 17. The raised state is shown in FIG. 9d.

List of reference symbols

1 jack-up platform

2 barge

3 bug

4 stern section

6 slot

7a leg

7b leg

8 slewing crane

9a support leg

9b support leg

9c support leg

9d support leg

11 helipad

12 control bridge

13a console

13b console

16a lateral projection

16b lateral projection

17 sea surface

B width

B _B Width of the barge

W _H Width of jack-up platform

Bs width of the slot

H height

Hs height of the slot

L lengthwise

L _B Length of the barge

L _H Length of jack-up platform

Ls length of the slot

Claims

1. Installation arrangement with a barge (2) and

a jack-up platform (1) floating at sea in a first position with a hull (7) slotted vertically to a sea surface (17) with a slot width which is greater than a width (BB) of the barge (2), so that the barge (2) can move into a slot (6), the jack-up platform (1) having support legs (9a, 9b, 9c, 9d) which can be moved back and forth along a height (H) relative to the fuselage (7) and open can be placed on the seabed and the hull (7) together with the retracted barge (2) can be lifted out of the water into a raised position by means of a lifting mechanism along the support legs (9a, 9b, 9c, 9d) placed on the seabed, characterized in that that the slot (6) extends along the entire length of the retracted barge (2) over the entire height (H) of the fuselage (7) and that holding means (13a, 13b) on the barge (2) and the slot (6) are arranged, the cooperation and the barge (2) in the

Hold the raised position firmly on the jack-up platform (1).

2. Installation arrangement according to claim 1,

characterized in that the slot (6) extends along at least 30% of its longitudinal extent over the entire height of the fuselage (7).

3. Installation arrangement according to claim 2,

characterized in that the slot (6) extends along at least 50% of its longitudinal extent over the entire height of the fuselage (7)

4. Installation arrangement according to claim 3,

characterized in that the slot (6) extends along at least 90% of its longitudinal extent over the entire height of the fuselage (7)

5. Installation arrangement according to claim 1,

characterized in that at least one of the support legs (9a, 9b, 9c, 9d) is arranged on the bow side of the slot (6).

6. Installation arrangement according to claim 1,

characterized in that a slewing crane (8) is arranged on the jack-up platform (1).

7. Installation arrangement according to claim 1,

characterized in that lateral, opposite inner walls of the slot (6) each have at least one bracket on which the barge (2) rests in the raised position.

8. Installation arrangement according to claim 1,

characterized in that the jack-up platform (1) has no main loading deck.

9. Installation arrangement according to claim 1,

characterized in that the slot (6) separates the body (7) along the slot (6) into two legs (7a, 7b) which are completely spaced apart from one another at a clear distance.

10. Method for building an installation arrangement with a barge (2) and a jack-up platform (1) by

the jack-up platform (1) with a hull (7) slotted vertically to a sea surface (17) with a slot (6) with a slot width which is greater than a width (BB) of the barge (2), the slot (6 ) extends along the entire length of the retracted barge (2) over the entire height (H) of the hull (7), is brought to the location in a self-floating manner,

Support legs (9a, 9b, 9c, 9d) are moved down to the sea floor and touch down on the sea floor,

the barge (2) moves into the slot (6) of the jack-up platform (1)

and holding means (13a, 13b) on the barge (2) and the slot (6) cooperate and the jack-up platform (1) with the barge (2) is lifted out of the water.

11. The method according to claim 10,

characterized in that the barge (2) when entering the slot (6) constantly forms a clear distance to the sea floor over the entire longitudinal extent of its underwater surface.