KR20240057051A - Thruster arrangement structure for WTIV hull form and Method for controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

According to one aspect of the present invention, in the thruster arrangement structure of the offshore wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV): bow propulsion having three thrusters disposed at the bow outside the jack-up leg (15) in the WTIV hull (10) absence (20); A stern propulsion member (30) having four thrusters disposed at the stern outside the jack-up leg (15) in the WTIV hull (10); And a controller 40 that controls the bow propulsion member 20 and the stern propulsion member 30 in response to the operation mode of the WTIV hull 10.
Accordingly, in the offshore wind power generator installation line, the thrusters are placed in the outer area of the jack-up leg and interference of thrust between thrusters is prevented, thereby increasing propulsion efficiency and saving energy.

Description

WTIV hull form and method for controlling the same {Thruster arrangement structure for WTIV hull form and Method for controlling the same}

The present invention relates to the thruster arrangement and control of the WTIV vessel, and more specifically, to the thruster arrangement structure and control method of the WTIV vessel suitable for the three operation modes of the offshore wind turbine installation vessel.

Wind Turbine Installation Vessel (WTIV) loads materials (support structures or generators) required for the construction of an offshore wind farm at an onshore port onto the ship's deck and makes frequent round trips between onshore and offshore wind farms. Therefore, while navigation is possible, DP (Dynamic Positioning) operation to the desired location must be possible until jacking is completed at the location for installation. It is important to design a thruster capable of frequent operation and DP to meet the purpose of WTIV.

In this regard, Korean Patent Publication No. 2009-0099367 (Priority Document 1) and Korean Patent Publication No. 2021-0130565 (Priority Document 2) are known as prior art documents that can be referred to.

Prior Document 1 is a floating structure that can be operated and moored at sea and has a plurality of propulsion devices rotatably attached to the bottom of the stern side. When operating, they are arranged at an angle diagonally to each other on the bottom of the stern side of the floating structure. It includes multiple propulsion devices that do not interfere with each other. Accordingly, the effect of reducing costs and simplifying control is expected by reducing the number of installed propulsion devices.

Prior Document 2 is a device that can be operated and moored at sea and controls heading angle and propulsion with a plurality of propulsion devices rotatably attached to the bottom of the stern, and the plurality of propulsion devices are identical from the central axis of the turret inside the stern. It includes a pair of thrusters placed a distance apart. Accordingly, the effect of preventing tilt in the direction of progress and equalizing the mathematical model of control is expected.

However, according to the above-mentioned prior literature, due to insufficient consideration of the WTIV linearity, there is a risk of interference operation when the number of thrusters increases.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2009-0099367 “Floating structure equipped with a propulsion device for propulsion and heading angle control and… control method” (Publication date: 2009.09.22.) Korean Patent Publication No. 2021-0130565 “Heading angle and propulsion control device and method for floating marine plant” (Publication date: 2021.11.01.)

The purpose of the present invention to improve the above-described conventional problems is to place the thrusters in the outer area of the jack-up leg in the offshore wind power generator installation line and to place the thrusters in the WTIV line to prevent interference of thrust between the thrusters. The goal is to provide a structure and its control method.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, in the thruster arrangement structure of the offshore wind turbine installation ship: a bow propulsion member having three thrusters disposed at the bow outside the jack-up leg in the WTIV hull; A stern propulsion member having four thrusters disposed at the stern outside the jack-up leg in the WTIV hull; And a controller that controls the bow propulsion member and the stern propulsion member in response to the operation mode of the WTIV hull.

According to the detailed configuration of the present invention, the bow propulsion member is characterized in that a tunnel-type structure is applied to the first thruster and a retractable azimuth structure is applied to the second thruster and the third thruster.

According to the detailed configuration of the present invention, the stern propulsion member is characterized by applying an azimuth structure to the fourth thruster, fifth thruster, sixth thruster, and seventh thruster.

According to another aspect of the present invention, in the method of controlling a thruster based on the controller of claim 1: the controller operates by selectively lowering the second thruster and the third thruster in the port operation mode, and operates the second thruster and the third thruster in the sailing operation mode. The second and third thrusters are raised and standby, and all seven thrusters are operated in DP operation mode.

According to the detailed configuration of the present invention, in the case of a left turn, the controller operates by increasing step by step from the leftmost thruster in the stern propulsion member to the right, and in the case of a right turn, the controller operates step by step from the rightmost thruster in the stern propulsion member to the left. It is characterized in that it operates while increasing one by one.

As described above, according to the present invention, the thruster is placed in the outer area of the jack-up leg in the offshore wind power generator installation line and interference of thrust between thrusters is prevented, thereby increasing propulsion efficiency and saving energy.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of WTIV to which the structure according to the present invention is applied.
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the main parts of the structure according to the present invention
Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the method according to the present invention

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the attached drawings.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a thruster arrangement structure for an offshore wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) is proposed. The target is the alignment of the WTIV hull (10), which transports and installs related materials between land ports and offshore wind farms, but is not necessarily limited to this. The WTIV hull (10) is equipped with four jack-up legs (15) to secure its position on the sea floor.

The bow propulsion member 20 according to the present invention has a structure including three thrusters disposed at the bow outside the jack-up leg 15 of the WTIV hull 10.

Referring to Figure 1, the first thruster (21), second thruster (22), and third thruster (23) constituting the stern propulsion member (30) are shown. The first thruster (21) in the center, the second thruster (22) on the port side, and the third thruster (23) on the starboard side are all arranged toward the bow outside the jack-up leg area. The jack-up leg area is defined as a minimal rectangular area containing four jack-up legs (15). In the case of a conventional barge-linear WTIV, the thruster is placed inside the jack-up leg area, so interference between thrust forces is likely to occur.

According to the detailed configuration of the present invention, the bow propulsion member 20 applies a tunnel-type structure to the first thruster 21 and is retractable to the second thruster 22 and the third thruster 23. It is characterized by applying an azimuth structure.

Referring to Figure 2(a)(b), the structures of the first thruster 21, the second thruster 22, and the third thruster 23 are shown. The first thruster (21) lacks space inside the hull due to the bow structure to reduce propulsion resistance, so a tunnel structure is preferred over a retractable structure. The first thruster 21 contributes to heading control by generating left and right thrust. The second thruster (22) and third thruster (23) have a retractable structure capable of moving up and down to reduce navigation resistance, and contribute to heading control by generating left and right thrust when raised.

When the first thruster (21) fails, the second thruster (22) and third thruster (23) take over the role of the first thruster (21). In addition, when a sharp turn is required during navigation, the second thruster (22) and third thruster (23) are lowered to act as resistance to add a braking function, and at the same time, the rotational force is increased by adding thruster thrust in the direction of rotation. It is possible to respond to emergency situations. It is advisable to use this driving mode in emergency situations rather than in normal driving situations.

In addition, according to the present invention, the stern propulsion member 30 is structured to include four thrusters disposed at the stern outside the jack-up leg 15 in the WTIV hull 10.

In Figure 1, the fourth thruster (31), the fifth thruster (32), the sixth thruster (33), and the seventh thruster (34) constituting the stern propulsion member (30) are shown. The fifth thruster (32) and the sixth thruster (33) are disposed between the fourth thruster (31) of the first thruster (21) on the port side and the seventh thruster (34) on the starboard side. The fifth thruster (32) and sixth thruster (33) are spaced apart from the fourth thruster (31) and seventh thruster (34) toward the stern. Like the bow propulsion member 20, the thrusters of the stern propulsion member 30 are all arranged from the outside of the jack-up leg area toward the stern. If the thruster is placed inside the rectangular area of the jack-up leg 15, energy consumption increases due to reduced propulsion efficiency due to interference.

According to the detailed configuration of the present invention, the stern propulsion member 30 is azimuth to the fourth thruster (31), the fifth thruster (32), the sixth thruster (33), and the seventh thruster (34). It is characterized by applying a structure.

Referring to FIG. 2(c), the fourth thruster 31, the fifth thruster 32, the sixth thruster 33, and the seventh thruster 34 form an azimuth structure. The four stern thrusters are used in all operating modes. The four thrusters at the stern are placed higher than the bottom of the hull to minimize resistance that may occur due to the thrusters protruding below the bottom. The thruster of the azimuth structure can rotate 360°, but the actual rotation angles of the 4th thruster (31), 5th thruster (32), 6th thruster (33), and 7th thruster (34) are differentiated. possible.

In addition, according to the present invention, the controller 40 controls the bow propulsion member 20 and the stern propulsion member 30 in response to the operation mode of the WTIV hull 10.

In Figure 1, the controller 40 is mounted on the WTIV hull 10 and is connected to the bow propulsion member 20, the stern propulsion member 30, etc. The controller 40 is based on a microcomputer circuit equipped with a microprocessor, memory, and input/output interface. Operation modes can be roughly divided into port operation mode, navigation operation mode, and DP operation mode. Port operation mode is used when departing from land to an offshore wind farm or, conversely, entering port. The sailing operation mode is used during round trips from the port to a specific point in the offshore wind farm. DP operation mode is used in the process of installing a wind structure or generator at a specific point in an offshore wind farm.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a thruster based on the controller of claim 1 is proposed. The above-described WTIV hull 10, bow propulsion member 20, stern propulsion member 30, and controller 40 maintain the same identity.

The controller 40 operates by selectively lowering the second thruster 22 and the third thruster 23 in the port operation mode, and operates the second thruster 22 and the third thruster (23) in the sailing operation mode. 23) is raised to standby, and all seven thrusters are operated in DP operation mode.

In port operation mode, four thrusters, including the first thruster (21) and the stern propulsion member (30), are used as standard, but if additional thrust for heading control is required, the second thruster (22) and the third thruster are used. Operate the studs (23) individually or simultaneously. The second thruster 22 and the third thruster 23 can be operated even in an elevated state. In the sailing operation mode, since safety is secured by being separated from the port, only the four thrusts of the stern propulsion member (30) are operated to operate at maximum speed. Since the second thruster 22 and the third thruster 23 do not protrude in an elevated state, they contribute to increasing energy efficiency by reducing propulsion resistance. In DP operation mode, all seven thrusters are used because high thrust is required at low speed to prepare for jacking. A 360° rotation can be implemented with the second thruster (22) and third thruster (23) also lowered.

Meanwhile, the algorithm corresponding to the three operation modes of the controller 40 is not limited to this and can be temporarily changed by a manager's manual input (interrupt). For example, if there is a high risk of collision near a port and special driving caution is required, the DP driving mode can be used.

According to the detailed configuration of the present invention, the controller 40 operates by gradually increasing the thruster from the leftmost thruster in the stern propulsion member 30 to the right in the case of a left turn, and in the case of a right turn, the controller 40 operates in a stepwise manner in the stern propulsion member 30. It is characterized in that it operates by increasing step by step from the rightmost thruster to the left.

Referring to FIG. 3, four types of left turn heading control states of the WTIV hull 10 are shown. There are 15 types of thruster operation that allow downward rotation of the stern propulsion member 30, but it is desirable to simplify the algorithm to 4. In Figure 3(a), when only one thruster is needed, only the fourth thruster (31) among the four types is operated. In Figure 3(b), when two thrusters are needed, only the fourth thruster (31) and the fifth thruster (32) are operated. In Figure 3(c), if three thrusters are needed, the fourth thruster (31), fifth thruster (32), and sixth thruster (33) are operated. In Figure 3(d), all four thrusters are operational when needed. Although not shown, right turn heading control of the WTIV hull 10 is also implemented in four types in the same manner.

In the process of controlling the heading of the WTIV hull (10) with the azimuth structure stern propulsion member (30), if only two thrusters are required and an angle of 15° must be maintained to obtain maximum rotational force, all four thrusters are required. If necessary, the same rotational force can be obtained by maintaining an angle of 5 degrees.

On the other hand, when there is only the first thruster (21) when controlling the rapid heading of the WTIV hull (10), it takes time to switch the thrust between left and right, or a greater force is required to reverse the power already used. There is unnecessary energy consumption. When right thrust is urgently needed while left thrust is being generated, energy consumption can be reduced by having the second thruster (22) and third thruster (23). For example, if right thrust is urgently needed while the first thruster (21) is generating left thrust, the operation of the first thruster can be stopped and right thrust can be supplied to the third thruster (23).

The present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, it should be said that such variations or modifications fall within the scope of the patent claims of the present invention.

10: WTIV hull 15: Jack-up leg
20: bow propulsion member 21: first thruster
22: 2nd thruster 23: 3rd thruster
30: Stern propulsion member 31: 4th thruster
32: 5th thruster 33: 6th thruster
34: 7th thruster 40: Controller

Claims (5)

In the thruster arrangement structure of the offshore wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV):
A bow propulsion member (20) having three thrusters disposed at the bow outside the jack-up leg (15) in the WTIV hull (10);
A stern propulsion member (30) having four thrusters disposed at the stern outside the jack-up leg (15) in the WTIV hull (10); and
A thruster arrangement structure of a WTIV ship, characterized in that it includes a controller (40) that controls the bow propulsion member (20) and the stern propulsion member (30) in response to the operation mode of the WTIV hull (10). In claim 1,
The bow propulsion member 20 is characterized by applying a tunnel-type structure to the first thruster 21 and a retractable azimuth structure to the second thruster 22 and the third thruster 23. WTIV linear thruster arrangement structure. In claim 1,
The stern propulsion member (30) is characterized in that an azimuth structure is applied to the fourth thruster (31), the fifth thruster (32), the sixth thruster (33), and the seventh thruster (34). WTIV linear thruster arrangement structure. In the method of controlling a thruster based on the controller of claim 1:
The controller 40 operates by selectively lowering the second thruster 22 and the third thruster 23 in the port operation mode, and operates the second thruster 22 and the third thruster (23) in the sailing operation mode. 23) WTIV linear thruster control method characterized by raising and standing by and operating all seven thrusters in DP operation mode. In claim 4,
In case of a left turn, the controller 40 operates by increasing step by step from the leftmost thruster in the stern propulsion member 30 to the right, and in the case of a right turn, from the rightmost thruster in the stern propulsion member 30 to the left. WTIV linear thruster control method, characterized in that it operates while increasing step by step.

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