WO2012034710A2

WO2012034710A2 - Method and apparatus for producing a piledriving arrangement on the seabed or ocean floor

Info

Publication number: WO2012034710A2
Application number: PCT/EP2011/004665
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ingo De Buhr
Original assignee: N.Prior Energy Gmbh
Priority date: 2010-09-17
Filing date: 2011-09-16
Publication date: 2012-03-22
Also published as: WO2012034710A3; EP2431531A1

Abstract

For producing a piledriving arrangement on the seabed or ocean floor, the invention provides a jack-up unit (18) with a piledriving device (26) arranged on it for the piledriving of the piledriving arrangement (10). Also provided on the jack-up unit (18) itself is a bubble curtain device (28) for producing a bubble curtain during the piledriving of the piledriving arrangement (10) with the piledriving device (26).

Description

description

Method and device for producing a ramming arrangement on the sea or seabed

Background of the invention

The invention relates to a method for producing a ramming arrangement on the seabed or seabed by means of a jack-up unit (for example jack-up ship or jack-up platform) on which a pile driver for ramming ramming is arranged. Furthermore, the invention relates to an apparatus for producing a ramming arrangement at the sea or seabed with such a jack-up unit and the use of a bubble curtain device for producing a bubble curtain during such pile work. For the construction of facilities in the offshore area, it is known to produce foundations, which are rammed into the sea or seabed. For this purpose pile driving, such as the ramming of piles during which there are sound emissions in the water. In order to protect aquatic life, especially protected species such as harbor porpoises and seals, from strong sound emissions, bubble veils are created around the pile site. Such bubble veils are described for example in DE 10 2008 017 418 A1 and WO 2009/121336 A2. They reduce the transmission of sound in water through damping, scattering and absorption. The veil is generated by means of gas bubbles consisting of lines, e.g. Hoses or pipes exit. The ducts are routed around the source of the sound emission at the seabed or at a distance therefrom. The gas bubbles are extracted from the ambient air,

CONFIRMATION COPY which is pressed into the lines by means of technically suitable devices, eg compressors. The required work of laying the pipes, providing the compressors and their operation and the final recovery of the lines is carried out separately by means of adapted floating units (eg ships, pontoons). On these additional floating units in particular for this purpose, the lines (flexible

Tube solution, e.g. on drums) as well as compressors, winches, possibly cranes and the like. The ramming is carried out by a so-called jack-up unit.

This type of platform has legs, in particular pipe or scaffold legs, which can be moved vertically and thus placed on the seabed. The jack-up unit is usually moved by tugs or self-propelled to the job site and placed there as a so-called jack-up. Jack-Up units are designed to carry even very large loads over long distances, have special cranes and can; Jack-Up units are used to provide a stable connection between the seabed and the work platform by lowering the legs to the seabed and then lifting the working platform of the jack-up unit above the waterline. Jack-up units are used in particular for the erection of offshore structures, above all as a stable working platform for the defined execution of offshore structures.

Underlying task

The invention has for its object to provide a method and apparatus for producing a piling arrangement at the sea or seabed, which are cost-effective in connection with sound-minimizing measures compared to known approaches. Inventive solution

This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1, a device according to claim 4 and a use according to claim 7. Advantageous developments of the solution according to the invention are described in the dependent claims.

The method according to the invention for producing a ramming arrangement at the seabed or seabed comprises the steps of providing a jack-up unit with a rammer arranged thereon for ramming the ramming arrangement and providing a bubble veiling device on the jack-up unit during bubble blasting ramming the ram assembly with the rammer. The bubble curtain device is operated according to the invention of the jack-up unit. In particular, the pressure for the operation of the bubble curtain device is generated from the platform or on the platform.

Laying and / or recovering at least one conduit means of the bladder device is also preferably carried out from the jack-up unit. The laying and / or recovery can advantageously be carried out solely from the jack-up unit or with an additional floating unit. Meanwhile, according to the invention, the means for generating the pressure for the operation of the bubble curtain device are constantly on the jack-up unit and are operated therefrom.

The inventive device for manufacturing a ram assembly on the sea or ocean floor comprising a jack-up unit having thereon arrange ^¬ th Rammer for ramming the ram assembly and a Blasenschlei- he means for producing a bubble curtain during driving of the V

-4-

Rammanordnung with the rammer, wherein the bubble curtain device is arranged on the jack-up unit.

The bladder curtain device advantageously comprises at least one pressure generating means with which pressure for the operation of the bladder curtain device can be generated from the jack-up unit.

The particular advantage of the invention is u.a. is based in that in particular the operation of the pressure generating means of the jack-up unit is done and thus the pressure generating means is no longer exposed to the ships otherwise existing height fluctuations due to wave movements. The pressure generating means used hitherto are generally limited in their permissible acceleration values. This limitation can cause the pressure generating means to be switched off at high waves. Then the costly pile work must be interrupted, because the bubble curtain is then no longer in operation.

Due to the inventive operation of the pressure generating means on a parked on the sea or seabed unit piling work under defined conditions can also be performed at wave heights at which bubble veils that are operated by a floating unit can no longer be operated. As a result, interruptions can be avoided and thus the cost of pile driving can be significantly reduced.

In addition, the concomitant shortening of the pile time shortens the overall construction time required so that the intervention in nature is minimized.

Further, the pressure generating means thus set up on the jack-up unit can be co-supplied with the power supply of the jack-up unit and it requires no separate generation of drive energy for this. It Therefore, particularly inexpensive pressure generating means can be used.

In addition, the number of vehicles located in the respective construction field, in particular ships, is considerably minimized, which in turn saves costs and increases safety in the construction field.

The jack-up unit further preferably comprises at least one bubble curtain installation means, with which at least one conduit means of the bubble curtain device can be laid and / or salvaged from the jack-up unit.

The solution according to the invention is further characterized in that a bubble curtain means for producing a bubble curtain on a jack-up unit is used during the ramming of a ram assembly with a jack-up unit rammer.

With the solution according to the invention, it is possible that all work can be carried out by the jack-up unit carrying out the pile driving. For the supply of bubble bladder with compressed air, however, yet another floating unit is used, are mounted on the particular compressors for this purpose. Partly so far, another floating unit is necessary, from which then the other components of the bubble curtain, in particular its conduit, laid and recovered.

In contrast, according to the invention, one or more such additional floating units for installation, operation and deinstallation of the bubble curtain can be dispensed with. This eliminates the significant costs of providing such additional floating units in the offshore area. In the solution according to the invention is also advantageous that the number of units is reduced at the site. Thus, the safety and ease of shipping traffic can be increased during pile driving and also during the installation, operation and deinstallation of the bubble curtain.

In addition, eliminating the need for floating units, which usually have to be anchored at the place of use, eliminates the danger that existing lines in the construction field will be destroyed. This also results in an improvement in safety.

Brief description of the drawings

An exemplary embodiment of the solution according to the invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the attached schematic drawings. The figure shows a perspective view of an embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention for producing a ramming arrangement on the sea or seabed.

Detailed Description of the Embodiment Example

FIG. 1 shows a device 10 for producing a piling arrangement 12 on a seabed 14. Above the sea or seabed 14 is water 16. The apparatus 10 comprises a jack-up unit 18 which has been floating on the water 16 to a location 19 at which the pile assembly 12 is to be formed. Subsequently, the jack-up unit 18 has been lifted out of the water 16 next to the point 19 by means of legs 20 arranged thereon. In this way, the jack-up unit 18 has been brought into its working position, in which it is supported by means of the legs 20 on the seabed or seabed 14. On the jack-up unit 18 is a crane 24, with the loading and miners can be performed, and a crane 26 as a piling device, which is comparatively large and is provided for forming the ram assembly 12.

Further, a bubble curtain 28 is disposed on the jack-up unit 18. This bubble curtain device 28 comprises a pressure generating means 30 in the form of a plurality of compressed air compressors and a conduit means 32 in the form of a comparatively long tube in which holes are formed.

With the jack-up unit 18 prepared in this way, the conduit means 32 is initially scooped into the water 16 at the point provided for the ramming arrangement and deposited on the seabed or seabed 14 in the form of a ring around the ramming point. Depositing takes place with the crane 24 as bubble veil installation means, a comparable crane on the jack-up unit 18 or by means of a ship, which picks up and lowers the conduit means 32 to the jack-up unit 18 for this purpose. Subsequently, the bubble curtain 28 is operated from the jack-up unit by pumping air from the vicinity of the jack-up unit 18 into the conduit 32 under pressure by the pressure generating means 30.

At the same time the ram assembly 12 is formed by means of the crane 26. During this work, there are sound emissions in the water 16, which are attenuated, scattered and absorbed by means of the bubble curtain device 28 and the air bubbles exiting there from the conduit means 32.

After completion of the pile driving the conduit means 32 of the bladder device 28 by means of said ship or preferably by means of the crane 24 or a similar crane on the jack-up unit 18th obtained and stored on the jack-up unit 18. The jack-up unit 18 performs further work as needed or is again removed floating from the point 19 of the ram assembly 12. With the procedure, both the bubble curtain and the pile work can be performed with only a single jack-up unit 18, without the need for another floating unit for installation, operation and de-installation of the bubble curtain 28. Finally, it should be noted that all the features that are mentioned in the application documents and in particular in the dependent claims, in spite of the formal reference back to one or more specific claims, even individually or in any combination should receive independent protection.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10 Apparatus for producing a pile driver

12 piling arrangement

14 sea or ocean floor

16 water

18 Jack-Up Unit

19 position of the ram assembly

20 leg

22 superstructures

24 crane or bubble curtain installation agent

26 crane or piling device

28 bubble curtain device

30 pressure generating means

32 conduit means

Claims

claims

1 . Method for producing a ramming arrangement (10) on the lake or seabed, comprising the steps of:

Providing a jack-up unit (18) with a rammer (26) arranged thereon for ramming the ramming arrangement (10) and

Providing bubble bladder means (28) on said jack-up unit (18) for producing bladder fog during ramming of said piling assembly (12) with said piling means (26).

2. The method according to claim 1,

with the step of operating the bubble curtain means (28) from the jack-up unit (18).

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,

with the step of laying and / or recovering at least one line means (32) of the bubble curtain device (28) from the jack-up unit (18).

4. Device (10) for producing a piling arrangement (12) on the sea or seabed with

a jack-up unit (18) with a rammer (26) arranged thereon for ramming the ramming arrangement (12) and

bladder veil means (28) for producing a bladder veil during ramming of the piling assembly (12) with the piling means (26), the bladder veil means (28) being disposed on the jack-up unit (18).

5. Apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the bubble curtain means (28) comprises at least one pressure generating means (30), by means of which pressure can be generated from the jack-up unit (18) for the operation of the bubble curtain device (28).

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 or 5,

in which the jack-up unit (18) comprises at least one bubble curtain installation means (24) with which at least one conduit means (32) relocates the bubble curtain device (28) from the jack-up unit (18) and / or can be recovered.

Use of a bubble curtain means (28) for producing a bubble curtain on a jack-up unit (18) while ramming a pile driver (12) with a rammer (26) of the jack-up unit (18).