The present invention relates to a coupling system to be temporarily coupled to at least one of a jacket pile and a foundation pile, comprising an upper fixation member, a lower fixation member and a lifting device for moving the upper and lower fixation members with respect to each other.
Such a coupling system, which is also called a reusable jacket pile gripper, is known from EP 2 716 818 and can be used for installing offshore structures in the sea, such as offshore wind turbines. Such an offshore structure is anchored to the seabed by means of a jacket including tubular jacket piles which are inserted into tubular foundation piles and fastened thereto. Usually three or four foundation piles are rammed into the seabed and the jacket with its tubular jacket piles is lowered onto the foundation piles by means of an appropriate lifting apparatus. After being introduced into the seabed, the foundation piles may protrude from the seabed at different distances and orientations due to inaccuracies in the installation, which may require levelling of the jacket upon installing the jacket onto the foundation piles. A plurality of the known coupling systems can be used as correcting devices for levelling a jacket with respect to the pre-installed foundation piles. Upper fixation members of the coupling systems are temporarily fixed to the respective jacket piles and lower fixation members of the coupling systems are temporarily fixed to corresponding foundation piles. The upper and lower fixation members can be moved with respect to each other by the lifting device so as to level the jacket. After levelling, the jacket is permanently attached to the foundation piles by means of a grouting action, in which spaces between the jacket piles and the foundation piles are filled with a grouting material.
A coupling system includes at least one of a grout transfer line for guiding grout from a grout supply to a space between a jacket pile and a foundation pile upon installing the jacket pile to the foundation pile, and a cleaning device for cleaning the inner and/or outer side of a foundation pile, and a separating device for separating a jacket pile from a foundation pile upon de-installing the jacket pile with respect to the foundation pile, and a measurement device for determining parameters of a jacket pile and/or a foundation pile. Since the fixation members can be temporarily fixed to the jacket piles and the foundation piles, the coupling system is reusable.
When the grout transfer line is part of the coupling system a grouting action can be performed relatively quickly since the grout transfer line is already at the desired location after the upper fixation member is fixed to a jacket pile and the lower fixation member is fixed to a corresponding foundation pile upon installing the jacket pile onto a pre-installed foundation pile.
The cleaning device may be configured to clean the inner and/or outer side of the foundation pile to provide improved adherence of the grout to the foundation pile. For example, the cleaning device may comprise one or more brushes. In case of the presence of both a grout transfer line and a cleaning device, for example, the coupling system provides a flexible and multi-purpose system. Because of the presence of the grout transfer line and/or the cleaning device at the coupling system separately lowering one or both of these items towards the seabed can be omitted, hence saving operating time.
The presence of a separating device in the coupling system provides the opportunity to use the coupling system for decommissioning a jacket, i.e. removing a jacket from its foundation piles at the end of its useful life.
The measurement device is configured to determine parameters of a jacket pile and/or a foundation pile, for example in case of inspection. Possible parameters to monitor during lifetime are marine growth on the jacket pile and/or foundation pile or material loss due to corrosion of the jacket pile and/or foundation pile.
In a practical embodiment the grout transfer line is located at one of the upper and lower fixation members. Upon installing a jacket onto foundation piles, a grouting tube can be connected to the grout transfer line before the upper fixation member is fixed to a jacket pile and lowered towards the seabed.
The grout transfer line may have a discharge opening which is located between the upper and lower fixation members such that the discharge opening is located at a transfer between a jacket pile and a foundation pile when the upper fixation member is fixed to a jacket pile and the lower fixation member is fixed to a foundation pile.
The separating device may comprise a cutting device for cutting at least one of a jacket pile and a foundation pile upon de-installing the jacket pile with respect to the foundation pile. Numerous alternative separating devices are conceivable.
In a practical embodiment the cutting device may be mounted to at least one of the upper and lower fixation members.
The cutting device may be rotatable with respect to the fixation members about an axis of rotation which is directed upwardly when the fixation members are located above each other. This provides the opportunity to guide the cutting device about a jacket pile and/or a foundation pile during cutting the jacket pile and/or the foundation pile.
In a particular embodiment one of the upper and lower fixation members comprises a circular guide along which the cutting device is drivable.
In a preferred embodiment the cutting device is located between the upper and lower fixation members, since the lifting device can move the upper and lower fixation members away from each other when they are fixed to the jacket pile and/or the foundation pile so as to reduce stress at the intended location of cutting, hence facilitating a cutting action.
In a preferred embodiment a lower side of the coupling system is provided with a tubular tapered element, which widens in a direction from the upper to the lower fixation member. This facilitates guiding of the coupling system onto the foundation pile when the coupling system is already coupled to the jacket pile and the jacket pile including the coupling system are directed towards the foundation pile in order to fit the jacket pile to the foundation pile.
The upper and lower fixation members may comprise respective grippers for clamping a jacket pile and a foundation pile, respectively.
In a particular embodiment each of the grippers has gripper arms and a pivot for rotating the gripper arms with respect to each other, wherein each of the grippers has a closed condition in which its gripper arms form a ring-shape and an open condition in which the gripper arms are moved outwardly with respect to each other.
At least one of the grout transfer line, the cleaning device, the separating device and the measurement device may be removably coupled to at least one of the upper and lower fixation members. This appears to be advantageous, since in case of installing a jacket, for example, the separating device is not necessary and in case of decommissioning a jacket, the grouting line is not necessary.
The invention is also related to an assembly of a vessel and a coupling system, wherein the coupling system has a gripper and the vessel comprises a hull and a holding cylinder which is mounted to the hull, wherein the gripper and the holding cylinder are adapted such that the gripper fits about the holding cylinder. The assembly provides the possibility for quickly and safely sea fastening the coupling system to the vessel.
More specifically the coupling system may be the coupling system as described hereinbefore, whereas the gripper is one of the upper and lower grippers.
The invention is also related to an assembly of a coupling system as described hereinbefore, a jacket pile and a foundation pile.
Aspects of the invention will hereafter be elucidated with reference to very schematic drawings showing embodiments of the invention by way of example.
Installation of the jacket 1 onto the foundation piles 2 can be easily performed by means of a number of coupling systems 6. An embodiment of one coupling system 6 is shown in
Similarly, the lower fixation member is formed by a lower gripper 11 which is also provided with gripper arms, a pivot, a lock and hydraulic cylinders. In an open condition of the lower gripper 11 its gripper arms can receive one of the foundation piles 2. In a closed condition of the lower gripper 11 its gripper arms form a ring-shape and can surround the foundation piles 2, whereas the lower gripper 11 can be temporarily fixed to one of the foundation piles 2 by activating its hydraulic cylinders.
The lock 9 allows the hydraulic cylinders to exert a clamping force onto the jacket feet 4 and the foundation pile 2 without opening the upper and lower grippers 7, 11, and also prevents the gripper arms 7a, 7b from automatic opening upon unexpected loss of hydraulic pressure loss in the hydraulic cylinders 10. This means that the coupling system 6 will not immediately sink to the seabed in case of emergency.
The functioning of the upper and lower grippers 7, 11 upon installing the jacket 1 to the foundation piles 2 is illustrated in
Each of the coupling systems 6 also comprises a lifting system in the form of upwardly directed hydraulic cylinders 12 for moving the upper and lower grippers 7, 11 with respect to each other in vertical direction. This provides the opportunity to adjust the height and orientation of the jacket 1 after the jacket feet 4 and the respective foundation piles 2 are mutually coupled with the coupling systems 6.
After levelling the jacket 1 the jacket feet 4 can be fixed to the foundation piles by inserting grout 13 in the existing space between the respective jacket feet 4 and foundation piles 2. For this reason the lower gripper 11 of the coupling system 6 is provided with a grout transfer line 14 for guiding grout 13 to that space. The grout transfer line 14 has a discharge opening 15 which is located between the upper and lower grippers 10, 11 and directed downwardly. The grout transfer line 14 is connected to a grouting tube 16 which extends from the lower gripper 11 in upward direction to a vessel (not shown) from which the grout 13 is supplied. Such a grouting action is illustrated in
After the grout 13 has been cured the gripper arms 7a, 7b of the upper gripper 7 and the gripper arms of the lower gripper 11 are moved outwardly with respect to each other such that the upper and lower grippers 10, 11 are in their open positions. Subsequently, the coupling systems 6 are moved away in lateral direction from the respective jacket feet 4 and foundation piles 2 to decouple the coupling system 6 therefrom.
It is also possible to fix the coupling system 6 at lower positions, for example at locations where the upper grippers 7 are also fixed to the foundation piles 2. This is illustrated in
A cutting action can be facilitated by moving the upper and lower grippers 7, 11 away from each other by the hydraulic cylinders 12 when they are fixed to the jacket feet 4 and/or the foundation piles 2 such that stress at the intended location of cutting is minimized.
The embodiments as shown in
The invention is not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings and described hereinbefore, which may be varied in different manners within the scope of the claims and their technical equivalents.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2020037 | Dec 2017 | NL | national |
The present application is a national stage of and claims priority of International patent application Serial No. PCT/NL2018/050800, filed Nov. 28, 2018, and published as English as WO 2019/112421.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/NL2018/050800 | 11/28/2018 | WO | 00 |