KR101864746B1 - Offshore structure - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is an offshore structure, having a spudcan for reducing an eccentric load due to an inclined surface of the seabed. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the offshore structure comprises: a main body; a leg installed to be moved in the vertical direction with respect to the main body so as to support the main body; and a spudcan disposed in a lower portion of the leg and fixed to the seabed. Moreover, the spudcan can absorb soil from one side of the seabed to discharge the same to the other side of the seabed.

Description

Offshore Structures {OFFSHORE STRUCTURE}

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an offshore structure, and more particularly, to an offshore structure having a spudcan capable of reducing an eccentric load due to inclination of the sea floor.

Typically, for drilling, a jack-up rig is moved to a defined area and then the leg is lowered to the seafloor using a jacking system so that the hull and the cantilever The cantilever part is lifted above the surface. In order to stably fix the leg to the sea floor, a spudcan is formed at the lowest part of the leg lowered to the sea floor.

When the spud can is brought into contact with the underside of the sea floor, the chord of the leg may be damaged due to the eccentric load caused by the inclination between the spud can and the sea bed. In case of severe buckling of the leg, can do. When an ocean structure sinks, the marine environment is polluted due to oil spills and gas spills as well as human life damage, and enormous cost and time are spent to restore the environment in the surrounding waters.

An object of the present invention is to provide an offshore structure having a spudcan capable of reducing an eccentric load due to an inclination angle with the sea floor.

The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems. Other technical subjects not mentioned will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description below.

An offshore structure according to an aspect of the present invention includes a main body; A leg which is installed to be movable in a vertical direction with respect to the main body and supports the main body; And a spud can provided at a lower end of the leg and fixed to the sea bed. The spud can is configured to suck the gravel from one side of the seabed and discharge the gravel to the other side of the seabed.

The spud can can smooth the seabed by sucking the gravel from the upper part of the inclined bottom and discharging it to the lower part of the inclined bottom.

The spud can includes: a housing provided at a lower end of the leg; And a dust suction / discharge unit which is installed in the housing and sucks the gravel on the upper side of the sloped bottom of the bottom of the housing and discharges the sucked gravel to the lower side of the sloped bottom through the other side of the lower surface of the housing, ; ≪ / RTI >

The soil suction / discharge unit includes a plurality of suction / discharge holes dispersedly disposed on a lower surface of the housing. A suction and discharge pipe connecting the plurality of suction and discharge holes; A valve formed in the suction / discharge pipe to open / close the suction / discharge pipe; And a pump which sucks the gravel of the seabed to one side of the suction / discharge pipe and discharges the gravel to the other side.

The gravel-suction / discharge unit may further include a spraying unit for spraying a fluid around the suction / discharge hole to crush the gravel-off gravel.

The spandan can further includes a plurality of skirt plates arranged along the periphery of the housing and provided to be able to be lifted up and down.

The skirt plate is provided in a telescopic structure, and the drawing length can be adjusted according to the undersurface topography.

A sensor unit installed in the housing to measure the shape of the sea floor; And a control unit for controlling the valve, the pump, and the plurality of skirt plates according to the undersurface topography measured by the sensor unit.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, an offshore structure having a spudcan capable of reducing an eccentric load due to an inclination angle with the sea floor is provided.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above. Unless stated, the effects will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description and the accompanying drawings.

1 is a side view schematically illustrating an offshore structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of part 'A' of FIG. 1 and is a perspective view of a spud can constituting an offshore structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view of a spud can constituting an offshore structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a bottom view of a spud can constituting an offshore structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a perspective view of a skirt plate and a lifting and driving unit constituting an offshore structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 6 and 7 are views for explaining operations and effects of an offshore structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a cross-sectional view of a spud can constituting an offshore structure according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a view for explaining the operation and effect of the spud can constituting the offshore structure according to the embodiment of FIG. 8. FIG.

Other advantages and features of the present invention and methods of achieving them will be apparent by referring to the embodiments described hereinafter in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Although not defined, all terms (including technical or scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly accepted by the generic art in the prior art to which this invention belongs. A general description of known configurations may be omitted so as not to obscure the gist of the present invention. In the drawings of the present invention, the same reference numerals are used as many as possible for the same or corresponding configurations. To facilitate understanding of the present invention, some configurations in the figures may be shown somewhat exaggerated or reduced.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, the terms "comprises", "having", or "having" are intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, components, Steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof, whether or not explicitly described or implied by the accompanying claims.

An offshore structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided to planarize the bottom surface of the lower part of the spud can by sucking the upper side soil of the sloping sub-sole and discharging the lower side. In one embodiment, the spud can is provided such that a plurality of skirt plates along the perimeter are raised and lowered along the undersurface topography. Accordingly, the bottom surface can be efficiently flattened by discharging the gravel to a space formed between the housing of the spud can, the skirt plate, and the sea floor.

1 is a side view schematically illustrating an offshore structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. An offshore structure 100 according to the present embodiment comprises a main body 10, a plurality of legs 20, and a spud can 30.

The main body 10 is equipped with terminal equipment for exploration, sampling, drilling, processing, refining, regeneration, wind power generation facilities, storage and transportation of crude oil, gas and seabed mineral, Can be performed.

In the example shown in Figure 1, the body 10 is provided for drilling crude oil from a wellhead through a riser pipe 40, but the present invention is not limited to a marine having various purposes and uses Structure, and is not limited to a specific use or purpose.

The main body 10 may be a jack-up platform for crude oil drilling or a wind turbine installation vessel, but may be provided with various marine structures without limitation.

The main body 10 is provided so as to float on the sea without being jacked up by the plurality of legs 20 and is supported by the plurality of legs 20 when jacked up by the legs 20 .

The legs 20 are installed so as to pass through the main body 10 and move in the vertical direction. The legs 20 can be lowered toward the sea floor with respect to the main body 10 to lift the main body 10 including the hull and the cantilever up to the water surface. The legs 20 may be provided in the number required to support the main body 10.

The main body 10 is provided with a lifting and driving apparatus (not shown) for relatively moving the legs 20 in the vertical direction. The main body 10 may be provided with a control unit (not shown) for controlling the operation of the driving device for lifting and lowering the legs 20. [

The driving device for raising and lowering the legs 20 may include a jacking unit having a motor, gear, or the like. The operation of the jacking unit allows the legs 20 to move up and down with respect to the body 10 or the body 10 to move up and down with respect to the legs 20. [

The jacking unit may include, for example, a pinion gear that engages with a rack gear formed in the leg 20, and a motor for driving the pinion gear. By interlocking the pinion and the rack, And the leg 20 can be relatively moved in the vertical direction.

The legs 20 are formed to have a rigidity enough to withstand the load of the main body 10 in a jack-up mode. The legs 20 may be formed in a cylindrical shape, a square truss structure, a triangular truss structure, or various other shapes.

The spud can 30 is provided at the lower end of each leg 20 and functions to stably fix the end of the leg 20 to the seabed 50. The spud can 30 can be penetrated into the ground of the seabed 50 in a jack-up mode. The sprung can 30 may be formed to have a planar area that is wider than the planar area of the leg 20 for stable fixation of the leg 20.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of part 'A' of FIG. 1 and is a perspective view of a spud can constituting an offshore structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a spud can constituting an offshore structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a bottom view of a spud can constituting an offshore structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 4, the spud can 30 includes a housing 32, a soil suction / discharge unit 34, a plurality of skirt plates 36, a lifting drive unit 38, and a sensor unit 39 .

The housing 32 is fixed to the lower end of the leg 20. The earth / sand suction / discharge unit 34 is installed in the housing 32 to suck the earth / sand in the upper area of the sloped bottom 50 via the one side of the lower surface of the housing 32, The bottom of the seabed 50 is flattened so that the spud can 30 can be seated.

The earth / sand suction / discharge unit 34 can smooth the seabed 50 on the lower side of the housing 32 by sucking the gravel from one side of the seabed 50 and discharging the gravel to the other side of the sea bed 50. In one embodiment, the earth / sand intake / discharge section 34 may comprise a plurality of suction / discharge holes 341, a suction / discharge pipe 342, a valve 343, a pump 344, and a jetting section 345 have.

In one embodiment, the plurality of suction and discharge holes 341 may be formed so as to be distributed in a circular arrangement on the lower surface of the housing 32. The suction and discharge hole 341 can be configured to suck or discharge the gravel according to the topography of the seabed 50. For example, the plurality of suction / discharge holes 341 may be configured to suck the gravel from the sloped upper portion of the seabed 50 and to discharge the gravel to the lower portion of the seabed 50.

The suction / discharge pipe 342 is connected between the suction / discharge holes 341 for movement of the subsoil gravel. The valve 343 is formed in the suction / discharge pipe 342 to open / close the suction / discharge pipe 342 or adjust the opening degree according to the inclination of the seabed 50. The pump 344 sucks the gravel of the seabed 50 into one side of the suction / discharge pipe 342 and discharges it to the other side.

A control unit (not shown) controls the valve 343 and the pump 344 to adjust the suction and discharge positions of the subsea sand, the suction amount and the discharge amount. For example, the control unit controls the pump 344 to move the soil from the sloped upper region of the seabed 50 to the sloped lower region, and increases the opening of the valve 343 toward the sloped upper region of the seabed 50 So that the soil on the side of the sloped upper area of the seabed can be sucked in a lot, and the sloped bottom side of the seabed 50 can open the valve 343 so that the soil can be smoothly discharged.

The sprayer 345 is provided with a spray hole 345a passing through the suction and discharge hole 341 on the bottom surface of the housing 32 so that the soil of the seabed 50 can be smoothly transferred through the suction and discharge pipe 342 (For example, seawater) at a high pressure to the lower region of the suction and discharge hole 341 through the openings 341 and 342. [

A plurality of skirt plates 36 are arranged along the periphery of the housing 32 and are elevatably provided in accordance with the terrain (slope) of the seabed 50 to efficiently planarize the seabed 50. The skirt plate 36 blocks the discharge of the gravel discharged to the area under the slope of the seabed 50 and prevents the gravel from being discharged by the pressure of the sprung can 30. In the illustrated example, the housing 32 is provided with eight skirt plates 36, but the number and arrangement of the skirt plates 36 can be varied variously.

5 is a perspective view of a skirt plate and a lifting and driving unit constituting an offshore structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 5, in one embodiment, the skirt plate 36 may be provided with skirt members 36a, 36b that are drawn into a telescopic structure.

The withdrawal length of the skirt plate 36 can be adjusted by the lifting and lowering driving unit 38 according to the undersurface topography. The lifting and lowering drive unit 38 may include a first drive unit 38a for lifting the first skirt member 36a and a second drive unit 38b for lifting the second skirt member 36b. The lifting drive section 38 may be provided as a hydraulic cylinder or the like.

The sensor unit 39 is installed in the housing 32 to measure the undersurface topography of the underside of the housing 32. The valve 343, the pump 344 and the plurality of skirt plates 36 are controlled in accordance with the undersurface topography measured by the sensor unit 39. [

In one embodiment, the sensor unit 39 may be provided as a load cell for measuring the load upon contact with the seabed, or may generate a signal for detecting the distance from the bottom side of the spud can 30 downward, Terrain can be measured.

In one embodiment, the sensor portion 39 may include an ultrasonic sensor that detects the distance to the seabed 50. Since ultrasonic sensors use an underwater medium, not only the speed is fast but also the distance value to be measured is accurate.

A spot type ultrasonic sensor can be mounted at a plurality of places below the spud can 30 and the shape of the sea floor topography can be detected through the measurement values of the respective ultrasonic sensors. The arrangement and the number of the ultrasonic sensors can be selected as appropriate values according to the required value as the resolution for determining the undersea topography.

In another embodiment, it is also possible to detect submarine topography using one imaging SONAR or multibeam eco-sound equipment installed in the spaded can 30. [

FIGS. 6 and 7 are views for explaining operations and effects of an offshore structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6, when the spud can 30 comes into contact with the inclined bottom 50, a plurality of skirt plates 36 are driven in accordance with the topographic information of the bottom 50. As shown in Fig. That is, the skirt plate 36 disposed at the lower side of the inclined bottom 50 is pulled down to form a space A3 between the bottom 50 and the spud can 30. As shown in FIG.

The earth / sand suction / discharge unit 34 sucks the gravel in the upper area A1 of the inclined bottom 50 and discharges the sucked gravel to the lower area A2 of the inclined bottom 50, And serves to reduce the inclination angle of the sea bed 50 as shown in FIG. As the terrain of the seabed 50 is changed as the soil slurry is moved by the soil suction / discharge unit 34, the amount of drawing of the plurality of skirt plates 36 can be controlled in real time.

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the seam of the seabed 50 is moved in accordance with the topography of the seabed 50 by using the spud can 30, thereby flattening the seabed 50 on the lower side of the spad can 30, So that the decanter (30) can be seated on the seabed (50). Accordingly, an eccentric load due to the inclination angle between the sprung can 30 and the seabed 50 can be prevented, buckling of the legs can be prevented, and an accident that an offshore structure is sunk can be prevented.

8 is a cross-sectional view of a spud can constituting an offshore structure according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a view for explaining the operation and effect of the spud can constituting the offshore structure according to the embodiment of FIG. 8. FIG.

In the following description of the embodiment shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the same or corresponding elements as those of the previously described embodiment will not be described. 8 and 9 is different from the above-described embodiment in that the suction port 341a for sucking the gravel is provided to the bottom of the sea bottom 50 or to the side of the spad can 30.

The suction port 341a can be raised and lowered by a driving unit 341b installed in the housing 32. [ The suction / discharge pipe 342 connected to the suction port 341a may be provided as a flexible pipe so that the suction port 341a can be lifted and lowered.

8 and 9, the distance between the suction port 341a and the seabed 50 can be reduced to provide an advantage that the suction force can be increased. That is, when the gap between the suction port 341a and the seabed 50 is formed as the gravel of the seabed 50 is suctioned, the suction port 341a is lowered to be brought into contact with the seabed 50, . The distance between the suction port 341a and the seabed 50 can be calculated by measuring the pressure, distance, and the like by the sensor unit 39.

It is to be understood that the above-described embodiments are provided to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the present invention, and it is to be understood that various modified embodiments are also within the scope of the present invention. It is to be understood that the technical scope of the present invention should be determined by the technical idea of the claims and the technical scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the literary description of the claims, To the invention of the invention.

10: main body 20: leg
30: sprung can 32: housing
34: Sediment suction / discharge unit 341:
341a: inlet port 342: suction inlet pipe
343: valve 344: pump
345: jetting part 345a:
36: skirt plate 38:
39: undersea topography measuring unit 40: riser
50: Submarine 100: Offshore structure

Claims (8)

main body;
A leg which is installed to be movable in a vertical direction with respect to the main body and supports the main body; And
And a spud can disposed at a lower end of the leg and fixed to the seabed,
The spud can sucks the gravel from one side of the seabed and discharges the gravel to the other side of the seabed,
The spandan can includes:
A housing provided at a lower end of the leg;
A plurality of skirt plates arranged along the periphery of the housing and provided so as to be able to be lifted up and down; And
A suction port for sucking the gravel in an area of the upper side of the sea bottom inclined through one side of the lower surface of the housing and discharging the sucked gravel to the lower side area of the inclined bottom through the other side of the lower surface of the housing, And a discharge portion,
Wherein the spud can is planarized by sucking the gravel from an area on the upper side of the inclined bottom and discharging the gravel to a space between the lower side area of the inclined bottom and the skirt plate. delete delete The method according to claim 1,
The soil suction /
A plurality of suction and discharge holes distributed on the lower surface of the housing;
A suction and discharge pipe connecting the plurality of suction and discharge holes;
A valve formed in the suction / discharge pipe to open / close the suction / discharge pipe; And
And a pump for sucking the gravel of the seabed to one side of the suction / discharge pipe and discharging the gravel to the other side. 5. The method of claim 4,
The soil suction /
And a spraying portion formed to penetrate the lower surface of the housing along the periphery of the suction and discharge hole and spraying the fluid to a lower region of the suction and discharge hole to crush the gravel of the seabed. delete The method according to any one of claims 1, 4, and 5,
Wherein the skirt plate is provided with a telescopic structure and the drawn length is adjusted according to the sea floor terrain. The method according to claim 4 or 5,
A sensor unit installed in the housing to measure the shape of the sea floor; And
And a control unit for controlling the valve, the pump and the plurality of skirt plates according to the undersea topography measured by the sensor unit.

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