Floating units suitable for offshore platforms and modular bamboo raft-style floating structures

Abstract

This invention discloses a floating unit suitable for offshore platforms and an assemblable raft-like floating structure. The floating unit for offshore platforms includes N concrete cylinders, floating tubes, and carbon fiber plates. The concrete cylinders are precast concrete components, and the N concrete cylinders are sequentially spliced ​​axially to form a concrete tube, where N ≥ 2. The floating tubes are disposed within the cavities of the concrete tubes. The carbon fiber plates are axially inserted into the cavities of the concrete tubes and located between the concrete tubes and the floating tubes. The two ends of the carbon fiber plates are fixed to the two ends of the concrete tubes after prestressing. This invention has the advantages of being less prone to cracking, having a long service life, high load-bearing capacity, low construction and maintenance costs, and being recyclable, and can be used for the rapid construction of large offshore platforms.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of marine platform technology, and in particular to a floating unit suitable for marine platforms and an assemblable bamboo raft-like floating structure. Background Technology

[0002] Oceans cover approximately 71% of the Earth's surface and represent the future direction of human activity. Significant demands exist in areas such as marine infrastructure construction, energy development, fisheries, and tourism, all of which rely heavily on the construction of offshore platforms. Compared to onshore construction, offshore construction faces numerous challenges, including harsh corrosive environments, complex loads, challenging construction conditions, and limited maintenance capabilities.

[0003] Traditional offshore platform construction mostly adopts steel structures, which are widely used in the oil and gas extraction field. Subsequently, with the development of concrete technology, concrete offshore platforms also emerged. These structures solved the corrosion problems of steel offshore platforms and reduced engineering costs, but they still have problems such as easy cracking and limited service life. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. Therefore, one objective of this invention is to provide a floating unit and a modular, raft-like floating structure suitable for offshore platforms, which is less prone to cracking, has a longer service life, high load-bearing capacity, low construction and maintenance costs, and is recyclable, and can be used for the rapid construction of large offshore platforms.

[0005] A floating unit suitable for an offshore platform according to a first aspect embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0006] N concrete cylinders, which are precast concrete components, are sequentially spliced ​​axially to form a concrete pipe, where N ≥ 2;

[0007] A floating pipe fitting, wherein the floating pipe fitting is disposed in the cavity of the concrete pipe;

[0008] A carbon fiber plate is axially inserted into the cavity of the concrete pipe and located between the concrete pipe and the floating pipe. The two ends of the carbon fiber plate are respectively fixed to the two ends of the concrete pipe after the carbon fiber plate is prestressed.

[0009] The floating unit for offshore platforms according to a first aspect embodiment of the present invention has the following advantages: First, since the concrete cylinder, floating pipe, and carbon fiber plate all have excellent corrosion resistance and superior durability, the floating unit for offshore platforms of the present invention has the advantage of long service life, ensuring the long-term normal operation of the offshore platform when using the floating unit of the present invention to construct it; Second, since the two ends of the carbon fiber plate are respectively fixed to the two ends of the concrete pipe after prestressing, the carbon fiber plate and the concrete cylinder can bear the load simultaneously, resulting in greater load-bearing strength and higher load-bearing capacity, making it suitable for use as an offshore facility. The structure is designed to withstand stress, making the concrete pipe less prone to cracking. Third, the invention employs a prefabricated tubular assembly construction method, where the prefabricated concrete cylinder 1 is assembled on-site and ready for service after the mooring system is installed. This results in a simple structure, convenient assembly, low construction and maintenance costs, and excellent adaptability to marine environments with limited maintenance capabilities. Fourth, due to its modular and splicing design, the floating unit of this invention can be easily and quickly disassembled. When the floating unit reaches its service life or suffers partial damage, it can be towed back to the dry dock for segmented disassembly and recycling, further reducing operating costs.

[0010] In some embodiments, the reinforcement of the concrete cylinder is FRP reinforcement.

[0011] In some embodiments, the material of the concrete cylinder is lightweight aggregate concrete or fiber-reinforced lightweight aggregate concrete.

[0012] In some embodiments, each of the concrete cylinders is provided with tongue and groove joints at both ends, and adjacent concrete cylinders are spliced ​​together through the tongue and groove joints.

[0013] In some embodiments, the inner contour of the radial section of the concrete cylinder is circular, and the outer contour of the radial section of the concrete cylinder is circular or polygonal.

[0014] In some embodiments, a plurality of nails are pre-embedded on the outer surface of each of the concrete cylinders.

[0015] In some embodiments, the floating pipe is a corrugated pipe sealed at both ends.

[0016] In some embodiments, the carbon fiber plate is manufactured using a pultrusion process or a vacuum induction manufacturing process.

[0017] A second aspect of the present invention also proposes an assemblable bamboo raft-like floating structure suitable for marine platforms.

[0018] According to a second aspect of the present invention, an assemblable raft-type floating structure suitable for marine platforms includes a floating unit suitable for marine platforms and a plurality of connecting beams according to any one embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention. The plurality of floating units suitable for marine platforms extend in a front-to-back direction and are arranged side by side in a left-to-right direction in a horizontal plane. The plurality of floating units suitable for marine platforms are connected together by the plurality of connecting beams to form a raft-type floating structure.

[0019] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the modular bamboo raft-type floating structure suitable for marine platforms can quickly construct larger platforms with no limitation on platform size, providing a new construction approach for large offshore floating platforms; it also has a long service life, good corrosion resistance, and good floating effect.

[0020] In some embodiments, multiple through holes spaced apart in the left-right direction are provided on the multiple connecting beams, and multiple floating units suitable for offshore platforms are correspondingly inserted into the multiple through holes on the multiple connecting beams.

[0021] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0023] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the connection between concrete cylinders in a floating unit applicable to an offshore platform according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the concrete cylinder in a floating unit suitable for offshore platforms according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of an assembly-type floating structure for marine platforms according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the concrete cylinder and connecting beam in the modular floating structure for offshore platforms according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure label:

[0028] Floating Unit 1000 for Offshore Platforms

[0029] 1. Concrete cylinder 2. Floating pipe 3. Carbon fiber plate

[0030] 2000 Assembleable bamboo raft-style floating structure suitable for offshore platforms

[0031] 4-hole 401 connecting beam Detailed Implementation

[0032] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0033] The following is combined Figures 1 to 4 This invention describes a floating unit 1000 suitable for marine platforms and an assemblable raft-type floating structure 2000, according to embodiments of the present invention.

[0034] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a floating unit 1000 suitable for offshore platforms according to a first aspect embodiment of the present invention includes N concrete cylinders 1, floating tubes 2, and carbon fiber plates 3. The concrete cylinders 1 are precast concrete components, and the N concrete cylinders 1 are sequentially spliced ​​axially to form a concrete pipe, wherein N ≥ 2. The floating tubes 2 are disposed in the cavity of the concrete pipe. The carbon fiber plates 3 are axially inserted into the cavity of the concrete pipe and located between the concrete pipe and the floating tubes 2. The two ends of the carbon fiber plates 3 are respectively fixed to the two ends of the concrete pipe after prestressing. It can be understood that assembling multiple floating units 1000 suitable for offshore platforms together can construct an offshore platform that meets the corresponding requirements.

[0035] Specifically, the concrete pipe formed by N concrete cylinders 1 mainly serves a load-bearing function and is the main body of the floating unit 1000 applicable to offshore platforms in this embodiment of the invention. Furthermore, due to the strong corrosion resistance of the concrete cylinders 1, assembling the concrete pipe using concrete cylinders 1 can extend the service life of the floating unit 1000 of this invention. The concrete cylinders 1 are precast concrete components, meaning they are prefabricated in a factory and then transported to the assembly location for assembly, thereby improving construction efficiency and ensuring good dimensional uniformity and quality for precast concrete components. N concrete cylinders 1 are sequentially spliced ​​axially to form the concrete pipe, where N≥2. That is, the concrete pipe is formed by at least two concrete cylinders 1 sequentially spliced ​​axially. In practice, the number of sequentially spliced ​​concrete cylinders 1 can be determined according to the required length of the concrete pipe. Using splicing connections makes disassembly and replacement of the concrete cylinders 1 more convenient.

[0036] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the floating pipe 2 is disposed within the cavity of the concrete pipe. Here, the floating pipe 2 is a corrosion-resistant pipe that can provide sufficient buoyancy, such as a corrugated pipe sealed at both ends. The floating pipe 2 provides buoyancy, enabling the floating unit 1000 of this invention, suitable for offshore platforms, to float. The floating pipe 2 does not participate in the structural load-bearing. Specifically, the floating pipe 2 can be connected to the concrete pipe using connectors to ensure that the floating pipe 2 does not detach from the concrete pipe.

[0037] The carbon fiber plate 3 possesses excellent corrosion resistance and high strength. After prestressing, both ends of the carbon fiber plate 3 are fixed to the two ends of the concrete pipe. Specifically, one end of the carbon fiber plate 3 is fixed to one end of the concrete pipe using a fixed anchor, and the other end is fixed to the other end of the concrete pipe using a movable anchor. Tensioning is then performed using jacks to allow multiple concrete cylinders 1 to be spliced ​​together. In other words, the carbon fiber plate 3 can both fix N concrete cylinders 1 together to form a concrete pipe and provide prestress to reduce or delay cracking of the concrete pipe, thus extending its service life. Preferably, multiple carbon fiber plates 3 are spaced apart along the inner wall of the concrete pipe to ensure effective fixing and uniform stress distribution within the concrete pipe.

[0038] The assembly process of the floating unit 1000 for offshore platforms according to the present invention is as follows: First, N concrete cylinders 1 are assembled axially in sequence. Then, several carbon fiber plates 3 are arranged circumferentially along the inner wall of the concrete cylinders 1. The carbon fiber plates 3 are tensioned to apply a pre-tightening force to the carbon fiber plates 3 and the N concrete cylinders 1 to secure the N concrete cylinders 1. Then, a corrugated pipe is placed inside the concrete tube. Next, other components are installed on the floating unit 1000 for offshore platforms according to the present invention as needed.

[0039] The floating unit 1000 for offshore platforms according to a first aspect embodiment of the present invention has the following advantages: First, since the concrete cylinder 1, the floating pipe 2, and the carbon fiber plate 3 all have excellent corrosion resistance and durability, the floating unit 1000 for offshore platforms of the present invention has the advantage of long service life, ensuring long-term normal use of the offshore platform when using the floating unit 1000 of the present invention to construct the platform; Second, since the two ends of the carbon fiber plate 3 are respectively fixed to the two ends of the concrete pipe after prestressing, the carbon fiber plate 3 and the concrete cylinder 1 can bear the load simultaneously, resulting in greater load-bearing strength and higher load capacity, making it suitable as a load-bearing component for offshore facilities, and making the concrete pipe less prone to cracking; Third, the present invention adopts a tubular prefabrication and assembly method.

[0040] The construction plan involves prefabricated concrete cylinder 1 being assembled on-site and ready for service after the mooring system is installed. It features a simple structure, convenient assembly, low construction and maintenance costs, and is well-suited to operating environments with limited offshore maintenance capabilities. Fourth...

[0041] Because the structure of this invention adopts a modular and splicing design, the floating unit of this invention can be easily and quickly disassembled. When the floating unit of this invention reaches the end of its service life or is partially damaged, it can be towed back to the dock for disassembly and recycling, which helps to further reduce the cost of use.

[0042] In some embodiments, the concrete cylinder 1 is reinforced with FRP bars. It should be noted that FRP is short for fiber-reinforced composite material, a type of high-performance composite material using carbon fiber, glass fiber, etc., as reinforcement and polymer resin as the matrix.

[0043] The material possesses characteristics such as resistance to seawater corrosion, lightweight and high strength, and high design flexibility. Replacing the reinforcement in the concrete cylinder 1 with FRP bars can effectively solve the problem of reinforced concrete structures still being corroded and having a short service life in the ocean, thus greatly extending the service life of the concrete cylinder 1 and reducing maintenance costs. Specifically, the FRP bars can be glass fiber bars, basalt fiber bars, or carbon fiber bars.

[0044] 5. In some embodiments, the material of the concrete cylinder 1 is lightweight aggregate concrete or fiber-reinforced lightweight aggregate concrete.

[0045] In this way, on the one hand, the strength of the concrete cylinder 1 can be guaranteed, and on the other hand, the concrete cylinder 1 can be made light enough, which is conducive to optimizing the floating effect of the floating unit 1000 of the present invention for offshore platforms.

[0046] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, each concrete cylinder 1 has tongue and groove joints at both ends, and adjacent concrete cylinders 1 are spliced ​​together through the tongue and groove joints, which facilitates the rapid assembly and installation of two adjacent concrete cylinders 1.

[0047] In some embodiments, the inner contour of the radial section of the concrete cylinder 1 is circular, and the outer contour of the radial section of the concrete cylinder 1 is circular or polygonal, which can be selected as needed in practice.

[0048] In some embodiments, multiple fasteners are pre-embedded on the outer surface of each concrete cylinder 1. It should be noted that these multiple fasteners are used for the installation of non-structural components and the mooring system. For example, the fasteners can be rivets.

[0049] 5. In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the floating pipe fitting 2 is a corrugated pipe sealed at both ends. Here, it is adopted...

[0050] Using corrugated pipes as floating pipes 2, because corrugated pipes can expand and contract, it is convenient for production and construction, and the construction difficulty and cost are greatly reduced.

[0051] In some embodiments, the carbon fiber plate 3 is processed by pultrusion or vacuum induction manufacturing process. The processed carbon fiber plate 3 has the advantages of large elastic modulus, high strength and corrosion resistance, and has good performance.

[0052] 0 In a second aspect, the present invention also proposes an assemblable bamboo raft-type floating structure 2000 suitable for marine platforms.

[0053] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the modular raft-type floating structure 2000 suitable for offshore platforms according to a second aspect embodiment of the present invention includes floating units 1000 suitable for offshore platforms and multiple connecting beams 4 according to any embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention. The multiple floating units 1000 extend in the front-to-back direction and are arranged side-by-side in the left-to-right direction in a horizontal plane. The multiple floating units 1000 are connected together by the multiple connecting beams 4 to form a raft-type floating structure. In other words, the present invention connects multiple floating units 1000 suitable for offshore platforms together by setting connecting beams 4, forming a floating platform. It is understood that fixing multiple raft-type floating structures 2000 together allows for the rapid construction of large-scale offshore platforms, with no limitation on platform size. Therefore, the present invention provides a new construction approach for large-scale offshore floating platforms.

[0054] The assembly and use process of the floating unit 1000 suitable for offshore platforms according to the second aspect embodiment of the present invention is as follows: First, the corresponding concrete cylinder 1 is assembled with the connecting beam 4, and the corresponding concrete cylinder 1 is assembled with each other. Then, several carbon fiber plates 3 are arranged circumferentially along the inner wall of the concrete tube. The carbon fiber plates 3 are tensioned to apply a pre-tightening force to the carbon fiber plates 3 and N concrete cylinders 1 to secure the N concrete cylinders 1. Finally, a corrugated pipe is placed inside the concrete cylinder 1, and other components are installed on the floating unit 1000 suitable for offshore platforms according to the present invention as needed. The assembled modular raft-type floating structure 2000 suitable for offshore platforms of the present invention is floated, and the modular raft-type floating structure 2000 of the present invention is towed to a predetermined sea area by a vessel. After the mooring system is installed, it can be put into service. The installation method of the present invention is simple, and a large-area offshore platform can be quickly constructed without size limitations.

[0055] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the modular bamboo raft-type floating structure 2000 suitable for marine platforms can quickly construct larger platforms with no limitation on platform size, providing a new construction approach for large offshore floating platforms; it also has a long service life, good corrosion resistance, and good floating effect.

[0056] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, multiple connecting beams 4 are provided with multiple through holes 401 spaced apart in the left-right direction. Multiple floating units 1000 suitable for offshore platforms are correspondingly inserted into the multiple through holes 401 on the connecting beams 4. The assembly method allows for fast assembly, easy disassembly, maintenance, replacement, and recycling, and provides more convenient and better connection results. Specifically, as... Figure 4 As shown, multiple parallel concrete cylinders 1 are inserted one-to-one through multiple through holes 401 of a connecting beam 4. Then, as needed, the concrete cylinders 1 inserted on the connecting beam 4 are connected to multiple concrete cylinders 1 not inserted on the connecting beam 4. Finally, the multiple axially connected concrete cylinders 1 are tensioned and fixed using carbon fiber plates 3, and the corrugated pipe is placed into the concrete pipe.

[0057] Optional, such as Figure 3 As shown, multiple connecting beams 4 extend in the left-right direction and are spaced apart in the front-back direction.

[0058] Optional, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the connecting beam 4 is a long strip with a square cross-section, and circular holes are evenly arranged on the side of the connecting beam 4. The concrete cylinder 1 is a circular tube, and the diameter of the circular holes on the connecting beam 4 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the concrete cylinder 1.

[0059] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0060] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A modular, raft-like floating structure suitable for offshore platforms, characterized in that, include: Multiple floating units and multiple connecting beams, the multiple floating units extend in the front-to-back direction and are arranged side by side in the left-to-right direction in the horizontal plane, the multiple floating units are connected together by the multiple connecting beams to form a bamboo raft-like floating structure; Multiple through holes spaced apart in the left-right direction are provided on multiple connecting beams, and multiple floating units are correspondingly inserted into the multiple through holes on multiple connecting beams; The floating unit includes: N concrete cylinders, which are precast concrete components, are sequentially spliced ​​axially to form a concrete pipe, where N ≥ 2; each concrete cylinder has a tongue and groove joint at both ends, and adjacent concrete cylinders are spliced ​​together through the tongue and groove joint. A floating pipe fitting, wherein the floating pipe fitting is disposed in the cavity of the concrete pipe; A carbon fiber plate is axially inserted into the cavity of the concrete pipe and located between the concrete pipe and the floating pipe. The two ends of the carbon fiber plate are respectively fixed to the two ends of the concrete pipe after the carbon fiber plate is prestressed. The floating pipe is a corrugated pipe sealed at both ends; Specifically, the concrete cylinder is assembled with the connecting beam accordingly; N concrete cylinders are sequentially assembled axially. Several carbon fiber plates are arranged circumferentially along the inner wall of the concrete cylinder. Tensioning the carbon fiber plate applies a pre-tightening force to the carbon fiber plate and N concrete cylinders to secure the N concrete cylinders; wherein, one end of the carbon fiber plate is fixed to one end of the concrete pipe by a fixed anchor, and the other end of the carbon fiber plate is fixed to the other end of the concrete pipe by a movable anchor to secure the N concrete cylinders. A corrugated pipe is placed inside the concrete pipe.

2. The floating structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The concrete cylinder is reinforced with FRP bars.

3. The floating structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material used for the concrete cylinder is lightweight aggregate concrete.

4. The floating structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner contour of the radial section of the concrete cylinder is circular, and the outer contour of the radial section of the concrete cylinder is circular or polygonal.

5. The floating structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple nails are pre-embedded on the outer surface of each of the concrete cylinders.

6. The floating structure according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The carbon fiber plate is manufactured using pultrusion or vacuum induction processes.

7. The floating structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The concrete cylinder is made of fiber-reinforced lightweight aggregate concrete.

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