Self-elevating aquaculture net cage based on offshore wind power single pile foundation and working method of self-elevating aquaculture net cage

Abstract

The invention discloses a self-elevating aquaculture net cage based on an offshore wind power single pile foundation and a working method of the self-elevating aquaculture net cage, and belongs to the technical field of offshore wind power. The self-elevating aquaculture net cage comprises a wind power tower drum, an aquaculture net cage and a wind power tower single-pile foundation. The bottom of the wind power tower drum is connected with a wind power tower single-pile foundation; the outer wall of the aquaculture net cage is connected with the multiple wind power tower single-pile foundations, and the aquaculture net cage can move in the vertical direction along the wind power tower single-pile foundations. The upper edge is kept flush with the sea surface under the normal culture working condition, the net cage can be lowered to a certain distance below the water surface under the surge condition, impact of surge near the sea surface is avoided, the free sea area between offshore wind power towers is fully utilized by the wind-fish fusion culture net cage system, culture work is carried out, and extra benefits can be brought to development of a wind power plant.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of offshore wind power, and relates to a jack-up aquaculture cage based on an offshore wind power monopile foundation and a working method thereof. Background Art

[0002] The development cost of offshore wind power remains high, mainly due to multiple aspects. First of all, the construction of offshore wind power projects requires a large amount of upfront investment, including the research, development, manufacturing, transportation and installation of offshore wind turbines. Offshore wind turbines are usually huge in size and have high technical requirements, and their research and development and manufacturing costs are significantly higher than those of onshore wind turbines. Moreover, transporting the wind turbines to the sea and accurately installing them requires professional ships and equipment, as well as an experienced construction team, which further increases the construction cost. Secondly, the operation and maintenance costs of offshore wind farms cannot be underestimated. Since offshore wind farms are in a harsh marine environment, the wind turbine equipment is easily affected by seawater corrosion, natural disasters such as typhoons, and requires regular inspections, repairs and replacement of parts, which undoubtedly increases the operation cost. In addition, the occupation of sea area is also a major problem faced by the development of offshore wind power. Large-scale offshore wind farms need to occupy a vast sea area space, which may not only conflict with other marine activities such as marine ecological protection and shipping, but also limit the further development of offshore wind power.

[0003] In order to address these problems, arranging aquaculture cages in the sea area between wind turbines and carrying out integrated development of wind and fish has become an innovative solution. This integrated development model of wind and fish realizes the intensive use of marine space. Arranging aquaculture cages in the idle sea area between wind turbines makes full use of the sea area resources of offshore wind farms and improves the utilization efficiency of marine space. At the same time, the aquaculture cages can provide a suitable growth environment for fish, and through reasonable aquaculture management, considerable aquatic product yields can be obtained, thereby increasing the economic benefits of the project and reducing the development cost of offshore wind power to a certain extent.

[0004] However, in harsh sea conditions such as strong winds and surges, deep-sea aquaculture cages face a huge risk of being damaged by disasters. Since aquaculture cages have a large load-bearing area, when encountering strong winds, the strong wind will generate a huge pulling force on the cages, which may cause the cage structure to deform or even break. The impact of surges will also affect the stability of the cages, causing the fish in the cages to be frightened, affecting their growth and survival rate. Once the cages are damaged by disasters, it will not only cause losses to the cultured fish, but also may lead to damage to the aquaculture cage equipment, increase the repair cost, and affect the normal operation of the entire integrated wind and fish project. Therefore, designing a new type of cage structure to resist harsh sea conditions has become an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a jack-up aquaculture cage based on an offshore wind power monopile foundation and its working method, so as to solve the technical problem that offshore aquaculture in the prior art is easily affected by severe sea conditions.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions: In a first aspect, the present invention provides a jack-up aquaculture cage based on an offshore wind power monopile foundation, including a wind power tower barrel, an aquaculture cage, and an offshore wind power monopile foundation; the bottom of the wind power tower barrel is connected to the offshore wind power monopile foundation; the outer wall of the aquaculture cage is connected to a plurality of offshore wind power monopile foundations, and the aquaculture cage can move vertically along the offshore wind power monopile foundation.

[0007] Further, a plurality of connecting sleeves are arranged on the outer wall of the aquaculture cage in the vertical direction; the connecting sleeves are sleeved outside the offshore wind power monopile foundation.

[0008] Further, a guiding component is arranged on the offshore wind power monopile foundation, and the guiding component meshes with the inner wall of the connecting sleeve, so that the connecting sleeve can slide along the guiding component.

[0009] Further, the guiding component is a guide rail.

[0010] Further, a plurality of floating barrels are arranged circumferentially on the aquaculture cage.

[0011] Further, the floating barrels are located at the bottom of the aquaculture cage.

[0012] Further, the aquaculture cage includes a fishing net and a truss system arranged on the fishing net.

[0013] Further, the truss system is a steel truss system.

[0014] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a working method for the above-mentioned jack-up aquaculture cage based on an offshore wind power monopile foundation, including the following steps: Under the aquaculture condition, the top surface of the aquaculture cage is flush with the sea level; When strong winds or surges come, the aquaculture cage slides down below the sea level to avoid the wind and waves; After harvesting the fish, the aquaculture cage slides up until its bottom surface is flush with the sea level, and the netting is cleaned and dried.

[0015] Further, under the aquaculture condition, the floating barrels are filled with air; when strong winds or surges come, by injecting water into the floating barrels, the buoyancy of the floating barrels is reduced to make the aquaculture cage slide down; after harvesting the fish, by discharging the water in the floating barrels and injecting air, the aquaculture cage slides up.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The present invention discloses a jack-up aquaculture cage based on a monopile foundation of an offshore wind farm and its working method. Under normal aquaculture conditions, the upper edge of the aquaculture cage can be kept flush with the sea surface, ensuring that the aquaculture organisms can fully contact the nutrients and oxygen in the sea water, and at the same time facilitating the daily feeding, observation and management work of the aquaculture personnel. Under the condition of surges, the aquaculture cage can quickly drop to a certain distance below the water surface, effectively avoiding the direct impact of the surges near the sea surface, thereby protecting the safety of the aquaculture organisms and reducing the aquaculture losses caused by bad weather. The proposed integrated wind and fish aquaculture cage system of the present invention makes full use of the idle sea area resources between the offshore wind towers, converts these originally idle sea areas into aquaculture areas, and realizes the efficient utilization of sea area resources. This integrated aquaculture mode not only brings additional income to the development of the wind farm, but also promotes the coordinated development of the marine fishery and the wind power industry, and realizes the diversification and sustainable development of the marine economy.

[0017] Furthermore, a guiding component is provided on the monopile foundation of the wind tower of the present invention. Through the meshing action of the guiding component (guide rail), the stable sliding of the connecting sleeve in the vertical direction is ensured, the swaying or falling off of the aquaculture cage under the action of wind and waves is avoided, and the stability and reliability of the overall structure are improved. The guiding component (guide rail) meshes with the inner wall of the connecting sleeve, enabling the aquaculture cage 2 to slide smoothly along the guide rail, thus facilitating the height adjustment of the aquaculture cage in the vertical direction. This design enables the aquaculture personnel to flexibly adjust the position of the aquaculture cage according to the sea surface conditions, the growth needs of the aquaculture organisms or management requirements, improving the flexibility and convenience of aquaculture management. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required to be used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention, and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other related drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0019] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the jack-up aquaculture cage based on the monopile foundation of the offshore wind farm of the present invention; Figure 2 It is a front view under normal aquaculture conditions of the embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 It is a front view under typhoon conditions of the embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 It is a front view under the net drying condition of the embodiment of the invention; Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the connecting sleeve of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Wherein: 1 - wind power tower barrel; 2 - aquaculture cage; 21 - connecting sleeve; 22 - buoy; 3 - single pile foundation of wind power tower; 31 - guide rail. Specific embodiments

[0021] To make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are some but not all of the embodiments of the present invention. Components of the embodiments of the present invention generally described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings herein can be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations.

[0022] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention, but merely represents selected embodiments of the present invention. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] It should be noted that: like reference numerals and letters denote like items in the following drawings. Therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not require further definition and explanation in subsequent drawings.

[0024] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that if terms such as "upper", "lower", "horizontal", "inner", etc. are used to indicate the orientation or positional relationship, it is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings or the orientation or positional relationship in which the product of the invention is usually placed during use. This is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention. In addition, terms such as "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive distinction and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0025] In addition, if the term "horizontal" appears, it does not mean that the component is required to be absolutely horizontal, but can be slightly inclined. For example, "horizontal" only means that its direction is more horizontal relative to "vertical", and does not mean that the structure must be completely horizontal, but can be slightly inclined.

[0026] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should also be noted that unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, if the terms "set", "installed", "connected", and "coupled" are used, they should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the communication inside two components. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0027] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings: See Figure 1 , an embodiment of the present invention discloses a jack-up aquaculture cage based on an offshore wind power monopile foundation, including a wind power tower barrel 1, an aquaculture cage 2, and a wind power tower monopile foundation 3; the bottom of the wind power tower barrel 1 is connected to the wind power tower monopile foundation 3; the outer wall of the aquaculture cage 2 is connected to a plurality of wind power tower monopile foundations 3, and the aquaculture cage 2 can move vertically along the wind power tower monopile foundation 3. In this embodiment, by designing that the aquaculture cage 2 can move vertically along the wind power tower monopile foundation 3, the upper edge of the aquaculture cage 2 is kept flush with the sea surface under normal aquaculture conditions, ensuring that the aquaculture organisms obtain sufficient sunlight and oxygen. At the same time, under the condition of surges, the aquaculture cage 2 can be lowered to a certain distance below the water surface, effectively avoiding the impact of surges near the sea surface, reducing the impact of bad weather on the aquaculture organisms, and improving the stability and adaptability of the aquaculture environment. In this embodiment, the aquaculture cage 2 is combined with the wind power tower monopile foundation 3, taking advantage of the stability of the wind power foundation structure to provide a solid support for the aquaculture cage 2. This design not only enhances the overall structural strength of the aquaculture facilities but also improves their ability to resist natural forces such as wind waves and tides, ensuring the safety of the aquaculture organisms and the aquaculture facilities.

[0028] In a feasible embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of connecting sleeves 21 are arranged on the outer wall of the aquaculture cage 2 in the vertical direction; the connecting sleeves 21 are sleeved outside the wind power tower monopile foundation 3. The aquaculture cage 2 and the wind power tower monopile foundation 3 are connected through the connecting sleeves 21. A guiding component is arranged on the wind power tower monopile foundation 3, and the guiding component meshes with the inner wall of the connecting sleeve 21, so that the connecting sleeve 21 can slide along the guiding component. The guiding component preferably adopts a guide rail 31, such as Figure 5As shown in the figure. The design of the connecting sleeve 21 in this embodiment makes the connection between the aquaculture cage 2 and the monopile foundation 3 of the wind turbine tower more stable. The sleeve structure can be closely sleeved on the monopile foundation. Through the meshing action of the guiding components (guide rails 31), it ensures the stable sliding of the connecting sleeve in the vertical direction, avoids the shaking or falling off of the aquaculture cage under the action of wind and waves, and improves the stability and reliability of the overall structure. The guiding components (guide rails 31) mesh with the inner wall of the connecting sleeve 21, enabling the aquaculture cage 2 to slide smoothly along the guide rails, thus facilitating the height adjustment of the aquaculture cage in the vertical direction. This design allows aquaculture personnel to flexibly adjust the position of the aquaculture cage according to the sea conditions, the growth needs of aquaculture organisms, or management requirements, improving the flexibility and convenience of aquaculture management. Secondly, the meshing design between the guiding components (guide rails 31) and the connecting sleeve 21 can reduce the direct contact wear between the two. The smooth surface of the guide rails and the tight fit of the sleeve result in a small frictional force during the sliding process, reducing the wear and damage of the components, and thus extending the service life of the aquaculture cage and the monopile foundation of the wind turbine tower.

[0029] In a feasible embodiment of the present invention, a number of floating cylinders 22 are circumferentially arranged at the bottom of the aquaculture cage 2. The aquaculture cage 2 includes a fishing net and a truss system. The truss system preferably adopts a steel truss system. The floating cylinders 22 circumferentially arranged at the bottom in this embodiment provide sufficient buoyancy for the aquaculture cage, enabling the aquaculture cage to maintain a stable suspended state in water. Adopting a steel truss system as the truss structure of the aquaculture cage significantly improves the structural strength and load-bearing capacity of the aquaculture cage. The steel truss system has excellent tensile, compressive, and bending resistance properties, can resist corrosion in seawater and the attack of wind and waves, and ensures the stability and reliability of the aquaculture cage during long-term use. Moreover, the structure of the steel truss system is clear and the components are standardized, making the installation and maintenance of the aquaculture cage more convenient. Each component of the truss system can be easily assembled and disassembled, reducing the installation cost and maintenance difficulty. At the same time, the steel truss system is also convenient for cleaning and anti-corrosion treatment, extending the service life of the aquaculture cage.

[0030] The embodiment of the present invention also discloses a working method of the above-mentioned self-elevating aquaculture cage based on the monopile foundation of offshore wind power, including the following steps: Step 1, under the aquaculture condition, the floating cylinders 22 are filled with air, and the top surface of the aquaculture cage 2 is flush with the sea level, as Figure 2 shown; Step 2, when strong winds or surges come, by injecting water into the floating cylinders 22, the buoyancy of the floating cylinders 22 is reduced to make the aquaculture cage 2 slide down below the sea level to avoid wind and waves, as Figure 3 shown; Step 3, after harvesting the fish, by draining the water in the buoy 22 and injecting air, the aquaculture cage 2 is lifted upward until its bottom surface is flush with the sea level, and the netting is cleaned and dried, as Figure 4 shown.

[0031] In this embodiment, when strong winds or surges come, by injecting water into the buoy 22 to reduce buoyancy, the aquaculture cage 2 slides downward below the sea level, effectively avoiding the direct impact of the wind and waves. This design significantly improves the survival ability of the aquaculture cage under adverse weather conditions, protects the cultured organisms from wind and wave damage, and reduces the aquaculture risk. The aquaculture cage 2 can flexibly adjust its position according to changes in weather and sea conditions. Under normal aquaculture conditions, the top surface of the aquaculture cage is flush with the sea level, facilitating daily management and feeding; in adverse weather, it slides downward below the sea level to avoid wind and waves; after harvesting the fish, it can slide upward until its bottom surface is flush with the sea level for netting cleaning and drying. This flexibility makes aquaculture management more efficient and convenient. Moreover, through the filling and draining operations of the buoy 22, the aquaculture cage 2 can slide up and down conveniently for netting cleaning and drying. This design simplifies the maintenance process of the aquaculture cage, reduces the maintenance cost, and improves the aquaculture efficiency. This working method enables the aquaculture cage 2 to adapt to different aquaculture environments and sea conditions. Whether on a calm sea surface or in adverse weather, the aquaculture cage can maintain a stable state, ensuring the growth and reproduction of the cultured organisms. By improving the wave resistance of the aquaculture cage, enhancing the flexibility of aquaculture management, simplifying maintenance work, and improving adaptability, this working method contributes to the sustainable development of the aquaculture industry. It reduces the aquaculture risk, improves the aquaculture efficiency, and provides strong support for the large-scale, intensive, and intelligent development of the aquaculture industry.

[0032] The working process / working principle of the present invention is as follows: The present invention develops a self-elevating aquaculture cage based on an offshore wind power monopile foundation. As Figure 1 shown, the aquaculture cage system includes a wind power tower barrel 1 and a self-elevating aquaculture cage 2, and the self-elevating aquaculture cage is composed of a steel truss system and fishing nets. The aquaculture cage 2 is connected to the wind power tower monopile foundation 3 through a connecting sleeve 21. There is a guide rail 31 on the monopile foundation 3, and the guide rail 31 meshes with the inner wall of the aquaculture cage connecting sleeve 21, enabling the aquaculture cage 2 to move up and down along the wind power tower monopile foundation 3. The lifting of the aquaculture cage 2 is controlled by a buoy 22 installed on the lower edge. Under normal aquaculture conditions, a certain amount of air is filled in the buoy 22 to support the aquaculture cage 2 so that its top surface is basically flush with the sea level, as Figure 2 shown; when strong winds and surges come, by injecting water into the buoy 22 to reduce the buoyancy of the buoy 22, the aquaculture cage 2 is controlled to slide downward below the sea level to avoid wind and waves, as Figure 3As shown. After harvesting the fish, the water in the buoy 22 can be drained and air can be injected. Under the action of buoyancy, the aquaculture cage 2 can completely rise above the sea level for net cleaning and net drying work, such as Figure 4 shown.

[0033] The aquaculture cage system of the present invention is ingeniously designed, combining practicality and innovation. Under normal aquaculture conditions, the upper edge of the aquaculture cage can be kept flush with the sea surface, ensuring that the aquaculture organisms can fully contact the nutrients and oxygen in the sea water, and at the same time facilitating the daily feeding, observation and management work of the aquaculture personnel. Under the condition of surging waves, the aquaculture cage can quickly drop to a certain distance below the water surface, effectively avoiding the direct impact of the surging waves near the sea surface, thus protecting the safety of the aquaculture organisms and reducing the aquaculture losses caused by bad weather. In addition, the proposed wind-fish integrated aquaculture cage system of the present invention makes full use of the idle sea area resources between the offshore wind power towers, converts these originally idle sea areas into aquaculture areas, and realizes the efficient utilization of sea area resources. This integrated aquaculture mode not only brings additional income to the development of the wind farm, but also promotes the coordinated development of the marine fishery and the wind power industry, realizing the diversification and sustainable development of the marine economy. Moreover, the self-elevating aquaculture cage in the present invention uses the single pile foundation of offshore wind power as its guide rail system. This design not only ingeniously utilizes the foundation structure of offshore wind power facilities, avoids repeated construction, but also further reduces the construction cost of the aquaculture cage. At the same time, the stability and durability of the single pile foundation of offshore wind power also provide a solid support for the aquaculture cage, ensuring the safety and reliability of the aquaculture cage during long-term use. To sum up, the self-elevating aquaculture cage based on the single pile foundation of offshore wind power and its working method disclosed in the present invention not only improve the wave resistance of the aquaculture cage and the convenience of aquaculture management, but also make full use of sea area resources, reduce the construction cost, and provide new ideas and directions for the integrated development of the marine fishery and the wind power industry. This innovative aquaculture cage system is expected to play an important role in the future development of the marine economy, promoting the transformation and upgrading and sustainable development of the marine industry.

[0034] The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention can have various changes and modifications. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A self-elevating aquaculture cage based on an offshore wind power monopile foundation, characterized in that: The invention comprises a wind turbine tower (1), a breeding net box (2) and a wind turbine tower monopile foundation (3); the bottom of the wind turbine tower (1) is connected to the wind turbine tower monopile foundation (3); the outer wall of the breeding net box (2) is connected to a plurality of wind turbine tower monopile foundations (3); and the breeding net box (2) can move in a vertical direction along the wind turbine tower monopile foundation (3).

2. A self-elevating aquaculture cage based on an offshore wind power monopile foundation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer wall of the breeding cage (2) is provided with a plurality of connection sleeves (21) along the vertical direction; the connection sleeves (21) are sleeved outside the wind power tower single pile foundation (3).

3. A self-elevating aquaculture cage based on an offshore wind power monopile foundation according to claim 2, characterized in that: A guide component is provided on the wind power tower monopile foundation (3), and the guide component is engaged with the inner wall of the connecting sleeve (21), so that the connecting sleeve (21) can slide along the guide component.

4. A self-elevating aquaculture cage based on an offshore wind power monopile foundation according to claim 3, characterized in that: The guide component is a guide rail (31).

5. The self-elevating aquaculture cage based on offshore wind power monopile foundation according to claim 1 is characterized in that: A plurality of buoys (22) are arranged around the aquaculture cage (2).

6. A self-elevating aquaculture cage based on an offshore wind power monopile foundation according to claim 5, characterized in that: The buoy (22) is located at the bottom of the breeding cage (2).

7. The self-elevating aquaculture cage based on offshore wind power monopile foundation according to claim 1, characterized in that: The aquaculture cage (2) comprises a fishing net and a truss system arranged on the fishing net.

8. The self-elevating aquaculture cage based on an offshore wind power monopile foundation according to claim 7, characterized in that: The truss system is a steel truss system.

9. A working method of a self-elevating aquaculture cage based on an offshore wind power monopile foundation according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Under aquaculture conditions, the top surface of the aquaculture cage (2) is flush with the sea level; When strong winds or swells hit, the aquaculture cage (2) slides down below the sea level to avoid the wind and waves; After the fish are collected, the aquaculture cage (2) is slid upward until the bottom surface is flush with the sea level, and the nets are cleaned and dried.

10. A working method of a self-elevating aquaculture cage based on an offshore wind power monopile foundation according to claim 9, characterized in that: In the breeding condition, the buoy (22) is filled with air; when strong winds or surging waves strike, water is injected into the buoy (22) to reduce the buoyancy of the buoy (22) and cause the breeding net cage (2) to slide downward; after the fish are collected, the water in the buoy (22) is discharged and air is injected to cause the breeding net cage (2) to slide upward.

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