Anti-scouring system for offshore pile foundation

Abstract

The invention discloses an anti-scouring system for an offshore pile foundation, belongs to the technical field of offshore pile foundations, and can solve the problems that in the prior art, the installation difficulty is large, and the adaptability to the marine environment is poor. The system comprises a plurality of spoilers which are annularly distributed in the circumferential direction of the pile foundation. The horizontal plane projection of the spoiler is in a symmetrical sharp corner shape, the spoiler comprises a sharp corner end and a diffusion end which are opposite to each other, the sharp corner end is elastically connected with the pile foundation and can vertically swing under the action of ocean current, and the diffusion end overhangs in the direction away from the pile foundation; the center axis of the spoiler intersects with the axis of the pile foundation, and the sharp corner end is higher than the diffusion end. The spoiler is provided with two wing plates which are symmetrically distributed along the central axis of the spoiler, and the section of each wing plate on the section perpendicular to the central axis is in a concave arc shape. And a gap is formed between the diffusion ends of the adjacent spoilers. The anti-scour protection device is used for anti-scour protection of the offshore pile foundation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an anti-scour system for offshore pile foundations, belonging to the field of offshore pile foundation technology. Background Technology

[0002] In offshore renewable energy projects such as offshore wind power and offshore photovoltaic, pile foundations are the most commonly used foundation structure, and their long-term stability has a direct impact on the safe operation of offshore projects. Due to the long-term effects of ocean currents and waves, the seabed around the pile foundation is prone to erosion, forming local erosion pits. In severe cases, this may affect the bearing capacity and overall stability of the pile foundation, or even lead to the failure of the pile foundation structure.

[0003] To prevent seabed erosion, existing technologies often employ methods such as laying erosion-resistant materials (e.g., gravel, precast concrete blocks, woven bags, etc.) around the pile foundation to reduce erosion, or installing erosion-resistant structures such as casings on the pile foundation. However, these measures suffer from problems such as difficult installation, high maintenance costs, and poor adaptability to the marine environment. Furthermore, the protection method is passive and cannot actively adjust the protective measures according to changes in the seabed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a marine pile foundation anti-scour system that can solve the problems of high installation difficulty and poor adaptability to marine environment in existing technologies.

[0005] The present invention provides an anti-scour system for offshore pile foundations, the system comprising a plurality of scour plates distributed in a ring along the circumference of the pile foundation;

[0006] The horizontal projection of the spoiler is a symmetrical pointed shape. The spoiler includes opposite pointed ends and diffuser ends. The pointed ends are elastically connected to the pile foundation and can swing vertically under the action of ocean currents. The diffuser ends extend away from the pile foundation.

[0007] The central axis of the spoiler intersects with the axis of the pile foundation, and the pointed end is higher than the diffuser end;

[0008] The spoiler has two wing plates symmetrically distributed along its central axis, and the cross-sectional shape of the wing plates in a section perpendicular to the central axis is a concave arc shape;

[0009] There is a gap between the diffuser ends of adjacent spoilers.

[0010] Optionally, the system further includes:

[0011] A fixing module is fixed to the pile foundation, and the pointed ends of the plurality of spoilers are all connected to the fixing module.

[0012] Optionally, the fixing module includes:

[0013] A fixing ring is fitted onto the pile foundation;

[0014] Multiple support frames are evenly spaced along the outer circumference of the fixed ring;

[0015] Multiple elastic support members, corresponding one-to-one with multiple support frames, can be elastically deformed vertically; the bottom end of each elastic support member is connected to the fixed ring and the corresponding support frame; the pointed ends of multiple spoilers are connected one-to-one to the top of multiple elastic support members.

[0016] Optionally, the system further includes:

[0017] A monitoring module, installed on the pile foundation, is used to monitor scour information in the seabed area where the pile foundation is located.

[0018] Optionally, the scour information includes ocean current information and geomorphological information; the monitoring module includes:

[0019] The mounting ring is fitted onto the pile foundation and is located above the seabed area;

[0020] Multiple flow velocity sensors are evenly spaced on the mounting ring to monitor ocean current information in the seabed area;

[0021] Multiple lidar sensors are evenly spaced on the mounting ring to monitor the topographic information of the seabed area.

[0022] Optionally, the system further includes:

[0023] A repair module is installed around the pile foundation and above the seabed area. It is used to determine scour pits that meet preset conditions based on the topographic information and to fill the scour pits based on the ocean current information. The preset conditions include exceeding a preset depth or exceeding a preset area.

[0024] Optionally, the repair module includes:

[0025] A repair unit is disposed circumferentially on the pile foundation and located above the seabed area, for filling the scour pit;

[0026] The control unit is used to determine the scour pits that meet the preset conditions based on the topographic information, and to control the repair unit to fill the scour pits based on the ocean current information.

[0027] Optionally, the repair unit includes:

[0028] An inner stone storage bin is located around the periphery of the pile foundation and above the seabed area, and contains the first type of crushed stone.

[0029] An outer stone storage bin is located outside the inner stone storage bin and stores a second type of crushed stone; the particle size of the second type of crushed stone is larger than that of the first type of crushed stone.

[0030] The control unit controls the bottom of the inner stone storage bin and / or the outer stone storage bin to open, so as to fill the scour pit with the first crushed stone and / or the second crushed stone.

[0031] Optionally, the repair unit further includes:

[0032] An inner filter screen is located below the inner stone storage bin, and its sieve hole size matches the particle size of the first crushed stone.

[0033] An outer filter screen is located below the outer stone storage bin, and its sieve aperture size matches the particle size of the second crushed stone.

[0034] Optionally, the system further includes:

[0035] A magnet is disposed at the pointed end of the spoiler;

[0036] A coil is positioned on the pile foundation corresponding to the pointed end; the magnet swings vertically with the pointed end, generating an induced current in the coil through electromagnetic induction.

[0037] An energy storage device, connected to the coil, is used to store the electrical energy of the induced current and supply power to the plurality of flow rate sensors, the plurality of lidars, and the control unit.

[0038] The beneficial effects that this invention can produce include:

[0039] This invention utilizes multiple sharp-angled spoilers circumferentially arranged on the pile foundation. The geometry of these spoilers alters the flow field structure, significantly reducing velocity concentration and shear stress, and mitigating the scouring effect of ocean currents on the seabed surrounding the pile foundation. Simultaneously, by elastically connecting the sharp ends of the spoilers to the pile foundation, the spoilers can adaptively oscillate vertically with changes in current velocity and direction. This converts the impact force of the current on the spoilers into kinetic energy, which is then dissipated. This achieves dynamic response and active spoiling, improving the spoilers' adaptability to complex marine environments. Building upon this active spoiling, the invention also utilizes a power supply module to convert the kinetic energy of the vertical oscillation of the spoilers into electrical energy to power the monitoring and repair modules. This ensures long-term independent operation of the system, reducing its dependence on external energy sources and human intervention. To achieve high-precision, full-coverage monitoring of the seabed surrounding the pile foundation, this invention deploys lidar and current sensors in a circumferential pattern to ensure 360° coverage. This allows for accurate identification of the formation and expansion of scour pits, providing reliable data support for precise repair by the repair module. Subsequently, the control unit of the repair module identifies scour pits meeting preset conditions based on the topographic information monitored by the monitoring module. Simultaneously, the control unit determines the appropriate repair timing based on the ocean current information monitored by the monitoring module and fills the scour pits using the repair unit. This achieves a closed-loop operation of "real-time perception - intelligent judgment - automatic repair," enabling the scour system of this invention to integrate protection, power generation, monitoring, and repair functions. This significantly improves the long-term stability and safety of the pile foundation, reduces maintenance costs, and has good engineering application value. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the marine pile foundation scour prevention system provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 This is a side view of the spoiler installation provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 3 This is a top view of the spoiler installation provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 4 This is a top view of the spoiler structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the monitoring module provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the repair unit provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure label:

[0047] 1. Pile foundation; 2. Spoiler; 21. Gap; 22. Frontal surface; 23. Wing; 24. Sharp corner end; 25. Diffusion end; 26. Flow channel; 3. Elastic support; 4. Fixing ring; 5. Support frame; 6. Support leg; 7. Monitoring module; 71. Flow velocity sensor; 72. LiDAR; 8. Repair module; 81. Inner rock storage tank; 82. Outer rock storage tank; 83. Inner filter screen; 84. Outer filter screen; 9. Welding stud; 10. Power supply module; 101. Magnet; 102. Coil; 103. Energy storage device; 11. Cable. Detailed Implementation

[0048] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

[0049] This invention provides a scour prevention system for offshore pile foundations, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the system includes multiple baffles 2 arranged in a ring around the circumference of the pile foundation 1.

[0050] like Figure 4 As shown, the horizontal projection of the spoiler 2 is a symmetrical pointed shape. The spoiler 2 includes opposing pointed ends 24 and diffuser ends 25. The pointed ends 24 of the spoiler 2 are elastically connected to the pile foundation 1 and can swing vertically under the action of the ocean current. The diffuser ends 25 extend away from the pile foundation 1. The spoiler 2 has two wing plates 23 symmetrically distributed along its central axis. The cross-sectional shape of the wing plates 23 on the section perpendicular to the central axis is a concave arc shape. That is, the overall shape of the spoiler 2 is like a "paper airplane". The two wing plates 23 protrude upward near the central axis to form the frontal surface 22, which can guide the flow path of the ocean current, thereby changing the speed and direction of the ocean current. The concave part of the two wing plates 23 forms the backal surface. Its arc surface can guide the water flow to form vortices, effectively buffering the impact force of the ocean current, significantly reducing the concentration of flow velocity and shear stress, thereby weakening the scouring effect of the ocean current. In this embodiment, the geometry of the spoiler 2 is used to change the flow field structure around the pile foundation 1, so that the seabed around the pile foundation 1 is protected from excessive scouring by the ocean current.

[0051] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the central axis of the spoiler 2 intersects with the axis of the pile foundation 1, and the pointed end 24 is higher than the diffuser end 25, meaning the spoiler 2 is installed at an angle. This angled installation increases the contact area between the upstream and downstream surfaces and the ocean current, thus better utilizing the guiding and buffering effects of the spoiler 2. Simultaneously, by elastically connecting the pointed end 24 of the spoiler 2 to the pile foundation 1, the spoiler 2 can adaptively swing vertically according to changes in the velocity and direction of the ocean current. This converts the impact force of the ocean current on the spoiler 2 into kinetic energy and dissipates it, achieving a dynamic response of the spoiler 2 to the ocean current. This improves the spoiler 2's adaptability to complex marine environments and enhances its disturbance effect on the ocean current.

[0052] like Figure 3 As shown, since the spoiler 2 is angular, a flow channel 26 is naturally formed between adjacent spoilers 2. At the same time, there is a gap 21 between the diffuser ends 25 of adjacent spoilers 2 that communicates with the flow channel 26. When the ocean current washes over the spoiler 2, the gap 21 and the flow channel 26 can guide some water flow through the space between adjacent spoilers 2 to change the direction and velocity of the ocean current, thereby further disrupting the flow field structure of the ocean current, weakening the kinetic energy of the ocean current around the pile foundation 1, and preventing the ocean current from directly impacting the seabed around the pile foundation 1.

[0053] In this embodiment, the system further includes:

[0054] The fixed module is fixed on the pile foundation 1, and the pointed ends 24 of multiple spoilers 2 are all connected to the fixed module.

[0055] Specifically, the fixed module includes:

[0056] Fixed ring 4 is fitted onto pile foundation 1;

[0057] Multiple support frames 5 are evenly spaced on the outer circumference of the fixing ring 4;

[0058] Multiple elastic support members 3 correspond one-to-one with multiple support frames 5, and have a certain ratio of flexibility and stiffness, and can deform elastically in the vertical direction; the bottom end of the elastic support member 3 is connected to the fixed ring 4 and the corresponding support frame 5; the pointed ends 24 of multiple spoilers 2 are connected one-to-one to the top of multiple elastic support members 3.

[0059] In this embodiment, the bottom of the pile foundation 1 is fixed in the seabed, and several support legs 6 are welded around its outer wall. The fixing ring 4 is a ring-shaped structure with an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pile foundation 1. The fixing ring 4 is fitted onto the pile foundation 1 and fixed to the support legs 6 by welding studs 9. Multiple support frames 5 can be fixed to the fixing ring 4 by welding studs 9.

[0060] In this embodiment, the system further includes:

[0061] Monitoring module 7 is installed on pile foundation 1 and is used to monitor the scour information of the seabed area where pile foundation 1 is located. The scour information includes ocean current information and geomorphological information.

[0062] Specifically, such as Figure 5 As shown, monitoring module 7 includes:

[0063] The installation ring is fitted onto pile foundation 1 and is located above the seabed area where pile foundation 1 is located;

[0064] Multiple flow sensors 71 are evenly spaced on the mounting ring to monitor ocean current information in the seabed area, including the speed and direction of the current, in order to reflect the external dynamic conditions for the formation of scour pits.

[0065] Multiple lidar sensors 72 are evenly spaced on the mounting ring to monitor the geomorphological information of the seabed area by scanning the seabed topography, including the location and depth of scour pits.

[0066] Furthermore, the mounting ring is assembled from multiple arc-shaped segments, which facilitates the disassembly and installation of the mounting ring.

[0067] In this embodiment, the system further includes:

[0068] Repair module 8 is set around the pile foundation 1 and above the seabed area where the pile foundation 1 is located. It is used to determine the scour pit that meets the preset conditions based on the topographic information and fill the scour pit according to the ocean current information. The preset conditions include exceeding the preset depth or exceeding the preset area.

[0069] Specifically, repair module 8 includes:

[0070] The repair unit is set around the pile foundation 1 and above the seabed area where the pile foundation 1 is located, and is used to fill the scour pit;

[0071] The control unit is used to determine the scour pits that meet the preset conditions based on the topographic information, and to determine the appropriate time to repair the scour pits based on the external dynamic conditions reflected by the ocean current information. In this way, the repair unit is controlled to fill the scour pits at the appropriate time to avoid affecting the repair effect of the scour pits due to improper timing. For example, when the ocean current is strong, the gravel filling the scour pits is easily washed away, which is not conducive to the repair of the scour pits.

[0072] Specifically, such as Figure 6 As shown, the repair unit includes:

[0073] The inner stone storage bin 81 is located around the pile foundation 1 and above the seabed area, and stores the first crushed stone.

[0074] The outer stone storage bin 82 is located outside the inner stone storage bin 81, and stores a second type of crushed stone; the particle size of the second crushed stone is larger than that of the first crushed stone.

[0075] The control unit controls the bottom of the inner stone storage bin 81 and / or the outer stone storage bin 82 to open, so as to fill the scour pit that meets the preset conditions with the first crushed stone and / or the second crushed stone.

[0076] The outer stone storage bin 82 stores large-diameter secondary crushed stone, which is used to sink and fill the scour pit when it expands rapidly or is subjected to high scour intensity, forming a stable skeleton layer. The inner stone storage bin 81 stores small-diameter primary crushed stone, which is used to sink and fill the outer wall area of ​​the pile foundation 1 or areas with less scour, thereby improving the density of the filling and the effect of detailed repair. This achieves automatic layered repair combining coarse and fine particles, improving the targeting and stability of scour pit repair, while reducing the frequency and cost of manual repair.

[0077] Furthermore, the repair unit also includes:

[0078] The inner filter screen 83 is located below the inner stone storage bin 81, and its sieve hole size matches the particle size of the first crushed stone.

[0079] The outer filter screen 84 is located below the outer stone storage bin 82, and its sieve hole size matches the particle size of the second crushed stone.

[0080] By setting up a double-layer filter, the gravel can be further screened as it sinks, preventing large-diameter gravel that exceeds its corresponding particle size from being filled into the corresponding area and affecting the effect of stratified remediation.

[0081] In this embodiment, the system further includes:

[0082] The power supply module 10 is installed on the spoiler 2 and is used to convert the kinetic energy of the spoiler 2 into electrical energy and supply power to multiple flow sensors 71, multiple lidar 72 and control unit.

[0083] Specifically, the power supply module 10 includes:

[0084] Magnet 101 is disposed at the pointed end 24 of spoiler 2;

[0085] The coil 102 is set on the pile foundation 1 at the position corresponding to the sharp end 24; the magnet 101 swings vertically with the sharp end 24, and its magnetic field cuts the coil 102, generating an induced current in the coil 102 through electromagnetic induction.

[0086] The energy storage device 103, connected to the coil 102, is used to store the electrical energy of the induced current and to supply power to multiple flow rate sensors 71, multiple lidar sensors 72 and control unit via cable 11.

[0087] In this embodiment, a magnet 101 can be provided at the pointed end 24 of each spoiler 2, and a coil 102 can be provided at the position corresponding to each pointed end 24 on the pile foundation 1. This can make full use of the kinetic energy of the spoiler 2 to generate electricity and improve the power generation efficiency.

[0088] This embodiment uses multiple sharp-angled spoilers 2 arranged circumferentially on the pile foundation 1. The geometry of the spoilers 2 alters the flow field structure, significantly reducing velocity concentration and shear stress, and mitigating the scouring effect of the ocean current on the seabed surrounding the pile foundation 1. Simultaneously, by elastically connecting the sharp ends 24 of the spoilers 2 to the pile foundation 1, the spoilers 2 can adaptively swing vertically with changes in ocean current velocity and direction. This converts the impact force of the ocean current on the spoilers 2 into kinetic energy, which is then dissipated. This achieves dynamic response and active spoiling of the spoilers 2 to the ocean current, improving their adaptability to complex marine environments. Building upon this active spoiling, this embodiment also utilizes a power supply module 10 to convert the kinetic energy of the vertical swing of the spoilers 2 into electrical energy to power the monitoring module 7 and the repair module 8. This ensures long-term independent operation of the system, reducing its dependence on external energy and human intervention. To achieve high-precision, full-coverage monitoring of the seabed surrounding pile foundation 1, this embodiment uses a circumferentially arranged lidar 72 and current velocity sensor 71 to ensure 360° full coverage. This allows for accurate identification of the formation and expansion of scour pits, providing reliable data support for the precise repair by repair module 8. Subsequently, the control unit of repair module 8 determines scour pits that meet preset conditions based on the topographic information monitored by monitoring module 7. Simultaneously, the control unit determines the appropriate repair timing based on the ocean current information monitored by monitoring module 7 and uses repair units to fill the scour pits. This achieves a closed-loop operation of "real-time perception - intelligent judgment - automatic repair," enabling the scour system of this embodiment to integrate protection, power generation, monitoring, and repair functions. This significantly improves the long-term stability and safety of pile foundation 1, reduces maintenance costs, and has good engineering application value.

[0089] The above description is merely a few embodiments of this application and is not intended to limit this application in any way. Although this application discloses preferred embodiments as described above, it is not intended to limit this application. Any changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the technical solution of this application using the disclosed technical content are equivalent to equivalent implementation cases and fall within the scope of the technical solution.

Claims

1. A marine pile foundation scour prevention system, characterized in that, The system includes multiple baffles arranged in a ring around the circumference of the pile foundation; The horizontal projection of the spoiler is a symmetrical pointed shape. The spoiler includes opposite pointed ends and diffuser ends. The pointed ends are elastically connected to the pile foundation and can swing vertically under the action of ocean currents. The diffuser ends extend away from the pile foundation. The central axis of the spoiler intersects with the axis of the pile foundation, and the pointed end is higher than the diffuser end; The spoiler has two wing plates symmetrically distributed along its central axis, and the cross-sectional shape of the wing plates in a section perpendicular to the central axis is a concave arc shape; There is a gap between the diffuser ends of adjacent spoilers.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes: A fixing module is fixed to the pile foundation, and the pointed ends of the plurality of spoilers are all connected to the fixing module.

3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fixing module includes: A fixing ring is fitted onto the pile foundation; Multiple support frames are evenly spaced along the outer circumference of the fixed ring; Multiple elastic support members, corresponding one-to-one with multiple support frames, can be elastically deformed vertically; the bottom end of each elastic support member is connected to the fixed ring and the corresponding support frame; the pointed ends of multiple spoilers are connected one-to-one to the top of multiple elastic support members.

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The system also includes: A monitoring module, installed on the pile foundation, is used to monitor scour information in the seabed area where the pile foundation is located.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that, The scouring information includes ocean current information and topographic information; the monitoring module includes: The mounting ring is fitted onto the pile foundation and is located above the seabed area; Multiple flow velocity sensors are evenly spaced on the mounting ring to monitor ocean current information in the seabed area; Multiple lidar sensors are evenly spaced on the mounting ring to monitor the topographic information of the seabed area.

6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The system also includes: A repair module is installed around the pile foundation and above the seabed area. It is used to determine scour pits that meet preset conditions based on the topographic information and to fill the scour pits based on the ocean current information. The preset conditions include exceeding a preset depth or exceeding a preset area.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The repair module includes: A repair unit is disposed circumferentially on the pile foundation and located above the seabed area, for filling the scour pit; The control unit is used to determine the scour pits that meet the preset conditions based on the topographic information, and to control the repair unit to fill the scour pits based on the ocean current information.

8. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The repair unit includes: An inner stone storage bin is located around the periphery of the pile foundation and above the seabed area, and contains the first type of crushed stone. An outer stone storage bin is located outside the inner stone storage bin and stores a second type of crushed stone; the particle size of the second type of crushed stone is larger than that of the first type of crushed stone. The control unit controls the bottom of the inner stone storage bin and / or the outer stone storage bin to open, so as to fill the scour pit with the first crushed stone and / or the second crushed stone.

9. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The repair unit also includes: An inner filter screen is located below the inner stone storage bin, and its sieve hole size matches the particle size of the first crushed stone. An outer filter screen is located below the outer stone storage bin, and its sieve aperture size matches the particle size of the second crushed stone.

10. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The system also includes: A magnet is disposed at the pointed end of the spoiler; A coil is positioned on the pile foundation corresponding to the pointed end; the magnet swings vertically with the pointed end, generating an induced current in the coil through electromagnetic induction. An energy storage device, connected to the coil, is used to store the electrical energy of the induced current and supply power to the plurality of flow rate sensors, the plurality of lidars, and the control unit.

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