Suction anchor with built-in rotatable partition plate and working method of suction anchor

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of suction anchors, and provides a suction anchor with a built-in rotatable partition plate and a working method thereof.The built-in partition plate and a buckle are arranged on the inner wall of an anchor body, the end, close to an opening of the anchor body, of the built-in partition plate is rotationally arranged on the inner wall of the anchor body, and the buckle is arranged at the end, away from the opening of the anchor body, of the built-in partition plate; a first resistance plate is arranged on the buckle; the plane where the built-in partition plate is located is parallel to the construction direction of embedding the anchor body into a seabed, and construction resistance is not increased; in the process that the anchor body is embedded into a seabed, a soil body acts on the first resistance plate, the buckle is separated from the built-in partition plate, and the built-in partition plate is kept in a vertical state under the action of the soil body; when the anchor body is installed in place and moves upwards due to drawing load, the built-in partition plate provides side friction resistance, rotates in the horizontal direction under the action of deflection torque and is finally kept in the horizontal state, soil in the anchor body is prevented from moving downwards, water is prevented from seeping towards the top of an inner cavity of the anchor body, and the drawing resistance of the suction anchor is remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of suction anchor technology, and particularly relates to a suction anchor with a built-in rotatable partition and its working method. Background Technology

[0002] With societal development, the demand for offshore energy development and utilization, as well as for marine mooring facilities, is constantly expanding. Marine engineering projects, represented by offshore wind turbines and floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) units, are increasingly moving towards deeper waters or areas with poor seabed conditions. Tension leg anchors provide stable mooring for tension leg platforms, their core value lying in providing significant vertical restoring force to the platform and effectively suppressing vertical movement. Suction anchors create negative pressure by evacuating the water from the hull, embedding themselves into the seabed, and are well-suited for use in areas with low permeability, such as soft clay and silt. As an easy-to-install, highly adaptable, and economical foundation type, suction anchors are one of the important anchoring foundation types for tension leg platforms.

[0003] The tidal and wave loads on the tension leg platform are transmitted to the suction anchor foundation on the seabed through one or more tension legs, causing the suction anchor to bear vertical cyclic loads and weakening the soil around the anchor. At the same time, the tension causes water in the seabed to seep into the cavity of the suction anchor, and the cumulative displacement of the anchor gradually increases, which is detrimental to the stability of the tension leg platform. Currently, adding a barrier structure to prevent the soil inside the anchor from moving downward and the water from moving into the cavity of the anchor can solve the problem. However, the barrier structure increases the stress area in the vertical direction, which is not conducive to the construction of suction anchors on the seabed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention proposes a suction anchor with a built-in rotatable baffle and its operating method. The buckle engages with the end of the built-in baffle, and the plane of the built-in baffle is parallel to the direction of anchor embedding into the seabed, thus not increasing construction resistance. During anchor embedding into the seabed, the soil acts on the first resistance plate, separating the buckle from the built-in baffle, which remains vertical due to the soil's action. After the anchor is installed and subjected to a pull-out load, the built-in baffle provides lateral friction resistance and rotates horizontally under the action of a deflection moment, ultimately maintaining a horizontal position. This prevents the soil within the anchor body from moving downwards and water from seeping into the top of the anchor's internal cavity, significantly improving the pull-out resistance of the suction anchor.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, in a first aspect, the present invention provides a suction anchor with a built-in rotatable partition, employing the following technical solution: A suction anchor with a built-in rotatable partition includes an anchor body, a built-in partition rotatably disposed on the inner wall of the anchor body, and a buckle disposed on the inner wall of the anchor body. The built-in partition is rotatably disposed on the inner wall of the anchor body at one end near the opening of the anchor body, and the buckle is rotatably disposed at one end of the built-in partition away from the opening of the anchor body; a first resistance plate is provided on the buckle. The buckle engages with the end of the built-in partition, and the plane of the built-in partition is parallel to the direction of the anchor body's embedding into the seabed. During the embedding of the anchor body into the seabed, the soil acts on the first resistance plate to separate the buckle from the built-in partition, and the built-in partition remains vertical due to the action of the soil. When the anchor body is installed in place and moves upward under a pull-out load, the built-in partition provides lateral friction resistance, and the built-in partition rotates horizontally under the action of the deflection torque, eventually maintaining a horizontal state, preventing the soil inside the anchor body from moving downward and water from seeping into the top of the anchor body's cavity.

[0006] Furthermore, the anchor body is cylindrical, with an opening at one end and a sealed bottom at the other end, on which a liquid inlet / outlet pipe is provided.

[0007] Furthermore, the buckle is hinged and rotatably mounted on the inner wall of the anchor body; the rotation direction of the buckle is consistent with the axial direction of the anchor body.

[0008] Furthermore, the first resistance plate is provided at the end of the buckle away from the inner wall of the anchor body.

[0009] Furthermore, two parallel internal partitions are mounted on the inner wall of the anchor body via a rotating shaft.

[0010] Furthermore, a second resistance plate is provided at the end of the built-in partition away from the inner wall of the anchor body, and the second resistance plate is perpendicular to the built-in partition.

[0011] Furthermore, a limiting plate is provided on the inner wall of the anchor body, and the built-in partition contacts the limiting plate after rotating to the horizontal position.

[0012] To achieve the above objectives, in a second aspect, the present invention also provides a method for operating a suction anchor with a built-in rotatable partition, employing the following technical solution: A method for operating a suction anchor with a built-in rotatable baffle, using a suction anchor with a built-in rotatable baffle as described in the first aspect, includes: the buckle engaging with the end of the built-in baffle, the plane of the built-in baffle being parallel to the direction of the anchor body's embedding into the seabed; during the embedding of the anchor body into the seabed, soil acts on a first resistance plate to separate the buckle from the built-in baffle, the built-in baffle remaining vertical under the action of the soil; after the anchor body is installed in place and moves upward under a pull-out load, the built-in baffle provides lateral friction resistance, and the built-in baffle rotates horizontally under the action of a deflection torque, ultimately maintaining a horizontal state, preventing the soil inside the anchor body from moving downward and water from seeping into the top of the anchor body's cavity.

[0013] Furthermore, during the installation of the suction anchor, when the upper surface of the soil has not reached the position of the built-in partition, the built-in partition is not subjected to an upward force and remains in a horizontal state; During the installation of the suction anchor, when the upper surface of the soil reaches the position of the built-in partition, the built-in partition is subjected to an upward force and rotates around the axis of rotation, reducing the projected area in the horizontal direction. When the suction anchor is installed and subjected to a pulling force, the soil exerts a downward force on the built-in partition, which increases the side friction resistance of the suction anchor. The soil also generates a deflection moment on the built-in partition, causing it to change from a vertical to a horizontal state, thereby increasing the projected area of ​​the built-in partition in the horizontal direction. When the built-in partition rotates to the horizontal direction, it is supported by the limiting plate.

[0014] Furthermore, the buckle restricts the rotation of the built-in partition, keeping the built-in partition vertical before the buckle opens; when the soil reaches the buckle position during the installation of the suction anchor, it pushes the buckle to rotate, disengaging from the built-in partition and finally adhering to the inner wall of the anchor body, and the built-in partition remains vertical under the action of the soil.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1. This invention features a rotatable internal partition and a buckle on the inner wall of the anchor body. The internal partition is rotatably mounted on the inner wall of the anchor body at the end closest to the opening of the anchor body, while the buckle is rotatably mounted at the end of the internal partition away from the opening of the anchor body. A first resistance plate is provided on the buckle. The buckle engages with the end of the internal partition, and the plane of the internal partition is parallel to the direction of anchor body embedding into the seabed, thus not increasing construction resistance. During the anchor body embedding into the seabed, the soil acts on the first resistance plate, separating the buckle from the internal partition, and the internal partition remains vertical due to the action of the soil. When the anchor body moves upward under a pull-out load after installation, the internal partition provides lateral friction resistance, and the internal partition rotates horizontally under the action of deflection torque, ultimately maintaining a horizontal state, preventing the soil inside the anchor body from moving downward and water from seeping into the top of the anchor body cavity, significantly improving the pull-out resistance of the suction anchor.

[0016] 2. In this invention, after the anchor body is constructed to the preset depth, when the anchor body moves upward under the upward pull force, the side friction caused by the built-in baffle and the limiting plate will increase the resistance encountered by the anchor body when it moves upward compared with the case without the built-in baffle. At the same time, the built-in baffle rotates around the axis to one side due to the action of the second resistance plate, and stops rotating in the horizontal state due to the action of the limiting plate, thereby increasing the area. By preventing the soil from moving downward and extending the water seepage path length, the pull-out resistance of the anchor body is improved. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this embodiment, are used to provide a further understanding of this embodiment. The illustrative embodiments and their descriptions are used to explain this embodiment and do not constitute an improper limitation of this embodiment.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the initial overall structure of the suction anchor of Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the overall structure of the suction anchor after it enters the soil according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the pull-out action of the rotatable partition suction anchor in Embodiment 1 of the present invention; The components include: 1. Liquid inlet / outlet pipe; 2. Anchor eye; 3. First resistance plate; 4. Buckle; 5. Hinge; 6. Rotating shaft; 7. Limiting plate; 8. Internal partition; 9. Second resistance plate; and 10. Anchor body. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0020] It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are exemplary and intended to provide further explanation of this application. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains.

[0021] Example 1: like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a suction anchor with a built-in rotatable partition, including an anchor body 10, a liquid inlet / outlet pipe 1 and an anchor eye 2 disposed at one end of the anchor body 10, and a first resistance plate 3, a buckle 4, a hinge 5, a rotating shaft 6, a limiting plate 7, a built-in partition 8 and a second resistance plate 9 disposed on the inner wall of the anchor body 10.

[0022] The anchor body 10 is cylindrical, with an opening at one end and a sealed bottom at the other end. The liquid inlet / outlet pipe 1 and the anchor eye 2 are provided on the sealed bottom.

[0023] The liquid inlet / outlet pipe 1 can be connected to a pumping system. By creating negative pressure in the seawater inside the anchor body 10, the open end of the anchor body 10 moves towards the seabed, completing the construction. The anchor eye 2 can be connected to a cable to form a mooring mechanism.

[0024] The latch 4 is rotatably mounted on the inner wall of the anchor body 10 via a hinge 5; the rotation direction of the latch 4 is consistent with the axial direction of the anchor body 10, and the latch 4 can adhere to the inner wall of the anchor body 10 after rotating upward, thus avoiding excessive resistance during the embedding of the anchor body 10 into the seabed. The hinge 5 can be a pivot, pin, or other hinge component.

[0025] The hinge 5 is fixed on the inner wall of the anchor body 10 and is flush with the upper edge of the built-in partition 8. One end of the buckle 4 is connected to the inner wall of the anchor body 10 through the hinge 5, and the built-in partition 8 is connected to the buckle 4 through a groove.

[0026] The groove of the buckle 4 restricts the movement of the built-in partition 8 around the rotating shaft 6, so that the built-in partition 8 remains vertical before the buckle 4 is opened; when the soil reaches the position of the buckle 4 during the installation of the suction anchor, it pushes the buckle 4 to rotate around the hinge 5, disengages from the built-in partition 8 and finally sticks to the inner wall of the anchor body 10, and the built-in partition 8 remains vertical under the action of the soil.

[0027] When the suction anchor is installed and subjected to a pulling force, the buckle 4 is close to the inner wall of the anchor body 10, so it will not affect the deflection and effectiveness of the built-in partition 8 under the action of the soil.

[0028] Optionally, two slots are provided on one side of the buckle 4, which respectively engage with two built-in partitions 8. The first resistance plate 3 is provided at the end of the buckle 4 away from the inner wall of the anchor body 10. The first resistance plate 3 is perpendicular to the built-in partitions 8 and is flat or arc-shaped. During the process of the anchor body 10 being embedded in the seabed, the soil and seawater moving upward within the anchor body 10 act on the first resistance plate 3, causing the buckle 4 to rotate upward and unlock the built-in partitions 8.

[0029] Two parallel internal partitions 8 are rotatably arranged on the inner wall of the anchor body 10 via a rotating shaft 6; the partitions 8 can be rectangular plates; a second resistance plate 9 is provided at one end of each internal partition 8 away from the inner wall of the anchor body 10, and the second resistance plate 9 is perpendicular to the internal partition 8.

[0030] The second resistance plate 9 is one or more; the built-in partition plate 8 is one or more, distributed in one or more layers of the anchor body 10.

[0031] When the anchor body 10 is installed in place and moves upward under the pull-out load, the built-in baffle 8 provides lateral friction resistance. Under the action of the deflection torque, the built-in baffle 8 rotates in the horizontal direction and eventually maintains a horizontal state, preventing the soil inside the anchor body 10 from moving downward and water from seeping into the top of the inner cavity of the anchor body 10.

[0032] A limiting plate 7 is provided on the inner wall of the anchor body 10. When the built-in partition 8 rotates in the horizontal direction, the built-in partition 8 contacts the limiting plate 7 after rotating to the horizontal position, preventing the built-in partition 8 from continuing to rotate downward, thus ensuring the effect of preventing the soil from moving downward and the seawater from seeping upward.

[0033] The built-in partition 8 has a rotation range of 0° to 90° with respect to the horizontal plane. When the built-in partition 8 is at 0° with respect to the horizontal plane, the built-in partition 8 rests on the upper edge of the limiting plate 7.

[0034] One of the working principles or processes of this embodiment is as follows: During construction, seawater inside the anchor body 10 is absorbed through the liquid inlet / outlet pipe 1, generating negative pressure. Under this negative pressure, the anchor body 10 moves towards the seabed. During the initial and subsequent movement of the anchor body 10 towards the seabed, the internal baffle 8 is kept vertical by the action of the locking mechanism 4 and the soil. The internal baffle 8 has a small horizontal projection area, resulting in minimal resistance to the construction of the anchor body 10. After the anchor body 10 is installed and subjected to a pull-out load, it moves upwards. On one hand, the presence of the internal baffle 8 increases the side friction of the anchor; on the other hand, the internal baffle 8 is rotated horizontally by a deflection moment and eventually maintains a horizontal position, increasing its horizontal projection area. This, by hindering the downward movement of the soil inside the suction anchor and extending the seepage path of water to the top of the anchor body cavity, alleviates the vertical displacement of the anchor body 10, thereby significantly improving the pull-out resistance of the suction anchor.

[0035] During the installation of the suction anchor, when the soil reaches the position of the buckle 4, it pushes the buckle 4 to rotate around the hinge 5, disengages from the built-in partition 8, and finally attaches to the inner wall of the anchor body 10. The built-in partition 8 remains vertical under the action of the soil.

[0036] During the installation of the suction anchor, before the upper surface of the soil reaches the position of the built-in partition 8, the built-in partition 8 is not subjected to an upward force and remains in a horizontal state.

[0037] During the installation of the suction anchor, when the upper surface of the soil reaches the position of the built-in partition 8, the built-in partition 8 is subjected to an upward force and rotates around the rotating shaft 6, reducing its projected area in the horizontal direction and reducing the resistance during the construction of the suction anchor.

[0038] When the suction anchor is installed and subjected to a pulling force, the buckle 4 is close to the inner wall of the anchor body 10, so it will not affect the deflection and effectiveness of the built-in partition 8 under the action of the soil.

[0039] When the suction anchor is installed and subjected to a pull-out force, the soil exerts a downward force on the built-in partition 8. Since the built-in partition 8 increases the lateral friction resistance of the suction anchor, it enhances the pull-out resistance. Simultaneously, the lower rotation axis 6 of the built-in partition 8 causes the soil to generate a deflection torque, transforming the partition from a vertical to a horizontal state. This increases the horizontal projected area of ​​the built-in partition 8, increasing resistance and further enhancing the pull-out resistance of the suction anchor. When the built-in partition 8 rotates to a horizontal position, it is supported by the limiting plate 7, preventing further rotation and avoiding a decrease in the horizontal projected area of ​​the built-in partition 8.

[0040] Example 2: This embodiment provides a working method for a suction anchor with a built-in rotatable partition, using a suction anchor with a built-in rotatable partition as described in Embodiment 1, including: the buckle 4 is engaged with the end of the built-in partition 8, and the plane of the built-in partition 8 is parallel to the direction of the anchor body 10 being embedded into the seabed; during the embedding of the anchor body 10 into the seabed, the soil acts on the first resistance plate 3 to separate the buckle 4 from the built-in partition 8, and the built-in partition 8 remains vertical due to the action of the soil; when the anchor body 10 is installed in place and moves upward under a pull-out load, the built-in partition 8 provides lateral friction resistance, and the built-in partition 8 rotates horizontally under the action of a deflection torque, eventually maintaining a horizontal state, preventing the soil inside the anchor body 10 from moving downward and water from seeping into the top of the anchor body cavity.

[0041] During the installation of the suction anchor, before the upper surface of the soil reaches the position of the built-in partition 8, the built-in partition 8 is not subjected to an upward force and remains in a horizontal state.

[0042] During the installation of the suction anchor, when the upper surface of the soil reaches the position of the built-in partition 8, the built-in partition 8 is subjected to an upward force and rotates around the rotating shaft 6, reducing its projected area in the horizontal direction and reducing the resistance during the construction of the suction anchor.

[0043] When the suction anchor is installed and subjected to a pull-out force, the soil exerts a downward force on the built-in partition 8. Since the built-in partition 8 increases the lateral friction resistance of the suction anchor, it enhances the pull-out resistance. Simultaneously, the lower rotation axis 6 of the built-in partition 8 causes the soil to generate a deflection torque, transforming the partition from a vertical to a horizontal state. This increases the horizontal projected area of ​​the built-in partition 8, increasing resistance and further enhancing the pull-out resistance of the suction anchor. When the built-in partition 8 rotates to a horizontal position, it is supported by the limiting plate 7, preventing further rotation and avoiding a decrease in the horizontal projected area of ​​the built-in partition 8.

[0044] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this practice and is not intended to limit the scope of this practice. Various modifications and variations can be made to this practice by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of this practice should be included within the protection scope of this practice.

Claims

1. A suction anchor with a built-in rotatable partition, characterized in that, Includes an anchor body, a built-in partition rotatably disposed on the inner wall of the anchor body, and a buckle disposed on the inner wall of the anchor body; The built-in partition is rotatably disposed on the inner wall of the anchor body at one end near the opening of the anchor body, and the buckle is rotatably disposed at one end of the built-in partition away from the opening of the anchor body; a first resistance plate is provided on the buckle. The buckle engages with the end of the built-in partition, and the plane of the built-in partition is parallel to the direction of the anchor body's embedding into the seabed. During the embedding of the anchor body into the seabed, the soil acts on the first resistance plate to separate the buckle from the built-in partition, and the built-in partition remains vertical due to the action of the soil. When the anchor body is installed in place and moves upward under a pull-out load, the built-in partition provides lateral friction resistance, and the built-in partition rotates horizontally under the action of the deflection torque, eventually maintaining a horizontal state, preventing the soil inside the anchor body from moving downward and water from seeping into the top of the anchor body's cavity.

2. A suction anchor with a built-in rotatable partition as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The anchor body is cylindrical, with an opening at one end and a sealed bottom at the other end, on which a liquid inlet / outlet pipe is provided.

3. A suction anchor with a built-in rotatable partition as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The latch is hinged and rotates on the inner wall of the anchor body; the rotation direction of the latch is consistent with the axial direction of the anchor body.

4. A suction anchor with a built-in rotatable partition as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first resistance plate is provided at the end of the buckle away from the inner wall of the anchor body.

5. A suction anchor with a built-in rotatable partition as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the anchor body has two parallel internal partitions that are rotatably mounted on a pivot.

6. A suction anchor with a built-in rotatable partition as described in claim 5, characterized in that, A second resistance plate is provided at the end of the built-in partition away from the inner wall of the anchor body, and the second resistance plate is perpendicular to the built-in partition.

7. A suction anchor with a built-in rotatable partition as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A limiting plate is provided on the inner wall of the anchor body, and the built-in partition plate contacts the limiting plate after rotating to the horizontal position.

8. A method for operating a suction anchor with a built-in rotatable partition, characterized in that, The suction anchor with a built-in rotatable baffle as described in any one of claims 1-7 is used, comprising: the buckle engaging with the end of the built-in baffle, the plane of the built-in baffle being parallel to the direction of the anchor body being embedded in the seabed; during the embedding of the anchor body into the seabed, the soil acts on the first resistance plate to separate the buckle from the built-in baffle, and the built-in baffle remains vertical under the action of the soil; when the anchor body moves upward under a pull-out load after being installed in place, the built-in baffle provides lateral friction resistance, and the built-in baffle rotates horizontally under the action of a deflection torque, ultimately maintaining a horizontal state, preventing the soil inside the anchor body from moving downward and water from seeping into the top of the anchor body cavity.

9. The working method of a suction anchor with a built-in rotatable partition as described in claim 8, characterized in that, When the upper surface of the soil has not reached the position of the built-in partition during the installation of the suction anchor, the built-in partition is not subjected to an upward force and remains in a horizontal state. During the installation of the suction anchor, when the upper surface of the soil reaches the position of the built-in partition, the built-in partition is subjected to an upward force and rotates around the axis of rotation, reducing the projected area in the horizontal direction. When the suction anchor is installed and subjected to a pulling force, the soil exerts a downward force on the built-in partition, which increases the side friction resistance of the suction anchor. The soil also generates a deflection moment on the built-in partition, causing it to change from a vertical to a horizontal state, thereby increasing the projected area of ​​the built-in partition in the horizontal direction. When the built-in partition rotates to the horizontal position, it is supported by the limiting plate.

10. The method for operating a suction anchor with a built-in rotatable partition as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The buckle restricts the rotation of the built-in partition, keeping the built-in partition vertical before the buckle is opened; when the soil reaches the buckle position during the installation of the suction anchor, it pushes the buckle to rotate, disengages from the built-in partition, and finally adheres to the inner wall of the anchor body, while the built-in partition remains vertical under the action of the soil.

Images