A check valve, a pile driving system and a jack-up offshore platform

Abstract

This application relates to the field of jack-up offshore platform technology, and discloses a check valve, a pile driving system, and a jack-up offshore platform. The check valve includes: a valve body, the upper end of which is connected to a pile driving pipe; a valve core, which is disposed within the valve body and can move up and down, with its top close to the pile driving pipe; and a magnetic attraction assembly, disposed within the valve body and close to the top of the valve core. The magnetic attraction assembly is used to magnetically attract the valve core to close the check valve, and the valve core moves downward under force to separate from the magnetic attraction assembly to open the check valve. This application can achieve the pile driving function and prevent sediment backflow.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to jack-up offshore platforms, specifically to a check valve, a pile driving system, and a jack-up offshore platform. Background Technology

[0002] Self-elevating offshore platforms typically have pile shoes on their legs. These shoes reduce the sinking depth of the legs by increasing the contact area with the seabed, ensuring the stability of the platform during operation and compensating for insufficient leg length. To meet the needs of frequent relocation, the platform is equipped with a pile-driving system that uses high-pressure seawater or compressed air to spray around the pile shoes during pile extraction, clearing away mud and sand to counteract the pressure difference between the seabed and the soil friction.

[0003] Current mainstream designs employ a percussion pipe combined with a simple anti-backflow device, such as an arc-shaped baffle or a standard flexible check valve. However, these designs have several drawbacks. For instance, high-pressure water residue in the pipeline after operation can cause backflow, leading to sediment intrusion into the pipeline cavity, resulting in reduced efficiency or even complete blockage. Furthermore, flexible check valves lack self-cleaning capabilities in sediment-laden environments, and the valve springs are susceptible to seawater corrosion, potentially causing jamming and failure. Simple baffle structures are also ineffective at preventing sediment from entering the system. These issues reduce the reliability of the percussion system during high-frequency pile extraction operations, increase maintenance costs, and negatively impact operational efficiency. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this application is to propose a check valve, a pile driving system, and a self-elevating offshore platform to solve the problems of backflow and silt blockage in the pile driving pipe.

[0005] To solve at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution of this application is as follows:

[0006] According to a first aspect of this application, a check valve is provided for a piling system of a jack-up offshore platform, the check valve comprising:

[0007] The valve body, with its upper end used to connect to the pile driving pipe;

[0008] The valve core is located inside the valve body and can move up and down. The top of the valve core is close to the pile pipe.

[0009] The magnetic attraction component is located inside the valve body and near the top of the valve core. The magnetic attraction component is used to magnetically attract the valve core to close the check valve. When the valve core is forced downward, it separates from the magnetic attraction component to open the check valve.

[0010] In one possible implementation of the first aspect mentioned above, a cavity extending vertically through the valve body is provided inside the valve body, the top of the cavity is connected to the pile driving pipe, the valve core and the magnetic suction assembly are located inside the cavity, and the valve core can slide up and down along the cavity.

[0011] In one possible implementation of the first aspect mentioned above, the upper end of the valve core is provided with an inlet and the lower end of the valve core is provided with an outlet. The valve core is provided with a channel connecting the inlet and the outlet. When the check valve is open, the valve core is separated from the magnetic suction assembly and the outlet extends to the bottom of the valve body. When the check valve is closed, the lower end of the valve core blocks the bottom of the cavity and the outlet is located in the cavity.

[0012] In one possible implementation of the first aspect mentioned above, the valve core includes, from top to bottom, a first core, a second core, and a third core. The outer diameter of the second core is larger than the outer diameters of the first core and the third core. The second core is slidably connected to the inner wall of the cavity. The inlet is located on the first core, and the outlet is located on the third core.

[0013] In one possible implementation of the first aspect described above, the check valve further includes a bearing assembly disposed at the lower end of the cavity and cooperating with a third core, the third core passing through the bearing assembly.

[0014] The bearing assembly includes a bearing housing and a linear bearing. The outer wall of the bearing housing fits against the inner wall of the cavity. The bearing housing has a first through hole that runs vertically through it. The linear bearing is installed in the first through hole. The third core passes through the linear bearing. When the check valve is closed, the outlet fits against the inner wall of the linear bearing.

[0015] In one possible implementation of the first aspect described above, a first sealing ring is fitted between the first through hole and the third core, and a second sealing ring is fitted between the inner wall of the cavity and the second core.

[0016] In one possible implementation of the first aspect described above, the valve body further includes an end cap disposed at the bottom of the valve body, the end cap being used to secure the bearing assembly.

[0017] In one possible implementation of the first aspect above, the magnetic suction assembly includes a magnetic suction plate, the magnetic suction plate being provided with a second through hole for the first core to pass through, and the upper surface of the second core being provided with a magnetically received block for connection with the magnetic suction plate.

[0018] The upper end of the cavity has a limiting section that matches the first core. The outer diameter of the first core is larger than the diameter of the limiting section. The bottom of the limiting section forms a mounting surface for placing the magnetic plate.

[0019] According to a second aspect of this application, a pile driving system is provided for a jack-up offshore platform, including a check valve as described above.

[0020] According to a third aspect of this application, a self-elevating offshore platform includes the pile driving system described above.

[0021] The above-mentioned technical solution of this application has at least one of the following beneficial effects:

[0022] This application discloses a check valve, a pile driving system, and a jack-up offshore platform. The check valve includes: a valve body, the upper end of which connects to a pile driving pipe; a valve core, disposed within the valve body and capable of vertical movement, with its top near the pile driving pipe; and a magnetic attraction assembly, disposed within the valve body and near the top of the valve core. The magnetic attraction assembly magnetically attracts the valve core to close the check valve, and when the valve core is subjected to force, it moves downwards and separates from the magnetic attraction assembly to open the check valve. This check valve not only enables high-pressure jetting of the pile shoe but also prevents seabed sediment backflow.

[0023] In addition, unless otherwise specified in the technical solution of this application, the technical solution can be implemented by conventional means in the field. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the specific embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the check valve in the closed state in one embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the check valve in the open state in one embodiment of this application.

[0027] Explanation of the labels in the attached drawings:

[0028] Valve body 100;

[0029] Valve core 200, first core 201, second core 202, third core 203, inlet 204, outlet 205, channel 206;

[0030] Magnetic assembly 300;

[0031] Piling pipe 400;

[0032] Bearing assembly 500, bearing housing 501, linear bearing 502;

[0033] End cap 600;

[0034] Magnetic block 700;

[0035] First sealing ring 801, second sealing ring 802. Detailed Implementation

[0036] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application, and are used merely to explain this application and are not intended to limit it. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0037] In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," "outer," "both ends," "both sides," "bottom," and "top," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the elements referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. In addition, the terms "first," "second," "upper-level," "lower-level," "main," and "secondary," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and can be simply used to more clearly distinguish different components, and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0038] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0039] See Figures 1-2 The diagram schematically illustrates a check valve provided according to an embodiment of this application, which is installed on the pile shoe of a jack-up offshore platform's pile driving system. During pile extraction on the jack-up offshore platform, the pile driving system performs jet blasting near the pile shoe to overcome the pressure difference between the bottom and surface of the pile shoe and reduce the friction of the surrounding soil. This check valve not only enables high-pressure jet blasting of the pile shoe but also prevents seabed sediment backflow.

[0040] like Figure 1As shown, the check valve includes a valve body 100, a valve core 200, and a magnetic traction assembly 300. The upper end of the valve body 100 is connected to a pile-flush pipe 400. High-pressure fluid (such as high-pressure seawater or compressed air) flows through the pile-flush pipe 400 to achieve the jetting operation. The valve core 200 is disposed within the valve body 100 and can move up and down within the valve body 100. The top of the valve core 200 is close to the pile-flush pipe 400. When high-pressure fluid flows through the pile-flush pipe 400, the high-pressure fluid in the pile-flush pipe 400 will exert a downward thrust on the top of the valve core 200. The magnetic traction assembly 300 is disposed within the valve body 100 and close to the top of the valve core 200. The magnetic traction assembly 300 can magnetically attract the valve core 200 to close the check valve. When the downward thrust of the high-pressure fluid on the valve core 200 is greater than the attraction force of the magnetic traction assembly 300, the valve core 200 moves downward and separates from the magnetic traction assembly 300, causing the check valve to open.

[0041] Compared to existing flexible check valves, the magnetic chuck assembly 300 responds much faster. When the pressure of the high-pressure fluid supplied by the pile driving pipe 400 drops sharply, the magnetic force of the magnetic chuck assembly 300 can quickly pull the valve core 200 back to the closed state, which greatly reduces the backflow time compared to the spring of the flexible check valve. In addition, the magnetic chuck assembly 300 can use neodymium iron boron magnets coated with stainless steel, which can work for a long time in seawater, is corrosion resistant, and has a low magnetic attenuation rate.

[0042] More specifically, the valve body 100 is provided with a cavity 101 that runs vertically through it. The top of the cavity 101 is connected to the pile driving pipe 400. The valve core 200 and the magnetic suction assembly 300 are located inside the cavity 101. The valve core 200 can slide up and down along the cavity 101. The cavity 101 can limit and guide the valve core 200.

[0043] Furthermore, the valve core 200 comprises, from top to bottom, a first core 201, a second core 202, and a third core 203. The outer diameter of the second core 202 is larger than the outer diameters of the first core 201 and the third core 203. The second core 202 is slidably connected to the inner wall of the cavity 101. The upper end of the valve core 200 is provided with an inlet 204, and the lower end is provided with an outlet 205. A channel 206 connecting the inlet 204 and the outlet 205 is provided inside the valve core 200. The inlet 204 is located on the first core 201, and the outlet 205 is located on the third core 203. Multiple inlets 204 can be evenly distributed along the circumference of the first core 201, and multiple outlets 205 can be evenly distributed along the circumference of the third core 203.

[0044] Furthermore, the check valve also includes a bearing assembly 500, which is disposed at the lower end of the cavity 101 and cooperates with the third core 203, which passes through the bearing assembly 500. The bearing assembly 500 includes a bearing seat 501 and a linear bearing 502. The outer wall of the bearing seat 501 is fitted against the inner wall of the cavity 101. The bearing seat 501 has a first through hole extending vertically, and the linear bearing 502 is installed in the first through hole. The third core 203 passes through the linear bearing 502, which ensures stable up-and-down movement of the third core 203. When the check valve is closed, the outlet 205 is fitted against the inner wall of the linear bearing 502. Specifically, the linear bearing 502 can be a self-lubricating bearing.

[0045] Furthermore, the valve body 100 also includes an end cap 600, which is disposed at the bottom of the valve body 100 and is used to fix the bearing assembly 500. The end cap 600 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the valve body 100 by fasteners such as screws. The bottom of the valve body 100 is also provided with a groove that mates with the end cap 600, making the structure more compact and stable.

[0046] Furthermore, the magnetic suction assembly 300 specifically includes a magnetic suction plate, which has a second through hole through which the first core 201 passes. The upper surface of the second core 202 is provided with a magnetic block 700 for connecting with the magnetic suction plate.

[0047] The upper end of the cavity 101 has a limiting section that mates with the first core 201, and the bottom of the limiting section forms a mounting surface for accommodating the magnetic plate. The top of the first core 201 is sloped, and the end of the limiting section near the first core 201 is also formed as a slope that mates with the first core 201, while simultaneously guiding the movement of the valve core 200. The outer diameter of the first core 201 is larger than the diameter of the limiting section.

[0048] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the check valve in the closed state. When the check valve is closed, the first core 201 can block the upper end of the cavity 101. The lower end of the valve core 200, the third core 203, blocks the bottom of the cavity 101, and the outlet 205 is located inside the cavity 101.

[0049] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the check valve in the open state. In the open state, the valve core 200 is separated from the magnetic suction assembly 300 and the outlet 205 extends to the bottom of the valve body 100.

[0050] Furthermore, a first sealing ring 801 is fitted between the first through hole and the third core 203, and a second sealing ring 802 is fitted between the inner wall of the cavity 101 and the second core 202. The sealing rings can compensate for the gap between the cavity 101 and the valve core 200, thereby increasing the sealing performance of the check valve.

[0051] Embodiments of this application also provide a pile driving system, which includes the check valve in the above embodiments and is applied to a jack-up offshore platform.

[0052] Embodiments of this application also provide a jack-up offshore platform, which includes the pile driving system described in the above embodiments.

[0053] Based on the various embodiments of this application described above, in the absence of explicit denial or conflict, the technical features of one embodiment may be advantageously combined with one or more other embodiments.

[0054] The above descriptions are merely some embodiments of this application, used only to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and not to limit it. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make improvements or substitutions based on the above descriptions without departing from the inventive concept of this application, and all such improvements and substitutions should fall within the protection scope of this application. In this case, all details can be replaced with equivalent elements, and materials, shapes, and sizes can also be arbitrary.

Claims

1. A check valve, characterized in that, For a jacking-up offshore platform, the piling system includes a check valve comprising: Valve body, the upper end of which is used to connect to the pile driving pipe; A valve core is disposed within the valve body and is capable of moving up and down, with the top of the valve core close to the pile driving pipe; A magnetic attraction assembly is disposed within the valve body and near the top of the valve core. The magnetic attraction assembly is used to magnetically attract the valve core to close the check valve, and the valve core is moved downward by force to separate from the magnetic attraction assembly to open the check valve.

2. The check valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The valve body has a cavity that extends vertically through it. The top of the cavity is connected to the pile driving pipe. The valve core and the magnetic suction assembly are located in the cavity. The valve core can slide up and down along the cavity.

3. The check valve according to claim 2, characterized in that, The valve core has an inlet at its upper end and an outlet at its lower end. The valve core has a channel connecting the inlet and the outlet. When the check valve is open, the valve core is separated from the magnetic suction assembly and the outlet extends to the bottom of the valve body. When the check valve is closed, the lower end of the valve core blocks the bottom of the cavity and the outlet is located inside the cavity.

4. The check valve according to claim 3, characterized in that, The valve core comprises, from top to bottom, a first core, a second core, and a third core. The outer diameter of the second core is larger than the outer diameters of the first core and the third core. The second core is slidably connected to the inner wall of the cavity. The inlet is located on the first core, and the outlet is located on the third core.

5. The check valve according to claim 4, characterized in that, The check valve also includes a bearing assembly, which is disposed at the lower end of the cavity and cooperates with the third core, the third core passing through the bearing assembly; The bearing assembly includes a bearing housing and a linear bearing. The outer wall of the bearing housing fits against the inner wall of the cavity. The bearing housing has a first through hole extending vertically. The linear bearing is installed in the first through hole. The third core passes through the linear bearing. When the check valve is closed, the outlet fits against the inner wall of the linear bearing.

6. The check valve according to claim 5, characterized in that, A first sealing ring is fitted between the first through hole and the third core, and a second sealing ring is fitted between the inner wall of the cavity and the second core.

7. The check valve according to claim 5, characterized in that, The valve body also includes an end cap disposed at the bottom of the valve body, the end cap being used to fix the bearing assembly.

8. The check valve according to claim 4, characterized in that, The magnetic suction assembly includes a magnetic suction plate, which has a second through hole for the first core to pass through, and a magnetic block for connecting with the magnetic suction plate is provided on the upper surface of the second core. The upper end of the cavity is formed with a limiting section that cooperates with the first core. The outer diameter of the first core is larger than the diameter of the limiting section. The bottom of the limiting section forms a mounting surface for placing the magnetic plate.

9. A pile driving system, characterized in that, For use on jack-up offshore platforms, including the check valve as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A self-elevating offshore platform, characterized in that, Includes the pile driving system as described in claim 9.

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