UNIVERSAL BUOYANCY BODY, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A UNIVERSAL BUOYANCY BODY AND ITS USE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a universal buoyancy body for floating substructures, as well as a method for producing a universal buoyancy body for floating substructures and its use.

[0002] Common floating substructures, such as those of wind turbines, are currently largely manufactured manually in shipyards and usually feature cylindrical buoyancy bodies. These are designed with a variety of stiffeners, known from shipbuilding, to ensure rigidity. These stiffeners, in the form of lateral and horizontal ribs, are attached to the individual components of the cylindrical buoyancy bodies using a variety of welded joints. Due to the severe fatigue loads that occur on buoyancy bodies, increased quality requirements are placed on the welded joints, which has the disadvantage of driving up the manufacturing costs of the floating substructures. Due to the high shipyard and personnel costs, as well as limited shipyard capacity, series production of floating substructures is currently not possible.

[0003] Monopile technology is also well-known for the production of foundation piles for offshore structures. Such monopiles are manufactured by first bending sheet metal into tubular segments, called "sections," and then welding the edges of the bent sections. The finished individual sections are then joined together to form larger segments. The final assembly of the monopile is achieved by aligning the individual sections or segments with each other and welding the inner and outer circumferential welds. After final assembly, the monopiles are coated.

[0004] US 2015 0 329 180 A1 describes a cylindrical buoyancy body for a wind turbine with an inner and outer steel tube, hermetically sealed at the top and bottom ends with a steel cover. The space between the inner and outer tubes is filled with cement or mortar to increase the stiffness of the outer tube against external water pressure.

[0005] DE 10 2013 222 081 A1 discloses a supporting structure for wind turbines comprising cylindrical buoyancy bodies. The buoyancy bodies are designed as tubular elements with openings for connection to additional buoyancy bodies and are closed with an upper and a lower cover, with the upper cover having an opening for the passage of a supporting element.

[0006] DE 10 2017 204 121 A1 discloses a floating offshore facility for converting wind and / or solar energy, comprising a support structure with buoyancy bodies. The buoyancy body is a hollow cylinder made of concrete, a composite material with concrete, or a composite material with plastic, and comprises a cover plate and a base plate.

[0007] WO 2019 / 072 381 A1 describes a method for producing a permanent connection between two workpieces and a construction produced according to the method for use in shipbuilding as a panel for producing ship sections. One of the workpieces is a sandwich element made of two metallic layers with a damping layer made of a viscoelastic polymer material arranged between them.

[0008] WO 2016 / 205746 A1 shows a floating wind turbine platform with cylindrical buoyancy bodies. The buoyancy bodies comprise an inner tube, an outer tube, a lower cover configured as a stiffened plate, and an upper cover. The inner and outer tubes comprise several stiffening elements, such as ring supports, intermediate plates, and radial stiffeners.

[0009] Therefore, there is an increasing demand for buoyancy bodies with a cylindrical design that can be manufactured as a standardized component in automated or semi-automated processes and do not require time-consuming and production-intensive stiffeners.

[0010] The object of the invention is to provide a universal buoyancy device for floating substructures that has a simple design compared to the prior art and does not require complex stiffeners. Furthermore, the object of the invention is to provide a cost-effective and efficient method for producing a universal buoyancy device.

[0011] The object is achieved by a universal buoyancy body having the features of claim 1; advantageous embodiments are set out in the dependent subclaims. Furthermore, the object is achieved by a method having the features of claim 7.

[0012] According to the invention, a universal buoyancy body for floating substructures, in cylindrical design, has at least the following components: an inner tube, an outer tube, an upper cover and a lower cover.

[0013] According to the invention, the inner tube is passed through openings in the covers and connected to them in the area of ​​the passage. The connection can be integral or detachable, e.g., by screwing. Such integral connections include welding, soldering, or gluing. Preferably, the connection is integral, in the form of welded joints.

[0014] Furthermore, according to the invention, the inner tube is arranged within the outer tube, and the covers are connected to the ends of the outer tube on both sides. Also according to the invention, the covers are designed as sandwich elements, and the tubes are each formed from at least one sheet steel section.

[0015] The function of the outer tube is to ensure the buoyancy of the universal buoyancy body.

[0016] Advantageously, such a universal buoyancy body does not require additional reinforcement in the form of welded ribs. Furthermore, such a universal buoyancy body has fewer time-consuming and cost-intensive welds and can be manufactured using automated or semi-automated processes. Furthermore, the construction and assembly of the universal buoyancy body reduces the shipyard time for floating substructures, as the universal buoyancy body can be manufactured off-site, and only the connection to the floating foundation is carried out at the shipyard itself.

[0017] The universal buoyancy body according to the invention thus has a completely different structural-mechanical principle than known buoyancy bodies. The inner tube of the universal buoyancy body is advantageously part of the supporting structure of the floating substructure and is responsible for the flow of forces. The inner tube acts as a relatively stiff tension / compression spring, while the covers are designed as relatively soft bending springs, so that all forces introduced from the floating substructure into the universal buoyancy body are largely transmitted through the inner tube through the universal buoyancy body. This advantageously keeps the mechanical stress on the covers and the outer tube as low as possible.Furthermore, the external water pressure acting on the outer tube of the universal buoyancy body is absorbed solely by the stiffness of the outer tube, so that no further stiffening in the form of ribs or filling material between the inner and outer tubes is necessary.

[0018] The outer tube, in conjunction with the covers, which are connected to the ends of the outer tube on both sides, advantageously ensures the buoyancy of the universal buoyancy body. The buoyancy force generated by the universal buoyancy body is generated at the covers of the buoyancy body and is advantageously transferred via the inner tube into the surrounding structure of the floating substructure. The covers are subjected to very high compressive forces and resulting bending stresses and are therefore designed as sandwich elements.

[0019] In embodiments, the universal buoyancy body is designed to be integrated into the floating substructure on both sides at the ends of the inner tube, i.e. at the upper and lower ends of the inner tube.

[0020] Floating substructures within the meaning of the invention are substructures, e.g. for wind turbines, platforms and / or marine energy systems.

[0021] A universal buoyancy body, as defined by the invention, refers to a cylindrical buoyancy body whose dimensions and dimensions can be varied within a wide range. This scalability of the universal buoyancy body allows it to be easily integrated into known floating substructures, e.g., in tension-anchored designs (also referred to as TLP designs) or semi-submersible designs. In some embodiments, the universal buoyancy body is integrated into floating substructures using specified adapters.

[0022] In embodiments, the inner and outer tubes have a circular cross-section.

[0023] In embodiments, the inner tube is connected to at least one lid on one side. "One-sided" means that the inner tube is connected to one side of the lid. One side of the lid refers to the top or bottom of the lid. The top and bottom of the lids refer to the vertical alignment, along the height, of the universal buoyancy body. In preferred embodiments, the inner tube is connected to at least one lid on both sides. "Both sides" means that the inner tube is connected to the top and bottom of the lid.

[0024] In some embodiments, further structural components of the floating substructure are connected to the inner tube towards the seabed, such as anchor lines, heavy weight anchors, ropes and guy chains.

[0025] In embodiments, the inner pipe is integrally connected to the covers in the area of ​​the feedthrough, preferably by means of welded joints.

[0026] In some embodiments, the inner tube is designed as a central tube and arranged centrally within the outer tube. "Central" means that the cylinder axis of the inner tube is arranged on the cylinder axis of the outer tube. The cylinder axis of the inner or outer tube refers to a longitudinal axis of the inner or outer tube, which extends through the centers of the base and cover surfaces along the height of the inner or outer tube.

[0027] In some embodiments, the covers are integrally connected to the ends of the outer tube on both sides. "Both sides" means that each cover is connected to one end of the outer tube, with the lower cover closing off the outer tube at the lower end and the upper cover closing off the outer tube at the upper end. A cover can be connected to the outer tube on one or both sides, i.e., the bottom or top side of the cover, or the bottom and top sides of the cover, are connected to the outer tube. In other embodiments, the covers are connected to the ends of the outer tube on both sides by means of welded joints.

[0028] According to the invention, the tubes are each formed from at least one steel sheet section. A steel sheet section within the meaning of the invention means a steel sheet bent into a cylinder, wherein the edges of the steel sheet are connected to one another, preferably bonded to one another. In embodiments, the tubes are each formed from at least one steel sheet section using monopile technology. In embodiments, the steel sheets can suitably have a wall thickness in the range of 50 mm to 150 mm. Depending on the design, the steel sheets can also have greater or smaller wall thicknesses. In embodiments, the inner tube and / or outer tube each have variable wall thicknesses along their length. For example, the wall thickness of the inner tube and / or outer tube is thicker in the area of ​​the cover, since greater material stress occurs there and stresses can thus be better dissipated.

[0029] In further embodiments, the inner tube formed from at least one sheet steel section has an inner diameter in the range of 2 m to 5 m. In further embodiments, the outer tube formed from at least one sheet steel section has an inner diameter in the range of 10 m to 15 m. Depending on the application and load case of the universal buoyancy body, it may be advantageous for the inner diameters of the inner tube and the outer tube to have larger or smaller diameters.

[0030] In some embodiments, several steel sheet sections are arranged one above the other to form tubes of a specific length and to adapt the universal buoyancy body to different applications. In other embodiments, the steel sheet sections arranged one above the other are connected to one another by a material bond, preferably by welding.

[0031] In preferred embodiments, the inner tube is designed such that the force flow which occurs through the universal buoyancy body is primarily directed via the inner tube.

[0032] In embodiments, the inner tube is designed such that the wall thickness of the sheet steel sections from which the inner tube is formed is greater than the wall thickness of the sheet steel sections from which the outer tube is formed. Such an inner tube advantageously has a high axial stiffness, so that loads which are introduced into the universal buoyancy body via the upper or lower end of the inner tube are largely guided via the inner tube directly through the universal buoyancy body. In this respect, the inner tube serves as a tension / compression spring. In further embodiments, the inner tube is designed such that the wall thickness of the sheet steel sections from which the inner tube is formed is less than or equal to the wall thickness of the sheet steel sections from which the outer tube is formed.

[0033] According to the invention, the sandwich elements each comprise at least two steel plates arranged at a distance from one another and a filling material arranged between the steel plates.

[0034] Advantageously, a lid designed in this way can withstand the high stresses caused by water pressure during use. Furthermore, such a lid is lighter and faster to manufacture than conventional lids and, unlike the state of the art, does not require complex reinforcements in the form of welded ribs.

[0035] In some embodiments, the steel plates are formed from multiple layers of integrally bonded steel sheets. The multiple layers are connected vertically to form a steel plate of suitable thickness. Depending on the application and load case of the universal buoyancy body, it may be advantageous for the steel plates to have greater or lesser thicknesses. In some embodiments, the steel plates have a thickness in the range of 10 mm to 40 mm.

[0036] The design of the covers advantageously ensures the load-bearing capacity of the universal buoyancy body, as they exhibit lower rigidity and bending spring properties than the inner tube. This means that forces or impacts, such as those transmitted from the surrounding substructure into the buoyancy body, are primarily conducted through the inner tube and only to a limited extent through the outer tube, thus relieving the load on the covers and the outer tube.

[0037] In some embodiments, the steel plates of the covers have a planar shape and form a planar cover. In some embodiments, the steel plates of the covers have a conical shape and form a conical cover. A conical cover in the sense of the invention means a truncated cone, wherein the top surface of the truncated cone corresponds to the opening for the passage of the inner tube. In one embodiment, the steel plates of the covers have a curved shape and form a curved cover. The steel plates of the covers advantageously have a bend in the connection area to the inner and / or outer tube.

[0038] In preferred embodiments, at least one cover is connected to the inner and outer tubes in such a way that the at least one cover is arranged perpendicularly relative to the inner and outer tubes, with the at least two steel plates of the cover being arranged parallel and spaced apart from one another. Thus, the at least one cover configured in this way is flush with the outer tube.

[0039] Advantageously, such a cover is planar and easier to manufacture. Another advantage is that such a cover requires less material in production. Another advantage of such covers is that the inner tube can be shorter.

[0040] In embodiments, the steel plates are suitably arranged parallel to one another at a distance of 150 mm to 500 mm. Depending on the design, the steel plates can also be arranged parallel to one another at larger or smaller distances.

[0041] In embodiments, both covers are connected to the inner and outer tubes in such a way that both covers are arranged perpendicularly relative to the inner and outer tubes, with the at least two steel plates of the covers arranged parallel to one another and spaced apart. In embodiments, one steel plate of one cover forms the top side of the cover, and another steel plate forms the bottom side of the cover.

[0042] In preferred embodiments, at least one cover is connected to the inner and outer tubes such that the at least one cover is arranged at an angle of less than 90° relative to the inner tube and at an angle of greater than 90° relative to the outer tube, wherein the at least two steel plates of the cover are spaced apart from one another such that the distance between the at least two steel plates increases radially from the outer tube to the inner tube. This design of the cover is also referred to as a conical design, conical cover, or conical shape.

[0043] Such a cover is advantageously conical in shape and can withstand higher stresses caused by water pressure during use. Furthermore, such a conical cover offers better load distribution due to its greater mechanical rigidity.

[0044] In embodiments, both covers are connected to the inner and outer tubes in such a way that the covers are each arranged at an angle of less than 90° relative to the inner tube and at an angle of greater than 90° relative to the outer tube, wherein the at least two steel plates of the covers are arranged at a distance from one another in such a way that the distance between the at least two steel plates increases radially from the outer tube to the inner tube.

[0045] In embodiments, the distance between the at least two steel plates increases radially from the outer tube to the inner tube and is suitably in a range of 150 mm to 500 mm. Depending on the design, the distance between the at least two steel plates can increase radially from the outer tube to the inner tube and can be in a larger or smaller range.

[0046] In embodiments, the upper cover is connected to the inner and outer tubes in such a way that the upper cover is arranged perpendicularly with respect to the inner and outer tubes, wherein the at least two steel plates of the upper cover are arranged parallel and spaced from one another, and the lower cover is connected to the inner and outer tubes in such a way that the lower cover is arranged at an angle of less than 90° with respect to the inner tube and at an angle of greater than 90° with respect to the outer tube, wherein the at least two steel plates of the lower cover are arranged at a distance from one another in such a way that the distance between the at least two steel plates increases radially from the outer tube to the inner tube.

[0047] In embodiments, the lower cover is connected to the inner and outer tubes in such a way that the lower cover is arranged perpendicularly with respect to the inner and outer tubes, wherein the at least two steel plates of the lower cover are arranged parallel and spaced from one another, and the upper cover is connected to the inner and outer tubes in such a way that the upper cover is arranged at an angle of less than 90° with respect to the inner tube and at an angle of greater than 90° with respect to the outer tube, wherein the at least two steel plates of the upper cover are arranged at a distance from one another in such a way that the distance between the at least two steel plates increases radially from the outer tube to the inner tube.

[0048] In preferred embodiments, the steel plates of the sandwich elements and / or the inner tube have at least one hole which allows the filling and arrangement of the filling material between the steel plates of a sandwich element.

[0049] This advantageously allows for easy filling of the filling material to form the sandwich elements.

[0050] In embodiments, the at least one hole for filling the filling material suitably has a diameter in the range of 100 mm to 300 mm. Depending on the configuration, the at least one hole can also have smaller or larger diameters. In embodiments, the steel plates and / or the inner tube have a plurality of holes, which advantageously enable the simultaneous and thus uniform filling of the filling material. Furthermore, advantageously, the filling of the filling material takes place more quickly.

[0051] In preferred embodiments, the filling material is selected from the group comprising concrete, resin and waste.

[0052] This advantageously creates a highly stressable cover without stiffeners in the form of welded ribs.

[0053] Resins within the meaning of the invention are synthetic resins, such as epoxy resins.

[0054] The invention further includes an improved method for producing a universal buoyancy body of cylindrical design.

[0055] According to the invention, a method for producing a universal buoyancy body in cylindrical construction comprising an inner tube, an outer tube, a lower cover and an upper cover comprises at least the steps a) Manufacturing an outer and an inner tube using monopile technology, b) Providing an inner tube, an outer tube, a first, a second, a third, and a fourth steel plate, and a filler material, wherein the tubes each consist of at least one steel sheet section, and wherein the steel plates each have at least one opening for the passage of the inner tube, and at least two spaced-apart steel plates and the filler material arranged between the steel plates form the lower and upper covers, c) Inserting the outer tube into an assembly stand, d) Inserting the inner tube into the outer tube in the assembly stand, e) Inserting the first steel plate into the assembly stand such that it is positioned at the level of the lower end of the outer tube and the opening of the first steel plate accommodates the inner tube, and then connecting the first steel plate to the outer and inner tubes,f) Repeating step d) with the second, third and fourth steel plates, wherein the second steel plate is arranged at a directed distance from the first steel plate, the third steel plate is arranged at a directed distance from the second steel plate, and the fourth steel plate is arranged at a directed distance from the third steel plate at the upper end of the outer tube, g) Filling the filler material between the first and second steel plates to form the lower cover designed as a sandwich element, h) Filling the filler material between the third and fourth steel plates to form the upper cover designed as a sandwich element, i) Curing the filler material.

[0056] Advantageously, the method according to the invention enables the cost-effective production of a universal buoyancy body without stiffeners in the form of welded ribs.

[0057] In embodiments, the process is carried out in the order a), b), c), d), e), f), g), h), and i). Inner and outer tubes manufactured using monopile technology advantageously have a simple structural design, can be manufactured quickly in an automated or semi-automated and scalable manner, and thus contribute to reducing the cost of the universal buoyancy body.

[0058] In embodiments, steel plates formed from multiple layers of integrally bonded steel sheets are provided in step b). In further embodiments, steel plates are provided in step b) that suitably have a thickness in the range of 10 mm to 40 mm. In further embodiments, steel plates that have a smaller or larger thickness are provided in step b).

[0059] In some embodiments, in step c), the outer tube is inserted into the assembly stand in an upright position. Upright means that the cylinder axis of the outer tube is vertically aligned in the assembly stand.

[0060] In some embodiments, in step d), the inner pipe is inserted centrally into the outer pipe in the assembly station. In some embodiments, the inner and outer pipes are inserted into the assembly station using a crane.

[0061] In some embodiments, the joining in steps e) and f) is performed by welding. In other embodiments, the joining in steps e) and f) is performed on one side or both sides. "One side" means that one side of the first steel plate is connected to the inner and outer tubes. "One side" means the top or bottom of the first steel plate. "Both sides" means that the top and bottom of the first steel plate are connected to the inner and outer tubes.

[0062] In embodiments, in step f) the second steel plate is arranged at a directed distance in the range of 150 mm to 500 mm from the first steel plate.

[0063] In embodiments, in step f) the third steel plate is arranged at a directed distance in the range of 5 m to 15 m from the second steel plate.

[0064] In embodiments, in step f) the fourth steel plate is arranged at a directionally spaced distance, suitably in the range of 150 mm to 500 mm, from the third steel plate.

[0065] In embodiments, the second, third and fourth steel plates are arranged at smaller or larger distances from each other.

[0066] In embodiments, steps g) and h) occur simultaneously.

[0067] In embodiments, a method for manufacturing a universal buoyancy body of cylindrical construction comprising an inner tube, an outer tube, a lower cover and an upper cover comprises at least the steps: i. Manufacturing an outer and an inner tube using monopile technology, ii. Providing an inner tube, an outer tube, a lower cover and an upper cover, wherein the tubes each consist of at least one steel sheet section, and wherein the covers each have at least one opening for the inner tube to pass through, and the covers are designed as sandwich elements each made of at least two steel plates arranged at a distance from one another and a filler material arranged between the steel plates, iii. Inserting the outer tube into an assembly stand, iv. Inserting the inner tube into the outer tube in the assembly stand, v. Inserting the lower cover into the assembly stand such that it is arranged at the level of the lower end of the outer tube and the opening of the lower cover receives the inner tube, and then connecting the lower cover to the outer and inner tubes, vi.Inserting the upper cover into the assembly stand such that it is positioned at the height of the upper end of the outer tube and the opening of the upper cover receives the inner tube, and then connecting the upper cover to the outer and inner tubes.

[0068] In some embodiments, in step iv, the inner pipe is inserted centrally into the outer pipe in the assembly stand. In some embodiments, the inner and outer pipes are inserted into the assembly stand using a crane.

[0069] In some embodiments, the connection in steps v. and vi. is carried out by welding. In other embodiments, the connection in steps v. and vi. is carried out on one side or on both sides. "One side" means that one side of the cover is connected to the inner and outer tubes. "One side" means the top or bottom of the cover. "Both sides" means that the top and bottom of the cover are connected to the inner and outer tubes.

[0070] In preferred embodiments, the filling and arrangement of the filling material in step g) and / or h) takes place through at least one hole in the steel plates and / or the inner tube.

[0071] This is advantageous because it allows the filling material to be easily filled in to form the lower and upper lids as sandwich elements.

[0072] In embodiments, the at least one hole for filling the filling material suitably has a diameter in the range of 100 mm to 300 mm. Depending on the configuration, the at least one hole can also have smaller or larger diameters. In embodiments, the steel plates and / or the inner tube have a plurality of holes that enable the simultaneous and thus accelerated filling of the filling material.

[0073] In embodiments, the components of the universal buoyancy body according to the invention are at least partially provided with corrosion protection. The type and application of this corrosion protection involve known techniques, such as the formation of thicker walls, painting, or the application of cathodic electrochemical corrosion protection techniques.

[0074] The invention further includes the use of at least one universal buoyancy body according to the invention and / or a universal buoyancy body produced by a method according to the invention in a floating substructure of a wind turbine, a floating platform and / or a marine energy system.

[0075] A wind turbine within the meaning of the invention includes, among other things, an offshore wind turbine. A floating platform within the meaning of the invention means a floating drilling platform, a floating converter platform (also referred to as a floating substation platform), a floating work platform, or a floating multipurpose platform.

[0076] A marine energy system within the meaning of the invention means energy systems for the use of marine energy, such as power plants for the use of tides, ocean currents, waves, salt or temperature gradients.

[0077] The invention further includes a floating substructure of a wind turbine, a floating platform and / or a marine energy system, comprising at least one universal buoyancy body according to the invention.

[0078] For the realization of the invention, it is also expedient to combine the above-described inventive embodiments, embodiments and features of the claims in a suitable arrangement. Examples of implementation

[0079] The invention will be explained in more detail below using several exemplary embodiments and associated figures. These exemplary embodiments are intended to describe the invention without limiting it.

[0080] Show Fig. 1 a cylindrical universal buoyancy body with planar upper and lower covers and a longitudinal section of the universal buoyancy body, Fig. 2 Detailed views of the marked areas A, B in Fig. 1 , Fig. 3 a cylindrical universal buoyancy body with conical upper and lower covers and a longitudinal section of the universal buoyancy body, Fig. 4 Detailed views of the marked areas C, D in Fig. 3 . Fig. 5 schematically the integration of a universal buoyancy body according to the invention into the floating substructure. Example 1: Universal buoyancy bodies with planar lids

[0081] A universal buoyancy body 1 in cylindrical design with planar covers has accordingly Fig. 1 an inner tube 10, an outer tube 11, an upper cover 12 and a lower cover 13. In Fig. 1 It can be seen that the inner tube 10 is guided through openings in the upper and lower covers 12, 13. Furthermore, Fig. 1It can be seen that the covers 12, 13 are arranged perpendicularly to the inner and outer tubes 10, 11. The covers 12, 13 are connected to the inner tube 11 in the area of ​​the passage and to the ends of the outer tube 11.

[0082] Fig. 2 shows details A and B using the example of the upper cover 12 from Fig. 1 . Detailed view A in Fig. 2 shows the connection of the upper cover 12 with the inner tube 10. The upper cover 12 is designed as a sandwich element, comprising two spaced-apart steel plates 121 and a filling material 122, such as concrete, arranged between the steel plates. Detailed view B in Fig. 2 shows the connection of the upper cover 12 with the outer tube 11. Furthermore, the detailed views A and B in Fig. 2 It can be seen that the upper cover 12 is arranged perpendicularly to the inner tube 10 and the outer tube 11. The steel plates 121 of the upper cover 12 are spaced parallel to each other.

[0083] Fig. 5 shows the integration of the universal buoyancy body 1 from Fig. 1 into the floating substructure. The integration is carried out by means of specified adapters 14 on both sides of the inner tube 10, i.e., at the upper and lower ends of the inner tube 10. Example 2: Universal buoyancy bodies with conical lids

[0084] A universal buoyancy body 1 in cylindrical design with conical lids has accordingly Fig. 3 an inner tube 10, an outer tube 11, an upper cover 12 and a lower cover 13. In Fig. 3 It can be seen that the inner tube 10 is guided through openings in the upper and lower covers 12, 13. Furthermore, Fig. 3 It can be seen that the covers 12, 13 are connected to the inner and outer tubes 10, 11 in such a way that the covers 12, 13 are arranged at an angle of less than 90° relative to the inner tube 10 and at an angle of greater than 90° relative to the outer tube 11.

[0085] Fig. 4 shows details C and D using the example of the upper cover 12 from Fig. 3 . Detailed view C in Fig. 2 shows the connection of the upper cover 12 with the inner tube 10. The upper cover 12 is designed as a sandwich element, comprising two spaced-apart steel plates 121 and a filling material 122, such as concrete, arranged between the steel plates. Detailed view D in Fig. 4 shows the connection of the upper cover 12 with the outer tube 11. Furthermore, the detailed views C and D in Fig. 2 that the two steel plates 121 of the upper cover 12 are arranged at a distance from one another such that the distance between the steel plates 121 increases radially from the outer tube 11 to the inner tube 10.

Claims

1. A universal buoyancy body (1) for floating substructures, of cylindrical design, comprising at least the following components: - an inner pipe (10), - an outer pipe (11), - an upper cover (12) and - a lower cover (13), wherein the inner pipe (10) is fed through openings in the covers (12, 13) and is connected thereto in the region of the feedthrough, and wherein the inner pipe (10) is arranged within the outer pipe (11), and wherein the covers (12, 13) are connected on both sides to the ends of the outer pipe (11), characterized in that the covers (12, 13) are formed as sandwich elements, and the pipes (10, 11) are each formed from at least one steel sheet weft, wherein the sandwich elements each comprise at least two steel plates (121) arranged spaced apart from one another and a filling material (122) arranged between the steel plates.

2. The universal buoyancy body (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner pipe (10) is formed such that the force flow through the universal buoyancy body (1), is primarily directed via the inner pipe (10).

3. The universal buoyancy body (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one cover (12, 13) is connected to the inner (10) and outer pipes (11) such that the at least one cover (12, 13) is arranged perpendicularly with respect to the inner (10) and outer pipes (11), wherein the at least two steel plates (121) of the cover (12, 13) are arranged spaced apart parallel to one another.

4. The universal buoyancy body (1) according to one of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least one cover (12, 13) is connected to the inner pipe (10) and outer pipe (11) such that the at least one cover (12, 13) is arranged at an angle of less than 90° with respect to the inner pipe (10) and at an angle of greater than 90° with respect to the outer pipe (11), wherein the at least two steel plates (121) of the cover (12, 13) are arranged spaced apart from one another such that the distance between the at least two steel plates (121) increases radially from the outer pipe (11) to the inner pipe (10).

5. The universal buoyancy body (1) according to any one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the steel plates (121) of the sandwich elements and / or the inner pipe (10) have at least one hole that enables the filling material (122) to be filled in and arranged between the steel plates (121) of a sandwich element.

6. The universal buoyancy body (1) according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the filling material (122) is selected from the group comprising concrete, resin and scrap.

7. A method for producing a universal buoyancy body (1) of cylindrical design from an inner pipe (10), an outer pipe (11), a lower cover (13) and an upper cover (12), comprising at least the following steps a) manufacturing one outer (11) and one inner pipe (10) by means of monopile technology, b) providing an inner pipe (10), an outer pipe (11), a first, a second, a third and a fourth steel plate (121) and a filling material (122), wherein the pipes (10, 11) each consist of at least one steel sheet weft, and wherein the steel plates (121) each have at least one opening for the feedthrough of the inner pipe (10), and in each case at least two steel plates (121) arranged spaced apart from one another and the filling material (122) arranged between the steel plates (121) form the lower (13) and the upper cover (12), c) inserting the outer pipe (11) into an assembly stand, d) inserting the inner pipe (10) into the outer pipe in the assembly stand, e) inserting the first steel plate (121) into the assembly stand such that the first steel plate (121) is arranged at the level of the lower end of the outer pipe (11) and the opening of the first steel plate (121) receives the inner pipe (10), and then connecting the first steel plate (121) to the outer (11) and inner pipes (10), f) repeating step d) with the second, the third and the fourth steel plate (121), wherein the second steel plate (121) is arranged in a distance directionally spaced apart from the first steel plate (121), the third steel plate (121) is arranged in a distance directionally spaced apart from the second steel plate (121), and the fourth steel plate (121) is arranged in a distance directionally spaced apart from the third steel plate (121) at the upper end of the outer pipe (11), g) filling the filling material (122) between the first and second steel plates (121), in order to form the lower cover (13) formed as a sandwich element, h) filling the filling material (121) between the third and fourth steel plates (121), in order to form the upper cover (12) formed as a sandwich element, i) curing the filling material (122).

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the filling and arrangement of the filling material (122) is carried out through at least one hole in the steel plates (121) and / or the inner pipe (10).

9. A use of at least one universal buoyancy body (1) according to any one of the claims 1 to 6 and / or a universal buoyancy body (1) produced by a method according to claim 7 or 8 in a floating substructure of a wind turbine, a floating platform and / or a marine energy system.

10. A floating substructure of a wind turbine, floating platform and / or marine energy system, comprising at least one universal buoyancy body (1) according to any one of the claims 1 to 6.