Water bottom installation device, water bottom installation system, and installation construction method for underwater structure

Abstract

To install an underwater structure hanging underwater in a target range on the sea bottom further efficiently and accurately by remote control in an installation construction of the underwater structure.SOLUTION: A water bottom installation device for installing an underwater structure to the water bottom includes: a hanging balance beam for hanging down the underwater structure through a sling wire; a beam drive device installed on the hanging balance beam for operating the hanging balance beam underwater; an unslinging device interposed in between the hanging balance beam and the sling wire; and a remote controller for remotely controlling the beam drive device and the unslinging device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a subsea installation device used when submerging and installing an underwater structure on the seabed, a subsea installation system using the subsea installation device, and a method for installing an underwater structure using the subsea installation system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a TLP (Tension Leg Platform) is known in which a floating structure with its upper half placed on the sea and its lower half submerged is connected and moored to an anchor fixed to the seabed using tendons such as steel pipes and mooring cables. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a wind power generation facility adopting this TLP method.

[0003] The wind power generation facility of Patent Document 1 connects an underwater beam provided at the base of the wind power generation device and a sinker fixed to the seabed with a mooring cable. When adopting such a TLP method, since a strong force in the vertical direction always acts on the wind power generation facility via the mooring cable, vertical movement, pitching, and rolling can be suppressed to a small extent. In addition, since the sinker can be arranged directly below the wind power generation, the occupied area under the sea surface can be significantly reduced compared to other mooring methods.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the above TLP method, a gravity anchor may be adopted as the anchor to be fixed to the seabed. In such a case, for example, a rectangular reinforced concrete structure is applied as the anchor body, and the work of sinking and installing this on the seabed is carried out. For the installation work of the anchor body, if the target area is a shoal, the anchor body can be assisted by using a rope from a barge to adjust its orientation and install it on the seabed.

[0006] Alternatively, there is also a method of suspending the anchor body in water, adjusting its orientation in the horizontal plane by a diver pushing and pulling it, etc., and then sinking and installing it on the seabed. However, when carrying out the installation work in a deep-sea area, it is difficult to adopt any of the above methods to adjust the orientation of the anchor body near the seabed. Also, even if the orientation of the anchor body can be adjusted by some means, means for position management when sinking and installing this anchor body on the seabed are necessary.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and its main object is to efficiently and with high accuracy install an underwater structure suspended in water at a target area on the seabed by remote operation in the installation work of the underwater structure.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] To achieve such an object, the seabed installation device of the present invention is a seabed installation device for installing an underwater structure on the seabed, comprising a suspension balance beam for suspending the underwater structure via a pendant wire, a beam drive device installed on the suspension balance beam for operating the suspension balance beam in water, a pendant removal device interposed between the suspension balance beam and the pendant wire, and a remote operation device for remotely operating the beam drive device and the pendant removal device.

[0009] The underwater installation system of the present invention is an underwater installation system that uses the underwater installation device of the present invention and measuring equipment for detecting the position and orientation of the underwater installation device to sink and install an underwater structure in a target area at the bottom of the water. The measuring equipment is characterized by comprising a position and orientation detection device for detecting the position and extending orientation of the suspension balance beam, and an underwater detection sensor for detecting the distance from the suspension balance beam to the bottom of the water.

[0010] The underwater installation system of the present invention is characterized in that the position and orientation detection device comprises an underwater positioning device for detecting the position of a measurement point provided on the suspension balance beam, and a geomagnetic azimuth sensor provided at approximately the center of the suspension balance beam.

[0011] The installation method of an underwater structure of the present invention is an installation method of an underwater structure that uses the underwater installation system of the present invention to sink and install an underwater structure suspended in water to the bottom of the water. The installation method is characterized by comprising a positioning step of operating the suspension balance beam by remote operation of the beam driving device to direct the underwater structure in a target orientation and to position the planar view position within the target area, an installation step of lowering the suspension balance beam to sink and install the underwater structure in the target area at the bottom of the water, and a detaching step of detaching the weight wire by remote operation of the weight detaching device.

[0012] The installation method of an underwater structure of the present invention is characterized in that, in the positioning step, the suspension balance beam is operated based on the planar view position and the extending orientation of the suspension balance beam detected by the position and orientation detection device.

[0013] The installation method of an underwater structure of the present invention is characterized in that, in the installation step, the suspension balance beam is lowered based on the distance from the suspension balance beam to the bottom of the water detected by the underwater detection sensor.

[0014] The installation method of an underwater structure of the present invention is characterized in that the underwater structure is an anchor body made of reinforced concrete connected to a floating structure via a tendon.

[0015] According to the underwater installation device, underwater installation system, and installation method of an underwater structure of the present invention, from a positioning step of positioning an underwater structure so as to face the underwater structure in a target orientation and keep the plan view position (for example, plan view coordinate position) within a target area, to an installation step of sinking and installing the underwater structure in the target area, and further to a step of removing weights from the weight suspension wire, a series of operations can be remotely controlled and implemented.

[0016] As a result, since the work by divers can be omitted, it is possible to efficiently and safely position and install an underwater structure underwater under any conditions, such as when the installation position of the underwater structure is in a deep water area or when the weight of the underwater structure is large.

[0017] In addition, the positioning step of the underwater structure can be carried out while confirming the plan view position and the extending orientation of the suspension balance beam with the underwater structure suspended by using the position information and orientation information of the suspension balance beam detected by a position and orientation detection device. Also, the installation step of the underwater structure can be carried out while confirming the distance from the suspension balance beam to the bottom of the water using the bottom water distance information detected by a bottom water detection sensor.

[0018] As a result, it is possible to improve the productivity related to the installation work of the underwater structure and the construction speed of the entire project, and it is possible to carry out position management of the underwater structure with high accuracy while omitting the confirmation work by divers.

Effects of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, even in the installation work of an underwater structure carried out in a deep water area, it is possible to efficiently and accurately install the underwater structure suspended in the water in a target area at the bottom of the water by remote control.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] In the installation work of an underwater structure, the present invention remotely operates a series of operations from suspending the underwater structure in water until it is submerged and installed in a target area set on the seabed. The installation location can be any of the seabed, lake bottom, riverbed, etc., and any underwater structure can be applied. In this embodiment, a case where a reinforced concrete anchor body used to stably moor a wind power generation facility is submerged and installed on the seabed is taken as an example, and the details will be described below.

[0022] ≪≪Construction Method of Wind Power Generation Facility≫≫ As shown in FIGS. 1(a) to (c), the wind power generation facility 60 is a floating structure in which the upper half 61 is arranged on the sea and the lower half 62 is submerged. By connecting the lower half 62 to an anchor body 70 submerged on the seabed via a wire 63 (tendon), the wind power generation facility 60 is stably moored. Here, a gravity anchor is adopted, and its construction method is roughly as follows.

[0023] First, as shown in FIG. 1(a), the anchor body 70 is installed in the target area P set on the seabed. At this time, since the anchor body 70 is manufactured in a rectangular shape in plan view, the orientation (for example, the orientation of the long side of the rectangle in plan view) is adjusted so as to face the preset target orientation F. Facing the target orientation F means not only the case where the orientation of the above-mentioned long side coincides with the target orientation F, but also the case where it falls within a preset range centered on the target orientation F.

[0024] After that, as shown in FIG. 1(b), the anchor body 70 installed on the seabed and the lower half 62 of the wind power generation facility 60 are connected by a wire 63. Thus, when the shape of the anchor body 70 in plan view is not circular, it is necessary to adjust the orientation of the anchor body 70 before sinking it to the seabed. Also, even if the anchor body 70 is suspended from above the target area P on the seabed in water, there is a possibility of deviation between the position of the anchor body 70 in plan view and the target area P due to the influence of ocean currents or the like. Therefore, when performing the installation work of the anchor body 70, an underwater installation system 100 that can be remotely adjusted is adopted.

[0025] ≪≪≪Underwater Installation System≫≫≫ As shown in FIG. 2, the underwater installation system 100 includes an underwater installation device 10 suspended in water from a crane 81 equipped on a workboat 80, and a measuring device 20 for detecting the position and orientation of the underwater installation device 10. Further, it includes a monitoring facility 30 for monitoring the operation of the underwater installation device 10, and an information aggregation device 40 for aggregating various information on the underwater installation device 10 acquired from the measuring device 20 and the monitoring facility 30.

[0026] ≪≪Underwater Installation Device≫≫ As shown in FIG. 3(a), the underwater installation device 10 is suspended by a crane wire 82, and includes a suspension balance beam 11, a suspension member connection device 12, a beam drive device 13, a ball removal device 14, a remote operation device 15, an acoustic communication device 16, and a rudder control device 17.

[0027] ≪≪Suspension Balance Beam, Suspension Member Connection Device≫≫ The suspension balance beam 11 is a beam member with a beam drive device 13 installed at the upper part and a ball removal device 14 installed at the lower part, and a suspension member connecting device 12 that serves as a connection part with the crane wire 82 is arranged above the approximate center part.

[0028] A swivel mechanism 121 is interposed between the upper half to which the crane wire 82 is connected and the lower half installed on the suspension balance beam 11 in the suspension member connecting device 12. Thereby, the suspension balance beam 11 can freely horizontally swivel via the swivel mechanism 121.

[0029] ≪≪Beam drive device, ball removal device, rudder control device, acoustic communication measures, remote operation device≫≫ The beam drive device 13 is a device that swivels the suspension balance beam 11 suspended in water or moves its position in plan view. The ball removal device 14 is a device that performs a ball removal operation on the ball hanging wire 18 that suspends the anchor body 70 from the suspension balance beam 11. The rudder control device 17 is a device that assists the swiveling operation of the suspension balance beam 11 by the beam drive device 13.

[0030] All of these are connected to be mutually communicable with the remote operation device 15 via a transmitter 161 and a receiver 162 provided in the acoustic communication device 16 mounted on the workboat 80. As shown in FIG. 2, the transmitter 161 and the receiver 162 are arranged in water. The rudder control device 17 is a device generally provided on a ship or the like, and any one can be adopted as long as it can turn a ship to a required angle or hold it in a certain azimuth.

[0031] The remote operation device 15 is a device for remotely operating the above-described beam drive device 13, ball removal device 14, and rudder control device 17. Thereby, an operator can perform a swiveling operation of the suspension balance beam 11 by the beam drive device 13 and a ball removal operation by the ball removal device 14 on the ship. In the present embodiment, the remote operation device 15 is installed on the workboat 80, but it is not limited thereto.

[0032] If the beam driving device 13 and the ball removing device 14 can be operated by the remote control device 15, any device with any structure can be adopted. Examples of the beam driving device 13 and the ball removing device 14 are shown below.

[0033] <<Beam Driving Device>> As shown in Figs. 3(a) and (b), the beam driving device 13 includes a pair of water flow generating devices 131 and a water flow control device 132.

[0034] The water flow generating devices 131 are arranged in pairs at the upper part of the suspension balance beam 11 near both ends in a direction of generating water flow in the same direction. Any equipment capable of generating water flow may be adopted, such as a screw or a water jet thruster. In Fig. 3(a), the case of adopting a screw is taken as an example.

[0035] The water flow control device 132 controls the operations of the pair of water flow generating facilities 131 provided on the suspension balance beam 11 and is connected to the water flow generating facilities 131 so as to be mutually communicable by using wired or acoustic communication, etc. Further, the water flow control device 132 is connected to the remote control device 15 so as to be mutually communicable via the acoustic communication device 16.

[0036] The beam driving device 13 having the above configuration controls the operations of the paired water flow generating devices 131 by the water flow control device 132 in response to a command from the remote control device 15. Thereby, the suspension balance beam 11 can be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise. Also, the position in plan view can be moved. Furthermore, the position in plan view and the extending orientation of the suspension balance beam 11 can be maintained in a stationary state.

[0037] Therefore, for example, when it is desired to orient the extending direction of the long side of the anchor body 70, which is manufactured in a rectangular shape in plan view, in a desired direction, the anchor body 70 is suspended from the suspension balance beam 11 such that the extending direction of the suspension balance beam 11 is parallel to the long side of the rectangular shape of the anchor body 70 in plan view. By doing so, the long side of the rectangular shape of the anchor body 70 in plan view can be aligned with the desired direction by rotating the suspension balance beam 11 with the beam drive device 13 and orienting its extending direction in the desired direction.

[0038] Further, when the anchor body 70 is suspended, its center of gravity is disposed substantially at the center of the suspension balance beam 11. Therefore, by moving the position of the suspension balance beam 11 in plan view, the anchor body 70 can be moved to a desired position in plan view.

[0039] ≪Ball removal device≫ As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the ball removal device 14 includes a pair of pin holding plates 142 arranged with a space therebetween in the gauge 141, a guide cylinder 143, a locking pin 144 penetrating these, a pin operating unit 145, and a control unit 146.

[0040] Each of the pair of pin holding plates 142 is provided with through holes 1421 at opposing positions, and a locking pin 144 that moves along the guide cylinder 143 is removably inserted into these through holes 1421. The locking pin 144 is made of a long, rod-shaped member made of metal. The guide cylinder 143 is connected coaxially with the through hole 1421 outside the pair of pin holding plates 142 on the pulling-out side of the locking pin 144.

[0041] The operation of the locking pin 144 being inserted and removed from the through holes 1421 provided in each of the pair of pin holding plates 142 is performed by the pin operating unit 145 and the control unit 146. The pin operating unit 145 includes a telescopic device 1451 and a connecting member 1452. The telescopic device 1451 is arranged to expand and contract parallel to the insertion and removal direction of the locking pin 144. Any type of telescopic device such as an electric type or a telescopic device using a ball screw may be adopted as long as it has a mechanism suitable for use in water.

[0042] The connecting member 1452 connects the rod of the telescopic device 1451 and the locking pin 144. The control unit 146 controls an underwater motor (not shown) that expands and contracts the telescopic device 1451, and is communicably connected to the remote control device 15 via the aforementioned acoustic communication device 16.

[0043] When the ball removing device 14 having the above configuration suspends the anchor body 70, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 4(a), the locking eye 182 formed on the other end side of the ball hanging wire 18 that penetrates the suspension fitting 71 of the anchor body 70 is passed through the locking pin 144 between the pair of pin holding plates 142 as shown in FIG. 4(b). The locking eye 181 formed on one end side of the ball hanging wire 18 is connected to the hanging hook 111 provided at the lower part of the hanging balance beam 11 as shown in FIG. 3(a).

[0044] When removing the ball hanging wire 18 from the anchor body 70, upon receiving a command from the remote control device 15, the control unit 146 operates the underwater motor to extend the telescopic device 1451 as shown in FIG. 4(b). As a result, the rod of the telescopic device 1451 and the locking pin 144 connected to this rod via the connecting member 1452 are moved to the pulling-out side.

[0045] Then, the locking pin 144 is pulled out from the pair of pin holding plates 142 and the locking eye 182 formed on the other end side of the ball hanging wire 18, and the ball removing operation is performed. The details of the ball removing device 140 are referred to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2022-88868.

[0046] ≪≪Measuring Instruments, Monitoring Facilities, Information Aggregation Devices≫≫ In the underwater installation system 100, measuring instruments 20, monitoring facilities 30, etc. are installed on the hanging balance beam 11 provided in the above underwater installation device 10, and information such as the position, extending direction, and distance to the bottom of the sea of the hanging balance beam 11 obtained from these are aggregated by the information aggregation device 40.

[0047] ≪Information Aggregation Device≫ The information integration device 40 is a terminal device such as a so-called personal computer equipped with, for example, an arithmetic processing unit, an input unit, an output unit, a storage unit, etc., and is mounted on the workboat 80 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3(a). Information detected by the measuring device 20 and the monitoring facility 30, which are connected to be mutually communicable via the wired or acoustic communication device 16, is integrated in the information integration device 40.

[0048] The information integrated in the information integration device 40 is, as shown in FIG. 5, for example, the azimuth information, position information, underwater distance information of the suspension balance beam 11, camera information around the suspension balance beam 11 including the suspension balance beam 11, submersible information, etc. These are output to an output device 41 such as a separately prepared display or printer, a terminal device 42 such as a PC or a tablet terminal, or an output unit provided in the information integration device 40 itself.

[0049] ≪Measuring Device≫ The measuring device 20 includes a position and azimuth detection device 21 that detects the position and extending azimuth of the suspension balance beam 11 as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and (b), and a bottom water detection sensor 22 that detects the separation distance between the suspension balance beam 11 and the seabed B.

[0050] ≪Measuring Device: Position and Azimuth Detection Device≫ The position and azimuth detection device 21 includes a geomagnetic azimuth sensor 211 and an underwater positioning device 212.

[0051] The geomagnetic azimuth sensor 211 is provided at approximately the center of the suspension balance beam 11 so as to be able to detect the azimuth in which the suspension balance beam 11 extends. The azimuth in which the suspension balance beam 11 extends, detected by the geomagnetic azimuth sensor 211, is transmitted to the information integration device 40 as azimuth information. Also, in the present embodiment, the geomagnetic azimuth sensor 211 and the water flow control device 132 are connected using wired or acoustic communication or the like.

[0052] Accordingly, for example, if a desired orientation is stored in the storage unit of the water flow control device 132 regarding the orientation in which the suspension balance beam 11 extends, the beam driving device 13 can be controlled by PID control so that the orientation information of the suspension balance beam 11 output from the geomagnetic orientation sensor 211 is directed toward the desired orientation and that state is maintained, and the suspension balance beam 11 can be appropriately turned.

[0053] The underwater positioning device 212 may be any device that can acquire information regarding the positional relationship between the workboat 80 and the suspension balance beam 11. In the present embodiment, a USBL (Ultra Short Base Line) type underwater direction / distance detection device that can grasp the position of an underwater object by combining GNSS-based position information and underwater acoustic information is adopted.

[0054] In the USBL (Ultra Short Base Line) type underwater direction / distance detection device, a GPS compass antenna 2123, an RTK-GPS antenna 2124, and a transponder 2121 are provided on the workboat 80 side, and a transceiver 2122 is installed on the suspension balance beam 11 side. When an acoustic signal is transmitted from the transceiver 2122, the transponder 2121 transmits acoustic information as a response thereto. Based on this acoustic information, the relative position between the transponder 2121 and the transceiver 2122 can be acquired.

[0055] In the present embodiment, measurement points are provided at two separated points on the suspension balance beam 11, and a transceiver 2122 is provided at each of these measurement points. Then, the relative positions detected at each of the two measurement points provided on the suspension balance beam 11 are transmitted to the information aggregating device 40 as position information (coordinate information) of the suspension balance beam 11.

[0056] ≪Measuring Instrument: Underwater Detection Sensor≫ As shown in Fig. 3(a), the underwater detection sensor 22 is installed at the lower center of the suspension balance beam 11 and detects the separation distance between the suspension balance beam 11 and the water bottom surface. The underwater detection sensor 22 may be any sensor as long as it can acquire this underwater distance information.

[0057] For example, a Doppler velocity log that emits sound waves to the seabed B or into the sea and measures the ground velocity and water velocity from the Doppler shift amount of the reflected / scattered waves from the seabed B or the sea can be adopted. The separation distance between the suspension balance beam 11 detected by the seabed detection sensor 22 and the seabed surface is transmitted to the information aggregation device 40 as seabed distance information.

[0058] ≪Monitoring Equipment≫ As shown in Fig. 3(a), the monitoring equipment 30 includes an underwater camera 31 and an unmanned underwater vehicle 32.

[0059] The underwater camera 31 is installed on the suspension balance beam 11 so that it can image the situation around the underwater installation device 10 including the anchor body 70, the ball removal device 14, and further the seabed B. The images and videos captured by the underwater camera 31 are transmitted to the information aggregation device 40 as camera information.

[0060] The unmanned underwater vehicle 32 is a device that monitors the underwater installation device 10 from a remote position in the water. As the underwater vehicle information, any device can be adopted as long as it can image and provide the overall situation of the underwater installation device 10, the situation around the underwater installation device 10, the state of the seabed B, etc. As examples, a tethered unmanned underwater vehicle (ROV; Remotely Operated Vehicle), an underwater drone, an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), etc. can be mentioned. The images and videos captured by the unmanned underwater vehicle 32 are transmitted to the information aggregation device 40 as underwater vehicle information.

[0061] As described above, as shown in Fig. 5, for the suspension balance beam 11, azimuth information and position information are transmitted from the position and azimuth detection device 21 (geomagnetic azimuth sensor 211 and underwater positioning device 212), and seabed distance information is transmitted from the seabed detection sensor 22 to the information aggregation device 40. Also, for the underwater installation device 10 and its surrounding situation, camera information is transmitted from the underwater camera 31, and underwater vehicle information is transmitted from the unmanned underwater vehicle 32.

[0062] Based on the above information output to the output unit provided in the information aggregation device 40, an output device 41 provided separately, a terminal device 42, etc., while checking the position and extending direction of the suspension balance beam 11 that suspends the anchor body 70, the operator uses the remote operation device 15 to transmit command information to the beam drive device 13 and the ball removal device 14.

[0063] Thereby, as described with reference to FIG. 1(a), the operation of positioning the anchor body 70 can be remotely operated so that the position of the anchor body 70 in plan view is within the target area P and the orientation (for example, the extending direction of the long side of the rectangle in plan view) is directed toward the target orientation F. Further, after the anchor body 70 is immersed and installed in the target area P, the ball removal operation of removing the ball wire 18 from the anchor body 70 can be remotely operated.

[0064] ≪≪≪Installation method of underwater structure≫≫≫ Any procedure may be used to install the anchor body 70 in the target area P set on the seabed B by remote operation using the above-described underwater installation system 100. Taking the flow shown in FIG. 6 as an example, the details will be described below.

[0065] Here, an example is given of the case where the anchor body 70 manufactured in a rectangular shape in plan view is installed in the installation target area P as shown in FIG. 1(a). Specifically, an example is given of the case where the extending direction of the long side of the rectangle of the anchor body 70 in plan view is directed toward the target orientation F and the anchor body 70 is positioned so as to fit within the target area P.

[0066] ≪≪Pretreatment: STEP1≫≫ Keep the anchor body 70 in a state where it can be suspended from the suspension balance beam 11 via the ball wire 18.

[0067] The anchor body 70 is adjusted so that the center of gravity position when suspended is on the same vertical line as the approximate center of the suspension balance beam 11 (the installation position of the suspension member connecting device 12). Further, the orientation of the anchor body 70 with respect to the suspension balance beam 11 is adjusted in advance so that the long side of the rectangle of the anchor body 70 in plan view is parallel to the suspension balance beam 11.

[0068] The water flow control device 132 of the beam drive device 13 stores information regarding the target orientation F and the target area P of the anchor body 70. Further, the information aggregation device 40 provided on the work vessel 80 stores information regarding the target orientation F and the target area P of the anchor body 70.

[0069] ≪≪Aerial movement and underwater suspension of the anchor body 70: STEP2 and 3≫≫ As shown in Fig. 7(a), the underwater installation device 10 is suspended from the crane 81 mounted on the work vessel 80 via the crane wire 82, and the anchor body 70 is arranged above the target area P. Further, the crane 81 is operated to lower the underwater installation device 10 into the water, and the anchor body 70 is lowered to such an extent that it does not contact the seabed B.

[0070] The information aggregation device 40 continuously or intermittently outputs the underwater distance information from the suspension balance beam 11 to the seabed B acquired by the underwater detection sensor 22. Therefore, the operator may adjust the lowering position of the suspension balance beam 11 (that is, the lowering position of the anchor body 70) while checking this underwater distance information.

[0071] ≪≪Positioning process of the anchor body 70: STEP4≫≫ When a deviation occurs between the plan view position based on the position information of the suspension balance beam 11 and the target area P due to the influence of ocean currents or the like, adjust so that the plan view position of the suspension balance beam 11 (that is, the plan view position of the anchor body 70) falls within the target area P. Further, when a deviation occurs between the extending orientation based on the orientation information of the suspension balance beam 11 and the target orientation F, horizontally swing the suspension balance beam 11 so that the extending orientation (that is, the long side in the plan view of the anchor body 70) faces the target orientation F.

[0072] Position information of the suspension scale beam 11 is continuously transmitted from the position and orientation detection device 21 (underwater positioning device 212) to the information aggregation device 40. When the operator checks this position information and the planar position (planar coordinate position) based on the position information of the suspension scale beam 11 does not fall within the target area P, the remote control device 15 is operated. Then, command information for starting the operation is transmitted as sound waves to the water flow control device 132 of the beam drive device 130. Based on the command information, the water flow control device 132 operates the pair of water flow generating devices 131 so that the planar position of the suspension scale beam 11 (that is, the planar position of the anchor body 70) falls within the target area P.

[0073] In addition, azimuth information of the suspension scale beam 11 is continuously or intermittently transmitted from the position and orientation detection device 21 (geomagnetic azimuth sensor 211) to the information aggregation device 40. When the operator checks this azimuth information and the extending azimuth of the suspension scale beam 11 is not directed towards the target azimuth F, the remote control device 15 is operated. Then, command information for starting the operation is transmitted as sound waves to the water flow control device 132 of the beam drive device 130.

[0074] As described above, the water flow control device 132 operates the pair of water flow generating devices 131 by PID control so that the extending azimuth of the suspension scale beam 11 (that is, the azimuth of the long side in the planar view of the anchor body 70) is directed towards the target azimuth F and that state is maintained. If necessary, the remote control device 15 may be operated to activate the rudder 17 to assist in turning the suspension scale beam 11.

[0075] ≪≪Installation process of the anchor body 70: STEP5≫≫ As shown in Fig. 7(b), the suspension scale beam 11 is lowered, and the anchor body 70 is submerged and installed in the target area P provided on the seabed B.

[0076] The operator checks the azimuth information of the suspension scale beam 11 transmitted to the information aggregation device 40 to confirm that the extending azimuth is facing the target azimuth F. Also, after checking the position information of the suspension scale beam 11 and confirming that the planar view position (planar view coordinate position) based on the position information is within the target area P, the anchor body 70 is submerged into the target area P on the seabed B.

[0077] The information aggregation device 40 continuously or intermittently receives the underwater distance information from the suspension scale beam 11 to the seabed B from the underwater detection sensor 22. Based on this underwater distance information, the operator operates the crane 81 to lower the suspension scale beam 11, thereby submerging the anchor body 70 to the seabed.

[0078] ≪≪Ball removal process: STEP6≫≫ When the anchor body 70 is submerged into the target area P on the seabed B, the operator operates the remote control device 15 and transmits command information for starting the operation as sound waves to the control unit 146 of the ball removal device 14.

[0079] Then, based on the command, the control unit 146 extends the telescopic device 1451 of the pin operating unit 145, and pulls out the locking pin 144 from the through holes 1421 of the pair of pin holding plates 142 as described with reference to FIG. 4(b). As a result, the locking eye 182 of the ball hanging wire 18 is detached from the locking pin 144, and the ball removal operation is completed. After that, the underwater installation device 10 is lifted using the crane 81, and the installation work of the anchor body 70 is completed.

[0080] Note that the information aggregation device 40 continuously or intermittently receives camera information and submersible information obtained by the monitoring equipment 30 (underwater camera 31 and unmanned submersible 32) capturing the entire underwater installation device 10 and the situation around the underwater installation device 10. The operator performs the operations of the above STEP2 - 6 while checking this information. This makes it possible to further improve the safety and accuracy of the installation work.

[0081] As described above, according to the underwater installation device, underwater installation system, and installation method of an underwater structure of the present invention, in the installation work of the anchor body 70, a series of operations from the positioning step (STEP4) to the installation step (STEP5) of the anchor body 70, and further to the ball removal step (STEP6) can be carried out by remote operation.

[0082] Thereby, since the work by a diver can be omitted, the anchor body 70 can be efficiently and safely positioned underwater and sunk and installed on the seabed under any conditions, such as when the installation position of the anchor body 70 is in a deep water area or when the weight of the anchor body 70 is large.

[0083] In addition, the positioning step (STEP4) of the anchor body 70 can be carried out while confirming the planar position and extending direction of the suspension balance beam 11 with the anchor body 70 suspended by the position information and direction information of the suspension balance beam 11 detected by the position and direction detection device 21. Also, the installation step (STEP5) of the anchor body 70 can be carried out while confirming the underwater distance information detected by the underwater detection sensor 22 for the distance from the suspension balance beam 11 to the seabed B.

[0084] Thereby, it becomes possible to improve the productivity related to the installation work of the anchor body 70 and the construction speed of the entire construction, and it becomes possible to perform position management when installing the anchor body 70 with high accuracy while omitting the confirmation by a diver.

[0085] The above embodiment is for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and is not for limiting and interpreting the present invention. It goes without saying that the present invention can be changed and improved without departing from its gist, and equivalents thereof are included in the present invention.

[0086] For example, in the present embodiment, while checking the position information, orientation information, and underwater distance information regarding the suspension scale beam 11 output to the output unit provided in the information aggregation device 40 or an output device 41 provided separately, an operator operates the remote control device 15 to transmit command information to the beam drive device 13 and the ball removal device 14, and performs remote control. However, it is not limited to this, and the information aggregation device 40 and the remote control device 15 may be coordinated to automatically operate the remote control device 15 or the like.

[0087] Further, when the anchor body 70 suspended from the suspension scale beam 11 is in a position and posture that satisfy the target orientation F and the target area P without performing the above positioning step (STEP4), the positioning step (STEP4) may be omitted and the installation step (STEP5) may be performed.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0088] 100 Underwater Installation System 10 Underwater Installation Device 11 Suspension Scale Beam 12 Suspension Member Connecting Device 121 Swivel Mechanism 13 Beam Drive Device 131 Water Flow Generation Equipment 132 Water Flow Control Device 14 Ball Removal Device 141 Gauge 142 Pin Retaining Plate 1421 Through Hole 143 Guide Tube 144 Locking Pin 145 Pin Operating Unit 1451 Telescopic Device 1452 Connecting Member 146 Control Unit 15 Remote Control Device 16 Acoustic Communication Device 161 Transmitter 162 Receiver 17 Rudder Control Machine 18 Ball Hanging Wire 20 Measuring Instrument 21 Position and Orientation Detection Device 211 Geomagnetic Azimuth Sensor 212 Underwater Positioning Device 2121 Transponder 2122 Transceiver 2123 GPS Compass Antenna 2124 RTK - GPS Antenna 22 Underwater Detection Sensor 30 Monitoring Equipment 31 Underwater Camera 32 Unmanned Submersible 40 Information Aggregation Device 41 Output Device 42 Terminal Device 60 Wind Power Generation Device 61 Upper Half 62 Lower Half 63 Wire (Tendon) 70 Anchor Body (Underwater Structure) 71 Suspension Fitting 80 Workboat 81 Crane 82 Crane Wire P Target Area F Target Azimuth B Seabed

Claims

1. An underwater installation device for installing an underwater structure on the seabed, comprising: a suspension balance beam for suspending the underwater structure via a suspension wire; a beam driving device installed on the suspension balance beam for operating the suspension balance beam underwater; a wire removal device interposed between the suspension balance beam and the suspension wire; a remote control device for remotely controlling the beam driving device and the wire removal device; An underwater installation device characterized by comprising the above.

2. An underwater installation system for submerging and installing an underwater structure in a target area on the seabed, using the underwater installation device according to Claim 1 and measuring equipment for detecting the position and orientation of the underwater installation device, wherein the measuring equipment comprises a position and orientation detection device for detecting the position and extending orientation of the suspension balance beam; a seabed detection sensor for detecting the distance from the suspension balance beam to the seabed; An underwater installation system characterized by comprising the above.

3. In the underwater installation system according to Claim 2, the position and orientation detection device comprises an underwater positioning device for detecting the position of a measurement point provided on the suspension balance beam; a geomagnetic azimuth sensor provided at approximately the center of the suspension balance beam; An underwater installation system characterized by comprising the above.

4. An installation method for an underwater structure for submerging and installing an underwater structure suspended in water on the seabed using the underwater installation system according to Claim 3, comprising a positioning step of operating the suspension balance beam by remote control of the beam driving device to direct the underwater structure in the target orientation and to position the planar view position within the target area; an installation step of lowering the suspension balance beam to submerge and install the underwater structure in the target area on the seabed; a wire removal step of removing the wire of the suspension wire by remote control of the wire removal device; An installation method for an underwater structure characterized by comprising the above.

5. In the installation method for an underwater structure according to Claim 4, in the positioning step, the suspension balance beam is operated based on the planar view position and the extending orientation of the suspension balance beam detected by the position and orientation detection device. An installation method for an underwater structure characterized by this.

6. In the installation method for an underwater structure according to Claim 4, in the installation step, the suspension balance beam is lowered based on the distance from the suspension balance beam to the seabed detected by the seabed detection sensor. An installation method for an underwater structure characterized by this.

7. In the method for installing an underwater structure according to claim 4, The method for installing an underwater structure, characterized in that the underwater structure is a reinforced concrete anchor body connected to a floating structure via tendons.

Images