Crane ship and method for assembling underwater tower-type structure

Abstract

To provide a crane ship adaptable to construction of a large underwater tower type structure by using an existing crane ship, and an assembling method of the underwater tower type structure.SOLUTION: The crane ship 2 includes a jib crane in which a hoisting wire 5 is drawn out from upper end portions of jibs 4, 4 supported by a ship body 3 floating on the water so as to be capable of rising and falling, a tower crane 6 having a tower portion 7 supported by the hoisting wire 5, and swing suppressing means 11,11. for detachably fixing the tower portion 7 to the jibs 4, 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a crane ship used mainly for assembling offshore wind power generation facilities and a method for assembling an underwater tower-type structure using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the use of renewable energy has been promoted from the perspective of environmental impact and the effective use of natural energy, and among these, wind power generation, which has a large potential for generating electricity, has attracted attention.

[0003] In particular, the offshore environment is more conducive to obtaining wind suitable for wind power generation than on land, making it a suitable environment for installing wind turbines. Therefore, in recent years, there has been progress in the development and installation of offshore wind turbines.

[0004] This offshore wind power generation device is a tower-shaped structure that comprises a floating or bottom-mounted lower structure made of a monopile or similar, and a tower-shaped upper structure whose lower end is connected to the upper end of the lower structure, with wind power generation equipment consisting of a wind turbine (nacelle and rotor) etc. supported on the upper end of the upper structure.

[0005] Known methods for assembling this tower-type structure include assembling an upper structure at the base port, which has wind power generation equipment such as a wind turbine (nacelle and rotor) integrally supported at the top, transporting the assembled upper structure to the installation area, and then installing the upper structure with the wind turbine integrated on the lower structure installed in the installation area (see, for example, Patent Document 1), and using an existing crane ship to sequentially assemble the components that make up the tower, the nacelle, rotor, etc. on the lower structure installed in the installation area (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

[0006] In addition, a method has been developed for installing wind turbine equipment without using a large crane ship, in which a floating tower crane with crane equipment attached to the upper end of a floating structure in which a tower section is joined to a floating section, and the wind turbine equipment lifted using the floating tower crane is attached to the upper end of the tower section attached to another floating section (see, for example, Patent Document 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-107586 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-227966 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-055468 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, conventional technologies such as those described in Patent Document 1 above require a yard for assembling the wind turbine-integrated superstructure, but there is a problem in that it is difficult to secure a base port suitable for assembly.

[0009] Furthermore, when connecting the wind turbine-integrated upper structure to the lower structure in the installation waters, there was the problem of difficulty in ensuring clearance between the wind turbine-integrated upper structure and the crane jib of the crane ship.

[0010] Furthermore, in recent years, wind turbines have become significantly larger, with standards shifting to 15 or 20 MW class. As a result of this increase in size, the superstructure integrated with the wind turbine has also become larger, which has led to the problem that existing crane ships are unable to handle the installation work of wind turbines.

[0011] On the other hand, with the conventional technology described in Patent Document 2, the ground lifting height of existing crane ships was insufficient to accommodate the increasing size of the wind turbines mentioned above, and there was a problem that wind turbines of 15 MW or more could not be assembled on floating substructures.

[0012] For example, if the tower, nacelle, hub, and blades are to be installed using one of Japan's largest crane ships, it is predicted that the ground lifting height will be insufficient by more than 30 meters.

[0013] Furthermore, in the conventional technology described in Patent Document 3, the floating tower crane is also used for offshore wind observation and operation management / maintenance, so it needs to remain in the installation waters. In the case of small-scale wind farms, there is a problem that the cost-effectiveness of using a floating tower crane is low and it is not suitable for construction.

[0014] Furthermore, when a floating tower crane hoists a wind turbine equipment, the wind turbine equipment is hoisted outside the floating body of the floating tower crane, which can easily cause instability.

[0015] Furthermore, when installing wind turbine equipment, the floating body of the floating tower crane and the floating body supporting the tower on which the wind turbine equipment is installed must be placed close to each other. Furthermore, since the center of gravity of the floating tower crane and the floating structure on which the wind turbine equipment is installed are different, the swaying characteristics of the two bodies are different, which means that the relative swaying between the floating bodies is large, making work difficult.

[0016] Furthermore, if the offshore wind power generation equipment to be constructed is of the 15 or 20 MW class, the floating tower crane used to construct such large offshore wind power generation equipment must also be large, and there was also the problem that existing crane ships could not handle the assembly work of the floating tower crane.

[0017] Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention has been made with the object of providing a crane ship and an assembly method for an underwater tower-type structure that can be adapted to the construction of a large underwater tower-type structure using an existing crane ship. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] The feature of the invention described in claim 1 for solving the above-mentioned conventional problems is that, in a crane ship equipped with a jib crane in which a lifting wire is unwound from the upper end of a jib supported on a hull floating on water in a manner that allows it to be raised and lowered, the ship is equipped with a tower crane having a tower section supported on the lifting wire, and a sway suppression means for detachably fixing the tower section to the jib, and the tower crane has a tower section fixed to the jib so that the boom supported on the upper end of the tower section is at a higher position than the upper end of the jib.

[0019] The feature of the invention described in claim 2 is that, in addition to the configuration of claim 1, the tower crane is provided with a pair of jibs that are supported on the hull so that they can be raised and lowered, and the tower section of the tower crane is supported by a pair of lifting wires that are respectively reeled out from the upper ends of the pair of jibs, the tower section is positioned in the middle of the pair of jibs, and the tower section is fixed to each jib by the sway suppression means so that the boom is at a position higher than the upper ends of the pair of jibs.

[0020] The feature of the invention described in claim 3 is that, in addition to the configuration of claim 1 or 2, the sway suppression means is composed of a fixed unit having a tower side fixed member fixed to the tower portion of the tower crane, a jib side fixed member detachably fixed to the jib, and a connecting arm portion connecting the tower side fixed member and the jib side fixed member.

[0021] The invention as set forth in claim 4 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration of claim 3, a plurality of the fixing units are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction of the tower portion.

[0022] The feature of the invention described in claim 5 is that, in addition to the configuration of claim 3, the jib side fixing member has an engaging portion into one opening into which the jib or a member constituting the jib is inserted, and a hook portion that closes the opening in an openable and closable manner, and is removably fixed to the jib or a member constituting the jib.

[0023] The feature of the invention described in claim 6 is that, in addition to the configuration of claim 5, the engaging portion is provided with an insertion detection means for detecting the insertion of the jib or a member constituting the jib into the engaging portion, and when the insertion detection means detects the insertion of the jib or a member constituting the jib, the hook portion is automatically closed.

[0024] The invention as set forth in claim 7 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration of claim 5, the hook portion is opened and closed by remote control.

[0025] The invention as set forth in claim 8 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration of claim 1 or 2, the lower end of the tower section is supported by a tower-supporting float floating on the water surface.

[0026] The invention as set forth in claim 9 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration of claim 8, the tower section is provided with an extendable shoe section at the bottom.

[0027] The invention described in claim 10 is characterized in that, in the method for assembling an underwater tower-type structure, a crane ship equipped with a jib crane having a hoisting wire unwound from the upper end of a jib supported on a hull floating on the water in a manner that allows it to be raised and lowered, is used to connect an upper structure member that constitutes an upper structure to a lower structure installed underwater, in which a tower section that constitutes a tower crane is supported on the hoisting wire, the tower section is fixed to the jib by a sway suppression means so that a boom supported on the upper end of the tower section protrudes to a position higher than the upper end of the jib, and the upper structure member is lifted by the boom of the tower crane and connected to the lower structure.

[0028] The feature of the invention described in claim 11 is that, in addition to the configuration of claim 10, the sway suppression means is composed of a fixing unit having a tower side fixing member fixed to the tower portion of the tower crane, a jib side fixing member detachably fixed to the jib, and a connecting arm portion connecting the tower side fixing member and the jib side fixing member, and after assembling the tower crane on the ground or floating dock, the tower crane is suspended from the jib crane on the ground or floating dock, and the jib side fixing member is fixed to the jib.

[0029] The invention described in claim 12 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration of claim 10 or 11, at the assembly site of the underwater tower-type structure, a tower support float is moved onto the water below the tower crane supported by the jib crane, and the lower end of the tower crane is placed on the tower support float, and then the upper structure member is lifted by the tower crane and connected to the lower structure.

[0030] The invention described in claim 13 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration of claim 10, a transport ship loaded with the upper structure members is positioned within the rotation range of the crane body, which is rotatably supported at the upper end of the tower section of the tower crane. [Effects of the Invention]

[0031] By being equipped with the configuration described in claim 1, the crane ship of the present invention can ensure a higher ground lift than the jib cranes of existing crane ships, and can also be used to assemble large tower-type structures using existing crane ships.

[0032] Furthermore, in the present invention, by providing the configuration described in claim 2, the tower crane can be supported by a pair of jib cranes, thereby enabling stable work to be carried out.

[0033] Furthermore, in the present invention, by providing the configurations described in claims 3 and 4, the tower crane can be stably held by the jib crane with a simple structure.

[0034] Furthermore, in the present invention, by providing the configurations described in claims 5 to 7, the tower section of the tower crane can be efficiently attached and detached to the jib of the jib crane, and the tower crane can be adapted to a variety of crane ships.

[0035] Furthermore, in the present invention, by providing the configurations described in claims 8 and 9, the tower crane can be stably supported and the load borne by the jib crane of the crane ship can be reduced.

[0036] The method for assembling an underwater tower-type structure according to the present invention is provided with the configuration described in claim 10, thereby making it possible to secure a higher lifting height above ground than the jib cranes of existing crane ships, and also to assemble large tower-type structures using existing crane ships.

[0037] Furthermore, in the present invention, by providing the configuration described in claim 11, the tower crane can be assembled in a stable location, and after assembly, the tower section of the tower crane can be efficiently attached and detached to the jib of the jib crane.

[0038] Furthermore, in the present invention, by providing the configuration described in claim 12, the tower crane can be stabilized and the load borne by the jib crane of the crane ship can be reduced, allowing the underwater tower structure to be assembled safely.

[0039] Furthermore, in the present invention, by providing the configuration described in claim 13, the members constituting the tower structure can be efficiently transferred from the carrier on which they are loaded to the tower crane. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0040] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing an example of a crane ship according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3]1A is an enlarged plan view showing an example of a fixing unit constituting the sway suppressing means in the figure, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged side view of the same. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are enlarged plan views showing an example of a jib-side fixing member that constitutes the fixing unit of the same, in which FIG. 10A shows the state before being connected, and FIG. 10B shows the state after being connected. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a side view showing the first stage of the tower crane assembly process and fixing unit installation work in the method for constructing an underwater tower-type structure according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a second stage of the fixing unit installation work. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a third stage of the fixing unit installation work. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the preliminary stage of the connection work between the crane ship and the tower crane. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the state in which the crane ship and tower crane are connected to each other. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the state in which the tower crane-integrated crane ship has left the quay. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the assembly work of the underwater tower structure using the above-mentioned tower crane integrated crane ship. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing the positional relationship between the crane ship, the transport ship, and the underwater tower-type structure during assembly work of the underwater tower-type structure using the crane ship integrated with the work lane. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the state of tower crane assembly work and fixed unit installation work in another embodiment of the method for constructing an underwater tower-type structure according to the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the state of height adjustment operation of the tower crane. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the state in which the crane ship and tower crane are connected to each other. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the state in which the tower crane-integrated crane ship has left the quay. [Figure 17]FIG. 2 is a side view showing the state in which the lower end of the tower crane is placed on the tower support float. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0041] Next, an embodiment of the crane ship according to the present invention will be described based on the examples shown in Figures 1 to 4. In the figures, reference numeral 1 denotes the water surface, and reference numeral 2 denotes the crane ship.

[0042] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the crane ship 2 comprises a hull 3 floating on the water and a jib crane installed on the hull 3, and a lifting wire 5 is let out from the upper ends of a pair of jibs 4, 4 supported on the hull 3 so that they can be raised and lowered.

[0043] In addition, this crane ship 2 has a tower crane 6 fixed to the middle part of a pair of jibs 4, 4 raised at a predetermined angle, and by using the tower crane 6, it is possible to ensure a higher ground lift than the original ground lift of the crane ship 2, making it possible to assemble large tower-shaped structures.

[0044] The hull 3 is capable of sailing under its own power or by towing, and jibs 4, 4 constituting a jib crane are supported at the front of the hull 3 so that they can be raised and lowered.

[0045] The jib crane has a pair of jibs 4, 4 arranged in parallel with each other, and is designed so that its rated load exceeds the total weight of the tower crane 6 and the object to be lifted, such as a wind turbine component.

[0046] The pair of jibs 4, 4 are formed as long arms, for example, made of a sturdy structure such as a lattice structure, and each base end is pivoted to the front of the hull 3 so that it can be raised and lowered within a predetermined angular range by rotating up and down.

[0047] In addition, a pair of jibs 4,4 have a lifting wire 5 that is let out from a winch (not shown) on the hull 3 and hangs downward via the tip of each jib 4,4, and a lifting frame 8 for suspending the tower section 7 of the tower crane 6 is supported at the lower end of both lifting wires 5,5 let out from each jib 4,4.

[0048] The tower crane 6 comprises a tower section 7 suspended and supported by a hoisting wire 5 via a hoisting frame 8, and a crane body 9 installed at the upper end of the tower section 7, and the tower section 7 is removably fixed to the jibs 4,4 by a sway suppression means.

[0049] The tower crane 6 may be remotely operated or automatically guided from the ground or the crane ship 2. Similarly, the pre-work inspection may be performed by remote control, a remote camera installed on the tower crane, a drone, or the like.

[0050] The tower section 7 is formed in a tower shape having a truss or lattice structure, with support columns arranged on all four sides connected by reinforcing materials.

[0051] A rectangular frame-shaped suspension frame 8 is placed around the tower section 7 at a predetermined height and is firmly fixed by welding, bolting, etc., and the lower end of the suspension wire 5, which is unwound from the upper end of the pair of jibs 4,4 of the jib crane, is connected to the frame, and the tower section 7 is suspended and supported in the middle part of the pair of jibs 4,4.

[0052] The tower section 7 is supported in a suspended state so that the boom 21 of the crane body 9, which is supported at the upper end of the tower section 7 by a jib crane, is at a higher position than the upper end of the jibs 4,4 of the jib crane.

[0053] The tower section 7 is provided with a pyramidal shoe at the bottom that widens downward, allowing the tower crane 6 to be stably erected on the ground or on a floating body on water.

[0054] In addition, the shoe section may be an extendable shoe section 10 that is supported so as to be extendable and contractible relative to the main body of the tower section 7, so that the height can be adjusted when the tower section 7 is installed on land or a floating body floating on water.

[0055] The telescopic shoe portion 10 may be extended or retracted by using a mechanism used in mast climbing assembly, or may be moved relative to the shoe portion 10 by using a mechanism such as a rack and pinion.

[0056] In addition, the tower section 7 is integrally provided with a sway suppression means that detachably fixes the tower section 7 to the jibs 4, 4, and the sway suppression means fixes the tower section 7 to each of the pair of jibs 4, 4 and suppresses the swaying of the tower section 7.

[0057] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sway suppression means is composed of a plurality of fixing units 11, 11... arranged at intervals in the vertical direction of the tower section 7, and is designed to fix the tower section 7 in a state in which swaying relative to the jibs 4, 4 of the crane ship 2 is suppressed.

[0058] 3, the fixed units 11, 11... include a frame-shaped tower-side fixed member 12 fixed to the tower section 7 of the tower crane 6, jib-side fixed members 13, 13 detachably fixed to the jibs 4, 4, and connecting arms 14a to 14c connecting the tower-side fixed member 12 and the jib-side fixed members 13, 13. Note that the reference numeral 11a in the drawing denotes a working scaffold.

[0059] The tower side fixing member 12 is formed in a rectangular frame shape when viewed from above, and the tower section 7 passes through the central insertion section 15, with the inner peripheral portion of the insertion section fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the tower section 7.

[0060] Furthermore, the tower side fixing member 12 is composed of a pair of U-shaped members 16, 16 formed by splitting a rectangular frame in half, and by connecting the pair of U-shaped members 16, 16 facing each other across the tower section 7, the inner periphery of the insertion section 15 is fixed to the outer periphery of the tower section 7 with the tower section 7 passing through the central insertion section 15.

[0061] The method of fixing the tower-side fixing member 12 to the tower section 7 is not particularly limited, but they can be detachably attached by welding, bolting, or the like.

[0062] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the jib side fixing members 13, 13 have a U-shaped mating portion 17 in a planar view with one end opening horizontally, and a hook portion 18 that closes the opening of the mating portion 17 in an openable and closable manner.When the hook portion 18 is open, the member 4a constituting the jib 4,4 is pulled in, and by closing the hook portion 18, the member 4a constituting the jib 4,4 is mated with the mating portion 17.

[0063] The hook portion 18 can be opened and closed, for example, by remote control. As shown in Figures 4(a) and 4(b), when a member 4a constituting the jib 4,4 is fitted into the fitting portion 17 through the opening, the member 4a comes into contact with a trigger 19 protruding into the fitting portion 17, thereby detecting the fitting of the member 4a, and the hook portion 18 may be automatically closed (automatic closing function), or this automatic closing function may be used in combination with the opening and closing operation by remote control.

[0064] Furthermore, when separating the jib side fixing members 13, 13 from the jibs 4, 4, the fixed state may be released by opening the hook portion 18 by remote control.

[0065] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the hook portion 18 is opened and closed automatically or by remote control, but the hook portion 18 may also be opened and closed manually by an operator.

[0066] The connecting arms 14a to 14c are formed in the shape of a round bar from steel or the like, with one end pivotally supported at a corner of the tower side fixing member 12 and the other end pivotally supported at the rear end of the jib side fixing members 13, 13.

[0067] In addition, the connecting arms 14a to 14c have lengths set for each of the multiple fixed units 11, 11... which are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction to match the distance between the tower section 7, which is suspended and supported by a pair of jibs 4, 4 at the height of each fixed unit 11, 11... and the jibs 4, 4.

[0068] The connecting arm 14c is disposed obliquely with respect to the connecting arms 14a and 14b on both sides, and the multiple (three) connecting arms 14a to 14c form a truss structure.

[0069] It is sufficient if there are at least two fixed units 11, 11, . . . in the vertical direction, but it is preferable to install them in three or more places.

[0070] In addition, the fixed position (height) of each fixed unit 11, 11... is set taking into account the positions of the hanging frame 8 and the shoe part, with the top position being set at a certain distance below the hanging frame 8 (for example, 5 m below the hanging frame 8), the bottom position being set at a certain distance from the top end of the shoe part (for example, 5 m above the top end of the shoe part), and the middle position being set at a position halfway between the top and bottom positions.

[0071] It is desirable to determine the fixing position (height) and quantity of each fixed unit 11, 11... based on the weather conditions of the construction waters, the conditions of the construction object, etc., and to conduct a detailed analysis of whether a model in which the tower crane 6 is suspended from the crane ship 2 under those conditions can withstand the rocking of the tower crane 6. It is also desirable to calculate the stress acting on the connecting arms 14a to 14c at the minimum and maximum heights of the load suspended by the tower crane 6 from the sea surface, and to select fixed units 11 that can withstand that stress.

[0072] The crane body 9 comprises a rotatable base 20 installed at the upper end of the tower section 7, and a hoistable boom 21 whose base end is pivotally supported on the base 20, and a cargo handling hoisting wire 22 is reeled out and hung down from the tip of the boom 21.

[0073] Next, a method for assembling an underwater tower structure using the above-mentioned crane ship 2 will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 12. Note that the same components as those in the above-mentioned embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals.

[0074] In this embodiment, an offshore wind power generation facility will be described as an example of an underwater tower-type structure.

[0075] As shown in Figure 11, this underwater tower-type structure comprises a cylindrical lower structure 30 that is installed with its upper end protruding above water, a tower-shaped upper structure 31 whose lower end is connected to the upper end of the lower structure 30, and wind power generation equipment (not shown) consisting of a wind turbine (nacelle / rotor) etc. supported on the upper end of the upper structure 31. After the lower structure 30 is installed and stabilized, the structure is assembled by sequentially connecting members 31a to 31d that make up the upper structure 31, which is suspended from the crane ship 2, to the upper end of the lower structure 30.

[0076] The lower structure 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and in the case of a floating type, for example, it is composed of a spar-type floating section that floats upright with its upper part protruding above the water, and in the case of a bottom-mounted type, it is composed of a monopile or the like that is erected on the bottom of the water.

[0077] The form of the lower structure 30 may be any as long as it has a cylindrical section to which the upper structure 31 is joined, and in the case of a floating type, it may be the spar type described above, as well as a pontoon type, semi-submersible type, or TLP type, and in the case of a fixed type, it may be a monopile type, as well as a tripile, jacket type, etc.

[0078] The upper structure 31 is formed in a tapered cylindrical shape with a smaller diameter at the top end, and is assembled on the lower structure 30 by sequentially connecting a plurality of divided upper structure members 31a to 31d.

[0079] Although not specifically shown, the wind turbine equipment is designed so that the nacelle, rotor, and blades are transported in disassembled form to the installation waters and then assembled using the tower crane 6 of the crane ship 2.

[0080] The procedure for assembling the underwater tower-type structure using the crane ship 2 will be described in detail below.

[0081] First, as shown in Figure 5, the tower crane 6 is assembled in a work yard on land provided at a quay 40 where the crane ship 2 can dock. Reference numeral 41 in the figure denotes a work platform for assembling the tower crane 6.

[0082] The assembly of the tower crane 6 will not be described in detail, but it can be assembled using existing assembly methods, such as the mast climbing method, in which the components that make up the tower section 7 (mast) that supports the crane body 9 are sequentially added to the top of the existing section, and the crane body 9 is raised along the extended tower section 7.

[0083] The power supply to the tower crane 6 is provided by a power supply device installed on the ground.

[0084] Next, once the assembly of the tower crane 6 is complete, the suspension frame 8 is attached at a predetermined height, and then the tower crane 6 is used to fix each of the fixing units 11, 11... to the tower section 7 of the tower crane 6 at their respective predetermined positions.

[0085] Specifically, first, the tower-side fixing member 12 and the jib-side fixing members 13, 13-attached connecting arms 14a-14c that make up the fixing units 11, 11... are carried in a disassembled state to the work yard. The tower-side fixing member 12 is carried in a state where it is divided into a pair of U-shaped members 16, 16.

[0086] Next, as shown in Figure 5, one end of the lifting beam 42 is fixed to the lower end of the cargo handling lifting wire 22 that is unwound from the tip of the boom 21 of the tower crane 6, and the lifting beam 42 is supported in a cantilever manner, with one of the U-shaped members 16, 16 supported on the other end.

[0087] Then, one of the U-shaped members 16 supported via the lifting beam 42 is lifted up to a predetermined height, and the opening of the U-shaped member 16 is fitted into the outer peripheral surface of the tower section 7 and fixed.

[0088] 6, the other U-shaped member 16 is similarly lifted up to a predetermined height by lifting one of the U-shaped members 16, 16 supported via the lifting beam 42, and the opening of the U-shaped member 16 is fitted into and fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the tower section 7, and connected to the other U-shaped member 16, 16, and the tower-side fixing member 12 is fixed at a predetermined height position on the tower section 7.

[0089] Next, as shown in Figure 7, the connecting arms 14a to 14c to which the jib side fixing members 13, 13 are attached are lifted by the tower crane 6, and one end of each connecting arm 14a to 14c is connected and pivoted to a predetermined position on the tower side fixing member 12.

[0090] The other end of each of the connecting arms 14a to 14c is pivotally supported on one of the jib-side fixing members 13, 13, and a truss structure is formed by the connecting arms 14a to 14c.

[0091] This series of operations is repeated for each of the fixing units 11, 11..., and the plurality of fixing units 11, 11... are fixed at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction. Note that the connecting arms 14a to 14c may be attached to one of the U-shaped members 16 on the ground in advance.

[0092] The hook portions 18 of the jib side fixing members 13, 13 are kept open by remote control.

[0093] Next, once the installation of each fixed unit 11, 11... that constitutes the sway suppression means has been completed, the crane ship 2 is moved toward the tower crane 6, and the tower crane 6 is connected to the jibs 4, 4 of the crane ship 2, as shown in Figure 8.

[0094] Specifically, first, the pair of jibs 4,4 of the crane ship 2 are raised and lowered to a predetermined angle, i.e., so that the boom 21 supported on the upper end of the tower section 7 protrudes to a position higher than the upper end of the jib 4,4 of the jib crane, and the horizontal distance between the jib 4,4 and the tower section 7 of the tower crane 6 is such that the jib side fixing members 13,13 supported on the connecting arm sections 14a to 14c of each fixing unit 11,11... can be connected to the members 4a that constitute the jib 4,4.

[0095] Then, in this state, the crane ship 2 is moved and docked toward the quay 40, and as shown in Figure 9, the pair of jibs 4, 4 of the crane ship 2 are brought close to the tower crane 6, and the members 4a constituting the jibs 4, 4 are fitted into the fitting portions 17 of the jib side fixing members 13, 13 of each fixing unit 11, 11...

[0096] At this time, the member 4a constituting the jib 4,4 comes into contact with the trigger 19 protruding into the fitting portion 17, which detects the fitting of the fitting portion 17 and the member 4a, and automatically closes the hook portion 18, thereby completing the connection between the jib 4,4 and the jib side fixing member 13,13. The hook portion 18 may be closed by remote control, or may be closed manually by an operator.

[0097] Next, the power supply to the tower crane 6 from the power supply device installed on the ground is stopped temporarily, a power supply cable is laid, and the power supply is switched over to the power supply device installed on the crane ship 2.

[0098] Next, the lifting wire 5 unwound from the tip of the jib 4, 4 is slung onto a lifting frame 8 fixed to the tower section 7 of the tower crane 6, and the crane ship 2 is caused to suspend and support the tower crane 6 as a whole, and in this state, the crane ship 2 is moved offshore as shown in Figure 10.

[0099] Then, as shown in Figure 11, the tower crane 6 of the crane ship 2 is used to sequentially connect the multiple divided upper structure members 31a to 31d on the lower structure 30, and then the tower crane 6 is similarly used to perform the installation work of the nacelle, rotor, and blades.

[0100] Furthermore, since the crane body 9 of the tower crane 6 can rotate during the assembly work of the upper structure 31 and the wind turbine equipment, work can be carried out efficiently by positioning a transport ship 43 loaded with upper structure components 31a to 31d, a nacelle, a rotor, and blades within the rotation range of the boom 21 of the crane body 9, which is rotatably supported at the upper end of the tower section 7 of the tower crane 6, as shown in Figure 12.

[0101] In addition, the tower crane 6 is integrated with the crane ship 2 so that the boom 21 supported on the upper end of the tower section 7 is at a position higher than the upper ends of the jibs 4, 4, and the tower section 7 of the tower crane 6 and the jibs 4, 4 of the crane ship 2 are fixed by fixing units 11, 11... that constitute the sway suppression means, so that a ground lift higher than the original ground lift of the crane ship 2 can be secured in a stable state, making it possible to assemble large tower-shaped structures.

[0102] Next, a method for assembling an underwater tower-type structure using a crane ship 2 in which a telescopic shoe 10 is provided at the lower end of the tower crane 6 and is supported telescopically relative to the tower section 7 body will be described based on the embodiment shown in Figures 13 to 17. Note that the same components as those in the above-mentioned embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0103] First, as shown in FIG. 13, the tower crane 6 is assembled in a work yard on land provided at a quay 40 where the crane ship 2 can dock.

[0104] In this case, the telescopic shoe section 10 is placed on the upper surface of the quay wall 40 without using the work platform 41, and the telescopic shoe section 10 is used as a work platform to assemble the tower crane 6 in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment.

[0105] Next, the suspension frame 8 and the fixing units 11, 11 . . . that constitute the swing suppressing means are installed on the tower section 7 in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment.

[0106] Next, after the installation of each of the fixing units 11, 11 . . . that constitute the sway suppressing means is completed, the crane ship 2 is moved toward the tower crane 6, and the tower crane 6 is connected to the jibs 4, 4 of the crane ship 2.

[0107] Specifically, first, the pair of jibs 4,4 of the crane ship 2 are raised and lowered to a predetermined angle, i.e., so that the boom 21 supported on the upper end of the tower section 7 protrudes to a position higher than the upper end of the jib 4,4 of the jib crane, and the horizontal distance between the jib 4,4 and the tower section 7 of the tower crane 6 is such that the jib side fixing members 13,13 supported on the connecting arm sections 14a to 14c of each fixing unit 11,11... can be connected to the members 4a that constitute the jib 4,4.

[0108] On the other hand, on the tower crane 6 side, as shown in Figure 14, the telescopic shoe 10 moves the tower section 7 vertically relative to the jibs 4, 4 adjusted to a predetermined angle of the crane ship 2, and adjusts the height of the tower section 7 so that the height of each fixed unit 11, 11... attached to the tower section 7 becomes a predetermined mounting height.

[0109] Then, in this state, the crane ship 2 is moved and docked toward the quay 40, whereby the pair of jibs 4, 4 of the crane ship 2 are brought close to the tower crane 6, as shown in Figure 15, and the fitting portions 17 of the jib side fixing members 13, 13 of each fixing unit 11, 11... are fitted with the members 4a constituting the jibs 4, 4.

[0110] Next, the power supply to the tower crane 6 from the power supply device installed on the ground is stopped temporarily, a power supply cable is laid, and the power supply is switched over to the power supply device installed on the crane ship 2.

[0111] Then, the lifting wire 5 unwound from the tip of the jibs 4, 4 is slung onto a lifting frame 8 fixed to the tower section 7 of the tower crane 6, and the tower crane 6 is lifted and supported as a whole by the jib crane of the crane ship 2.

[0112] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 16, the telescopic shoe section 10 is raised by moving it relatively along the tower section 7 of the tower crane 6, which is suspended and supported by the jib crane of the crane ship 2, and the telescopic shoe section 10 is released from the upper surface of the quay 40. In this state, the crane ship 2 is moved offshore.

[0113] Next, the crane barge 2 is moved to the assembly site (construction waters) of the underwater tower structure, and after adjusting its position, the tower support float 44 is moved onto the water below the tower crane 6 at the assembly site, as shown in Figure 17.

[0114] The tower support float 44 is not particularly limited, but is constituted by a buoyant body such as a pontoon, a steel box float, or a barge, and is adapted to be moored at the position.

[0115] Then, the telescopic shoe section 10 is moved relative to the tower section 7 and lowered, the telescopic shoe section 10 is landed on the bottom of the tower support float 44, and the lower end of the tower crane 6 is placed on the tower support float 44.

[0116] Then, as in the above-described embodiment, the tower crane 6 of the crane ship 2 is used to sequentially connect the multiple divided upper structure members 31a to 31d on the lower structure 30, and then the tower crane 6 is similarly used to perform the installation work of the nacelle, rotor, and blades.

[0117] At this time, in addition to the sway suppression effect of the sway suppression means, the tower crane 6 is supported by the tower support float 44, which further suppresses sway, allowing work to be carried out stably.

[0118] In the above embodiment, when the lower end of the tower crane 6 is supported on the tower supporting float 44, the telescopic shoe section 10 is provided at the lower end of the tower crane 6, but the lower end of the tower section 7 may also be supported on the upper surface of the tower supporting float 44.

[0119] In the above embodiment, the crane ship 2 is provided with a pair of jibs 4, 4, but a crane ship with a single jib may also be used. In this case, the boom 21 of the tower crane 6 is controlled to be raised and lowered within a predetermined range, and the swing in the pitch direction is suppressed by the swing suppressing means, so that the crane body 9 and the jib of the crane ship 2 do not interfere with each other.

[0120] Furthermore, when using a crane ship consisting of a single jib, if there is a risk that the upper end of the tower crane 6 will interfere with the upper end of the jib, a crane support base (not shown) may be provided that protrudes horizontally from the upper end of the tower section on the opposite side of the jib to prevent interference between the crane body and the jib.

[0121] In the above-described embodiment, an offshore wind power generation facility has been used as an example of an underwater tower-type structure, but the form of the underwater tower-type structure is not limited to this, and it may be used, for example, to assemble a floating tower-type crane in which a crane facility is attached to the upper end of a floating structure in which a tower section is joined onto a floating section. [Explanation of symbols]

[0122] 1 water surface 2 Hoist ship 3. Hull 4 Jib 5. Suspension wire 6. Tower Crane 7 Tower section 8 Hanging frame 9 Crane body 10. Telescopic shoe 11 Fixed unit 12 Tower side fixing member 13 Jib side fixing member 14a~14c Connecting arm 15 Insertion part 16 U-shaped member 17 Fitting part 18 Hook part 19 Trigger 20 base 21 Boom 22 Lifting wire for cargo handling 30 Undercarriage 31 Superstructure 40 Quay 41 Workbench 42 Hanging beam 43 Carrier 44 Tower support float

Claims

1. In a crane ship equipped with a jib crane, a jib is supported on a hull floating on water in a manner that allows it to be raised and lowered, and a lifting wire is unwound from the upper end of the jib. A tower crane having a tower section supported by the hoisting wire, and a swing suppression means for detachably fixing the tower section to the jib, The tower crane is characterized in that the tower section is fixed to the jib so that the boom supported on the upper end of the tower section is at a higher position than the upper end of the jib.

2. A pair of jibs are supported on the hull so as to be able to be raised and lowered, The tower crane has a tower section supported by a pair of hoisting wires respectively drawn out from the upper ends of the pair of jibs, and the tower section is disposed in the middle of the pair of jibs, 2. The crane ship according to claim 1, wherein the tower section is fixed to each of the pair of jibs by the swing suppressing means so that the boom is positioned higher than the upper ends of the pair of jibs.

3. The crane ship according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sway suppression means is composed of a fixing unit having a tower-side fixing member fixed to the tower portion of the tower crane, a jib-side fixing member detachably fixed to the jib, and a connecting arm portion connecting the tower-side fixing member and the jib-side fixing member.

4. 4. The crane ship according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of said fixed units are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction of said tower section.

5. The crane ship described in claim 3, wherein the jib side fixing member has an engaging portion into one opening into which the jib or a member constituting the jib is fitted, and a hook portion that closes the opening in an openable and closable manner, and is removably fixed to the jib or a member constituting the jib.

6. The crane ship described in claim 5, wherein the fitting portion is provided with an insertion detection means for detecting the insertion of the jib or a member constituting the jib into the fitting portion, and the hook portion is automatically closed when the insertion detection means detects the insertion of the jib or a member constituting the jib.

7. 6. The crane vessel according to claim 5, wherein the hook portion is remotely controlled to open and close.

8. 3. The crane ship according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of the tower section is supported by a tower-supporting float floating on the water surface.

9. 9. The crane ship according to claim 8, further comprising a telescopic shoe section that is extendable and contractible at a lower portion of the tower section.

10. In this method for assembling an underwater tower-type structure, a crane ship is used, which is equipped with a jib crane having a hoisting wire unwound from the upper end of a jib supported on a hull floating on the water in a manner that allows it to be raised and lowered, and an upper structure member constituting an upper structure is connected to a lower structure installed underwater. A method for assembling an underwater tower-type structure, comprising: supporting a tower section constituting a tower crane on the lifting wire; fixing the tower section to the jib by a swing suppression means so that a boom supported on the upper end of the tower section protrudes to a position higher than the upper end of the jib; and lifting the upper structure member with the boom of the tower crane and connecting it to the lower structure.

11. The sway suppression means is composed of a fixing unit including a tower-side fixing member fixed to the tower section of the tower crane, a jib-side fixing member detachably fixed to the jib, and a connecting arm portion connecting the tower-side fixing member and the jib-side fixing member, 11. A method for assembling an underwater tower-type structure according to claim 10, wherein after assembling the tower crane on the ground or a floating dock, the tower crane is suspended by the jib crane on the ground or the floating dock, and the jib side fixing member is fixed to the jib.

12. 12. The method for assembling an underwater tower-type structure according to claim 10 or 11, wherein, at an assembly site of the underwater tower-type structure, a tower supporting float is moved onto the water below the tower crane supported by the jib crane, and a lower end of the tower crane is placed on the tower supporting float, and then the upper structure member is lifted by the tower crane and connected to the lower structure.

13. 11. A method for assembling an underwater tower-type structure according to claim 10, wherein a transport ship loaded with the upper structure members is placed within the range of rotation of a crane body rotatably supported at the upper end of the tower section of the tower crane.

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