Wind turbine installation vessel

Abstract

A wind turbine installation vessel is disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a wind turbine installation vessel may be provided, comprising: a hull; a plurality of legs coupled to the hull so as to be movable in an up-and-down direction and fixed to the seabed; a plurality of jacking modules coupled to the hull and each of which raises and lowers the plurality of legs; a crane installed on one of the plurality of jacking modules; a tower coupled to the hull and extending upwardly inclined toward the sea; and a first crane boom rest comprising a first platform coupled to the top of the tower and on which the crane boom of the crane rests.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wind turbine installation vessel. Background Technology

[0002] With the recent rapid growth of the offshore wind power market, the demand for wind turbine installation vessels is increasing. Furthermore, in line with the trend toward larger wind turbines, the size of installation vessels must also increase, making the capacity increase of the main crane—which is directly involved in the installation and dismantling of wind turbines—a critical issue. In particular, as the length of the crane boom has grown to the point where it extends tens of meters out to sea beyond the overall length of the installation vessel, there is a demand for appropriate support devices capable of stably supporting the crane boom. Prior art literature

[0003] Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2119024 (June 4, 2020, Offshore Wind Turbine Installation Vessel) The problem to be solved

[0004] An embodiment of the present invention provides a wind turbine installation line in which a crane and a crane boom can be stably supported. means of solving the problem

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, a wind turbine installation vessel may be provided, comprising: a hull; a plurality of legs coupled to the hull so as to be movable in an up-and-down direction and fixed to the seabed; a plurality of jacking modules coupled to the hull and each of which raises and lowers the plurality of legs; a crane installed on one of the jacking modules; a tower coupled to the hull and extending upwardly inclined toward the sea; and a first crane boom rest coupled to the top of the tower and on which the crane boom of the crane is seated.

[0006] The crane is installed on a jacking module positioned furthest from the bow of the hull, and the tower is connected to the bow end of the hull and can be extended upwardly at an angle toward the front of the hull.

[0007] The first crane boom rest further comprises a first rotary drive unit coupled to the hull to rotate the tower, and a second rotary drive unit coupled to the tower to rotate the first platform, wherein a storage groove connected to the deck of the hull is formed in the bow portion of the hull, and the first crane boom rest can be stored in the storage groove or withdrawn from the storage groove to support the crane boom according to the operation of the first rotary drive unit and the second rotary drive unit.

[0008] The apparatus further includes a first deck house and a second deck house installed on the deck of the hull, wherein the first deck house and the second deck house are positioned at the bow of the hull or positioned adjacent to the bow of the hull than the plurality of legs, and are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction of the hull, and the crane boom can extend toward the first crane boom rest through a spaced-out space formed between the first deck house and the second deck house.

[0009] It may further include a second crane boom rest comprising a pair of second platforms that are respectively coupled to the inner surfaces facing each other of the first deck house and the second deck house and on which the crane boom is seated.

[0010] The second crane boom rest may further include a guide rail formed to extend vertically on the inner surface of the first deck house and the second deck house to guide the second platform, and an up-and-down transport unit that transports the second platform vertically. Effects of the invention

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the crane can be supported while minimizing structural damage to the hull caused by an increase in the capacity of the crane boom by being installed on a jacking module adjacent to the leg, and the crane boom can be supported so as to minimize structural damage to the crane boom caused by an increase in the length of the crane boom by having the part protruding out to sea supported by a first crane boom rest. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0012] FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a wind turbine installation line according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view at I-I of FIG. 2, and Figure 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of Figure 2, II-II. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0013] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0014] Unless explicitly defined otherwise, the terms used in the embodiments of the present invention may be interpreted in a sense that is generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains, and are intended merely to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0015] In this specification, the singular form shall be deemed to include the plural form unless otherwise specifically stated.

[0016] In addition, if it is stated that a part "includes" a certain component, it means that the part may include additional components.

[0017] In addition, when a component is described as "up," it refers to the area above or below the component, and does not necessarily mean that it is located on the upper side relative to the direction of gravity.

[0018] In addition, where it is stated that a component is "connected" or "combined" to another component, this may include not only cases where the component is directly connected or combined to the other component, but also cases where the component is indirectly connected or combined through another component.

[0019] In addition, terms such as "first," "second," etc., may be used to describe a component; however, these terms are intended merely to distinguish the component from other components and are not intended to limit the essence, order, or sequence of the component.

[0020] FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a wind turbine installation line according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view at I-I of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view at II-II of FIG. 2.

[0021] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a wind turbine installation vessel (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a hull (100), a plurality of legs (200), a plurality of jacking modules (300), a crane (400), and a first crane boom rest (500), and may further include a first deck house (600), a second deck house (700), and / or a second crane boom rest (800).

[0022] The hull (100) may be equipped with a propulsion device to enable the wind turbine installation vessel (10) to move in a sailing mode to the location where the wind turbine is to be installed, but is not necessarily limited thereto.

[0023] Each of the multiple legs (200) can be connected to the hull (100) so as to be movable in the vertical direction (Z direction) and can be raised by a plurality of jacking modules (300). Accordingly, the multiple legs (200) can lift the hull (100) after being fixed to the seabed ground and can switch the wind turbine installation vessel (10) to a jack-up mode.

[0024] The leg (200) may be a truss structure with a triangular cross section, but is not necessarily limited to this.

[0025] The legs (200) may be distributed on the port and starboard sides of the hull (100) so that the hull (100) can be stably supported in jack-up mode.

[0026] A plurality of jacking modules (300) are coupled to the hull (100) and can each raise and lower a plurality of legs (200). For example, one leg (200) can be raised and lowered by one jacking module (300).

[0027] The jacking module (300) may be placed on the deck (110) of the hull (100), but is not necessarily limited thereto and may also be placed inside the hull (100).

[0028] The jacking module (300) may be provided with a through hole, i.e., a leg well, that penetrates the jacking module (300) in the vertical direction, similar to the hull (100), so that the leg (200) can pass through.

[0029] The crane (400) can be installed on one of the multiple jacking modules (300). Since the area of ​​the hull (100) where the jacking module (300) is installed has the best structural strength, structural damage to the hull (100) that may occur due to an increase in the capacity of the crane (400) can be minimized.

[0030] In particular, the jacking module (300) on which the crane (400) is installed may be the jacking module (300) positioned furthest from the bow of the hull (100) among the plurality of jacking modules (300). For example, the jacking module (300) on which the crane (400) is installed may be the jacking module (300) positioned closest to the stern of the hull (100) among the plurality of jacking modules (300). Accordingly, as described below, when the first crane boom rest (500) is installed at the bow end of the hull (100), the length of the portion of the crane boom (410) of the crane (400) protruding into the sea can be minimized.

[0031] The first crane boom rest (500) and the second crane boom rest (800) can support the crane boom (410) by placing it on it when the installation or dismantling of the wind turbine by the crane (100) is not being performed.

[0032] In particular, the first crane boom rest (500) may minimize structural damage to the crane boom (410) that may occur due to an increase in the length of the crane boom (410) by supporting the part of the crane boom (410) that protrudes out of the sea.

[0033] To this end, the first crane boom rest (500) may include a tower (510) and a first platform (520), and may further include a first rotary drive unit (530) and / or a second rotary drive unit (540).

[0034] The tower (510) is connected to the bow section of the hull (100) and can be extended upwardly at an angle toward the front of the hull (100).

[0035] The tower (510) may be, for example, a truss structure, but is not necessarily limited to this.

[0036] The first platform (520) can be attached to the top of the tower (510) to provide a surface on which the crane boom (410) rests, and can be positioned over the edge of the deck (110) in the sea.

[0037] The first rotary drive unit (530) is coupled to the hull (100) and can rotate the tower (510) around a second horizontal axis (Y direction), and the second rotary drive unit (540) is coupled to the tower (510) and can rotate the first platform (520) around a second horizontal axis (Y direction).

[0038] For example, the first rotary drive unit (530) and the second rotary drive unit (540) may include a motor, but are not necessarily limited thereto.

[0039] Accordingly, the first crane boom rest (500) may be stored in a storage groove (120) formed in the bow end of the hull (100) or withdrawn from the storage groove (120) to support the crane boom (410) depending on the operation of the first rotary drive unit (530) and the second rotary drive unit (540). Here, the storage groove (120) may be extended in the vertical direction and connected to the upper surface of the deck (110) so as to minimize interference between the deck (110) and the tower (510) when the tower (510) rotates.

[0040] Additionally, the open front of the storage groove (120) may be opened and closed by a door (130) connected to the hull (100).

[0041] The door (130) can connect both sides of the hull (100) when the open front of the storage groove (120) is closed, thereby suppressing the increase in fluid resistance that may occur due to the storage groove (120) during navigation mode. At this time, the tower (510) can be extended through the open upper surface of the storage groove (120).

[0042] The first deck house (600) and the second deck house (700) may be installed on the deck (110) of the hull (100), positioned at the bow of the hull (100), or positioned adjacent to the bow of the hull (100) than a plurality of legs (200), and may be positioned so as to be spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction (Y direction) of the hull (100). Here, a deck house may refer to a living quarter. That is, while conventional deck houses are formed as a single unit, the deck house in this embodiment differs in that it is structured as a first deck house (600) and a second deck house (700). Accordingly, a gap space (C) may be formed between the first deck house (600) and the second deck house (700), and the crane boom (410) may extend to the first crane boom rest (500) through the gap space (C).

[0043] In particular, the first width (W1) of the first deck house (600) and the second width (W2) of the second deck house (700) may be of different sizes. Here, the width may refer to the length in the lateral direction (Y direction) of the hull (100). This is because the arrangement of the crane boom (410) must be taken into account.

[0044] Specifically, as described above, a plurality of legs (200) can be positioned on the port or starboard side of the hull (100), and thus the jacking module (300) on which the crane (400) is installed can also be positioned on the port or starboard side of the hull (100), and since the first crane boom rest (500) can be connected to the bow end of the hull (100), in this case, considering the positioning state of the crane boom (410), the first deck house (600) and the second deck house (700) can be formed asymmetrically relative to each other with respect to the centerline in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the hull (100). Here, the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the hull (100) may mean a direction parallel to the centerline of the hull (100) connecting the bow and stern of the hull (100), and the transverse direction (Y direction) of the hull (100) may mean a direction perpendicular to the centerline of the longitudinal direction of the hull (100) connecting the port side and the starboard side of the hull (100).

[0045] Meanwhile, the first deck house (600) and the second deck house (700) may be structures separated from each other as shown in the drawing, but are not necessarily limited thereto, and may include a connecting part (not shown) connecting the lower part of the first deck house (600) to the lower part of the second deck house (700).

[0046] The second crane boom rest (800) may include a pair of second platforms (810), guide rails (820), and an upper and lower transport unit (830).

[0047] A pair of second platforms (810) can be connected to the inner faces of the first deck house (600) and the second deck house (700) facing each other to provide an upper surface on which the crane boom (410) is placed.

[0048] Accordingly, the load of the crane boom (410) can be distributed and supported by the first crane boom rest (500) and the second crane boom rest (800).

[0049] The guide rail (820) can be formed to extend vertically on the inner surfaces facing each other of the first deck house (600) and the second deck house (700), respectively, and can guide the vertical movement of the second platform (810).

[0050] The upper transport unit (830) can transport the second platform (810) in an up-and-down direction. Accordingly, the second platform (810) is normally stored in a lowered state down to the deck (110), and can be raised to support the crane boom (410) when no work is being performed by the crane (400). For example, the upper transport unit (830) may include a winch placed on the top floor of the first deck house (600) and the second deck house (700), but is not necessarily limited thereto.

[0051] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, this is merely illustrative and does not limit the invention. A person skilled in the art may modify and change the embodiments in various ways by adding, changing, deleting, or adding components without departing from the technical spirit of the invention as described in the claims, and such modifications and changes are also to be considered to be included within the scope of the rights of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0052] 10: Wind turbine installation vessel 100: Hull 110: Deck 120: Storage groove 130: Door 200: Leg 300: Jacking Module 400: Crane 410: Crane boom 500: 1st crane boom rest 510: Tower 520: Platform 1 530: 1st rotary drive unit 540: 2nd rotary drive unit 600: 1st Deck House 700: 2nd Deck House 800: 2nd crane boom rest 810: 2nd platform 820: Guide rail 830: Shanghai transport

Claims

Claim 1 A hull; a plurality of legs coupled to the hull so as to be movable in the vertical direction and fixed to the seabed; a plurality of jacking modules coupled to the hull and each raising and lowering the plurality of legs; and a crane installed on one of the plurality of jacking modules. A wind turbine installation vessel comprising a first crane boom rest including a tower coupled to the hull and extending upwardly inclined toward the sea, and a first platform coupled to the top of the tower on which the crane boom of the crane rests, wherein the crane is installed on a jacking module positioned furthest from the bow of the hull, and the tower is coupled to the bow front end of the hull and extends upwardly inclined toward the front of the hull, and further comprising a first deck house and a second deck house installed on the deck of the hull, wherein the first deck house and the second deck house are positioned at the bow of the hull or positioned adjacent to the bow of the hull than the plurality of legs, and are spaced apart from each other in the transverse direction of the hull, and the crane boom extends toward the first crane boom rest through a spaced-apart space formed between the first deck house and the second deck house. Claim 2 delete Claim 3 In claim 1, the first crane boom rest further comprises a first rotary drive unit coupled to the hull to rotate the tower, and a second rotary drive unit coupled to the tower to rotate the first platform, wherein a storage groove connected to the deck of the hull is formed in the bow portion of the hull, and the first crane boom rest supports the crane boom by being stored in the storage groove or withdrawn from the storage groove according to the operation of the first rotary drive unit and the second rotary drive unit. Claim 4 delete Claim 5 A wind turbine installation vessel according to claim 1, further comprising a second crane boom rest including a pair of second platforms each coupled to the inner surfaces facing each other of the first deck house and the second deck house, on which the crane boom is seated. Claim 6 In claim 5, the wind turbine installation line further comprises: a second crane boom rest formed to extend vertically on the inner surface of the first deck house and the second deck house to guide the second platform, a guide rail, and an upper / lower transport unit that transports the second platform vertically.

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