Chain tension control device for mooring marine structures

Abstract

The present invention relates to a chain tension control device for mooring an offshore structure, comprising: a body installed on an offshore structure and supporting a portion of a fairlead chain forming a mooring line through a wheel that rotates in forward and reverse directions around a rotation axis; an arm connected diagonally to the body and supporting another portion of the fairlead chain extending from the body, wherein a pair of blocking members are arranged at a front-to-back interval at one point and another point between one end and the other end; and a guide roller disposed between the two side plates of the arm and supporting the lower end of the fairlead chain passing through the arm; wherein the bidirectional movement of the fairlead chain is interrupted as contact with or release from contact with the fairlead chain is achieved depending on the movement of the blocking members, and sagging of the fairlead chain between the inlet and outlet of the body is prevented by the support of the guide roller.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a chain tension adjustment device for mooring offshore structures, wherein the bidirectional movement of the fairlead chain allows for smooth adjustment of mooring tension of the offshore structure in normal times and smooth disconnection of the fairlead chain in emergency situations, as well as preventing sagging and twisting of the chain to ensure smooth movement of the chain, and wherein the wheel in contact with the chain can be separated to facilitate maintenance of the wheel, and wherein the separated wheel can be selectively applied to any one of a plurality of chain tension adjustment devices for mooring offshore structures, thereby reducing the operating costs of the offshore structure mooring system. Background Technology

[0002] Marine structures, such as offshore wind turbines, are affected by waves and currents due to their location at sea.

[0003] Therefore, as the movement of the offshore structure is caused by the influence of waves and currents, if the movement becomes excessive, it can lead not only to the loss of the offshore structure but also to damage caused by collapse.

[0004] Accordingly, a marine structure is fixed at a point on the sea using various 'mooring devices' or 'mooring systems' as disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2014-0126022, etc.

[0005] At this time, the chain extending from the surface of the marine structure to the underwater area, more specifically the fairlead chain, is typically connected to a 'fairlead chain stopper'. Since it can be pulled in one direction and flow while connected, it can become taut, thereby allowing the mooring tension of the marine structure to be controlled, and thus the mooring of the marine structure can be stably maintained.

[0006] However, conventional fairlead chain stoppers applied to offshore structure mooring systems only control the flow of the fairlead chain in one direction, such as pulling the fairlead chain from underwater to the surface. This caused inconvenience in adjusting the mooring tension of offshore structures, and there was a problem in that it was difficult to release the fairlead chain without the support of a large fleet, especially when evacuation of offshore structures was required due to emergency situations such as typhoons, making rapid response difficult.

[0007] In addition, the fairlead chain stopper applied to conventional offshore structure mooring systems has the wheel fixed to the body, so the wheel cannot be separated without dismantling the wheel fixing part, making maintenance of the wheel difficult. Furthermore, there was a problem in that the operating cost of the offshore structure mooring system increased because a wheel had to be provided on each of the multiple fairlead chain stoppers provided in three directions of the offshore structure, for example.

[0008] In addition, the fairlead chain stopper applied to conventional offshore structure mooring systems had a problem in that sagging and twisting of the chain occurred when the chain moved during the tension adjustment process, which made it difficult to move the chain.

[0009] For the reasons mentioned above, attempts are being made in this field to develop a chain tension control device for mooring offshore structures that allows for smooth adjustment of mooring tension in normal times and smooth disconnection of the fairlead chain in emergency situations by enabling bidirectional movement of the fairlead chain, as well as ensuring smooth movement of the chain by preventing sagging and twisting of the chain, and making maintenance of the wheel in contact with the chain easy by enabling the separation of the wheel, and allowing the separated wheel to be selectively applied to any one of multiple chain tension control devices for mooring offshore structures, thereby reducing the operating costs of the offshore structure mooring system. However, satisfactory results have not been obtained so far. Prior art literature

[0010] Republic of Korea Published Patent Application No. 10-2014-0126022 The problem to be solved

[0011] The present invention is proposed to resolve the problems of the conventional technology described above, and aims to provide a chain tension control device for mooring offshore structures that allows for smooth adjustment of mooring tension of offshore structures in normal times and smooth disconnection of the fairlead chain in emergency situations by enabling bidirectional movement of the fairlead chain, as well as preventing sagging and twisting of the chain to ensure smooth movement of the chain, and enables easy maintenance of the wheel by allowing the wheel in contact with the chain to be separated, and furthermore, allows the separated wheel to be selectively applied to any one of a plurality of chain tension control devices for mooring offshore structures, thereby reducing the operating costs of the offshore structure mooring system. means of solving the problem

[0012] To achieve the above objective, the present invention,

[0013] A chain tension control device for mooring an offshore structure is proposed, comprising: a body installed on an offshore structure and supporting a portion of a fairlead chain forming a mooring line through a wheel that rotates in forward and reverse directions around a rotation axis; an arm connected diagonally to the body and supporting another portion of the fairlead chain extending from the body, wherein a pair of blocking members are arranged at a front-to-back interval at one point and another point between one end and the other end; and a guide roller disposed between the two side plates of the arm and supporting the lower end of the fairlead chain passing through the arm; wherein the bidirectional movement of the fairlead chain is interrupted as contact with or release from contact with the fairlead chain occurs depending on the movement of the blocking members, and sagging of the fairlead chain between the inlet and outlet of the body is prevented by the support of the guide roller.

[0014] The above body may include: slot holes formed in each of the two side plates; an operating piece rotatably disposed at the entrance of each of the slot holes to open and close the entrance of the slot holes according to the direction of rotation; and a driving means for pushing one end of the operating piece or rotating it in one direction.

[0015] The above driving means may be a cylinder in which the rod is moved in and out by hydraulic or pneumatic pressure.

[0016] The above body is hinged to a support shaft that is vertically connected to a support member placed on one of the bollards of the marine structure and rotates around the support shaft.

[0017] The above arm is hinged to the above body and rotates in forward and reverse directions within a certain angle range around an axis extending in the horizontal direction.

[0018] The above arm includes a pair of cylinders connected to each of the blocking members, wherein the rod is moved in and out by hydraulic or pneumatic action.

[0019] The above guide rollers may be provided in multiple numbers and arranged at a constant interval between one end and the other end of the arm.

[0020] The above guide roller may include a protective layer covering the outer surface.

[0021] The above protective layer may be made of rubber. Effects of the invention

[0022] The chain tension adjustment device for mooring an offshore structure according to the present invention comprises a pair of blocking members disposed on an arm, wherein the bidirectional movement of a fairlead chain passing through the arm can be controlled depending on the movement of the blocking members. Consequently, the mooring tension of the offshore structure can be increased by moving and pulling the fairlead chain in one direction during normal operation, thereby ensuring that the mooring state of the offshore structure is maintained stably. Furthermore, in emergency situations, the connection with the fairlead chain can be released by moving and releasing the fairlead chain in the other direction, thereby enabling rapid evacuation of the offshore structure.

[0023] The chain tension adjustment device for mooring a marine structure according to the present invention has a guide roller disposed on the arm, and since the guide roller supports the lower end of the fairlead chain passing through the arm, sagging of the fairlead chain and twisting caused by sagging of the fairlead chain can be prevented, thereby allowing the fairlead chain to move smoothly within the arm.

[0024] The chain tension adjustment device for mooring offshore structures according to the present invention has one side and the other side rotation axis of a wheel provided in a body inserted into one of the slot holes formed on both sides of the body and the other, and the entrance of the slot hole is opened and closed by one-way rotation of an operating piece driven by a driving means. When the entrance of the slot hole is open, one end and the other end of the wheel rotation axis can be withdrawn from the slot hole, allowing the wheel to be separated from the body, thereby facilitating maintenance of the wheel. In particular, since the separated wheel can be selectively applied to any one of a plurality of chain tension adjustment devices for mooring offshore structures, the cost associated with providing the wheel can be reduced, thereby reducing the operating cost of the offshore structure mooring system. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a chain tension adjustment device for mooring a marine structure according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram showing the mooring of an offshore structure using a chain tension control device for mooring an offshore structure according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is an exemplary diagram showing the connection part between the chain tension adjustment device for mooring an offshore structure and the offshore structure according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is an example diagram showing the flow control of a fairlead chain in a chain tension control device for mooring a marine structure according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is another example illustrating the flow control of a fairlead chain in a chain tension control device for mooring a marine structure according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is an exemplary diagram showing the arrangement of guide rollers of a chain tension adjustment device for mooring offshore structures according to the present invention. FIG. 7 is an exemplary diagram showing the support of a fairlead chain through a guide roller in a chain tension adjustment device for mooring a marine structure according to the present invention. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a guide roller in a chain tension adjustment device for mooring a marine structure according to the present invention. FIG. 9 is an exemplary diagram showing the separation of a wheel in a chain tension adjustment device for mooring a marine structure according to the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0026] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0028] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the chain tension adjustment device (A) for mooring a marine structure according to the present invention comprises a body (100); an arm (200); and a guide roller (300).

[0029] The body (100) of the present invention is installed on an offshore structure (10) and supports a portion of a fairlead chain (21) forming a mooring line (20) through a wheel (110) that rotates forward and reverse about a rotation axis (111).

[0030] At this time, the body (100) may include slot holes (121) formed in each of the two side plates (120).

[0031] Accordingly, as one end and the other end of the rotation axis (111) of the wheel (110) are inserted into the slot hole (121), the body (100) and the wheel (110) can be joined.

[0032] Additionally, the body (100) may include an operating piece (122) that is rotatably disposed at the entrance of each slot hole (121) and opens or closes the entrance of the slot hole (121) according to the direction of rotation; and a driving means (123) that pushes or pulls one end of the operating piece (122) to rotate it in one direction.

[0033] Accordingly, as the entrance of the slot hole (121) is opened by the one-way rotation of the operating piece (122) driven by the driving means (123), the rotation axis (111) of the wheel (110) can be inserted into the slot hole (121), and as the entrance of the slot hole (121) is closed by the other-way rotation of the operating piece (122) driven by the driving means (123), the rotation axis (111) of the wheel (110) can be prevented from coming out of the slot hole (121).

[0034] Here, the driving means (123) may be of any ordinary structure and method as long as it enables rotation of the operating piece (122), and an example thereof may be a cylinder (not shown in the drawing) in which a rod (not shown in the drawing) moves in and out by hydraulic or pneumatic pressure.

[0035] Meanwhile, the body (100) is hinge-connected to a support shaft (12a) that is vertically connected to a support member (12) placed on one of the bollards (11) of the marine structure (10), and rotates forward and reverse within a certain angle range around the support shaft (12a) to correspond to the left-right movement of the fairlead chain (21), that is, to move in the left-right direction together with the fairlead chain (21), so that the support of the fairlead chain (21) by the body (100) can be stably achieved.

[0036] The arm (200) of the present invention is connected diagonally to the body (100) to support another part of the fairlead chain (21) extending from the body (100).

[0037] At this time, the arm (200) includes a pair of blocking members (210) spaced apart front and back at one point and another point between one end and another end, so that the movement of the blocking members (210) can be interrupted as the movement of the blocking members (210) is achieved.

[0038] That is, as one of the blocking members (210) moves upward and contact with the fairlead chain (21) is released, the fairlead chain (21) can move in the direction where the blocking member (210) is located, and as one of the blocking members (210) moves downward and contacts the fairlead chain (21), the movement of the fairlead chain (21) in the direction where the blocking member (210) is located is blocked.

[0039] And the arm (200) includes a pair of cylinders (220) connected to each of the blocking members (210) and the other, wherein the rod (221) moves in and out by hydraulic or pneumatic action; thereby the movement of the blocking member (210) can be achieved by the rod moving in and out of the cylinders.

[0040] The guide roller (300) of the present invention is positioned between the two side plates (230) of the arm (200) and supports the lower end of the fairlead chain (21) passing through the arm (200).

[0041] At this time, the guide rollers (300) may be provided in multiple numbers and arranged at a constant distance between one end and the other end of the arm (200).

[0042] Accordingly, by supporting the fairlead chain (21) passing through the arm (200) by each of the multiple guide rollers (300), not only is sagging of the fairlead chain (21) between one end of the arm (200) and the other end prevented, but twisting of the fairlead chain (21) caused by sagging of the fairlead chain (21) can also be prevented, thereby allowing the movement of the fairlead chain (21) to be smooth.

[0043] Additionally, the guide roller (300) may include a protective layer (310) covering the outer surface.

[0044] Therefore, damage to the guide roller (300) can be prevented by the protective layer (310), and damage to the fairlead chain (21) in contact with it can also be prevented.

[0045] Here, the protective layer (310) is made of rubber, so that external impacts can be mitigated due to the properties of the material, thereby preventing damage to the guide roller (300) and the fairlead chain (21).

[0047] The mooring of a marine structure (10) using a chain tension adjustment device (A) for mooring a marine structure according to the present invention is described in detail as follows.

[0048] The body (100) of the present invention is installed in a marine structure (10).

[0049] At this time, the body (100) is hinge-connected to a support shaft (12a) that is vertically connected to a support member (12) placed on one of the bollards (11) of the marine structure (10) as shown in FIG. 3. Since it can rotate forward and reverse within a certain angle range around the support shaft (12a), it can correspond to the left and right movement of the fairlead chain (21), that is, it can move in the left and right directions together with the fairlead chain (21), so that the support of the fairlead chain (21) by the body (100) can be stably achieved.

[0050] And the body (100) includes a wheel (110) that rotates forward and reverse about a rotation axis (111). By attaching a fairlead chain (21) forming a mooring line (20) to the wheel (110), the forward and reverse movement of the fairlead chain (21) can be achieved by the forward and reverse rotation of the wheel (110). By pulling one end of the fairlead chain (21) exposed to the water surface, the tension of the fairlead chain (21) can be adjusted, more specifically, the tension can be increased, thereby enabling stable mooring of the marine structure (10).

[0051] Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the mooring lines (20) are provided in multiple numbers and connected to multiple points of the marine structure (10), for example, in three directions, so that the mooring of the marine structure (10) can be stably achieved through the support of each mooring line (20).

[0052] However, if the fairlead chain (21) unintentionally detaches from the body (100), mooring of the marine structure (10) may become impossible.

[0053] However, in the present invention, the fairlead chain (21) is connected to the wheel (110) via an arm (200) connected to the body (100), and in particular, the arm (200) includes a pair of blocking members (210) that are spaced apart front and back at one point and another point between one end and the other end, so that the bidirectional movement of the fairlead chain (21) can be interrupted as shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5 depending on the movement of the blocking members (210).

[0054] For example, when one of the blocking members (210) located relatively closer to the body (100) moves upward, the contact between the blocking member (210) and the fairlead chain (21) is released, so that the fairlead chain (21) can move only toward the body (100), and when the other blocking member (210) located relatively farther from the body (100) moves upward, the contact between the blocking member (210) and the fairlead chain (21) is released, so that the fairlead chain (21) can move only toward the opposite direction of the body (100).

[0055] Therefore, in addition to cases where tension adjustment of the fairlead chain (21) is required, the blocking member (210) located relatively further away from the body (100) is moved downward to come into contact with the fairlead chain (21), thereby preventing unintended detachment of the fairlead chain (21) from the body (100), so that the mooring of the marine structure (10) can be stably achieved.

[0056] At this time, the movement of the blocking member (210) can be achieved by the cylinder (220).

[0057] That is, the arm (200) of the present invention may include a pair of cylinders (220) connected to each of the blocking members (210) and the other, wherein the rod (221) moves in and out by hydraulic or pneumatic action; and since the blocking member (210) can move in and out as the rod (221) of the cylinder (220) moves in and out, the inconvenience associated with the movement of the blocking member (210) can be reduced.

[0058] Meanwhile, the chain tension adjustment device (A) for mooring a marine structure according to the present invention can prevent sagging and twisting of the fairlead chain (21) when the fairlead chain (21) moves in the arm (200).

[0059] That is, the present invention includes a guide roller (300) that is positioned between the two side plates (120) of the arm (200) as shown in FIG. 6 and supports the lower end of the fairlead chain (21) passing through the arm (200). Since the lower end of the fairlead chain (21) is supported by the guide roller (300), not only can the sagging of the fairlead chain (21) be prevented, but twisting caused by the sagging of the fairlead chain (21) can also be prevented, so the progression of the fairlead chain (21) within the arm (200) can be carried out stably.

[0060] At this time, the guide rollers (300) may be provided in multiple numbers and arranged at a constant distance between one end of the arm (200) and the other end, and as shown in FIG. 7, the Fairlead chain (21) passing through the arm (200) is supported by each of the multiple guide rollers (300), thereby preventing sagging and twisting of the Fairlead chain (21) more smoothly.

[0061] Additionally, the guide roller (300) may include a protective layer (310) covering the outer surface as shown in FIG. 8, so that damage to the guide roller (300) can be prevented by the protective layer (310), and damage to the fairlead chain (21) in contact with it can also be prevented.

[0062] Here, the protective layer (310) may be made of rubber, and since the external impact can be mitigated due to the characteristics of the material, damage to the guide roller (300) and the chain can be prevented.

[0063] In addition, the chain tension adjustment device (A) for mooring a marine structure according to the present invention can have the wheel (110) separated from the body (100).

[0064] That is, the body (100) of the present invention may include slot holes (121) formed in each of the two side plates (120), and one end and the other end of the rotation axis (111) of the wheel (110) may be inserted into each of the slot holes (121). As shown in FIG. 9, the wheel (110) can be withdrawn when the slot holes (121) are open, thereby allowing the wheel (110) to be separated, which makes maintenance of the wheel (110) easy. In particular, the separated wheel (110) can be selectively applied to any one of the chain tension adjustment devices (A) for mooring marine structures, thereby reducing the cost associated with providing the wheel (110).

[0065] However, if the rotation axis (111) of the wheel (110) unintentionally deviates from the slit hole, the movement of the fairlead chain (21) by the rotation of the wheel (110) may be impossible.

[0066] However, the body (100) of the present invention may include an operating piece (122) that is rotatably disposed at the entrance of each slot hole (121) and opens and closes the entrance of the slot hole (121) according to the direction of rotation; and a driving means (123) that pushes or pulls one end of the operating piece (122) to rotate it in one direction. Since the entrance of the slot hole (121) can be closed by the rotation of the operating piece (122) in one direction by the driving means (123), the rotation axis (111) of the wheel (110) can be prevented from unintentionally deviating from the slot hole (121).

[0068] The present invention as described above is not limited to the embodiments described above and may be modified within the scope that does not deviate from the essence of the invention claimed in the claims, and such modifications fall within the scope of protection of the present invention as defined by the claims below. Explanation of the symbols

[0069] 10 : Offshore structures 11 : Bollards 12: Support member 12a: Support shaft 20 : Mooring line 21 : Fairlead chain 100 : Body 110 : Wheel 111 : Rotation axis 120 : Side plate 121: Slot hole 122: Operating part 123 : Driving means 200 : Arm 210 : Blocking member 220 : Cylinder 221 : Load 230 : Side panel 300: Guide roller 310: Protective layer A: Chain tension adjuster

Claims

Claim 1 A body installed on an offshore structure and supporting a portion of a fairlead chain forming a mooring line through a wheel that rotates forward and reverse about a rotation axis; an arm connected diagonally to the body and supporting another portion of the fairlead chain extending from the body, wherein a pair of blocking members are arranged at a front-to-back interval at one point and another point between one end and the other end; and a guide roller disposed between the two side plates of the arm and supporting the lower end of the fairlead chain passing through the arm; wherein the bidirectional movement of the fairlead chain is interrupted as contact with or release from contact with the fairlead chain is achieved depending on the movement of the blocking members, and sagging of the fairlead chain between the inlet and outlet of the body is prevented by the support of the guide roller; wherein the body comprises a slot hole formed in each of the two side plates; and an operating piece rotatably disposed at the entrance of each slot hole and opening and closing the entrance of the slot hole according to the direction of rotation. A chain tension adjustment device for mooring offshore structures, comprising: a driving means for pushing or rotating one end of the operating piece in one direction; wherein the wheel is characterized in that one end of the rotation axis and the other end are inserted into each of the slot holes. Claim 2 A chain tension adjustment device for mooring an offshore structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the body is hinge-connected to a support shaft arranged to be vertically connected to a support member disposed on any one bollard of the offshore structure, and rotates around the support shaft. Claim 3 A chain tension adjustment device for mooring an offshore structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the arm is hinge-connected to the body and rotates in forward and reverse directions within a certain angular range around an axis extending in the horizontal direction. Claim 4 A chain tension adjustment device for mooring an offshore structure according to claim 1, wherein the arm comprises a pair of cylinders connected to each of the pair of blocking members and the other, wherein the rod is moved in and out by hydraulic or pneumatic action. Claim 5 A chain tension adjustment device for mooring an offshore structure, characterized in that, in claim 1, the guide rollers are provided in plurality and arranged at a constant interval between one end of the arm and the other end. Claim 6 A chain tension adjustment device for mooring offshore structures, characterized in that, in claim 1, the guide roller includes a protective layer covering the outer surface. Claim 7 delete

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