Extendable Seabed Scour Protection for Suction Piles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Suction piles in offshore structures are prone to seabed scouring, which existing technologies have not adequately addressed, especially considering the unique installation and geometry differences compared to pile-driven piles.
Innovation Solution
An extendable or unfoldable seabed scour protection device (SSPD) is mounted on suction piles before installation, which unfolds to cover the seabed around the pile, preventing scouring. The SSPD is designed to be compactly stored and can be unfolded using various mechanisms such as rolling, pivoting, or telescoping arms, ensuring complete coverage without gaps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a seabed covering device is provided for suction piles, then scouring protection is improved, but device complexity increases due to the need for extendable/unfoldable mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The seabed covering device transitions from a static stored configuration to a dynamic deployed configuration. The cover evolves from a compact rolled or folded state during transport to an extended state that covers the seabed around the suction pile, allowing the same structure to adapt to different operational phases and spatial requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The seabed covering device is divided into multiple segments or panels that can be individually deployed or folded. This segmentation allows the cover to be stored in a compact form while still providing complete coverage when extended, and enables easier manipulation during the deployment process from vertical to horizontal orientation.
2Ease of operation
If the SSPD is mounted high on the suction pile for easy installation, then ease of operation improves, but the coverage area on the seabed is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The seabed covering device utilizes a two-dimensional transformation from vertical to horizontal space. By mounting the device high on the suction pile and then deploying it to extend horizontally toward the seabed, the system effectively converts vertical mounting advantage into horizontal coverage advantage, achieving both easy installation and adequate seabed protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The device dynamically changes its spatial orientation and extension during deployment. The cover transitions from a compact vertical configuration during mounting to an extended horizontal configuration during operation, allowing the mounting height to be optimized for ease of installation while the deployed length ensures adequate seabed coverage.
3Reliability
If the SSPD is made large enough to provide complete coverage, then scouring protection is improved, but storage and transport difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The seabed covering device employs a nesting configuration where the cover material is rolled or folded concentrically around a central axis or core structure. This nested arrangement allows the large-area cover to be compacted into a small storage package that can be easily transported and mounted on the suction pile, while still providing complete seabed coverage when deployed.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover is divided into multiple panels or segments that can be folded or rolled together in a compact arrangement during storage and transport. When deployed, these segmented panels unfold or unroll to form the complete coverage area, enabling the device to transition between compact storage and full coverage states.
Data Source
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AI summary
Suction pile provided with an extendable seabed scour protection device comprising a web to screen, when extended, the seabed adjacent the suction pile to avoid scouring. Extending is gravity powered. Extending is started due to longitudinal movement of the suction pile relative to the protection device. The protection device is completely separate from the suction pile. The folded protection device has a shape similar to a cylinder and the unfolded protection device has a shape similar to a disc with central hole, in both states the suction pile fits within the protection device.