Flexible Bionic Scouring Protection Structure for Cylindrical Foundations
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing scouring protection technologies for cylindrical foundations in offshore wind power suffer from poor accuracy, high construction costs, structural damage, and secondary scouring issues, particularly with hard protection measures like ripraps and bionic structures with complex fixing mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A flexible bionic scouring protection structure using bionic grass bundles, fiber mesh layers, and seabed connecting structures made of durable fiber materials, with customizable arrangements based on wave analysis, to minimize structural impact and enhance durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hard protection measures (ripraps, geotextile bags, concrete blocks) are used for scouring protection, then protection coverage is achieved, but throwing and filling accuracy is poor causing structural damage to the thin-walled cylindrical foundation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible fiber mesh layers and bionic grass bundles instead of rigid hard protection materials. The fiber mesh layer acts as a flexible shell that conforms to the cylindrical foundation surface, while the bionic grass bundles provide protection through their flexible, organic structure, eliminating the damage caused by rigid materials like concrete blocks and ripraps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs geotextile bags and flexible fiber materials that can be easily deployed and replaced if needed, rather than permanent hard structures. These materials provide sufficient protection for the service period and can be installed more precisely, reducing damage to the foundation.
2Reliability
If hard protection measures are applied around the cylindrical foundation, then scouring protection is provided, but construction time and material cost increase due to large protection range required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies protection measures locally at critical scouring zones rather than uniformly around the entire foundation. The bionic grass bundles and fiber mesh are concentrated where wave and current forces are strongest, reducing the total material quantity and installation time while maintaining effective protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection system is divided into modular bionic grass bundles that can be independently installed. This segmentation allows for more efficient deployment compared to installing large quantities of individual hard materials like concrete blocks, reducing construction time.
3Reliability
If hard protection measures are used, then scouring protection is achieved, but secondary scouring occurs around the protection leading to repeated construction and higher maintenance cost
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible fiber mesh layer and bionic grass bundles adapt to changing hydrodynamic conditions and seabed movements without creating rigid edges that cause secondary scouring. This flexibility prevents the formation of new scour holes around the protection structure, eliminating the need for repeated construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of flexible materials being easily moved by waves into a benefit where the materials naturally adjust to protect against scouring. The organic, flexible structure mimics natural vegetation that stabilizes seabeds, preventing secondary scouring rather than causing it like rigid structures.
4Reliability
If bionic scouring protection technology fixed by grid concrete or rivets is used, then protection structure is achieved, but the structure is complicated with inconvenient construction and higher construction cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex grid concrete and rivet fixing systems from the bionic protection structure. Instead, the bionic grass bundles are directly anchored to the seabed using simpler methods, extracting the unnecessary complexity while retaining the protective function.
Solution Approach 2:
The fiber mesh layer and bionic grass bundles are designed to self-anchor or be easily secured to the seabed without requiring complex external fixing structures. The system serves itself through its own structural properties rather than needing additional complicated fixation mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an intelligent bionic scouring protection structure for a cylindrical foundation and an application method thereof, wherein the protection structure is formed by connecting bionic units; an uppermost layer of the bionic unit is a bionic grass bundle, a bottom end of the bionic grass bundle is sleeved inside a bundle tube, the bundle tube is fixedly connected with a fiber mesh layer through a binding wire, connecting rings are fixed at both ends of the fiber mesh layer through the binding wire, two adjacent fiber mesh layers are connected through the connecting ring; and a bottom portion of the bionic unit is provided with a seabed connecting structure for fixing the whole protection structure. The above protection structure with an upper layer, a middle layer and a lower layer is adopted to replace traditional hard scouring protection such as ripraps and sand bags.