Floating Cushion Self-Lifting Drilling Platform Deepwater Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current self-lifting drilling platforms are limited to water depths of up to 150 meters, and modifying existing platforms to operate deeper is challenging due to increased costs and limited service life of pile legs and pile shoes, necessitating a solution to extend their operational depth and range.
Innovation Solution
A floating type self-lifting drilling platform design featuring a main deck, a large floating cushion with a moon pool, triangular truss structure pile legs, and a mooring system, where the floating cushion provides buoyancy and replaces traditional pile shoes, allowing operation in deeper waters by adjusting the center of gravity and buoyancy, and enabling vertical lifting of the main deck.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of stationary object
If a self-lifting type drilling platform is used, then the cost is lower than semi-submersible type and drilling ship, but the operation water depth is limited to not exceeding 150 meters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental operational parameter from bottom-supported (pile legs fixed to seabed) to floating-supported (platform buoyed by water). This parameter change enables the platform to operate in deeper waters (200-500 meters) while maintaining cost-effectiveness, as the floating structure eliminates the need for extremely long pile legs and complex seabed fixation systems required in traditional self-lifting platforms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the support mechanism: instead of the traditional self-lifting platform where pile legs extend from the seabed upward to support the platform, this design uses floating cushions that support the platform from below in the water column, with pile legs serving only for anchoring and lateral stability rather than primary vertical support.
2Length of stationary object
If the operation water depth is increased beyond 150 meters, then the operational range is extended, but the cost is increased significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the support function into two distinct components: floating cushions that provide buoyancy and vertical support, and pile legs that provide anchoring and lateral stability. This segmentation allows the platform to operate in deeper waters without requiring proportionally longer and more expensive pile legs, as the floating cushions bear the primary load.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating cushion acts as an intermediary element between the platform and the water/seabed system. It transfers the platform's weight to the water for buoyancy support, eliminating the need for direct, extremely long pile leg connections from the seabed to the platform, thus reducing material costs and structural complexity.
3Ease of operation
If traditional pile shoes are used for fixation, then the platform can be positioned on the seabed, but the service life is limited and modification is challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the primary positioning and support function from the pile legs and pile shoes, transferring it to the floating cushions. The pile legs and shoes are reduced to secondary anchoring components, which simplifies their design and extends their service life, as they no longer need to bear the full platform weight and withstand the same level of mechanical stress.
4Length of stationary object
If the platform structure is modified to operate in deeper waters, then the operational depth is extended, but the complexity of modification increases
Solution Approach 1:
The floating cushion serves multiple functions simultaneously: providing buoyancy support, enabling deepwater operation, improving towing stability through lowered center of gravity, and reducing wave forces. This multi-functionality means that adding the floating cushion structure is a relatively simple modification that achieves multiple performance improvements at once, rather than requiring multiple separate complex modifications.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables stable operation in water depths up to 500 meters, reduces wave forces, improves towing stability, and extends the service life of existing platforms by modifying their lower structures, thereby increasing operational range and depth without the need for new platforms.
Implementation Method 1
the floating cushion provides buoyancy and replaces traditional pile shoes, allowing operation in deeper waters
Implementation Method 2
the main deck lifts vertically along the pile legs through the lifting mechanism
Implementation Method 3
a mooring system and a lifting mechanism; wherein the floating cushion is located under the main deck
Data Source
AI summary
A floating type self-lifting drilling platform includes a main deck, a floating cushion, pile legs, a lifting mechanism and a mooring system. The area and thickness of the floating cushionare both greater than those of the main deck, the middle part is provided with a moon pool, and the inner part is partitioned into multiple cabins; there are three pile legs, the pile legs are truss structures, the bottom part of each of the pile legs is rigidly connected with the floating cushion, and the main deck lifts vertically along the pile legs through the lifting mechanism and is fixed at a preset height; each pile leg includes upper and lower hollow sealing bodies; the water line is located in the height range of the upper section during the operation and positioned through the mooring system.