Offshore Pile Holder With Tangential Roller Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pile holders for offshore wind turbine installations risk damaging the pile due to rotational forces during installation, particularly from yaw motions and weather-induced movements, which conventional radial mobility fails to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
The pile holder incorporates tangentially movable rollers along with radial mobility, allowing compensation for rotational forces by enabling rollers to move tangentially and radially, supporting the pile with a combination of passive and active mechanisms such as hydraulic cylinders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional radial mobility of rollers is used, then the pile holder can support the pile in an upright position, but the pile is damaged due to rotational forces from yaw motions and weather-induced movements
Solution Approach 1:
The pile holder transitions from a static radial support system to a dynamic system where rollers can move both radially and tangentially. This dynamic capability allows the rollers to follow and accommodate the pile's rotational movements caused by yaw motions and weather conditions, preventing damage while maintaining support.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a tangential dimension to the traditional radial movement capability. By enabling rollers to move in two dimensions (radially towards/away from the pile and tangentially along the circumference), the system can compensate for rotational forces that would otherwise damage the pile or coating.
2Reliability
If the pile holder structure is made complex to accommodate rotational movements, then damage to the pile is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than adding complex active control systems, the invention uses passive dynamic mechanisms where rollers can naturally move radially and tangentially to follow pile movements. This dynamic adaptability achieves damage prevention through the physics of motion rather than complex control algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The rollers are designed to automatically adjust their positions radially and tangentially in response to pile movements without requiring complex external control systems. The system serves itself by using the natural dynamics of the roller-pile interaction to compensate for rotational forces.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
Pile holder (10, 20) and method for installation of a pile adapted to support an offshore wind turbine. The pile holder is configured to support the pile in an upright position and comprises a pile holder structure (22) to be mounted on a vessel (1); and a plurality of pile engaging devices (25) supported by the pile holder structure. The pile engaging devices each comprise a horizontal roller shaft (25a) with an associated roller (35bl, 35b2) for engaging and supporting the pile. The pile holder allows a radial movement of the rollers towards and away from the pile. The roller is tangentially movably supported in the respective pile engaging device along the roller shaft, allowing a tangential sideways displacement of the roller.