Post-Tensioned Concrete Suction Anchor for Deepwater Load Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing anchoring systems for offshore installations, such as those used in oil and gas and renewable energy floating systems, face inefficiencies in load resistance, high installation costs, and material limitations, particularly with concrete suction anchors that are expensive to manufacture and require heavy-lift equipment for transportation and installation.
Innovation Solution
A concrete suction anchor with post-tensioning tendons and optional buoyancy chambers, designed for parallel or orthogonal orientation, that allows for easy wet towing and reduced installation costs through hybrid towable-suction-anchor technology, combining the advantages of gravity-based and suction anchors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If a concrete anchor is dropped into a lake or ocean to secure a floating structure, then the anchor can be positioned at great depths, but the strong impact forces from dropping can damage the anchor or surrounding environment
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor transitions from a static dropped object to a dynamic system with a retrieval mechanism. The winch and cable system allows the anchor to be deployed and retrieved dynamically, controlling the deployment speed and preventing impact damage while reaching great depths.
Solution Approach 2:
A cable or chain acts as an intermediary between the anchor and the floating structure. This intermediary transmits the securing force while allowing controlled deployment and retrieval, preventing direct impact damage to the anchor while enabling deep water operation.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional concrete anchors are used, then they provide simple design and low cost, but they create significant environmental damage and do not meet modern environmental standards
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor changes its physical parameters by incorporating an expandable mechanism. When deployed, the anchor expands from a compact transport state to a larger secured state, improving holding power while reducing environmental damage through controlled placement and retrieval.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor combines concrete with expandable structural elements, creating a composite system that maintains the simplicity and low cost of concrete construction while adding environmental benefits through controlled deployment and retrieval capabilities.
3Productivity
If anchors are designed to be retrieved and reused, then cost efficiency improves through multiple uses, but the retrieval process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor system serves multiple functions: it can be deployed and retrieved multiple times, adapting to different water depths and anchor types. The winch system handles both deployment and retrieval, making the system universally applicable to various anchoring scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor is prepared in a compact, pre-assembled state for efficient transport and deployment. The expandable mechanism is pre-configured so that deployment simply requires releasing the constraint, allowing quick transition from transport to operational state without complex assembly during deployment.
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
The solution provides a cost-effective and efficient anchoring system that can withstand both vertical and lateral loads, reducing material and installation costs while enabling installation with less expensive vessels, and is suitable for various environmental settings.
Implementation Method 1
The suction cup is pressed against the lake or ocean bottom and engaged by the arm
Data Source
Figure 1(a)~1(e)
Figure 2~3
Figure 4(a)~4(f)
AI summary
Concrete suction anchor including a cylindrical structure (100) that has a lateral cylindrical wall and a longitudinal axis, wherein the cylindrical structure (100) is open at a bottom end and closed at a top end, wherein the cylindrical structure (100) defines a main cavity (115; 175; 730) open at the bottom end, wherein said lateral cylindrical wall of the cylindrical structure (100) includes a plurality of internal channels housing at least one pair of sets of post-tensioning tendons (125, 130), wherein a first set of post-tensioning tendons (125) is inclined with respect to said longitudinal axis by a first angle opposite to a second angle according to which a second set of post-tensioning tendons (130) is inclined with respect to said longitudinal axis, wherein each of said first and second angles has an absolute value larger than 0° and lower than 90°.