Removable Wear Plates for Jack-Up Rig Guide Durability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional guides used in jack-up rigs are not suitable for frequent use in installation vessels like jack-up barges due to wear issues from repeated movement, which is necessary for installing offshore wind turbines, as they are designed for infrequent use in oil exploration.
Innovation Solution
The installation vessel features removable wear plates in guides that can be easily replaced, attached to either fixed or removable claws in the jack-case, providing a larger surface area for sliding engagement with racks, reducing wear and allowing prolonged use with high-frequency leg movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional guides are used in jack-up rigs for oil exploration, then the structure is simple and reliable for infrequent use, but the guides cannot withstand wear from frequent sliding engagement required for offshore wind turbine installation
Solution Approach 1:
The guide is segmented into a fixed portion and a removable wear plate portion. The wear plate can be independently replaced when worn, allowing the guide structure itself to be retained while refreshing the sliding surface. This segmentation enables frequent replacement of the wear-prone component without replacing the entire guide assembly, thus supporting high-frequency leg movement for wind farm installation while maintaining guide durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the material parameter of the sliding surface by using a wear plate with different material properties than the fixed guide portion. The wear plate is specifically selected or treated to have superior wear resistance, allowing it to withstand the frequent sliding engagement against the rack during wind turbine installation operations.
2Reliability
If the entire guide assembly is replaced when wear plates are worn, then reliable guidance is maintained, but downtime increases due to complex replacement procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The guide is divided into a permanent fixed portion and a replaceable wear plate portion. When wear occurs, only the wear plate needs to be replaced rather than the entire guide assembly. This segmentation dramatically reduces maintenance time and complexity, allowing quick replacement of just the worn component while retaining the functional fixed portion of the guide.
Solution Approach 2:
The wear-prone element (wear plate) is extracted as a separate, independently replaceable component from the guide assembly. This extraction allows the wear plate to be removed and replaced without disturbing or replacing the fixed guide structure, minimizing maintenance downtime and simplifying the replacement procedure.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If wear plates are made highly durable to withstand frequent use, then operational life extends, but the initial cost and complexity of the guide system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guide system is segmented into a simple fixed portion and a separate wear plate portion. This segmentation allows the wear plate to be optimized for durability while the fixed portion remains structurally simple. The modular design actually reduces overall complexity compared to making the entire guide assembly highly durable, as only the wear plate requires specialized material or treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The wear plate is designed as a consumable component that can be easily replaced rather than making the entire guide assembly highly durable and expensive. The wear plate itself can be made from cost-effective materials that are replaced periodically, while the main guide structure remains simple and economical. This approach is more cost-effective than designing the entire guide for extended service life.
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
This design extends the operational life of the installation vessel by minimizing downtime for wear plate replacement, maintaining optimal performance despite frequent leg movement during wind farm installations.
Implementation Method 1
Each wear plate is provided with a larger surface area for sliding engagement with the rack, reducing wear
Data Source
AI summary
An installation vessel for installing an offshore structure, the installation vessel comprising a hull and a plurality of legs, each leg comprising vertical chords and cross braces, the hull having a plurality of leg openings each configured for passage of a leg therethrough, each leg opening having a number of jack-cases for supporting pinions thereon, each pinion being configured for rotatably engaging a rack disposed on a chord of the leg to move the leg relative to the hull, each jack-case comprising a number of guides for guiding passage of the leg through the leg opening, each guide comprising a plurality of angled surfaces configured for sliding engagement with a corresponding plurality of surfaces of a rack, each of the plurality of angled surfaces comprising a wear plate.