Suction Foundation Wave-Shaped Skirt Penetration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing suction foundations face challenges in achieving sufficient initial self-weight penetration on hard seabeds, leading to potential deformation or damage of teeth or end shoes, and inability to rotate efficiently for effective penetration.
Innovation Solution
A suction foundation design featuring a hollow caisson with a wave-shaped lower skirt and reinforcing blades that increase rigidity and allow guided rotation, enhancing self-weight penetration and resistance to seabed hardness, while maintaining durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If teeth are added to the lower end of the suction foundation to increase initial self-weight penetration, then penetration capability is improved, but the teeth may be deformed or damaged on hard seabeds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing reinforcing blades only at the lower end of the suction foundation where teeth are located, rather than reinforcing the entire structure. This localized reinforcement strengthens the teeth to resist deformation and damage on hard seabeds while maintaining the overall penetration capability, directly resolving the contradiction between improved penetration and structural integrity.
2Productivity
If the suction foundation is designed to rotate for efficient penetration, then penetration efficiency is improved, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by designing the suction foundation to rotate automatically through its own weight and the interaction of its teeth with the seabed, rather than requiring an external rotation mechanism. The reinforcing blades at the lower end facilitate this self-induced rotation, enabling efficient penetration without adding complex mechanical systems.
3Productivity
If the hollow caisson is made heavier to increase self-weight penetration, then initial penetration is improved, but the suction pump requires more energy to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the additional weight at the lower end of the hollow caisson through reinforcing blades and teeth, rather than uniformly increasing the weight throughout the entire structure. This localized weighting provides the necessary self-weight penetration capability while minimizing the overall mass, thereby reducing the energy required by the suction pump for operation.
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 enhanced design increases initial self-weight penetration, maintains structural integrity on hard seabeds, and facilitates efficient penetration and rotation of the suction foundation, ensuring effective foundation support.
Implementation Method 1
the suction foundation penetrates into a seabed by difference of hydraulic pressures generated between an inside and an outside of the suction foundation by a suction pump
Implementation Method 2
the suction pump allowing the hollow caisson to penetrate into the seabed while discharging the fluid in the hollow caisson to an outside thereof by using the vacuum pressure of the suction pump
Data Source
AI summary
The present relates to a suction foundation in which is penetrated into the seabed by a vacuum pressure of a suction pump, thereby providing a desired foundation support force. The suction foundation includes a hollow caisson having an opening at a lower end thereof, where the suction pump is connected to the hollow caisson and the suction pump allows the hollow caisson to penetrate into the seabed while discharging a fluid in the hollow caisson to an outside thereof by using the vacuum pressure of the suction pump, a lower skirt provided along a circumference of the opening of the hollow caisson and formed into a wave shape having a series of teeth, and having wedge-shaped cross-sections, and a stiffener increasing rigidity of the lower skirt by increasing thickness of a predetermined portion of the lower skirt.