NL2035525B1

NL2035525B1 - Pile upending device and method

Info

Publication number: NL2035525B1
Application number: NL2035525A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Willem August Vehmeijer Terence; Van Der Meij Olaf
Original assignee: Itrec Bv
Priority date: 2023-08-02
Filing date: 2023-08-02
Publication date: 2025-02-18

Abstract

A B S T R A C T A device for use in upending of a pile, e.g. a monopile, comprises a support assembly to be mounted on a deck of a vessel and a pivotal structure configured for supporting the pile. The 5 device enables the pivoting of the pivotal structure together with the pile from a horizontal loading position into a vertical position. The pivotal structure comprises a cradle and a pile end support structure with left and right connector beams hinged at an upper end thereof to the cradle and a pile support beam hinged at both ends to the lower ends of the connector beams. The connector hinge axes and the support hinge axes are horizontal when the 10 pivotal structure together with the pile are in the vertical position.

Description

P36317NLO1

PILE UPENDING DEVICE AND METHOD

The process of installation of an offshore pile generally involves transportation of the pile in horizontal orientation to the offshore installation location, followed by upending of the pile into a vertical orientation, and subsequent lowering of the vertically oriented pile to the sea bottom for installation into the seabed, e.g. using a pile driving device. For example, the pile is a monopile which serves as foundation for an offshore wind turbine.

To accomplish the installation of the pile, it is known to use a vessel having a crane for handling the pile, as well as a dedicated upending device and a dedicated pile holder device which is distinct from the dedicated upending device. Herein the upending device only is used in the process of upending of the pile, wherein the upper end of the pile is lifted by the crane of the vessel. Herein, the pile holder device, which is also known as pile gripper in the art, only serves for guiding of the upended pile as it is lowered vertically towards the seabed and subsequently driven into the seabed. These devices can be arranged on the vessel at separate locations, e.g. side-by-side. Herein it is known to use the crane and the dedicated upending device to upend the pile and to use the crane to subsequently transfer the upended pile to the dedicated pile holder device of the vessel which is then used for guiding the pile vertically towards and into the seabed. In another known arrangement, the upending device is placed in close proximity to the dedicated pile holder device, so that the upended pile can be engaged by the pile holder device without the need for a transfer by means of the crane.

Itis also known to accomplish the installation of the pile using a vessel equipped with an integrated upending and holding device. Herein the pile is upended using the crane and the integrated device and then vertically lowered to the seabed while being guided by the integrated device. In this known approach also no transfer of the upended pile to a remotely arranged dedicated pile holder device is needed.

In known embodiments, the dedicated upending device as well the integrated upending and holding device generally comprises a support assembly which is configured to be mounted, or is mounted, on a deck of a vessel, and a pivotal structure. The pivotal structure has a cradle which is hinged to the support assembly about a horizontal hinge axis. The pivotal structure is configured for supporting the pile with a central longitudinal pile axis thereof on a vertical centre plane of the pivotal structure. The device enables the pivoting of the pivotal structure together with the pile around the horizontal hinge axis from a horizontal loading position into a vertical position through lifting the upper end of the pile by means of the crane of the vessel.

The pivotal structure furthermore comprises a pile end support structure. This structure includes two connector beams connected at their upper ends to the cradle, which connector beams each extend from the cradle towards a lower end thereof. The lower ends are connected to a transverse pile support beam, which serves for supporting the pile at its foot end in non-horizontal orientations of the pile. In prior art devices, the connector beams of the pile end support structure are rigidly connected to the cradle and the pile support beam is rigidly connected to the two connector beams.

As the size and weight of monopiles is enormous, handling of the monopile on-board the vessel is a delicate task, e.g. in view of the need to avoid damage to the monopile and/or equipment involved in the process. Typical dimensions of monopiles are a diameter of 8 - 11 meters at the foot end. Diameters of up to 15 meters are envisaged in the future. The length of the monopile now is often in the range from 55 - 95m, with 130m or even more envisaged for the future. Examples of presently available monopiles have foot end diameters and lengths of: 8x55m, 10.4x85m, 10x92m, and 11x95m. The weight of a monopile may exceed 1000 tonnes, e.g. more than 2000 tonnes. Weights of 3000 tonnes or even more are projected.

During the upending process, the (mono-)pile may exhibit some sway, e.g. due to vessel motion, e.g. sea-state induced vessel motion, crane motion and/or crane deflection/vibration, and/or environmental forces acting on the pile, e.g. wind or possibly currents/waves when the upended pile sticks into the sea with a part thereof, etc. The sway, even when minor in magnitude, combined with the dimensions and weight of the (mono-)pile may be the cause of interaction forces between the pile and the device, within the device, and/or with the hull of the vessel, etc. As the (mono-)piles become larger and heavier, these forces may lead to damage, e.g. to the pile, e.g. to the bottom end of the pile.

It is an object of the present invention to reduce the risk of, and/or mitigate, any damage during the upending process.

The present invention provides a dedicated upending device according to claim 1.

The present invention also provides an integrated upending and holding device according to claim 2.

The present invention reduces the forces acting on the pile end support structure, as well as interaction forces with the (bottom end of) the (mono-)pile, and thereby the risk of damage, by having left and right connector beams which are hingedly connected to the cradle and by having the pile support beam hingedly connected to the left and right connector beams. This allows the pile foot end structure to sway with respect to the cradle, e.g. between 0.5 and 5 degrees to either side. The pile foot end structure can thus sway together with the pile during the upending and when upending has been completed. This serves to lower or limit any forces between the pile and the pile foot end structure and/or forces within the device, e.g. where the cradle hingedly connects to the support assembly, in particular compared to prior art approaches wherein the connector beams are rigidly connected to the cradle and the support beam is rigidly connected to the connector beams.

In the integrated device, preferably, the left and right connector beams are each also hinged at the upper end thereof to the cradle about a left and a right tilt axis, respectively, which tilt axes are parallel to the horizontal hinge axis. One or more tilt actuators are provided between the cradle and the connector beam(s) and are configured to tilt the pile end support structure about the left and right tilt axes between an operative position for supporting the pile in the non-horizontal orientations of the pivotal structure together with the pile and an inoperative position allowing for lowering of the upended pile to the seabed using the crane.

In an alternative design, the support beam can be released from one of the connector beams so as to be pivoted away, e.g. downwards, to an inoperative position. In yet another alternative design, the support beam is composed to two halve support beam sections, each hinged to a respective connector beam and provided with a releasable coupling to couple the halves in the operative position and to release the halves for movement to an inoperative position. During the lowering phase, the (mono-)pile is guided by the multiple pile engaging devices that are distributed about the circumference of the ring, e.g. each pile engaging device comprising one or more pile guiding rollers that are positionable radially relative to the ring.

In an embodiment, the pile end support structure further comprises a foot support member which is configured to support the bottom end of the pile when the pile is in a non-horizontal orientation during upending of the pile and when the pile has been upended. The foot suppart member is hinged, e.g. to the centre of the pile support beam, around a hinge axis parallel to the centre plane of the pivotal structure, creating a sort of seesaw which supports the bottom end of the pile. In practical embodiments, the hinges axes of the pile end support structure are such that the pile support beam remains horizontal even during sway. If the upended pile would stand on this support beam and then sway would occur, the pile would effectively be supported at only one location on the pile support beam, which would concentrate the forces at one point, e.g. locally overloading the pile. By hingedly connecting the foot support member to, e.g. the centre of, the pile support beam, it allows the bottom end of the pile to be supported at two or more locations at all times, even when sway occurs.

In an embodiment, the pile end support structure has two pile clamps, e.g. placed on the foot support member, e.g. near or at the two outer ends of the foot support member. The pile clamps are configured to clamp the wall of the bottom end of the pile at two locations, e.g. diametrically opposite one another. This serves to ensure that the pile bottom remains in place relative to the pile end support structure.

In an embodiment, the pile clamps are actuated pile clamps, e.g. hydraulically actuated pile clamps, which can be moved from an unactuated position to an actuated position wherein the bottom end of the pile is clamped.

In an embodiment, the left and right connector beams are each connected to an alignment actuator, e.g. a hydraulic cylinder. Due to the left and right connecter beams being hingedly connected to the cradle about the hinge axes, the connecter beams can become out of line with the centre plane of the pivotal structure. However, this makes the loading of a pile into the device difficult. The alignment actuators are configured to keep the pile end support structure in line with the centre plane of the pivotal structure, e.g. only during the loading of a substantially horizontal oriented pile onto the device. The alignment actuators do not prevent the sway motion as discussed, in embodiments the alignment actuators are configured and operated as a damper, more preferably, the alignment actuators are only active prior to and/or during loading of the pile onto the device and rendered inactive during the upending phase.

In a practical embodiment, the cradle is U-shaped and is hinged to the support assembly around the horizontal hinge axis. The legs of the ‘U’ extend away from this hinge axis. The cradle has a base section and left and right side sections extending from the base at respective lateral sides of the cradle. The side sections may extend to beyond the pile axis and into ends remote from the horizontal hinge axis. The ends of the side sections define a receiving opening between them for receiving the pile into the cradle, e.g. when lowered into the cradle while suspended in horizontal orientation from the crane of the vessel or by some other loading approach.

In embodiments of the dedicated upending device, the pile will also laterally exit the cradle via this same receiving opening, once upended has been completed and the crane is used to move the pile to the remotely arranged pile holding device, also called pile gripper.

The device with U-shaped cradle may be configured so that, in the horizontal loading position of the pivotal structure, the receiving opening of the cradle is directed upwards for loading of a pile in horizontal orientation from above into the cradle.

In another embodiment, the (mono-)pile is horizontally moved into the cradle or the ring comprising the cradle. For example, a skid device is present on the vessel horizontally move the (mono-)pile into the cradle or the ring of the device.

In an embodiment, the cradle comprises one or more, e.g. two or four, pile support devices arranged and configured for engaging a laterally central circumferential portion of the supported pile by contact surfaces thereof, against which pile support devices the pile rests when loaded, and during upending. In an example, the inward surfaces of these devices are curved. The one or more pile support devices may be provided in addition to the one or more pile engaging devices on the ring of the integrated device, e.g. the pile engaging devices having controllable actuators, e.g. hydraulic actuators, to allow for a controlled squeeze force to be exerted on the pile and/or controlled positioning of the pile.

In an embodiment, the pile support devices are multiple pile support devices on different lateral sides of the centre plane, pivotable mounted to the remainder of the base about pivot axes parallel to the pile axis in the support position, for enabling making contact surfaces thereof tangential to circumferences of supported piles having different diameters, and thus different curvatures, by pivoting the pile support devices around their pivot axes, wherein the pile support devices are controllably pivotable around their pivot axes by means of respective pile support device actuators, e.g. operative between the pile support devices and the base section. In an example, the base section comprises four pile support devices, arranged in a square.

In an embodiment, the device further comprises at least one hinge actuator, operative between the support assembly and the pivotal structure and configured for controlled pivoting of the pivotal structure relative to the support assembly around the horizontal hinge axis. It is envisaged that the at least one hinge actuator is capable of pivoting of the pivotal structure only — thus having a stroke that is adapted to the weight of the pivotal structure, not of the pile in addition. Upending is done by the lifting action by the crane.

In an embodiment, as is known in the art, the support assembly of the integrated device comprises one or more horizontal hull mounted rails mounted on the hull of the vessel, e.g. on a deck thereof, e.g. X - rails extending horizontally and in a longitudinal direction of the hull of the vessel. A subframe is movable over said one or more hull mounted rails. One or more subframe mounted rails are mounted on the subframe and perpendicular to the hull mounted rails, e.g. one or more Y-rails extending horizontally and in transverse direction of the hull of the vessel. A support frame is movable over the subframe mounted rails.

Controllable motion actuators of the support assembly are configured to move the subframe over the hull mounted rails and to move the support frame over the subframe mounted rails.

In embodiments, the device is provided with one or more load sensors that sense one or more of loads exerted on the device by the (mono-)pile. For example, one or more load sensors are configured to sense whether the pile bottom is in contact with the pile foot support during loading, e.g. avoiding that there is a gap here which could result in the pile sliding during the upending process into the contact with this pile foot support. For example, strain gauges are provided at one or more locations of the device.

In embodiments, one or more sensors are provided which measure actual sway motion of the pile end support structure, e.g. allowing for monitoring of sway during the upending, e.g. the measurement(s) being used in view of control of the crane. For example, one or more angle measurement sensors are provided to measure sway.

In an embodiment, provision is made for an alarm routine, e.g. when sensed actual sway exceeds a predetermined threshold.

The invention also relates to a vessel provided with a device as discussed herein.

The invention also relates to a method for installation of a pile, e.g. a monopile, into the seabed, wherein use is made of the device as discussed herein.

The invention also relates to a method for upending a pile, e.g. a monopile, to be installed into the seabed, wherein use is made of the dedicated upending device according to at least the claim 1 on a vessel having a crane, which comprises the following steps: 1) loading the pile, with the pivotal structure in the horizontal loading position, 2) upending the pile by lifting the upper end thereof by means of the crane,

3) with the pivotal structure and the pile in the vertical position, removing the upended pile from the pivotal structure by means of the crane, followed by moving the suspended pile into a pile holding device of the vessel.

The invention also relates to a method for installation of a pile, e.g. a monopile, into the seabed, wherein use is made of the integrated upending and holding device according to at least the claim 2 on a vessel having a crane, which comprises the following steps: 1) loading the pile, with the pivotal structure in the horizontal loading position and the pile end support structure in operative position thereof, 2) upending the pile by lifting the upper end thereof by means of the crane, 3) with the pivotal structure and the pile in the vertical position, tilting the pile end support structure into the inoperative position, 4) lowering the pile to the seabed, whilst being vertically guided by the pile engaging devices of the ring of the integrated device.

The invention will hereinafter be described with reference to the appended drawings. In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of the vessel with a dedicate upending device according to the invention mounted thereto, and a pile in a horizontal orientation supported by the upending device,

Figure 2 shows a schematic side view of the vessel with the upending device mounted thereto, and a pile in a vertical orientation supported by the upending device,

Figure 3 shows a schematic isometric of an integrated upending and holding device according to the invention,

Figure 4 shows a schematic view of the pile support beam and the foot support member,

Figures 5a-5c show a schematic front view of the pile being support by the pile end support structure, where the pile foot end structure is shown a neutral and a deflected position.

Figure 1 shows the upending device 100 mounted on the deck 10 of a vessel 1 at an edge thereof via a mounting means 101.

The mounting means 101 may have different forms known in the art, for example a fixed connection, or a connection providing movability in the horizontal plane, for example an X-Y frame, for adjusting the horizontal location of the device on the deck 10. Therefore, the mounting means 101 are illustrated simply by means of a cloud to denote the different possible embodiments.

The upending device 100 is configured for use in upending a pile 200, e.g. a monopile, which is to be lowered to the seabed, e.g. the lowering to the seabed being guided by a pile holder of the vessel. The pile has central longitudinal pile axis 201.

Figure 1 shows the pile 200 in a horizontal orientation loaded into the upending device 100.

The upending device 100 comprises a support assembly 110 and a pivotal structure 120.

The support assembly is mounted on the deck 10 of the vessel 1 via mounting means 101.

The pivotal structure 120 is hinged to the support assembly 110 about a horizontal hinge axis 121. The pivotal structure has a vertical centre plane 122. The pivotal structure 101 is configured to support the pile 200 with a central longitudinal pile axis on the vertical centre plane 122.

The upending device 100 enables the pivoting of the pivotal structure 120 with respect to the support assembly 110 together with the pile 200 around the horizontal hinge axis 121. The upending device 100 is moved from a horizontal loading position with the pile axis 201 in a horizontal orientation, shown in figure 1, into a vertical position with the pile axis 201 in a vertical orientation, shown in figure 2. The upending is done by means of a crane which lifts an upper end of the pile 200.

The pivotal structure comprises of a cradle 130 and a pile end support structure 140.

The pile end support structure 140 has a left connector beam 141 and a right connector beam 142. Both the connector beams extend parallel to and laterally spaced from the centre plane of the pivotal structure 120.

The left and right connector beams 141, 142 are hinged at an upper end thereof to the cradle 130 about respectively a left and right connector hinge axis 143, 144 which are parallel to the centre plane 122 of the pivotal structure 120.

The pile end support structure 140 further has a pile support beam 150 which extends transversely between the lower ends of the left and right connector beams 141, 142. The pile support beam 150 enables the bottom end of the pile 200 to be upwardly supported thereon in non-horizontal orientations of the pile 200.

The pile support beam 150 is hinged at both ends to the lower ends of the left and right connector members 141, 142 about a left support hinge axis 151 and a right support hinge axis 152. The left and right support hinge axis 151, 152 are parallel to the left and right connector hinge axis 141, 142.

The connector hinge axes 143, 144 and the support hinge axes 151, 152 are horizontal when the pivotal structure 120 together with the pile 200 is in the vertical position.

In the shown embodiment, the pile foot support structure 140 further comprises a foot support member 155 which supports the bottom end of the pile 200 in non-horizontal orientations of the pile 200.

The foot support member is hinged to the centre of the pile support beam 150 around a hinge 156, such that the bottom end of the pile 200 is, during the upending of the pile, always supported by the foot support member 150 at two or more location.

Figures 5a-c show a front view of the pile 200 supported by the pile end support structure 140.

Figure 5b shows the pile 200 and the pile end support structure 140 in the neutral position. In the neutral position the pile axis 201 and the vertical centre plane 122 of the pivotal structure 120 line up. The left and right connector beams 141, 142 extend straight vertically down from the cradle 130, and the foot support member 155 is in a horizontal position.

Figure 5a and 5c show the pile 200 and the pile end support structure 140 in a deflected position due to sway of the pile 200. In the deflected position the pile axis 201 is angled, around 5 degrees, with respect to the vertical centre plane 122 of the pivotal structure 120.

The left and right connector beams 141, 142 extend vertically down at an angle equal to the angle of the pile axis 201 with respect to the vertical centre plane 122, due to the connector beams being hinged to the cradle 130 around the connector hinges axis 143, 144.

The pile support beam 150 remains in a horizontal position, due to the pile support beam 150 being hinged to the left and right connector beams 141, 142. The foot support member 155 is tilted with respect to the pile support beam 150. The hinge connection 156 between the pile support beam 150 and the foot support member 155 makes it possible for the foot support member 155 to be tilted with respect to the horizontal pile support beam 150 which allows the foot support member 155 to always support the pile foot end at two locations during upending

As shown in figure 4, the foot support member 155 may have two pile clamps 160 arranged near the two outer ends of the foot support member. The pile clamps are configured to clamp the wall of the bottom end of the pile 200, such that the bottom end of the pile is secured to the foot support member.

The pile clamps 160 are actuated pile clamps, e.g. hydraulically or electrically actuated pile clamps. The pile clamps can be moved from an unactuated position to an actuated position where the clamps secure the bottom end of the pile. As shown in figure 4, the pile clamps comprise a stationary clamp member 161 and an actuated clamp member 162 which can be moved relatively to the stationary clamp member 161.

In an embodiment not shown, the left and right connector beams 141, 142 are each connected to an alignment actuator, e.g. a hydraulic cylinder. The alignment actuators are configured to keep the pile foot end support 140 structure in line with the centre plane 122 of the pivotal structure 120 during the loading of a horizontal oriented pile 200 onto the upending device 100.

As shown in figure 3, the cradle 130 of the pivotal structure 120 is hinged to the support assembly 110 around the horizontal hinge axis 121 and has a stationary part 131 which is U- shaped. The stationary part 131 has a base section 132 and a left side section 133 and a right hand side section 134 which extend from the base section 132 at a respective lateral side of the cradle 130 such that the side section define a receiving opening between them.

The upending device 100 is configured such that in the horizontal position of the pivotal structure 120 the receiving opening of the cradle 130 is directed upwards for loading of a pile 200 in horizontal orientation from above into the cradle download onto the base section 132 and with the foot end of the pile near or at the foot support member 155.

In the shown embodiment, the base section 132 has four pile supporting devices 135 arranged and configured for engaging a circumferential portion of the supported pile 200 by contact surfaces thereof. The pile rest on the pile support devices when loaded into the upending device 100 and during the upending of the pile.

The four pile support devices 135 are arranged on opposed lateral sides of the centre plane of the pivotal structure 120. Each pile support device is mounted to the cradle 130 about a pivot axis parallel to the pile axis 201, which enable making contact surfaces thereof tangential to the circumference of the supported piles 200 having different diameters, and thus different curvatures, by pivoting the pile support devices 135 around their pivot axis. The pile support devices are controllably pivotable around their pivot axis by means of respective pile support device actuator, e.g. operative between the pile support devices and the cradle, e.g. the base section.

In the shown embodiment, the cradle is provided with movable fender pads 180, which are arranged at the side sections 133, 134 of the cradle 130. The fender pads 180 together with the base section 131 form inward surfaces of the cradle which define an internal space inside the cradle 130 for the pile 200. Each fender pad is controllably movable by one or more fender actuators of the cradle into slanted fending positions, in which the fender pad slants towards the base section at sharp angles relative to the centre plane 122.

The upending device has at least one hinge actuator 170, which is operative between the support structure 110 and the pivotal structure 120. The hinge actuator is configured to control the pivoting of the pivotal structure relative to the support structure around the horizontal hinge axis 121.

Figure 3 shows an example of an integrated upending and holding device 300 according to the invention.

The device 300 is configured to be mounted, or mounted, on deck 10 of vessel 1 and for use in upending of a pile 200, e.g. a monopile, in combination with the crane of the vessel. After upending, the pile is lowered by means of the crane to the seabed whilst being guided by the device 300.

The device 300 comprises a support assembly 310 configured to be mounted, or mounted, on a deck of a vessel.

In an embodiment of the device 300, the support assembly 310 is a motion compensating support assembly configured to provide motion compensation in the horizontal plane, e.g. in two orthogonal directions, e.g. in X, Y directions, as is known in the art.

The device 300 comprises a pivotal structure 320 which is hinged to the support assembly 310 about a horizontal hinge axis 121 and is configured for supporting the pile 200 with a central longitudinal pile axis 201 thereof on a vertical centre plane of the pivotal structure, so that the device 300 enables the pivoting of the pivotal structure together with the pile around the horizontal hinge axis from a horizontal loading position into a vertical position through lifting an upper end of the pile by means of a crane of the vessel, the upended pile being lowered to the seabed whilst being guided by the device 300.

The pivotal structure 320 comprises a ring including a cradle 330 hinged to the support assembly 310 about the horizontal hinge axis 121. The ring further comprising one or more movable jaws, e.g. two semi-circular jaws 331, 332, each jaw being movable between a closed position and an opened position.

As known in the art, not shown here, the ring is provided with multiple pile engaging devices that are distributed about the circumference of the ring and are configured to guide the pile during lowering onto the seabed. For example, each pile engaging device comprises one or more pile guiding rollers that are positionable radially relative to the ring.

The pivotal structure 320 further comprises a pile end support structure, which is denoted with the same reference numeral 140 as in the figures discussed above due to the design being similar.

The pile end support structure of the integrated device 300 comprises a left and a right connector beam 141, 142, the connector beams extending parallel to and laterally spaced from the centre plane. The connector beams are each hinged at an upper end thereof to the cradle 330 about respectively a left and a right first connector hinge axis 143, 144 which are parallel to the centre plane of the pivotal structure.

The pile end support structure of the integrated device 300 further comprises a pile support beam 150 which extends transversely between the lower ends of the left and right connector beams 141, 142 so as to enable the bottom end of the pile 200 to be supported in non- horizontal orientations of the pivotal structure 320 together with the pile. The pile support beam is hinged at both ends to the lower ends of the left and right connector beams about a left and a right support hinge axis 151, 152 which are parallel to the left and right connector hinge axis 143, 144.

In the integrated device 300, the first connector hinge axes 143, 144 and the support hinge axes 151, 152 are horizontal when the pivotal structure 320 together with the pile 200 are in the vertical position.

Inthe integrated device 300, the left and right connector beams are each also hinged at the upper end thereof to the cradle 330 about respectively a left and a right tilt axis 335, 336 which are parallel to the horizontal hinge axis 321. Also, not shown, one or more tilt actuators are provided between the cradle 330 and the connector beams. These tilt actuators are configured to tilt the pile end support structure about the left and right tilt axes 335, 336 between an operative position (as shown) for supporting the pile in the non-horizontal orientations of the pivotal structure 320 together with the pile and an inoperative position allowing for lowering of the upended pile to the seabed using the crane. In embodiments, the tilt actuators are configured to lock and thereby prevent this tilting. For example, after upending has been completed, the crane lifts the pile clear from the foot end support 160 so that the pile end support structure of the integrated device 300 can be tilted away from the operative position, e.g. to a horizontal non-operative position, and the crane then is used to controllably lower the pile towards the seabed, the pile then being guided by the ring and the pile engaging devices thereof. For example, the motion compensating support assembly is used to control position and/or inclination of the pile during the lowering, preferably also during the subsequent pile driving phase.

Claims

CONCLUSIONS

1. An upright tilting device (100) adapted to be attached, or secured, to a hull, e.g. deck (10), of a vessel (1) and for use in uprighting a pile (200), e.g. a monopile, in combination with a crane of the vessel, which pile after uprighting is lowered to the seabed while the pile is guided by a separate pile holder device, e.g. the upright tilted pile being removed from the upright tilting device and transferred by the crane to the separate pile holder device, the upright tilting device comprising: - a support assembly (110) adapted to be attached, or secured, to a hull, e.g. deck, of a vessel, - a rotatable structure (120) pivoted to the support assembly about a horizontal pivot axis (121) and adapted to support the pile (200) having a central longitudinal pile axis (201) thereof on a vertical midplane (122) of the pivotal structure, such that the upright tilting device enables the pivotal structure with the pole to be rotated about the horizontal pivot axis from a horizontal loading position to a vertical position by hoisting an upper end of a pole using a crane of the vessel, the pivotal structure comprising: - a cradle (130) pivoted to the support assembly about the horizontal pivot axis (121), - a pole end support structure (140), the pole end support structure comprising a left and right connecting beam (141, 142), the left and right connecting beams extending parallel to and laterally spaced from the center plane (122), the left and right connecting beams both being pivoted at an upper end thereof to the cradle (130) about, respectively, a left and right connecting pivot axis (143, 144) which are parallel to the center plane of the pivotal structure, the pole end support structure further comprising a pole support beam (150) includes extending transversely between the lower ends of the left and right tie beams (141, 142) so that the lower end of the pole (200) can be supported in non-horizontal orientations of the pivotable structure (120), the pole support beam being hinged at both ends thereof to the lower ends of the left and right tie beams about a left and a right support pivot axis (151, 152) that are parallel to the left and right connection pivot axes (143, 144), the connection pivot axes (143, 144) and the support pivot axes (151, 152) being horizontal when the pivotable structure (120) together with the pole (200) are in the vertical position.

2. An integrated upright tilting and holding device (300) adapted to be attached, or secured, to a hull, e.g. deck (10), of a vessel (1) and for use in uprighting a pile (200), e.g. a monopile, in combination with a crane of a vessel, which pile after uprighting is lowered to the seabed while the pile is guided by the integrated upright tilting and holding device (300), the device (300) comprising: - a support assembly (310) adapted to be attached, or secured, to a hull, e.g. deck, of a vessel, - a pivotal structure (320) hinged to the support assembly about a horizontal pivot axis (321) and adapted to support the pile (200) with a central longitudinal pile axis (201) thereof on a vertical centre plane (322) of the pivotal structure, such that the device enables the pivotal structure to be positioned with the pile to rotate the horizontal pivot axis from a horizontal loading position to a vertical position by hoisting an upper end of a pile using a crane of the vessel, the upright tilted pile being lowered to the seabed while the pile is guided by the device (300), the rotatable structure (320) comprising: - a ring including a cradle (330) pivoted to the support assembly about the horizontal pivot axis (321), the ring further comprising one or more movable jaws (331, 332), for example two semi-circular jaws, the ring being provided with a plurality of pile engagement devices distributed around the circumference of the ring and adapted to guide the pile during lowering to the seabed, for example each pile engagement device comprising one or more pile guide rollers radially positionable relative to the ring, - a pile end support structure (140), the pile end support structure comprising a left and right connecting beam (141, 142) includes, the left and right tie beams extending parallel to and laterally spaced from the center plane, the left and right tie beams each being hinged at an upper end thereof to the cradle (330) about, respectively, a left and right tie hinge axis (143, 144) which are parallel to the center plane of the pivotable structure, the pole end support structure further comprising a pole support beam (150) extending transversely between the lower ends of the left and right tie beams (141, 142) so that the lower end of the pole (200) can be supported in non-horizontal orientations of the pivotable structure (320), the pole support beam being hinged at both ends thereof to the lower ends of the left and right tie beams about a left and a right support hinge axis (151, 152) which are parallel to the left and right tie hinge axes (143, 144), wherein the connecting pivot axes (143, 144) and the support pivot axes (151, 152) are horizontal when the pivot structure (320) together with the pile are in the vertical position, and wherein, preferably, the left and right connecting beams are also both pivoted at their upper ends to the cradle (330) about a respective left and right tilt axis (335, 336) which are parallel to the horizontal pivot axis (321), and wherein one or more tilt actuators are provided between the cradle and the connecting beams adapted to tilt the pile end support structure about the left and right tilt axes between an operative position for supporting the pile in the non-horizontal orientations of the pivot structure (320) together with the pile and an inoperative position which allows the upright tilted pile to be lowered to the seabed using the crane.

The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the pole end support structure (140) further comprises a foot support member (155) for supporting the lower end of the pole (200) in non-horizontal orientations of the pole, the foot support member being pivoted to the center of the pole support beam (150) about a pivot axis (156) parallel to the left and right connecting pivot axes (143, 144) such that the lower end of the pole is always supported by the foot support member at two or more locations during upright tilting of the pole.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the footrest member comprises two pole clamps (160), preferably disposed near the two ends of the footrest member (155), said pole clamps being adapted to clamp the wall of the lower end of the pole, so that the lower end of the pole is secured to the footrest member.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the pole clamps (160) are powered pole clamps, for example hydraulically or electrically powered pole clamps, which can be moved from an unpowered position to a powered position where the clamps secure the lower end of the pole.

6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a portion of the cradle is U-shaped as seen in a longitudinal direction of the pole and has a base portion (132) and left and right side portions (133, 134) extending from the base portion on a respective lateral side of the cradle and defining an inlet opening between them, for example the side sections extending beyond the pole axis and to ends far from the horizontal pivot axis (121), the upright tilting device being arranged so that, in the horizontal loading position of the pivotable structure, the inlet opening of the cradle is directed upwards for loading a pole in horizontal orientation from above into the cradle downwards onto the base portion and with the lower end of the pole close to or adjacent to the pole support beam or foot support member.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the base member (132) has one or more, e.g. two or four, pole support devices (135) arranged and adapted to engage a peripheral portion of the supported pole (200) by means of contact surfaces thereof, against which pole support devices the pole rests when loaded, and during upright tilting.

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of pole support devices (155) are disposed on opposite lateral sides of the center plane of the pivotable structure (122), each pivotally attached to the cradle (130) about pivot axes parallel to the pole axis to allow contact surfaces thereof to be tangential to the periphery of supported poles having different diameters, and thus different curvatures, by rotating the pole support devices about their pivot axes, wherein, for example, each of the pole support devices is controllably pivotable about its pivot axis by means of a respective pole support device actuator, for example operative between the pole support device and the cradle, for example the base section.

9. Apparatus according to any one or more of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one hinge actuator (170) operative between the support assembly and the pivotable structure and adapted to controllably pivot the pivotable structure relative to the support assembly about the horizontal pivot axis (121), for example to return the pivotable structure to the horizontal loading position.

10. Vessel equipped with the device according to one or more of the preceding claims and a crane.

11. Method for tilting a pile, for example a monopile, upright to be installed in the seabed, using a vessel equipped with the device according to one or more of claims 1 to 9 and a crane.