DEVICE FOR DAMPING AND SCATTERING HYDROSOUND IN A LIQUID

Abstract

A device for damping hydrosound in liquid having a frequency range emitted from a sound-emitting body in the liquid includes: a plurality of individual gas volumes distributed in the liquid in an area of the sound-emitting body and at a distance from each other, each of the individual gas volumes being operable to reduce the hydrosound through resonant oscillations; and at least one mass body disposed in the liquid, the individual gas volumes being connected to the at least one mass body so as to prevent the individual gas volumes from rising up in the liquid.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A device for reducing propagation of sound waves in liquid, comprising: a plurality of gas volumes suspended in the liquid; and at least one mass body disposed in the liquid, wherein the plurality of gas volumes are tethered to the at least one mass body, and wherein each of the plurality of gas volumes is configured for resonant oscillation in response to sound waves propagating in the liquid through the device.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein at least one of the plurality of gas volumes is tethered to the at least one mass body via a connection with at least one other gas volume of the plurality of gas volumes.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of gas volumes are arranged within a flexible membrane configured to facilitate the resonant oscillation of the gas volumes in response to the sound waves propagating in the liquid through the device.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein each flexible membrane includes a thin-walled elastic material.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein each flexible membrane is configured to be filled with gas after being submerged in the liquid.

7. The device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of gas volumes are suspended in the liquid in a spaced-apart arrangement from one another.

8. The device of claim 2, wherein the device is configured for arrangement near an underwater pile driver such that the plurality of gas volumes surround a driven pile.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of gas volumes surround the driven pile at varying distances from the pile radially, axially, circumferentially relative to the driven pile.

10. The device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of gas volumes each include a volume of gas selected from a range of volumes.

11. The device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of gas volumes are configured for resonant oscillation in response to sound waves having a frequency of between 100 Hz to 1 kHz.

12. The device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of gas volumes are configured for resonant oscillation in response to sound waves having a frequency of between 50 Hz to 600 Hz.

13. The device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of gas volumes are arranged in two or more groups, and wherein each of the two or more groups includes at least two gas volumes of the plurality of gas volumes that are arranged in alignment with a direction of buoyancy.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the gas volumes of each group of the two or more groups are configured to be produced as a single piece from the same material.

15. The device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of gas volumes are configured to move freely in a horizontal direction within the liquid up to a horizontal distance, such that an animal swimming against the device is not harmed or entrapped by the device.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the mass body is configured to rest on a surface delimiting a depth of the liquid, and wherein the mass body is configured to prevent the plurality of gas volumes from moving in the horizontal direction beyond the horizontal distance.

17. The device of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of gas volumes are arranged within an organic material configured to facilitate the resonant oscillation of the gas volumes in response to the sound waves propagating in the liquid through the device.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the organic material includes bubble algae or animal intestines.

19. The device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of gas volumes are tethered to the at least one mass body via elastic tubes, a woven fabric band, a cable, or a net.

20. The device of claim 2, further comprising a protective housing arranged around the plurality of gas volumes, the protective housing including a wire mesh or a dimensionally stable plastic through which the liquid may freely flow.

21. The device of claim 2, further comprising at least one floating body arranged on an upper surface delimiting the liquid and tethered to the at least one mass body.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] The invention permits various embodiments. To elucidate the basic principle of the invention, two embodiments thereof are represented in the drawing and described in the following. In the drawing:

[0049] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a device;

[0050] FIG. 2 shows a cut and enlarged representation of a portion of the device shown in FIG. 1;

[0051] FIG. 3 shows a horizontally cut schematic representation of an offshore construction site with the device according to the invention;

[0052] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a section through an offshore construction site with the device according to the invention, in a first embodiment;

[0053] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a section through an offshore construction site with the device according to the invention, in a second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a device 3 having a carrier element 2. In the embodiment represented here, the carrier element 2 is composed of a multiplicity of tubes made of a plastic film. Each individual tube is divided into a plurality of portions. Individual portions are filled with a gas and constitute pressurized envelope bodies 1 that are at a distance from one another. The individual portions are divided by weld webs 4. The portions differ in size. In the embodiment shown here, portions that are not filled with a gas have a perforation 5.

[0055] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of an offshore construction site, cut horizontally in the plane E-E of FIG. 4, in which a driven pile 6 is driven into the ground. The device 3 has a multiplicity of gas-filled envelope bodies 1, which are at a distance from one another, flexibly connected to one another, and are each surrounded by water 8 on all sides. This enables water 8 to flow through the device 3, in particular in the direction of sound propagation. Thus, water currents and animals can pass the device 3 without exerting large forces upon the device 3. The envelope bodies 1 in this case are arranged at a distance radially, axially and in the circumferential direction from the body 6 emitting the hydrosound.

[0056] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a section through an offshore construction site, in which a driven pile 6 is driven into the ground 7. The device 3 is arranged so as to surround the driven pile 6 in the water 8. The device 3 is composed of a net 9, on which carrier elements 2 are arranged. Envelope bodies 1 that enclose gas are fastened to the carrier elements 2. The envelope bodies 1 in this case are arranged at a distance radially, axially and in the circumferential direction from the body 6 emitting the hydrosound. In order to counter the buoyancy of the gas, the net 9 is fixed to the ground by means of mass bodies 10. Above the surface of the water, the net 9 is fastened to floating bodies 11.

[0057] FIG. 5, like FIG. 4, shows a section through an offshore construction site, in which a driven pile 6 is driven into the ground 7. In contrast to FIG. 3, the device 3 surrounding the driven pile 6 in the water 8 is composed of cages 12. The cages 12 are open, and water 8 flows through them, as in the case of the net 9 in FIG. 4. The envelope bodies 1 enclosing the gas are fastened in the cages 12 by means of the carrier elements 2 clamped in the cages 12. A plurality of cages 12 can be stacked next to and above one another. Likewise, it is possible to realize the cages 12 in such a way that a plurality of cages 12 fit into one another and are drawn apart telescopically at the application site.

[0058] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive. It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made by those of ordinary skill within the scope of the following claims. In particular, the present invention covers further embodiments with any combination of features from different embodiments described above and below.

[0059] The terms used in the claims should be construed to have the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the foregoing description. For example, the use of the article “a” or “the” in introducing an element should not be interpreted as being exclusive of a plurality of elements. Likewise, the recitation of “or” should be interpreted as being inclusive, such that the recitation of “A or B” is not exclusive of “A and B,” unless it is clear from the context or the foregoing description that only one of A and B is intended. Further, the recitation of “at least one of A, B and C” should be interpreted as one or more of a group of elements consisting of A, B and C, and should not be interpreted as requiring at least one of each of the listed elements A, B and C, regardless of whether A, B and C are related as categories or otherwise. Moreover, the recitation of “A, B and/or C” or “at least one of A, B or C” should be interpreted as including any singular entity from the listed elements, e.g., A, any subset from the listed elements, e.g., A and B, or the entire list of elements A, B and C.