Watercraft

Abstract

The invention relates to a watercraft having a hull (10), an introduction installation (20) for an object (70) to be anchored in the water, said introduction installation (20) being disposed on said hull (10), and at least one compressor (30) having at least one compressed-air line (40) which leads into the water and is coupled to at least one compressed-air distribution installation (45) which has a horizontal extent and for generating a bubble curtain (50) below the hull (10) has a multiplicity of mutually spaced apart outflow openings (46), characterized in that the hull (10) has at least two sub-hulls (11, 12) which are disposed so as to be mutually spaced apart and connected to one another, and a void (15) which is at least partially surrounded by the bubble curtain (50) is situated between the sub-hulls (11, 12).

Claims

1. A watercraft, comprising: a hull which comprises at least two sub-hulls which are disposed mutually spaced apart and connected to one another, and the hull at least partially encloses a void which is situated between the sub-hulls; an introduction installation for an object to be anchored in a bed of a body of water, said introduction installation being disposed on said hull; a first compressed-air distribution installation which comprises a multiplicity of mutually spaced apart outflow openings and is configured to be selectively lowered from the hull to the bed by holding elements and to extend, when on the bed, horizontally in a configuration that is circumferential about a location where the object has been or will be anchored, and; a second compressed-air distribution installation that comprises another multiplicity of mutually spaced apart outflow openings and is configured to be selectively lowered from the hull to the bed by other holding elements and to extending when on the bed, horizontally in a configuration about an external circumference of the hull; and at least one compressor which is configured to selectively pump compressed air into the first compressed-air distribution installation and the second compressed-air distribution installation, through at least one compressed-air line which is configured to extend to the first and the second compressed-air distribution installations on the bed, wherein the mutually spaced apart outflow openings of the first compressed-air distribution installation on the bed are configured to generate, when receiving the compressed air from the at least one compressor via the at least one compressed-air line, a first bubble curtain that rises from the mutually spaced apart outflow openings on the bed, vertically upward to an area of the hull which at least partially encloses the void and at least partially surrounds the introduction installation or the object to be anchored in the water, and the mutually spaced apart other outflow openings of the second compressed-air distribution installation on the bed are configured to generate when receiving compressed air from the at least one compressor, via the at least one of another compressed-air line, a second bubble curtain that rises from the mutually spaced apart other outflow openings of the second compressed-air distribution installation on the bed, vertically upward toward a surface of the water about the external circumference of the hull.

2. The watercraft as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first compressed-air distribution installation extends to form a closed circumference.

3. The watercraft as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first compressed-air distribution installation is configured as a tube or hose, and the multiplicity of mutually spaced apart outflow openings extend through a wall of the tube or wall of the hose.

4. The watercraft as claimed in claim 1 wherein the multiplicity of mutually spaced apart outflow openings are configured as mutually spaced apart with identical mutual spacings.

5. The watercraft as claimed in claim 1 further comprising ballast installations disposed on at least the first compressed-air distribution installation.

6. The watercraft as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least two sub-hulls are configured to surround the void, or to partially surround the void in a configuration that provides at least one lateral access to the void.

7. The watercraft as claimed in claim 6 wherein the first compressed-air distribution installation is further configured to generate, in response to the compressed air, the first bubble curtain according to a further configuration that surrounds a circumference of the void, or is a circumferentially closed first bubble curtain that surrounds the void and bridges the at least one lateral access.

8. The watercraft as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one support element selected from the group consisting of a net, a tubular steel construction, plates and/or meshes, wherein the at least one support element is configured to laterally surround the object to be anchored below the hull.

9. The watercraft as claimed in claim 8 wherein the at least one support element comprises a plurality of support elements having dissimilar diameters or mutually corresponding internal and external dimensions, and are disposed in a telescoping manner to be displaceable from one another.

10. The watercraft as claimed in claim 8 further comprising gas-filled flexible damper elements fastened to one or more support elements of the at least one support element.

11. The watercraft as claimed in claim 8 wherein the first compressed-air distribution installation is further configured to generate the first bubble curtain to also surround surrounds the at least one support element and/or be surrounded by the at least one support element.

12. The watercraft as claimed in claim 8 wherein the at least one support element is fastened to a frame.

13. The watercraft as claimed in claim 8 wherein the first compressed-air distribution installation is mounted on or in a frame comprising or composed of a dimensionally stable material.

14. The watercraft as claimed in claim 13 wherein the frame has a U-profile, an H-profile, and/or a T-profile.

15. The watercraft as claimed in claim 13 wherein the frame is configured as foldable or collapsible.

16. The watercraft as claimed in claim 13 wherein the frame comprises interconnected segments that connect at respective connection points, wherein the connection points are configured to permit a mutual relative movement of the interconnected segments.

17. The watercraft as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a drive, coupled to the frame and configured to open and to close the frame.

18. The watercraft as claimed in claim 1 wherein the multiplicity of mutually spaced apart outflow openings of the first compressed-air distribution installation are oriented in dissimilar directions.

19. The watercraft as claimed in claim 1, further comprising another first compressed-air distribution installation, which is disposed in alignment with and at a height above the first of compressed-air distribution installation on the bed.

20. The watercraft as claimed in claim 19 wherein: the multiplicity of mutually spaced apart outflow openings of the first compressed-air distribution installation on the bed have opening sizes that are dissimilar to opening sizes of the multiplicity of mutually spaced apart other outflow openings of the other compressed-air distribution installation.

21. The watercraft as claimed in claim 19 wherein the first compressed-air distribution installation is configured to form an internal pressure, in response to the compressed air that is dissimilar to an internal pressure that the second compressed air distribution system forms in response to the compressed air.

22. A compressed-air distribution installation for fastening to and lowering from a watercraft on a body of water, the watercraft having a hull comprising two sub-hulls which are disposed as mutually spaced apart with a void situated between the two sub-hulls, and the lowering being to a bed of the body of water, said compressed air distribution installation comprising: a first multiplicity of spaced apart compressed air outflow openings that, when the compressed air installation is on the bed of the water of water, are located on the bed at first positions along a first pattern that extends horizontally and circumferentially surrounding the void; a second multiplicity of spaced apart compressed air outflow openings that, when the compressed air installation is on the bed of the water of water, are located on the bed at second positions along a second pattern that extends horizontally and circumferentially surrounding an external circumference of the hull, wherein: the first multiplicity of spaced apart compressed air outflow openings are configured to generate, in response to receiving a compressed air from a compressed air line, a first bubble curtain that rises from the bed below the hull, from the first positions along the first pattern, vertically upward to the hull circumferentially surrounding the void, and the second multiplicity of spaced apart compressed air outflow openings are configured to generate, in response to receiving another compressed air feed from the compressed air line or another compressed air line, a second bubble curtain that rises from the bed below the hull, from the second positions along the second pattern, vertically upward to a surface of the body of water which is circumferentially about the external circumference of the hull.

23. The compressed-air installation as claimed in claim 22 further comprising at least one frame which is configured as selectively buoyant and selectively lowerable.

Description

(1) Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail hereunder by means of the appended figures in which:

(2) FIGS. 1 to 4 show various sequence phases of anchoring a component in a bed of a body of water;

(3) FIG. 5 shows a plan view of a watercraft when preparing an anchoring;

(4) FIG. 6 shows a plan view of a watercraft according to FIG. 3;

(5) FIG. 7 shows plan views of hull variants;

(6) FIG. 8 shows a first design embodiment of an acoustic damping installation during the anchoring;

(7) FIG. 9 shows a combination of hydraulic acoustic damper elements and a bubble curtain;

(8) FIG. 10 shows a lateral view and a plan view of a variant of the acoustic damping installation;

(9) FIG. 11 shows a frontal view of FIG. 10;

(10) FIG. 12 shows a detailed view of the acoustic damping installation according to FIGS. 10 and 11;

(11) FIG. 13 shows a variant of FIG. 11;

(12) FIG. 14 shows a variant having a bubble curtain surrounding the watercraft;

(13) FIG. 15 shows a detailed view of a bubble curtain;

(14) FIG. 16 shows a frontal view of FIG. 14; and

(15) FIG. 17 shows a comprehensive illustration of the acoustic damping installations on a watercraft.

(16) FIGS. 1 to 4 show various phases when installing an object 70, in the exemplary embodiment illustrated a post, to be anchored in water, said object 70 intended to be anchored in a bed of a body of water 3 below a water surface 2. A watercraft 1 in the form of a ship which has a hull 10 on which an introduction installation 20 in the form of a pile hammer is disposed is provided to this end. The introduction installation 20 by way of a cable pull system having a drive is held on a framework or a crane on the hull 10 and is situated in a standby position. The object 70 to be anchored on the bed of the body of water 3 is configured so as to be initially buoyant and at one end is lifted from the water by way of a crane installation. A frame 80 which by way of holding installations 47 is fastened so as to be lowerable on the crane installation, in particular on a cross member, is fastened above the crane installation. The post 70 in FIG. 1 is partially lifted from the water and is almost situated in the upright position from which it is to be winched down onto the bed of the body of water 3. The frame 80 is situated in an initial position above the object 70 and contains installations for damping hydraulic acoustics and optionally for generating a bubble curtain.

(17) FIG. 2 shows the object 70 in an upright position above the location on the bed of the body of water 3 where the post 70 is to be introduced, in particular piled. The frame 80 is situated in a lowered position level with the surface of the body of water 2 and has been lowered on ropes, belts, or chains.

(18) The post 70 in FIG. 3 is situated in the desired position on the bed of the body of water 3, the frame 80 having the holding installations 47, for example ropes, which are fastened to winches on the hull, as well as a tubular support element 60 have been winched down. The tubular support element 60, in particular configured as a net or mesh, extends in a fully circumferential manner about the post 70; the holding installations 47 run so as to be substantially parallel with the longitudinal extent of the post 70.

(19) FIG. 4 shows that the watercraft 1 in a next phase has moved somewhat forward such that the introduction installation 20, for example a hammer, is disposed above the post 70 and is placed on top of the latter. The piling of the post 70 can commence in such a position. The hydraulic acoustics generated by the piling during the piling using the introduction installation 20 is damped by damper elements (not illustrated) which are designed, for example, as gas-filled flexible damper elements and are fastened to the support element 60. The support element 60, conjointly with the damper elements, is accommodated within the frame 80 or the so-called box when the frame 80 is situated on the watercraft and is winched down to the bed of the body of water 3. To this end, the frame by way of holding elements 47 is winched down by the crane installation on the watercraft 2 and optionally separated therefrom, wherein the frame by way of other holding elements 47 is fastened to the hull 10 or remains coupled to the latter.

(20) Moreover, compressors by way of which the compressed air is directed through a compressed-air line to a compressed-air distribution installation are disposed on the hull 10 of the watercraft 1, said compressed-air distribution installation in one variant of the invention likewise being situated on or in the frame 80. A bubble curtain which for avoiding any further minimizing of the noise pollution on account of the object 70 being introduced extends around the object 70 to be anchored is thus generated during the introduction procedure of the post 70, for example by piling or drilling. The bubble curtain within and/or outside the support element can move upward to the water surface 2. The support element 60 is configured such that water can pass through the intermediate spaces in the support element which is in particular configured as a net or mesh. The damper elements can be situated within or outside the tubular support element 60 and also be fastened to the latter on both sides. The hydraulic acoustic damping installation can thus be designed and used with as well as without a bubble curtain.

(21) Upon anchoring of the object 70 in the bed of the body of water 3, the frame 80 conjointly with the damper elements, optionally the compressed-air distribution installation, as well as the support element 60, is pulled to the surface by way of the holding installations 47. This takes place by way of winches or the like which are disposed on the watercraft 1.

(22) FIG. 5 shows a variant of the invention in which the frame 80, as opposed to FIG. 1, is not situated above the lifted post 70 on the crane installation, but is already fixed to the hull 10, corresponding to the terminal position in FIG. 2. It can be seen in FIG. 5 that the hull 10 is composed of two sub-hulls 11, 12 which are connected to one another by way of a cross member 13. A void 15 from which the object 70 can be winched down into the water and introduced into the bed of the body of water 3 and be anchored therein is configured between the two sub-hulls 11, 12. The frame 80 is situated within the void 15 which has at least one front access 16 such that the object 70 to be introduced can protrude forward beyond the hull 10 when said object 70 is to be transported in a floating manner. In principle, it is also possible for the hull 10 to be configured so as to be also closed at the bow such that the void 15 is surrounded by sub-hulls on all sides. Likewise, two cross members 13 disposed above the water line 2 on the sub-hulls 11, 12, conjointly with the sub-hulls can completely surround the void 15 in the plan view, but below the cross members 13 enable a passage which is directed in the longitudinal extent of the hull 10 and has an access 16 at the bow and at the stern. Alternatively, the void 15 is enclosed on all sides up to the water surface 2 by the hull 10 or the sub-hulls. The object 70 or post to be introduced in this instance is either not longer than the void 15 which is situated in the ship and has no floor and permits the object 70 to be lowered, or the object 70 is handled in a different manner and is winched down upright through the void 15 in the direction of the bed of the body of water 3.

(23) It can be seen in FIG. 5 that the frame 80 is composed of a plurality of segments 85 which are mounted in an articulated and/or displaceable manner on one another. The segments 85 in the illustrated phase of the introduction of the object 70 are mutually mounted such that the object 70 can be introduced into the opened frame 80. This takes place by lifting the object 70 at one end, and lowering and pivoting the other end about the upper center of rotation.

(24) The position resulting on account thereof, prior to the object being introduced into the bed of the body of water, is illustrated in FIG. 6. The object 70 to be introduced is situated in an upright position and is placed onto the bed of the body of water 3. The frame 80 is closed and surrounds the post or object 70 in a fully circumferential manner. The frame 80 is subsequently lowered by way of winches or the like onto the bed of the body of water 3, and lowered by way of holding installations 47 as previously described in FIGS. 1 to 4. After the winching-down and the lowering, the object 70 by way of the introduction installation 20 is then anchored in the bed of the body of water 3.

(25) Two variants of the hull shape are illustrated in FIG. 7. The upper illustration shows a conventional hull shape 10 having a central manhole which enables a passage toward the body of water. The hull bottom in the region of the manhole is removed or removable such that the object (not illustrated) can be introduced through the watercraft into the bed of the body of water. The void 15 is situated within the hull 10; the sub-hulls 11, 12 run to the left and the right of the void 15. The lower illustration shows a hull 10 as in FIGS. 5 and 6, but having two cross members or transverse supports 13 which extend above the two sub-hulls 11, 12 running in parallel. The void 15 in the plan view is surrounded by the cross members 13 and the sub-hulls 11, 12.

(26) The watercraft 1 having the two sub-hulls 11, 12 as well as the cross member 13 is schematically illustrated in FIG. 8. The object 70 to be introduced is situated in the upright position; the frame 80 has already been winched down onto the bed of the body of water 3, and the support element 60 in the form of a tubular net having the holding elements 47 reaches from the frame 80 to the surface of the body of water 2 and circumferentially surrounds the object 70. Damping elements 65 (not illustrated) are fastened to the support element 60 which is configured as a net or mesh. The support element 60 represents the first measure for acoustic damping when introducing the object 70 into the bed of the body of water 3. In addition to the support element 60, a bubble curtain within or outside the support element 60 can be provided by way of a compressed-air distribution installation.

(27) A variant of the invention, in which the frame 80 is disposed at a larger spacing about the object 70 to be introduced is shown in FIG. 9. The mesh width of the support element 60 which extends from the frame 80 to the water surface 2 is larger than that of the support element 60 which in FIG. 8 has a circular cross-section and is situated close to the object 70 to be introduced. The damping elements 65 which are fastened to the support element 60 can be seen in FIG. 9. It can likewise be seen in FIG. 9 that a bubble curtain 50 is used in combination with the gas-filled flexible damping elements 65. The bubble curtain 50 is created by compressed air which by way of a compressed-air distribution installation on the frame 80 is configured circumferentially around the support element 60.

(28) FIG. 10 shows the design embodiment according to FIG. 9, in which the frame 80 is lowered onto the bed of the body of water 3, in a lateral view and in a plan view. The right illustration shows a partial sectional illustration of the watercraft 1 having the sub-hull 11 on which compressors 30 are disposed, said compressors 30 by way of compressed-air lines 40 pumping compressed air to the frame 80 situated on the bed of the body of water 3.

(29) The compressed-air lines 40 open into a compressed-air distribution installation 45 which in the exemplary embodiment illustrated is configured so as to fully encircle the frame 80. The compressed-air distribution installation 45 can be fastened in or to the frame 80, and in the case of a fully circumferential disposal distributes the compressed air about the object (not illustrated) to be anchored in the bed of the body of water 3.

(30) It can be seen in the left illustration of FIG. 10 that the support element 60 is disposed within the frame circumference and the compressed-air distribution installation 45 thus configures a closed circumference. On account of the closed circumference it is possible for a closed bubble curtain 50 to be generated within the void 15 between the sub-hulls 11, 12. The bubble curtain 50 thus runs on the internal side of the sub-hulls 12 and bridges the spacing between the two sub-hulls 11, 12.

(31) FIG. 11 shows the variant according to FIG. 10 in a front view, conjointly with an object 70 which is to be introduced but has not yet been lifted and which is situated in a floating manner between the sub-hulls 11, 12. It can be seen in FIG. 11 that the support element 60 frontally does not extend to the water surface, while the support element 60 on the lateral edges which run parallel with the longitudinal extent of the sub-hulls, reaches to the water surface 2. On account of the height of the support element 60 that is lower toward the bow, it is possible for the object 70 to be anchored, when being lifted, to be transported across the upper periphery of the support element 60 without having to lift the entire object completely out of the water. This facilitates the positioning of the object 70 to be anchored. The object 70 is situated in the void 15 between the two sub-hulls 11, 12 and at the side of the bow protrudes forward beyond the latter. Two compressed-air distribution installations 45 can be disposed on dissimilar levels; the compressed-air distribution installation 45 on the upper completion of the transversely running support element portion can simultaneously serve for transverse stabilizing and, by virtue of an additional compressed-airflow which by way of the compressors 30 and the compressed-air lines 40 is directed into the compressed-air distribution installations 45, leads to an increased bubble density. The bubbles 50 exit the compressed-air distribution installation 45 within and outside the support element 60 and rise to the top.

(32) A detailed view of the compressed-air distribution installation according to FIGS. 10 and 11 is shown in FIG. 12. A frame 80 which can be configured, for example, as a U-shaped fully encircling frame, is connected to the winches on the watercraft by way of holding elements 47, for example a steel rope, and by way of said holding elements 47 can be lifted or lowered. A support element 60 which extends upward in the direction of the water surface and on which, or in which, hydraulic acoustic damper elements 65 of dissimilar sizes are disposed is disposed within the frame 80. The damper elements 65 are flexible and gas-filled; said damper elements 65 can be configured as hollow panels or foam panels. The frame 80, the support element 60, the holding elements 47, and the hydraulic acoustic damper elements 65 can be part of the compressed-air distribution installation.

(33) A weight or a ballast installation 90 which is configured as a T-support and by way of the transverse leg is fastened on the frame 30 so as to be oriented toward the base is disposed below the frame 80. Two compressed-air distribution installations 45 are disposed in the intermediate space between the base of the frame 80 and the T-support in the illustrated example, outflow openings 46 being configured in said compressed-air distribution installations 45. The compressed-air distribution installations 45 can be configured as pipes or hoses; the outflow openings 46 in the exemplary embodiment illustrated point in mutually opposite directions such that a bubble curtain 50 is created on both sides of the support element 60, thus on the internal side and on the external side in the case of a closed circumference of the support element. The outflow openings 46 can also be directed downward such that the compressed air is directed in the direction toward the bed of the body of water 3, so as to generate an ideally continuous bubble curtain 50 from the bed of the body of water 3 up to the surface of the body of water 2.

(34) A variant of the invention in which a total of three compressed-air distribution installations 45 are disposed at three different heights is shown in FIG. 13. The frontal view in which the compressed-air distribution installations 45 run in each case transversely to the longitudinal extent of the sub-hulls 11, 12 is shown in the exemplary embodiment illustrated. The compressors 30 pump in each case compressed air through the compressed-air lines 40 to the compressed-air distribution installations 45 which, apart from a pure transverse extent, also extend in a fully circumferential manner around the object 70 to be introduced (not illustrated), or around the frame 80, or the support element 60 of closed configuration.

(35) A third variant of the invention in which a compressed-air distribution installation 45 is disposed externally around the circumference of the watercraft 1 is shown in FIG. 14. Here too, compressed-air lines 40 from compressors 30 lead to the compressed-air distribution installation 45 in which outflow openings 46 (not illustrated) are disposed in dissimilar directions or else in identical directions at dissimilar or identical mutual spacings, so as to generate a bubble curtain 50. The bubble curtain 50 extends around the entire watercraft 1, thus about the two sub-hulls 11 and the void 15 formed between the sub-hulls 11, 12, while including the void 15. In so far as no frame is disposed on the compressed-air distribution installation 45, said frame being lowerable by way of holding installations 47, separate ballast elements or ballast installations 90 for holding the compressed-air distribution installation 45 on the bed of the body of water 3 can also be disposed on the compressed-air distribution installation 45.

(36) FIG. 15 shows a variant of the invention according to FIG. 14, in which the compressed-air distribution installations 45 are disposed in an H-support, in a detailed view. The compressed-air distribution installations 45 can be configured as pipes or hoses; the frame 80 by way of the holding elements 47 is configured in the form of lowerable or liftable chains or ropes. The frame 80 can be configured in an encircling manner; alternatively, only frame segments can also be configured which by way of the compressed-air distribution installations 45 are connected to one another so as to be movable on one another or else be separate from one another. The frame 80 simultaneously serves as a weight for holding the compressed-air distribution installations 45 having the outflow openings 46 on the bed of the body of water when compressed air is introduced by way of the compressed-air line (not illustrated) and, for configuring a bubble curtain 59, is pumped out of the outflow openings 46. The outflow openings 46 can have dissimilar diameters so as to generate dissimilarly sized bubble diameters in the respective bubble curtain 50. Likewise, dissimilar pressures can prevail within the respective compressed-air distribution installations 45, so as to modify the bubble pattern of the bubble curtain 50.

(37) A further variant of the invention in which the externally encircling bubble curtain 50 is generated by way of three compressed-air distribution installations 45 which are disposed on dissimilar levels around the entire watercraft 1 is shown in FIG. 16. The externally encircling bubble curtain 50 thus represents the third stage of the hydraulic acoustic damping; the bubble curtain 50 in this instance is positioned so as to be relatively far away from the acoustic source.

(38) All three components of the hydraulic acoustic damping are shown conjointly with the watercraft 1 in FIG. 17. The object 70 to be introduced, for example a post, by way of the introduction installation 20 is piled into the bed of the body of water 3 between the two sub-hulls 11, 12. A support element 60 having damper elements 65 is disposed directly around the post 70. The first support element 60 extends from the bed of the body of water 3 to the water surface 2 and can optionally bear on the bed of the body of water 3.

(39) A second support element 60 is disposed so as to be somewhat further away therefrom, thus so as to be radially spaced apart from the first support element 60. This support element 60 on the base side is also mounted on a rectangular frame 80 and extends to the water surface 2. Damper elements 65 which can be composed of gas-filled hollow panels or foam-material elements are fastened to the second support element 60 which configures an angular cross-section and is disposed within the void 15 between the two sub-hulls 11, 12. Conjointly with said hydraulic acoustic damper elements 65 and a bubble curtain 50 which by way of a compressed-air distribution installation 45 on the frame 80 runs from the bed of the body of water 3 to the surface of the body of water 2, further damping of the noise pollution created on account of the piling of the post can be effected. A plurality of compressed-air distribution installations 45 which are disposed at dissimilar height levels can be provided. The compressed-air distribution installations 45 can have outflow openings 46 which are oriented in dissimilar directions so as to configure a bubble curtain 50 having double walls which are mutually spaced apart.

(40) The bubble curtain 50 which is configured externally about the watercraft 1 and which surrounds the hull 10 having the two sub-hulls 11, 12 and the void 15 situated therebetween forms the third damper component. Here too, a plurality of compressed-air distribution installations 45 can be disposed at dissimilar heights so as to achieve the desired characteristics of a bubble curtain 50 by way of dissimilar pressures or dissimilar outflow opening diameters.