Centre system
AssigneeIHC Holland IE B.V.
InventorsBoudewijn Casper Jung, Johannes Louis Leonardus Hessels
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to an assembly for centring a first elongate tubular element and a second elongate tubular element, such as an underwater pile accommodated within a noise mitigation screen, at a common central longitudinal axis along which axis both the first and second element extend, and wherein the centre system is provided with first coupling element for fixedly coupling the centre system with one of the first and second tubular elements, and second coupling element for engaging the other tubular element for centring the other tubular element at the central axis.
Claims12
A noise mitigation system for offshore pile driving, the noise mitigation system comprising:
- a noise mitigation screen extending from a ground on a first end to above a water line on a second end along a central axis, the noise mitigation screen comprising a cylindrical inner wall and a cylindrical outer wall surrounding the inner wall and spaced from the inner wall;
- a pile extending along the central axis through the noise mitigation screen to be driven into the ground under water;
- a centre system comprising first and second coupling means, each of the first coupling means fixed to the inner wall of the noise mitigation screen at a position above the water line and below the second end of the noise mitigation screen, each of the first coupling means extending inward toward the pile, and each of the second coupling means engaging the pile for centring the pile along the central axis;
- and
- a drive system comprising a plurality of drive means for applying a centring force to the pile through the second coupling means,
- wherein the centre system and the drive system extends only between an inner circumference of the noise mitigation screen and an outer surface of the pile;
- and
- wherein the plurality of drive means are mutually coupled for evenly applying the centring force to the pile.
A method of centring a pile within a noise mitigation screen in an offshore system where the pile is driven into the bottom of a body of water, the method comprising:
- arranging the noise mitigation screen around the pile such that the noise mitigation screen and pile have a common longitudinal axis and the noise mitigation screen extends from the bottom of the body of water to above a water line;
- centring the pile within the noise mitigation screen with a centring system fixed to inner circumference of the noise mitigation screen at a distance from the bottom of the body of water and below an upper end of the noise mitigation screen, the centring system engaging the pile with a centring force with a plurality of coupling means driven by a drive system comprising drive means,
- wherein the centring system and the drive system extend only between the inner circumference of the noise mitigation screen and an outer surface of the pile;
- and
- wherein the drive means are mutually coupled for evenly applying the centring force to the pile.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.