# US 2024/0392425 A1 · Monopile coating process, monopile and monopile coating system

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2024/0392425 A1
- Document ID: US20240392425A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/291,941
- Filed: 2022-06-29
- Published: 2024-11-28
- Earliest claimed: 2021-07-29
- Assignees: Sif Holding N.V.
- Applicants: Sif Holding N.V.
- Inventors: David Stowers; Marzio Mazzoleni; Job Van de Logt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240392425A1

## CPC

- C23C 4/08: containing only metal elements (C23C4/073 takes precedence)
- B05B 13/0228: {the movement of the objects being rotative (B05B13/0242 takes precedence)}
- B24C 1/06: for producing matt surfaces, e.g. on plastic materials, on glass
- B24C 3/18: essentially provided with means for moving workpieces into different working positions (B24C3/08 takes precedence)
- C23C 4/02: Pretreatment of the material to be coated, e.g. for coating on selected surface areas
- C23C 4/06: Metallic material
- C23C 4/12: characterised by the method of spraying
- C23C 4/18: After-treatment
- B05B 7/20: by flame or combustion
- B05B 7/222: {using an arc}
- B05B 13/0405: {with reciprocating or oscillating spray heads (B05B13/0436, B05B13/0442, B05B13/0447, B05B13/0468 take precedence)}
- F03D 13/25: specially adapted for offshore installation
- F05B 2280/6011: Coating
- Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D)
- B24C: ABRASIVE OR RELATED BLASTING WITH PARTICULATE MATERIAL
- F03D: WIND MOTORS
- F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A monopile coating process, comprising: placing a monopile on roller supports, wherein the roller supports are provided with rotating means for rotating the monopile when the monopile is placed on the roller supports, and wherein the rollers are supporting the monopile and are located at one or more positions along the axis of the monopile when the monopile is placed on the roller supports, applying a thermally sprayed metallic coating, such as an aluminium or zinc-aluminium coating, to parts of the circumferential external surface of the monopile corresponding to the one or more positions, and, compressing at least part of the thermally sprayed metallic coating by rotating the monopile using the roller supports is disclosed. A monopile and a monopile coating system are also disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A monopile coating process, comprising:
placing a monopile with a diameter of 8 m or more on roller supports, wherein the roller supports are provided with rotating means for rotating the monopile when the monopile is placed on the roller supports, and wherein the rollers are supporting the monopile and are located at one or more positions along the axis of the monopile when the monopile is placed on the roller supports;
generating a pressure at a contact point between the roller supports and the monopile, wherein the pressure is based on a weight of the monopile on the roller supports;
applying a thermally sprayed metallic coating, such as an aluminium or zinc-aluminium coating, to parts of the circumferential external surface of the monopile corresponding to the one or more positions; and
compressing, due to the pressure, at least part of the thermally sprayed metallic coating by rotating the monopile using the roller supports, wherein compression structurally changes the thermally sprayed metallic coating.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The monopile coating process of claim 1, wherein the compressing at least part of the thermally sprayed metallic coating comprises compressing the thermally sprayed metallic coating such that the thickness of the coating is reduced by between 15% and 80%.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The monopile coating process of claim 1, wherein the compressing at least part of the thermally sprayed metallic coating comprises rotating the monopile at least 10 times on average.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The monopile coating process of claim 1, further comprising, after the applying the thermally sprayed metallic coating and before or during the compressing at least part of the thermally sprayed metallic coating, applying protective materials, such as a polymer foam or a rubber sheet, over the thermally sprayed metallic coating.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The monopile coating process of claim 1, further comprising, after the compressing at least part of the thermally sprayed metallic coating, applying a sealer over the thermally sprayed metallic coating.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The monopile coating process of claim 1, further comprising, after the compressing at least part of the thermally sprayed metallic coating, applying a further coating over the thermally sprayed metallic coating.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The monopile coating process of claim 1, wherein the parts of the circumferential external surface of the monopile corresponding to the one or more positions have a width that varies between 0.2 m and 3 m, based on which type of roller supports are used.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The monopile coating process of claim 7, wherein the width of the parts of the circumferential external surface of the monopile corresponding to the one or more positions is as large as or larger than the width of the roller supports.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The monopile coating process of claim 1, wherein the weight of the monopile is at least 1,000 tons, and during the compressing, a compressive stress on the thermally sprayed metallic coating at a contact point exceeds 500 MPa.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The monopile coating process of claim 1, wherein the monopile comprises longitudinal submerged arc welds, and the monopile coating process further comprises grounding flush longitudinal submerged arc welds before placing the monopile on the roller supports.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The monopile coating process of claim 1, further comprising blast cleaning the parts of the circumferential external surface of the monopile corresponding to the one or more positions before applying the thermally sprayed metallic coating.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The monopile coating process of claim 11, wherein the blast cleaning is performed using open jet grit blasting, preferably with steel or mineral grit abrasive, or using automatic turbine blast cleaning, preferably with steel grit abrasive.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The monopile coating process of claim 11, wherein the blast cleaning comprises preparing the surface to have a sharp angular profile depth in the range of 40 μm to 150 μm, preferably 50 μm to 125 μm, more preferably 60 μm to 115 μm, most preferably 80 μm to 105 μm.

### Claim 14

(canceled)

### Claim 15

A monopile coating system comprising roller supports and thermal spray equipment, wherein the roller supports are provided with rotating means for rotating a monopile with a diameter of at least 8 m when the monopile is placed on the roller supports, and wherein the rollers are for supporting the monopile and are located at one or more positions along an axis for placing the monopile on the roller supports, and wherein the thermal spray equipment is configured to apply a thermally sprayed metallic coating, such as an aluminium or zinc-aluminium coating, to parts of the circumferential external surface of the monopile corresponding to the one or more positions.

### Claim 16

(canceled)

### Claim 17

A coating process, comprising:
applying a thermally sprayed metallic coating, such as an aluminium or zinc aluminium coating, to a surface of an object;
generating a pressure at a contact point between the object and a further object, wherein the object is on the further object, and wherein the pressure is based on a weight of the object on the further object;
compressing, due to the pressure, the thermally sprayed metallic coating, wherein, during the compressing, a compressive stress on the thermally sprayed metallic coating at a contact point exceeds 500 MPa, wherein compression structurally char s the thermally sprayed metallic coating.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The coating process of claim 17, wherein the compressing the thermally sprayed metallic coating comprises compressing the thermally sprayed metallic coating such that the thickness of the coating is reduced by between 15% and 80%.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The coating process of claim 17, further comprising, after the applying the thermally sprayed metallic coating and before or during the compressing the thermally sprayed metallic coating, applying protective materials, such as a polymer foam or a rubber sheet, over the thermally sprayed metallic coating.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The coating process of claim 17, further comprising applying a sealer over the thermally sprayed metallic coating after the compressing the thermally sprayed metallic coating.

### Claim 21 (depends on 17)

The coating process of claim 17, further comprising applying a further coating over the thermally sprayed metallic coating, after the compressing the thermally sprayed metallic coating.

### Claim 22 (depends on 17)

The coating process of claim 17, further comprising blast cleaning the surface before applying the thermally sprayed metallic coating.

### Claim at position 23

-28. (canceled)