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Akronym
SilentHammer
Projekt Titel
SilentHammer - Investigation of primary measures for the reduction of underwater noise emission during offshore pile driving - Sub-Project: Acoustic optimization of the components of impact hammers by numerical computation models
Förderkennzeichen
0324262A
Aktenzeichen
945.02-720
Startdatum
August 1, 2018
Enddatum
August 31, 2020
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Förderorganisation
Projektträger
In most cases, offshore wind energy plants are fastened to the sea bed by pile driving. Due to the impulsive excitation of the pile, a considerable amount of underwater noise is generated, which may possibly harm aquatic life. To protect especially marine mammals, certain limit values on underwater noise have been introduced.
To reduce underwater noise, different approaches are used. Primary measures reduce the noise emission directly at the source, e.g. by lowering the applied hammer energy. Secondary measures aiming at reducing the noise in the water column, e.g. bubble curtains or cofferdam systems. Due to the huge dimensions of the monopiles, both noise emission and thus also the requirements on the noise mitigation are increasing.
Secondary mitigation measures have already reached a certain level of matureness. Therefore, the research project forcusses on primary measures to reduce the noise emission already at the source.
To decrease the noise emission, an optimal shape of the ram mass and further hammer components will be determined. Furthermore, the hammer operation itself will be investigated from an acoustical viewpoint. Further important questions, like wear and durability of the optimized components as well as driveability, will also be addressed to ensure the a practical realisation later on.
To avoid the high costs of real offshore tests, a validation of the numerical results is on the one hand made by scaled laboratory experiments. On the other hand, the attainable noise reduction under offshore conditions is verified by applying the numerical pile driving noise model, which has been successfully developed and applied within the BORA project.
To reduce underwater noise, different approaches are used. Primary measures reduce the noise emission directly at the source, e.g. by lowering the applied hammer energy. Secondary measures aiming at reducing the noise in the water column, e.g. bubble curtains or cofferdam systems. Due to the huge dimensions of the monopiles, both noise emission and thus also the requirements on the noise mitigation are increasing.
Secondary mitigation measures have already reached a certain level of matureness. Therefore, the research project forcusses on primary measures to reduce the noise emission already at the source.
To decrease the noise emission, an optimal shape of the ram mass and further hammer components will be determined. Furthermore, the hammer operation itself will be investigated from an acoustical viewpoint. Further important questions, like wear and durability of the optimized components as well as driveability, will also be addressed to ensure the a practical realisation later on.
To avoid the high costs of real offshore tests, a validation of the numerical results is on the one hand made by scaled laboratory experiments. On the other hand, the attainable noise reduction under offshore conditions is verified by applying the numerical pile driving noise model, which has been successfully developed and applied within the BORA project.