EP0296783A1 - Dispositif pour creuser dans le sol marin - Google Patents

Dispositif pour creuser dans le sol marin Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0296783A1
EP0296783A1 EP88305613A EP88305613A EP0296783A1 EP 0296783 A1 EP0296783 A1 EP 0296783A1 EP 88305613 A EP88305613 A EP 88305613A EP 88305613 A EP88305613 A EP 88305613A EP 0296783 A1 EP0296783 A1 EP 0296783A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
trench
forming means
plough
forming
seabed
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP88305613A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0296783B1 (fr
Inventor
John William Seamans
Timothy Geoffrey Ley
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Land & Marine Engineering Ltd
Original Assignee
Land & Marine Engineering Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Land & Marine Engineering Ltd filed Critical Land & Marine Engineering Ltd
Publication of EP0296783A1 publication Critical patent/EP0296783A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0296783B1 publication Critical patent/EP0296783B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
    • E02F5/00—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes
    • E02F5/02—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches
    • E02F5/10—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches with arrangements for reinforcing trenches or ditches; with arrangements for making or assembling conduits or for laying conduits or cables
    • E02F5/104—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches with arrangements for reinforcing trenches or ditches; with arrangements for making or assembling conduits or for laying conduits or cables for burying conduits or cables in trenches under water
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
    • E02F5/00—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes
    • E02F5/02—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches
    • E02F5/027—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches with coulters, ploughs, scraper plates, or the like
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
    • E02F5/00—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes
    • E02F5/02—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches
    • E02F5/10—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches with arrangements for reinforcing trenches or ditches; with arrangements for making or assembling conduits or for laying conduits or cables
    • E02F5/104—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches with arrangements for reinforcing trenches or ditches; with arrangements for making or assembling conduits or for laying conduits or cables for burying conduits or cables in trenches under water
    • E02F5/106—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches with arrangements for reinforcing trenches or ditches; with arrangements for making or assembling conduits or for laying conduits or cables for burying conduits or cables in trenches under water using ploughs, coulters, rippers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67C—CLEANING, FILLING WITH LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS, OR EMPTYING, OF BOTTLES, JARS, CANS, CASKS, BARRELS, OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; FUNNELS
    • B67C3/00—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus; Filling casks or barrels with liquids or semiliquids
    • B67C3/02—Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus
    • B67C3/22—Details
    • B67C3/26—Filling-heads; Means for engaging filling-heads with bottle necks
    • B67C2003/266—Means for centering the container with the filling head

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to apparatus for use in the formation of subsea trenches for burial of pipelines and cables.
  • Such a trench can be achieved using an underwater plough, a component or components of which are known as shares. This term is used to describe both the seabed engaging "share", and the spoil moving "mouldboard". Plough shares can be detachable items, or an integral part of the plough structure. However, if the composition of the seabed changes, it may be necessary either to replace the plough or the plough shares to produce a trench of the correct profile. Not only is this time consuming, but it is also expensive, since it is necessary to have replacement ploughs or plough shares of the correct profile as well as the personnel to carry out such replacements.
  • apparatus for forming a trench in a seabed comprising first trench-forming means adapted to form a trench of a fixed profile, and second trench-forming means movable relative to the first trench-forming means and thereby adapted to produce a trench having a selectively variable profile.
  • the second, movable plough means is situated behind the first plough means.
  • the second plough means may then be adjusted so that the finished trench profile is determined solely by the first plough means, or alternatively so that the second plough means alters the profile of the trench produced by the first plough means.
  • the profile of the trench can be altered according to the type of seabed encountered.
  • the second trench-forming means is longitudinally displaced from the first trench-forming means.
  • the second plough means may be adapted to be able to alter the profile of the trench produced by the first plough means over the full depth of the trench, or in the upper portion of the trench only.
  • the second plough means comprises two plough shares, one situated on either side of the first plough means.
  • the trenching apparatus comprises a forward towing and support portion 10 which is attached to a trenching portion 14.
  • the towing and support portion 10 is fitted with a support skid 16, which is pivotally mounted at pivot 18 to enable the skid to pass over uneven surfaces.
  • the portion 10 is also provided with a towing cable attachment 20, by means of which a towing cable 22, extending from a surface ship, is attached to the trenching apparatus, whereby the apparatus may be towed along the seabed.
  • the trenching portion 14 comprises an upper elongate frame member 24 and two lower elongate frame members 26.
  • the upper frame member 24 is rigidly attached to the forward portion 10, and each lower frame member 26 is hingedly attached to the forward portion 10 at a vertical hinge 12.
  • a lifting cable attachment 28 is provided on the upper frame member 24, by means of which the trenching apparatus may be lifted from, or lowered onto, the seabed.
  • the upper frame member 24 is also provided with other articles such as a hydraulic fluid pressure generator 30, but these other articles are not involved in the understanding of the present invention, and will not be described further.
  • the undersurface of the lower frame members 26 is provided with a first plough means in the form of two fixed plough shares 32, one attached to respective frame members 26 and a second plough means in the form of two secondary plough shares 34a,34b, positioned behind, and situated one either side of, the fixed plough shares 32a,32b.
  • the fixed plough shares 32a,32b are symmetrical about a central ploughing edge 36, which is inclined rearwardly, such that the material removed by the fixed plough shares 32a,32b is displaced approximately equally on each side, and so that the plough shares will form a trench whose profile is symmetrical about a vertical plane.
  • the secondary plough shares 34a, 34b extend outwardly from respective slots 37a,37b in the fixed plough shares 32a,32b and are hingedly attached to the fixed plough shares 32a,32b by means of hinges 38, situated at the base of the slots 37a,37b whereby the secondary plough shares 34a,34b are pivotable about an axis normal to the surface 43 of the fixed shares 32a,32b.
  • the secondary plough shares 34a,34b are each pivotable by means of a double-acting hydraulic ram 40 extending between, and pivotally connected by means of mountings 42 to a respective secondary plough share and the fixed plough shares 32a,32b.
  • the two secondary plough shares are pivoted upwardly into the position shown in Fig.2, wherein the edges of the secondary plough shares are aligned with the edge of the fixed plough shares 32a,32b.
  • the secondary plough shares 34a,34b are pivoted and thereby protrude beyond the edge of the fixed plough shares 32a,32b.
  • the position of the secondary plough shares 34a,34b at their maximum protrusion is illustrated in Fig.3.
  • the trenching apparatus is lowered onto the seabed with a towing cable 22 attached to the cable attachment 20.
  • the trenching apparatus is then towed along the seabed by a towing boat, thereby causing the trenching apparatus to form a trench in the seabed, into which a pipeline or cable may be laid.
  • the rams 40 are fully retracted as in Fig.2, thereby making the profile of the trench solely dependent upon the fixed plough shares 32a,32b. If, however, the seabed is formed of softer or more granular materials, it is necessary to produce a more shallow-sided trench, otherwise the walls of the trench may collapse and fill in the trench. In this case, the rams 40 are extended, thereby causing the secondary plough shares to change the profile of the trench formed by the fixed plough share, by making the slope of the upper portions of the trench cut by the fixed share more shallow-sloping.
  • the apparatus of this particular embodiment produces a base having the profile of its lowermost portions with relatively steep-sided walls, as determined by the fixed plough shares 32a,32b, and having the profile of the uppermost portions with relatively shallow-sloped walls, as determined by the protrusion of the secondary plough shares 34a,34b beyond the fixed plough shares 32a,32b.
  • FIG.4 An alternative embodiment is illustrated schematically in Fig.4, and is similar to the first embodiment except that the secondary plough shares 34a,34b are hinged at a hinge 38′ situated at or near the level of the lowermost portion of the fixed plough shares 32a,32b. The result of this is that a trench having walls of constant slope is produced.
  • Fig.4 which illustrates one secondary plough share in one extreme position
  • the rams 40 are retracted, causing the profile of the trench to be determined solely by the fixed plough share 32a
  • the profile of the trench originally formed by the fixed plough share 32b has been modified by the secondary plough share 34b which now protrudes beyond the fixed plough share 32b by virtue of the extension of the rams 40.
  • the one trenching apparatus can be used to form trenches having different profiles, without the need to replace the plough shares or the apparatus itself if the composition of the seabed changes. Also, by virtue of the fact that the fixed ploughshares always forms a trench, when a shallower trench is then formed by projecting the secondary plough shares, much less seabed material has to be displaced by the secondary plough shares, and the towing force required is generally much less than if all the seabed material for a shallow-sided trench is removed by a single plough share.
  • the invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments.
  • the movable plough shares may be positioned in front of the fixed plough share if desired.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Electric Cable Installation (AREA)
  • Control Of High-Frequency Heating Circuits (AREA)
  • Signal Processing For Digital Recording And Reproducing (AREA)
  • Crystals, And After-Treatments Of Crystals (AREA)
EP88305613A 1987-06-20 1988-06-20 Dispositif pour creuser dans le sol marin Expired - Lifetime EP0296783B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8714515 1987-06-20
GB878714515A GB8714515D0 (en) 1987-06-20 1987-06-20 Seabed trenching apparatus

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0296783A1 true EP0296783A1 (fr) 1988-12-28
EP0296783B1 EP0296783B1 (fr) 1991-11-21

Family

ID=10619299

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP88305613A Expired - Lifetime EP0296783B1 (fr) 1987-06-20 1988-06-20 Dispositif pour creuser dans le sol marin

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0296783B1 (fr)
GB (1) GB8714515D0 (fr)
NO (1) NO882720L (fr)

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2285821A (en) * 1994-01-25 1995-07-26 Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd Trenching plough
EP0828031A1 (fr) * 1996-09-06 1998-03-11 CABLE & WIRELESS PLC Améliorations relatives au sillonage sous-marin
WO1999013171A1 (fr) * 1997-09-05 1999-03-18 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Charrue sous-marine
US5988948A (en) * 1997-09-04 1999-11-23 Cable And Wireless Plc Underwater plough and method for varying ploughing depth
EP2840187A1 (fr) * 2013-08-22 2015-02-25 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Procédé et appareil de formation d'une tranchée dans un fond marin
WO2015071637A3 (fr) * 2013-11-18 2015-07-09 W N Wilson Michael Procédé et appareil pour la réalisation d'enquêtes d'évaluation d'enfouissement
US9422690B2 (en) 2012-11-30 2016-08-23 Michael W. N. Wilson Method and apparatus for performing burial assessment surveys
EP3216925A1 (fr) * 2016-03-08 2017-09-13 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Procédé et appareil de formation d'une tranchée dans un fond marin
US10323383B2 (en) 2012-11-30 2019-06-18 Oceaneering International, Inc. Seabed plow capable of over-the-stern release and retrieval in any of boulder clearing, trenching and backfill configurations
US11613870B2 (en) 2019-12-05 2023-03-28 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Apparatus for locating elongate object in a trench in a floor of a body of water

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1069961A (en) * 1965-01-13 1967-05-24 Edward Arthur Yates Improvements in mole ploughs
GB1493346A (en) * 1974-12-03 1977-11-30 Ede A Soil blade implement
US4384415A (en) * 1977-07-12 1983-05-24 R. J. Brown & Associates Ag Trenching plow
EP0144099A1 (fr) * 1983-11-30 1985-06-12 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Charrue pour la pose de conduites
EP0221581A2 (fr) * 1985-10-03 1987-05-13 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Charrue pour enterrer des tuyaux ou câbles

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1069961A (en) * 1965-01-13 1967-05-24 Edward Arthur Yates Improvements in mole ploughs
GB1493346A (en) * 1974-12-03 1977-11-30 Ede A Soil blade implement
US4384415A (en) * 1977-07-12 1983-05-24 R. J. Brown & Associates Ag Trenching plow
EP0144099A1 (fr) * 1983-11-30 1985-06-12 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Charrue pour la pose de conduites
EP0221581A2 (fr) * 1985-10-03 1987-05-13 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Charrue pour enterrer des tuyaux ou câbles

Cited By (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2285821A (en) * 1994-01-25 1995-07-26 Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd Trenching plough
WO1995020076A1 (fr) * 1994-01-25 1995-07-27 Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd. Charue fossoyeuse pour pose de pipelines
EP0828031A1 (fr) * 1996-09-06 1998-03-11 CABLE & WIRELESS PLC Améliorations relatives au sillonage sous-marin
US5988948A (en) * 1997-09-04 1999-11-23 Cable And Wireless Plc Underwater plough and method for varying ploughing depth
WO1999013171A1 (fr) * 1997-09-05 1999-03-18 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Charrue sous-marine
US6435772B1 (en) 1997-09-05 2002-08-20 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Submarine plough
US9422690B2 (en) 2012-11-30 2016-08-23 Michael W. N. Wilson Method and apparatus for performing burial assessment surveys
US10323383B2 (en) 2012-11-30 2019-06-18 Oceaneering International, Inc. Seabed plow capable of over-the-stern release and retrieval in any of boulder clearing, trenching and backfill configurations
US10519624B2 (en) 2012-11-30 2019-12-31 Oceaneering International, Inc. Seabed backfill plow and method
EP2840187A1 (fr) * 2013-08-22 2015-02-25 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Procédé et appareil de formation d'une tranchée dans un fond marin
WO2015071637A3 (fr) * 2013-11-18 2015-07-09 W N Wilson Michael Procédé et appareil pour la réalisation d'enquêtes d'évaluation d'enfouissement
EP3216925A1 (fr) * 2016-03-08 2017-09-13 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Procédé et appareil de formation d'une tranchée dans un fond marin
WO2017153184A1 (fr) * 2016-03-08 2017-09-14 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Procédé et appareil permettant de former une tranchée dans un fond marin
JP2019515158A (ja) * 2016-03-08 2019-06-06 ソイル マシン ダイナミクス リミテッドＳｏｉｌ Ｍａｃｈｉｎｅ Ｄｙｎａｍｉｃｓ Ｌｔｄ 海底にトレンチを形成する方法及び装置
EP3677727A1 (fr) * 2016-03-08 2020-07-08 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Procédé et appareil de formation d'une tranchée dans un fond marin
US10711432B2 (en) 2016-03-08 2020-07-14 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Method and apparatus for forming a trench in a sea floor
JP2022060519A (ja) * 2016-03-08 2022-04-14 ソイル マシン ダイナミクス リミテッド 海底にトレンチを形成する方法及び装置
US11613870B2 (en) 2019-12-05 2023-03-28 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Apparatus for locating elongate object in a trench in a floor of a body of water

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NO882720L (no) 1988-12-21
EP0296783B1 (fr) 1991-11-21
GB8714515D0 (en) 1987-07-22
NO882720D0 (no) 1988-06-20

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