EP0543467B1 - Method for burying an elongated object - Google Patents

Method for burying an elongated object Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0543467B1
EP0543467B1 EP19920203591 EP92203591A EP0543467B1 EP 0543467 B1 EP0543467 B1 EP 0543467B1 EP 19920203591 EP19920203591 EP 19920203591 EP 92203591 A EP92203591 A EP 92203591A EP 0543467 B1 EP0543467 B1 EP 0543467B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
ploughshares
bed material
pipeline
furrows
dredging
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19920203591
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0543467A1 (en
Inventor
Anton Rudolf Frits Van Der Steen
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.)
Paragon International BV
Original Assignee
Paragon International BV
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 Paragon International BV filed Critical Paragon International BV
Publication of EP0543467A1 publication Critical patent/EP0543467A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0543467B1 publication Critical patent/EP0543467B1/en
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

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a method according to the preamble of Claim 1 and a device according to the preamble of Claim 5.
  • a method and device for burying a pipeline in the ground are known from US-A-4,301,606. From the point of view of cost it is preferred first to lay the pipeline on the seabed using a relatively expensive device, and to bury it at a later stage using a cheaper device. The burial is important, on the one hand, in order to limit damage and corrosion through external influences and, on the other, in order to prevent the pipeline from lying unsupported above the bed over a great distance, on account of the undulating nature of the bed.
  • US-A-4,301,606 two cutting wheels fitted at an angle are placed at the side of the pipe. Using these, two furrows are cut out, in which case the body bearing the pipeline is a triangular shape.
  • Such a body has little stability and when the cutting wheels are passing there is a risk of the pipe moving from the body, or the body collapsing.
  • Another disadvantage is that during the passing through of relatively incohesive soil, the pipeline sinks when problems occur and comes to rest on the cutting wheels. To prevent this damage from occurring it is absolutely necessary that the furrows is made in a single pass. This means that such a device cannot be used in combination with sandy soils. Extremely complex constructions are necessary for folding out the cutting wheels, and there is still always the risk of damage to the cutting wheels and/or pipeline. When faults occur in the device it is difficult to remove the wheels, which grip under the pipe. With such a device it is not possible to produce a trench in various stages.
  • the object of the present invention is to avoid these disadvantages, and to provide a method and device making realisation of furrows in multipass possible and are inherently safe with regard to damaging of the pipeline to be laid.
  • the invention is based on the idea of making the furrows by ploughing. Ploughing is considerably simpler, requires a less complex device than rotary cutting, and uses less energy. Moreover, no special measures need be taken for the removal of material. For, the ploughshares shift the material in such a way that it is deposited in a desired position next to the furrows. It is important that the material should remain in the vicinity of the furrows, so that sufficient material is present to cover the pipeline which has been laid, if necessary. Making the body of material straight instead of triangular, as in the prior art, for one thing means that it is not necessary to fit a complex foldaway mechanism for the ploughshares, for the ploughshares never go under the pipeline, so that they can always be removed.
  • plough It is possible to plough a furrow in various stages to increasing depths, with the result that the tractive force can be limited.
  • the triangular shape obtained with the ploughshares prevents the furrow just formed from immediately becoming silted up in the case of bed material which is relatively simple to shift.
  • the use of ploughs also has the advantage that if there are stones in, for example, a sandy material, no damage occurs. These stones can be removed by passing through repeatedly. In the case of a cutter, damage and breakdowns occur when there are stones.
  • a device for realizing a furrows in which a pipeline has to be laid.
  • a set of plough shares is proposed realizing a V-furrows in which lateron the pipeline is placed. There is no pad of material remaining between the two parts of the plough shares.
  • a device operating by this method preferably comprises ploughshares mounted on a frame, which are placed on either side of the pipeline and according to the invention are fitted so that they are essentially immovable relative to the frame, and which serve only to make the abovementioned furrows, while means are placed behind the ploughshares for the removal of bed material lying between the furrows, which means comprise at least one dredging pump with one or more suction nozzles.
  • the device is provided with a pump for water under pressure, which is connected to one or more spray nozzles.
  • a pump for water under pressure which is connected to one or more spray nozzles.
  • the tractive force required for the plough is reduced considerably by fixing at least one spray nozzle at the toe of each ploughshare, so that water is sprayed and first slightly loosens the bed material, which is pushed away by the ploughshare.
  • Figure 2a shows a pipeline 21 which is placed on a bed under water.
  • Figure 2b shows two ploughshares 2, which are moved along on either side of the pipeline 21.
  • Bed material 22 is pushed away to the sides by these ploughshares 2 during this forward movement, while mounds 23 of displaced bed material 22 and furrows 25 ( Figure 2c) are formed on either side of the pipeline.
  • Figure 2c shows mounds 23 of displaced bed material 22 and furrows 25 ( Figure 2c) are formed on either side of the pipeline.
  • this ploughing some bed material 24 remains between the ploughshares 2, under the pipeline 21. This bed material 24 provides support for the pipeline 21.
  • Fig. 2c shows that, after furrows 25 are formed by the ploughshares 2 on either side of the pipeline 21, the bed material 24 lying between the furrows 25 and under the pipeline 21 is sucked away through suction nozzles 11 which are situated on either side of the pipeline 21 in the furrows 25, and which are connected by means of dredging pump units (not shown in Figure 2c) to discharge pipes 13.
  • the extraction of bed material 24 is facilitated by first loosening up this bed material 24 by spraying water under pressure on the bed material 24 through pipes 5' and spray nozzles 5 to produce a pumpable mixture.
  • a furrow 27 remains, in which furrow the pipeline 21 is sunk.
  • the bed material 23 lying on either side of the furrow 27 can also be used for burying the pipeline, so that the bed becomes approximately flat again, as shown by means of dashed line 26.
  • FIG. 1 shows a preferred device for use of the method according to the invention.
  • This device comprises a frame 1, to the front side of which slippers 7 are fixed by means of hinged fastenings 8, 9 and 10, behind that ploughshares 2, and further, inter alia, a high-pressure pump 4 for each ploughshare, which high-pressure pumps 4 lead to a manifold 4' which is connected to spray nozzles 5 and 6, and dredging pumps 3, which are connected to suction nozzles 11.
  • the ploughshares 2 are essentially fixed to the frame 1, although it is possible in principle to adjust them.
  • Two essentially parallel plates 30 are also essentially fixed to the frame. Fastened on the plates 30 are the suction nozzles which extract the bed material through holes made in said plates.
  • the purpose of the spray nozzles 5 (which can be seen only in the case of one ploughshare), which are also fixed on the plates 30 and directed at the remaining bed material, is to loosen up to the form of a pumpable mixture the bed material 24 ( Figure 2) which is to be sucked away by means of the suction nozzles 11, dredging pumps 3 and discharge pipes 13, before it is sucked away.
  • the plates 30 here ensure, inter alia, that the effect of the water sprayed through spray nozzles 5 onto the remaining bed material 24 is limited to this bed material 24.
  • Spray nozzles can be fixed at the suction nozzles 11, in order to be able to clear blockages of said suction nozzles.
  • the forces required for moving the device along in the direction of arrow P can be reduced considerably by using a few extra spray nozzles.
  • the two spray nozzles 6 (one of which cannot be seen) in the toes of the ploughshares reduce the tractive forces required for normal forward movement, by loosening up the bed material here to some extent.
  • the tractive forces can be further reduced by correspondingly providing more spray nozzles at the ploughshares.
  • one or more spray nozzles, not shown here, should be fixed near the heel parts 12 of the ploughshares 2.
  • the slippers 7 fixed at the front are tiltable in the direction of movement, arrow P, by means of the hinged connections 8.
  • the hinged fastenings 9 mean that the slippers 7 are also tiltable in the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement.
  • the slippers 7 can be adjusted in height by means of the hinged fastenings 10.
  • hinged fastenings 8, 9 and 10 of the slippers 7 ensure that the device can be moved easily over an uneven surface. These hinged fastenings also mean that the device can easily be moved again through a furrow 27 already formed ( Figure 2d), for example if this furrow 27 is too shallow.
  • the backward movement of the device in the direction of arrow T is facilitated by bevelling the rear sides of the plates 30 relative to the bed, and fixing a plate 32, also slanting relative to the bed, on each of these bevels 31, which plate extends essentially crosswise to the plate 30 concerned in the direction of the corresponding ploughshare 2.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Soil Working Implements (AREA)
  • Catching Or Destruction (AREA)
  • Underground Or Underwater Handling Of Building Materials (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
EP19920203591 1991-11-20 1992-11-20 Method for burying an elongated object Expired - Lifetime EP0543467B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
NL9101937A NL9101937A (nl) 1991-11-20 1991-11-20 Werkwijze en inrichting voor het in een onder water bodem ingraven van een pijpleiding.
NL9101937 1991-11-20

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0543467A1 EP0543467A1 (en) 1993-05-26
EP0543467B1 true EP0543467B1 (en) 1996-10-09

Family

ID=19859941

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19920203591 Expired - Lifetime EP0543467B1 (en) 1991-11-20 1992-11-20 Method for burying an elongated object

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0543467B1 (no)
DE (1) DE69214401T2 (no)
NL (1) NL9101937A (no)
NO (1) NO924478L (no)

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB0708082D0 (en) * 2007-04-26 2007-06-06 Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd Vehicle for laying an elongated product in a trench in the sea floor
CA2914972C (en) * 2013-08-23 2018-11-20 Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company Pipeline burial in offshore and arctic offshore regions
EP3800297A1 (en) * 2019-10-02 2021-04-07 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Method and apparatus for inserting an elongate object into a trench in a sea floor
CN110671538B (zh) * 2019-11-06 2024-01-26 江苏科技大学 一种海洋油气管道水下铺设装置及其铺设方法
EP3832026B1 (en) 2019-12-05 2023-07-26 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Apparatus for locating elongate object in a trench in a floor of a body of water

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1348487A (en) * 1970-05-19 1974-03-20 Nederlandse Offshore Co Method of and apparatus for burying sub-sea pipelines
GB2006302B (en) * 1977-10-18 1982-03-03 Mobell Marine Ltd Trenching tool
MX147110A (es) * 1978-03-22 1982-10-06 Epi Pneuma Syst Equipo para la instalacion subacuatica de tuberias
FR2425601A1 (fr) * 1978-05-08 1979-12-07 Gibson Ind Dispositif et procede d'installation de pipelines sous-marins
NL170763C (nl) * 1978-07-31 1982-12-16 Nederlandse Offshore Co Inrichting voor het graven van een sleuf onder een op de waterbodem gelegen pijpleiding, welke inrichting is voorzien van twee naast elkaar ter weerszijden van de pijpleiding aangebrachte graafwielen, welke een scherpe hoek insluiten.
US4330225A (en) * 1979-09-24 1982-05-18 Santa Fe International Corporation System for entrenching submerged elongated structures

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NO924478D0 (no) 1992-11-20
DE69214401T2 (de) 1997-03-06
NO924478L (no) 1993-05-21
DE69214401D1 (de) 1996-11-14
EP0543467A1 (en) 1993-05-26
NL9101937A (nl) 1993-06-16

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