EP2913293A1 - Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Aufspulen von Versorgungskabeln oder Drahtseilen - Google Patents

Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Aufspulen von Versorgungskabeln oder Drahtseilen Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2913293A1
EP2913293A1 EP15250003.9A EP15250003A EP2913293A1 EP 2913293 A1 EP2913293 A1 EP 2913293A1 EP 15250003 A EP15250003 A EP 15250003A EP 2913293 A1 EP2913293 A1 EP 2913293A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
wire rope
cable
winch drum
umbilical cable
wheel
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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP15250003.9A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Gordon Conlon
Paul Lavelle
Scott Macknocher
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.)
ENNSUB Ltd
Original Assignee
ENNSUB 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 ENNSUB Ltd filed Critical ENNSUB Ltd
Publication of EP2913293A1 publication Critical patent/EP2913293A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B66—HOISTING; LIFTING; HAULING
    • B66D—CAPSTANS; WINCHES; TACKLES, e.g. PULLEY BLOCKS; HOISTS
    • B66D1/00—Rope, cable, or chain winding mechanisms; Capstans
    • B66D1/28—Other constructional details
    • B66D1/36—Guiding, or otherwise ensuring winding in an orderly manner, of ropes, cables, or chains
    • B66D1/38—Guiding, or otherwise ensuring winding in an orderly manner, of ropes, cables, or chains by means of guides movable relative to drum or barrel
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
    • B63C11/00—Equipment for dwelling or working underwater; Means for searching for underwater objects
    • B63C11/52—Tools specially adapted for working underwater, not otherwise provided for
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63G—OFFENSIVE OR DEFENSIVE ARRANGEMENTS ON VESSELS; MINE-LAYING; MINE-SWEEPING; SUBMARINES; AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
    • B63G8/00—Underwater vessels, e.g. submarines; Equipment specially adapted therefor
    • B63G8/001—Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
    • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
    • E21B41/00—Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00
    • E21B41/04—Manipulators for underwater operations, e.g. temporarily connected to well heads
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63G—OFFENSIVE OR DEFENSIVE ARRANGEMENTS ON VESSELS; MINE-LAYING; MINE-SWEEPING; SUBMARINES; AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
    • B63G8/00—Underwater vessels, e.g. submarines; Equipment specially adapted therefor
    • B63G8/001—Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations
    • B63G2008/002—Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations unmanned
    • B63G2008/005—Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations unmanned remotely controlled
    • B63G2008/007—Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations unmanned remotely controlled by means of a physical link to a base, e.g. wire, cable or umbilical

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to apparatus and a method for spooling umbilical cable or wire rope onto a winch drum in a manner that does not exceed the minimum bend radius of the umbilical cable or wire rope.
  • Umbilical cable may be used, for example, as a means to allow submersible remotely operated vehicles to perform underwater investigations and explorations at a distance from a vessel and in any direction.
  • the umbilical cable thus needs to be spooled onto a winch drum for storage when not in use.
  • known apparatus and methods of spooling umbilical cable or wire rope cause the minimum bend radius of the umbilical cable or wire rope to be exceeded, leading to damage of the umbilical cable and failure of electrical or optical elements within the cable, and also damage of the wire rope. Therefore known apparatus and methods decrease the lifespan of the umbilical cable and wire rope.
  • the present invention overcomes the problems of the prior art by providing apparatus and a method which spool umbilical cable and wire rope onto a winch drum without exceeding the minimum bend radius of the umbilical cable.
  • the present invention enables umbilical cable and wire rope to be spooled onto a winch drum in a manner that neither damages the umbilical cable/wire rope nor causes failure of electrical or optical elements within the cable. Consequently, the apparatus and method of the present invention allow the lifespan of the umbilical cable or wire rope to be prolonged.
  • the present invention allows for spooling of any wrap and layer arrangement of umbilical cable or wire rope on a winch drum, in a manner that never exceeds the minimum bend radius of the umbilical cable or rope.
  • apparatus for spooling umbilical cable or wire rope onto a winch drum without exceeding the minimum bend radius of the cable or wire rope comprising a carriage mounted on a screw thread, wherein said carriage is configured to move on said screw thread across said winch drum and said carriage comprises two sheave wheels, wherein a first sheave wheel is a lower fixed sheave wheel, and wherein a second sheave wheel is an upper sheave wheel in a diametrically opposed arrangement to said first sheave wheel with reference to the vertical tangent line between the lower fixed sheave wheel and the upper sheave wheel, and wherein said second sheave wheel is configured to pivot about two bearings positioned on said vertical tangent line.
  • a method for spooling umbilical cable or wire rope onto a winch drum without exceeding the minimum bend radius of the cable or wire rope comprising the step of passing the cable or wire rope straight down between an upper sheave wheel and a lower fixed sheave wheel configured in a diametrically opposed arrangement with reference to the vertical tangent line between the lower fixed sheave wheel and the upper sheave wheel, wherein said upper sheave wheel and said lower fixed sheave wheel are in a carriage mounted on a screw thread. The carriage is configured to move on the screw thread across the winch drum.
  • the upper sheave wheel is configured to pivot about two bearings positioned on the vertical tangent line between the lower fixed wheel and the upper sheave wheel, and the cable or wire rope has an entry point on said upper wheel in the same vertical plane as the entry point of said cable or wire rope on said lower fixed wheel.
  • the apparatus 101 embodied by the present invention is shown in Figure 1 , spooling umbilical cable 102 which is attached to submersible remotely operated vehicle (ROV) 103 .
  • the submersible ROV 103 is fitted with cameras, lights and manipulating devices to enable underwater investigations to be performed.
  • Apparatus 101 is bolted to standard A-frame 104 which itself is attached to vessel 105 .
  • Umbilical cable 102 acts as a means to allow submersible ROV 103 to perform underwater investigations and explorations at a distance from vessel 105 and in any direction.
  • Umbilical cable 102 may be up to 3000 metres long and is a load-bearing steel armoured cable containing electrical conductors and fibre optics to allow power, video and data signals to be transmitted back and forth between submersible ROV 103 and vessel 105 .
  • umbilical cable 201 When not in use, umbilical cable 201 is spooled onto winch drum 202 which is attached to frame 203 , itself configured to be secured to a vessel (not shown).
  • Umbilical cable 201 may be up to 3000 metres long and is a load-bearing steel armoured cable.
  • Umbilical cable 201 weighs between 10 and 15 tonne and provides up to six kilovolt (6kV).
  • Umbilical cable 201 is therefore an extremely valuable piece of equipment and must be spooled onto winch drum 202 in a manner that does not damage umbilical cable 201 .
  • umbilical cable 201 must be spooled around winch drum 202 in a manner that does not lead to kinking or internal damage of umbilical cable 201 .
  • FIG. 3A A standard spooling system of the prior art is illustrated in Figure 3A , comprising winch drum 301 having two rollers 302 .
  • Umbilical cable 303 is spooled via the two rollers 302 onto winch drum 301 .
  • the diameter of rollers 302 is too small for the size of umbilical cable 303 , meaning that the minimum bend radius (as set out by the manufacturer of said umbilical) of umbilical cable 303 is always exceeded, leading to failure of internal electric elements of umbilical cable 303 as it is wound onto winch drum 301 .
  • This known spooling apparatus therefore does not handle umbilical cable 303 correctly, leading to damage of umbilical cable 303 and consequently decreasing the lifespan of umbilical cable 303 .
  • this known spooling apparatus does not cater for spooling any desired layer or wrap arrangement of umbilical cable and is therefore limited in its use.
  • FIG. 3B An alternative known spooling system of the prior art is illustrated in Figure 3B , which comprises single sheave wheel 304 .
  • Umbilical cable 305 ought theoretically to position onto sheave wheel 304 in a straight alignment.
  • umbilical cable 305 comes onto sheave wheel 304 at an angle 306 , potentially causing a kink.
  • the kink causes the minimum bend radius of the umbilical cable to be exceeded, adding stress to umbilical cable 305 .
  • This alternative known spooling apparatus therefore does not handle umbilical cable 305 correctly, leading to damage of umbilical cable 305 and consequently decreasing the lifespan of umbilical cable 305 .
  • this known spooling apparatus does not cater for spooling any desired layer or wrap arrangement of umbilical cable and is therefore limited in its use.
  • Active Heave Compensation describes the paying out and paying in of the umbilical cable that is required to keep a submersible ROV stationary at a depth underneath the surface. Active Heave Compensation is thus required because the ROV is connected to its host vessel and therefore moves up and down with wave and tidal movement. These two known prior art spooling systems are especially prone to causing kinking of the umbilical cable in the rapid movements of Active Heave Compensation.
  • the apparatus embodied in the present invention is illustrated in Figure 4 .
  • the apparatus embodied in the present invention advantageously overcomes the problems of the prior art spooling systems.
  • the apparatus comprises carriage 401 mounted on screw thread 402 , allowing carriage 401 to move back and forth across winch drum (not here shown).
  • Carriage 401 includes two sheave wheels in a diametrically opposed arrangement.
  • a first sheave wheel is lower sheave wheel 404 which is fixedly secured into carriage 401 .
  • a second sheave wheel is an upper sheave wheel 403 configured to pivot about two bearings (not shown).
  • Lower sheave wheel 404 is fixed in carriage 401 and moves across winch drum as carriage 401 moves across winch drum on screw thread 402 .
  • the manner in which carriage 401 moves across winch drum is known as "levelwind” and this is known.
  • Upper sheave wheel 403 is always the upper wheel and pivots about two bearings, the positioning of which is critical.
  • the two bearings are in line with the vertical tangent point between the lower fixed wheel 404 and the upper sheave wheel 403 .
  • the umbilical cable has an entry point on the upper wheel 403 in the same vertical plane as the entry point on the lower wheel 404 .
  • the apparatus embodied by the present invention thereby overcomes the problems presented by the prior art.
  • the apparatus embodied by the present invention provides a spooling system that neither allows the umbilical cable to kink during spooling nor causes internal elements of the cable to be damaged as it is wound onto the winch drum, because the minimum bend radius of the cable is never exceeded.
  • the present invention allows for the umbilical cable to always be correctly handled. This correct handling means that no damage is inflicted on the umbilical cable during spooling, thereby increasing the lifespan of the umbilical cable and requiring it to be replaced less frequently than in known spooling systems.
  • the apparatus and method embodied by the present invention is advantageously universally applicable to all arrangements of umbilical cable in any particular layer or wrap. This is because when the umbilical cable is spooling onto a full drum, the umbilical cable runs tangentially onto the drum from the lower sheave wheel.
  • FIG. 5 A cross section of the apparatus embodied in the present invention is shown in Figure 5 .
  • Upper sheave wheel 501 and lower sheave wheel 502 are contained in carriage 503 , which itself moves back and forth over winch drum 504 during the spooling process as the umbilical cable wraps around winch drum 504 .
  • Lower sheave wheel 502 is fixed in position in carriage 503 and moves only across drum 504 as carriage 503 moves across drum 504 .
  • Upper sheave wheel 501 pivots about two bearings, an upper bearing 505 and a lower bearing 506. Bearings 505 and 506 are in line with the vertical tangent point 507 between the lower fixed wheel 502 and the upper sheave wheel 501 . This means that the entry point of the umbilical cable on the upper sheave wheel 501 is on the same vertical line 507 as the entry point on the lower sheave wheel 502 . The umbilical cable therefore moves straight up or down between upper sheave wheel 501 and lower sheave wheel 502 , and bearings 505 and 506 are totally in line with the umbilical.
  • umbilical cable 602 comes onto upper sheave wheel 603 in accordance with arrow 606 , around upper sheave wheel 603 and through bottom bearing 604 , then passes straight down between upper sheave wheel 603 and lower sheave wheel 605 and onto drum 601 . Therefore, umbilical cable 602 always passes straight down between the two sheaves 603 and 605 in accordance with arrow 607 and there is never any movement of umbilical cable 602 between the two sheaves 603 and 605 . This is to ensure that there is no kinking or twisting of umbilical cable 602 .
  • umbilical cable 602 also ensures that the minimum bend radius of the umbilical cable is never exceeded whilst umbilical cable 602 is spooled onto winch drum 601 .
  • the pivoting action of upper sheave wheel 603 ensures umbilical cable 602 is sent off in the right direction (to either the drum or overboarding of sheave wheel).
  • the present invention also provides a method for spooling umbilical cable onto a winch drum without exceeding the minimum bend radius of the cable, comprising the step of: passing the cable straight down between an upper sheave wheel and a lower fixed sheave wheel configured in a diametrically opposed arrangement in a carriage mounted on a screw thread, wherein said carriage is configured to move on said screw thread across said winch drum, wherein said upper sheave wheel is configured to pivot about two bearings positioned on the vertical tangent line between the lower fixed wheel and the upper sheave wheel, and wherein said cable has an entry point on said upper wheel in the same vertical plane as the entry point of said cable on said lower fixed wheel.
  • the method also comprises the step of spooling the umbilical cable around a winch drum, forming a wrap of cable around each circumference of drum.
  • the method also comprises the step of spooling the umbilical cable around the winch drum, forming a plurality of layers on the winch drum.
  • the umbilical cable winds around the drum, and the winding of umbilical cable around a single circumference of drum constitutes a wrap.
  • the umbilical cable then winds on top of itself in layers (akin to a hosepipe), up to ten layers and possibly more.
  • umbilical cable 602 moves up past lower sheave wheel 605 , through bottom bearing 604 and around upper sheave wheel 603 , before being lowered into the water, moving in a direction which is opposite to arrows 606 and 607 . Therefore, the umbilical cable always passes straight up between the two sheaves 603 and 605 and there is never any movement of umbilical 602 between the two sheaves 603 and 605 .
  • umbilical cable 702 always lies within the "valley" of sheave wheel 701 .
  • the umbilical cable on the upper sheave wheel is in the same vertical plane as the entry point of the umbilical cable on the lower sheave wheel. There is thus no movement between the upper and lower sheave wheels, and the umbilical simply moves up between the two sheaves.
  • the fact that umbilical cable 702 lies within the "valley" of sheave wheel 701 aids in the fact that there is no movement between the upper and lower sheave wheels, and the umbilical simply moves up between the two sheaves.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Geology (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Storing, Repeated Paying-Out, And Re-Storing Of Elongated Articles (AREA)
EP15250003.9A 2014-03-01 2015-02-12 Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Aufspulen von Versorgungskabeln oder Drahtseilen Withdrawn EP2913293A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1403696.6A GB2523601B (en) 2014-03-01 2014-03-01 Apparatus and method for spooling umbilical cable or wire rope

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2913293A1 true EP2913293A1 (de) 2015-09-02

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EP15250003.9A Withdrawn EP2913293A1 (de) 2014-03-01 2015-02-12 Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Aufspulen von Versorgungskabeln oder Drahtseilen

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EP (1) EP2913293A1 (de)
GB (1) GB2523601B (de)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2016124808A1 (es) * 2015-02-06 2016-08-11 Ibercisa Deck Machinery S.A. Máquina estibadora de cable
CN114772396A (zh) * 2022-05-16 2022-07-22 昆明海威机电技术研究所(有限公司) 一种水下航行器脐带缆自动收放设备

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN112875440B (zh) * 2021-01-11 2023-07-07 仲恺农业工程学院 一种水下机器人脐带缆收放装置

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2002006146A1 (en) * 2000-07-18 2002-01-24 Hydrovision Limited System for feeding line
WO2002038487A1 (en) * 2000-11-11 2002-05-16 Coflexip S.A. Winch system
CN202829400U (zh) * 2012-07-11 2013-03-27 中国船舶重工集团公司第七一五研究所 一种紧凑型中性缆收放绞车
CN103183293A (zh) * 2013-04-07 2013-07-03 中国地质大学（武汉） 重钩自由下落绳索取芯排绳绞车

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2002006146A1 (en) * 2000-07-18 2002-01-24 Hydrovision Limited System for feeding line
WO2002038487A1 (en) * 2000-11-11 2002-05-16 Coflexip S.A. Winch system
CN202829400U (zh) * 2012-07-11 2013-03-27 中国船舶重工集团公司第七一五研究所 一种紧凑型中性缆收放绞车
CN103183293A (zh) * 2013-04-07 2013-07-03 中国地质大学（武汉） 重钩自由下落绳索取芯排绳绞车

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2016124808A1 (es) * 2015-02-06 2016-08-11 Ibercisa Deck Machinery S.A. Máquina estibadora de cable
CN114772396A (zh) * 2022-05-16 2022-07-22 昆明海威机电技术研究所(有限公司) 一种水下航行器脐带缆自动收放设备
CN114772396B (zh) * 2022-05-16 2023-05-16 昆明海威机电技术研究所(有限公司) 一种水下航行器脐带缆自动收放设备

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Publication number Publication date
GB2523601B (en) 2016-04-27
GB2523601A (en) 2015-09-02
GB201403696D0 (en) 2014-04-16

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