GB2104131A - Laying cables under water - Google Patents

Laying cables under water Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2104131A
GB2104131A GB08222268A GB8222268A GB2104131A GB 2104131 A GB2104131 A GB 2104131A GB 08222268 A GB08222268 A GB 08222268A GB 8222268 A GB8222268 A GB 8222268A GB 2104131 A GB2104131 A GB 2104131A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
trench
cable
laying
cables
line
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Withdrawn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
GB08222268A
Inventor
Norman Howard Waterhouse
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.)
Balfour Beatty PLC
Original Assignee
BICC PLC
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 BICC PLC filed Critical BICC PLC
Publication of GB2104131A publication Critical patent/GB2104131A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02G—INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES
    • H02G1/00—Methods or apparatus specially adapted for installing, maintaining, repairing or dismantling electric cables or lines
    • H02G1/06—Methods or apparatus specially adapted for installing, maintaining, repairing or dismantling electric cables or lines for laying cables, e.g. laying apparatus on vehicle
    • H02G1/10—Methods or apparatus specially adapted for installing, maintaining, repairing or dismantling electric cables or lines for laying cables, e.g. laying apparatus on vehicle in or 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
    • E02F5/10—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
    • E02F5/10—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
    • 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
    • E02F5/109—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 rotating digging elements

Abstract

Apparatus for laying one or more cables under water in substantially the same trench as a line laid below the sea bed comprises a submersible trench clearing and cable positioning device having cutting and lifting means for assisting in the breaking up and/or removal of the heavy debris from the trench.

Description

SPECIFICATION Laying cables under water This invention relates to a method of, and apparatus for, laying cables, pipes or other elongate flexible members (hereinafter for convenience referred to as "cables") under water.
In the complete specification of our UK Patent No 1466570 (our earlier patent) we have described and claimed a method of laying a cable below the bed of a body of water comprising forming a trench in the bed and laying in it a line (for example a steel hawser) having a greater strength and/or a lower cost than the cable: and then a separate second operation laying the cable from a cable-laying vessel in substantially the same trench by a submerged device caused to follow the path of the line.
As described in our earlier patent, the submerged device (such as a "plough") may be towed by the cable-laying vessel through a recovered length of the line layed in the first operation or otherwise, or it may have internal traction means.
In the specification of our published UK Patent Application No 201911 3A (our earlier patent application), we described and claimed a method of laying one or more cables under water in substantially the same trench as a line already laid below the bed of the body of water comprising advancing a submerged cable-positioning device along the path of the line in a laying direction by traction means on said device pulling on the line ahead, and feeding the cable from a cable-laying vessel to said device in such a manner that any auxiliary lines extending between the vessel and the device are, relative to the laying direction, above and behind the flexible member.
We have also described and claimed in our earlier patent application apparatus for laying a cable under water in substantially the same trench as a line laid below the sea bed comprising a submersible trench clearing and cable positioning device having traction means to pull on the line ahead to advance said device along the path of the iine.
Problems sometimes arise when large rock fragments or boulders (heavy debris) fall into the trench subsequent to its original excavation when the line is laid.
According to the present invention apparatus for laying one or more cables under water in substantially the same trench as a line laid below the sea bed comprises a submersible trench clearing and cable-positioning device having cutting and lifting means for assisting in the breaking up and/or removal of the heavy debris from the trench.
The cutting and lifting means preferably comprises a chain-type cutter and mechanical hoist assembly.
Preferably the device also includes high velocity water jets to reform the trench, the jets being positioned between the cutting means, Apart from enhancing the removal of debris from the trench, this invention also assists the entry of the device from an area of soft sea bed material into a hard area of rock. Further, by utilising the ability to cut material from the trench side walls it is possible that a narrower pre-cut trench can be excavated since it would be possible to cut the clearance required to negotiate any bend in the trench.
This invention is applicable to any of the apparatuses described in our earlier patent and in our earlier patent application.
Preferably the device also comprises a separate hollow flexible guide as described and claimed in our European Patent Application No. filed the same day as this application, and claiming priority from our UK Patent Application No. 8123677 filed 3 August, 1981.
The device preferably also comprises high pressure water jets and low pressure water jets as described and claimed in our UK Patent Application No. filed the same day as this application, and claiming priority from our UK Patent Application No. 8123679 filed 3 August, 1981.
Preferably the device also includes trench filling means comprising a suction system for collecting a proportion of material removed from the trench, a grading system to grade the collected material into various sizes, and a discharge system for initially covering the cable or cables in the trench with material of suitable size to provide backfill to protect the cable or cables.
The grading system preferably comprises a number of screens.
The device preferably also includes a plenum chamber surrounding each jet nozzle so that abrasive material (eg pea shingle or granite chippings) can be fed into the chamber, entrained in each jet, and then projected at the faying face at high velocity such that the faying face is broken up. This arrangement has particular use in excavating or re-excavating a trench in cohesive or hard material. By utilising concentric nozzles the abrasive material can be introduced into the centre of the jet stream, thereby avoiding abrasion of the bore of each nozzle.
This invention also includes a method of laying cables in substantially the same trench as a line laid below the sea bed using apparatus as hereinbefore described.
Claims
1. Apparatus for laying one or more cables under water in substantially the same trench as a line laid below the sea bed comprises a submersible trench clearing and cable positioning device having cutting and lifting means for assisting in the breaking up and/or removal of heavy debris from the trench.
2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, in which the cutting and lifting means comprises a chaintype cutter and mechanical hoist assembly.
3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the device includes high velocity water
**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (7)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Laying cables under water This invention relates to a method of, and apparatus for, laying cables, pipes or other elongate flexible members (hereinafter for convenience referred to as "cables") under water. In the complete specification of our UK Patent No 1466570 (our earlier patent) we have described and claimed a method of laying a cable below the bed of a body of water comprising forming a trench in the bed and laying in it a line (for example a steel hawser) having a greater strength and/or a lower cost than the cable: and then a separate second operation laying the cable from a cable-laying vessel in substantially the same trench by a submerged device caused to follow the path of the line. As described in our earlier patent, the submerged device (such as a "plough") may be towed by the cable-laying vessel through a recovered length of the line layed in the first operation or otherwise, or it may have internal traction means. In the specification of our published UK Patent Application No 201911 3A (our earlier patent application), we described and claimed a method of laying one or more cables under water in substantially the same trench as a line already laid below the bed of the body of water comprising advancing a submerged cable-positioning device along the path of the line in a laying direction by traction means on said device pulling on the line ahead, and feeding the cable from a cable-laying vessel to said device in such a manner that any auxiliary lines extending between the vessel and the device are, relative to the laying direction, above and behind the flexible member. We have also described and claimed in our earlier patent application apparatus for laying a cable under water in substantially the same trench as a line laid below the sea bed comprising a submersible trench clearing and cable positioning device having traction means to pull on the line ahead to advance said device along the path of the iine. Problems sometimes arise when large rock fragments or boulders (heavy debris) fall into the trench subsequent to its original excavation when the line is laid. According to the present invention apparatus for laying one or more cables under water in substantially the same trench as a line laid below the sea bed comprises a submersible trench clearing and cable-positioning device having cutting and lifting means for assisting in the breaking up and/or removal of the heavy debris from the trench. The cutting and lifting means preferably comprises a chain-type cutter and mechanical hoist assembly. Preferably the device also includes high velocity water jets to reform the trench, the jets being positioned between the cutting means, Apart from enhancing the removal of debris from the trench, this invention also assists the entry of the device from an area of soft sea bed material into a hard area of rock. Further, by utilising the ability to cut material from the trench side walls it is possible that a narrower pre-cut trench can be excavated since it would be possible to cut the clearance required to negotiate any bend in the trench. This invention is applicable to any of the apparatuses described in our earlier patent and in our earlier patent application. Preferably the device also comprises a separate hollow flexible guide as described and claimed in our European Patent Application No. filed the same day as this application, and claiming priority from our UK Patent Application No. 8123677 filed 3 August, 1981. The device preferably also comprises high pressure water jets and low pressure water jets as described and claimed in our UK Patent Application No. filed the same day as this application, and claiming priority from our UK Patent Application No. 8123679 filed 3 August, 1981. Preferably the device also includes trench filling means comprising a suction system for collecting a proportion of material removed from the trench, a grading system to grade the collected material into various sizes, and a discharge system for initially covering the cable or cables in the trench with material of suitable size to provide backfill to protect the cable or cables. The grading system preferably comprises a number of screens. The device preferably also includes a plenum chamber surrounding each jet nozzle so that abrasive material (eg pea shingle or granite chippings) can be fed into the chamber, entrained in each jet, and then projected at the faying face at high velocity such that the faying face is broken up. This arrangement has particular use in excavating or re-excavating a trench in cohesive or hard material. By utilising concentric nozzles the abrasive material can be introduced into the centre of the jet stream, thereby avoiding abrasion of the bore of each nozzle. This invention also includes a method of laying cables in substantially the same trench as a line laid below the sea bed using apparatus as hereinbefore described. Claims
1. Apparatus for laying one or more cables under water in substantially the same trench as a line laid below the sea bed comprises a submersible trench clearing and cable positioning device having cutting and lifting means for assisting in the breaking up and/or removal of heavy debris from the trench.
2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, in which the cutting and lifting means comprises a chaintype cutter and mechanical hoist assembly.
3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the device includes high velocity water jets to reform the trench, the jets being positioned between the cutting means.
4. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 3, in which the device also comprises a plenum chamber surrounding each jet nozzle so that abrasive material can be fed into the chamber, entrained in each jet, and the projected at the faying face at high velocity.
5. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, in which the device also comprises a suction system for collecting a proportion of material removed from the trench, a grading system to grade the collected material into various sizes, and a discharge system for initially covering the cable or cables in the trench with material of suitable size to provide backfill to protect the cable or cables.
6. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, in which the grading system comprises a number of screens.
7. A method of laying cables in substantially the same trench as a line laid below the sea bed using apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims.
GB08222268A 1981-08-03 1982-08-02 Laying cables under water Withdrawn GB2104131A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8123678 1981-08-03

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB2104131A true GB2104131A (en) 1983-03-02

Family

ID=10523657

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB08222268A Withdrawn GB2104131A (en) 1981-08-03 1982-08-02 Laying cables under water

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2104131A (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2001084184A2 (en) * 2000-05-03 2001-11-08 Geco As Marine seismic surveying
US11384506B2 (en) 2017-07-27 2022-07-12 Royal Ihc Limited Trench cutting apparatus and method

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2001084184A2 (en) * 2000-05-03 2001-11-08 Geco As Marine seismic surveying
WO2001084184A3 (en) * 2000-05-03 2002-05-23 Geco As Marine seismic surveying
GB2378759A (en) * 2000-05-03 2003-02-19 Westerngeco As Marine seismic surveying
GB2378759B (en) * 2000-05-03 2004-10-20 Westerngeco As Marine seismic surveying
US11384506B2 (en) 2017-07-27 2022-07-12 Royal Ihc Limited Trench cutting apparatus and method

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)