JP2009236288A - Flexible tube laying device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a laying device feeding a flexible tube when loading a tanker with a fluid, especially a low temperature fluid, from a facility floating on the sea, extending a service life of the flexible tube by restricting accumulation of fatigue of the flexible tube, and facilitating the work for laying the flexible tube. <P>SOLUTION: When a flexible tube 11 is fed onto the sea by a feeding device 23, a guide 13 moves on a guide rail 19 in response to the feeding speed of the feeding device 23. Winches 17a, 17b and the feeding device 23 synchronize with each other, and a wire 15a is wound up by the winch 17a in response to the feeding speed of the feeding device 23, and the guide 13 moves in the feeding direction of the flexible tube 11 along the guide rail 19. At that time, the flexible tube 11 is fed onto the sea, while moving on rollers 21. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a flexible pipe laying apparatus used when a fluid such as liquefied natural gas having a very low temperature is transported from a floating facility installed on the sea to a tanker or the like.

  Conventionally, in order to load oil etc. into a tanker for transportation from an offshore floating facility (base) that stores oil calculated from an oil field etc. on the seabed, the floating facility and the tanker are made of a flexible floating type made of resin. The pipes are connected to transport oil and the like.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a conventional resin flexible pipe laying device 70 used for transporting petroleum or the like. The laying device 70 is provided with a plurality of drums 71a, 71b, 71c on an offshore floating facility 77. Flexible tubes 73a, 73b, and 73c are wound around the drums 71a, 71b, and 71c, respectively. The drums 73a, 73b, and 73c rotate around the rotation shafts 75a, 75b, and 75c, and the flexible tubes 73a, 73b, and 73c are sent to the sea by a feeding device that is not shown. When the flexible tubes 73a, 73b, and 73c are sent to the tanker where the loading is performed, the flexible tubes 73a, 73b, and 73c are connected to the tanker, and oil or the like is loaded from the offshore floating facility 77 to the tanker.

On the other hand, natural gas calculated from a gas field on the ground or in the near sea is liquefied and stored at the base. When loading liquefied natural gas (hereinafter “LNG”) into a tanker for transportation, an articulated loading arm provided at a coastal base is used. As the LNG receiving base, for example, there are an LNG receiving base and an LNG shipping base system described in Patent Document 1 adopting a loading arm system (Patent Document 1).
JP-A-5-65718

  However, although the loading arm system as in Patent Document 1 can be loaded from the ground base into the tanker, the LNG is loaded into the tanker from a floating facility that produces and stores LNG installed in the gas field in the open sea. In this case, there is a problem that the loading arm cannot follow the movement between the facility and the tanker that are greatly shaken by waves or the like, and the equipment is increased in size.

  Further, in the conventional method of transporting petroleum, the method of loading a fluid into a tanker using a resin floating flexible tube 73 is difficult to cope with a cryogenic fluid such as LNG. is there. This is because conventional resin-made floating flexible tubes are fragile at extremely low temperatures and cannot be sufficiently flexible, so it is necessary to use a metal tube, which has both durability and heat insulation. This is because a flexible tube is required.

  Further, when a flexible tube using such a metal having both high durability and high heat insulation is employed, there is a problem that it is necessary to consider fatigue. In particular, when the flexible tube is wound around a drum or the like and sent out, bending deformation occurs in the flexible tube. For this reason, when the flexible tube is wound around the drum and delivered, there is a problem that fatigue is accumulated in the flexible tube and the life of the flexible tube is shortened.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and it is possible to send out a flexible tube used when a fluid, particularly a low-temperature fluid, is loaded from a floating facility at sea to a tanker. An object of the present invention is to provide a laying device that extends the life of a flexible tube by suppressing the accumulation of fatigue and facilitates the laying operation of the flexible tube.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is a flexible pipe laying device for transporting fluid, which is provided in an offshore floating facility, and a guide provided so as to be movable, and is hung on the guide. A flexible tube, a flexible tube feeding device capable of feeding the flexible tube from the offshore floating facility to the sea, or feeding the flexible tube from the ocean to the offshore floating facility, and the guide A moving device for the guide to be moved, and the flexible tube feeding device and the guide moving device are synchronized, and the flexible tube is fed out or moved while being fed. This is a flexible pipe laying device.

  A flexible tube connecting portion for supplying a fluid can be connected to either end of the flexible tube, and one end of the flexible tube is connected to the flexible tube connecting portion, and the flexible tube The other end of the flexible tube may be sent to the sea, and a pair of the guides are provided side by side, and the flexible tube can be hung on either of the pair of guides. The direction may be changeable.

  The guide may be provided in a plurality of stages, and the flexible tube may be hung on each of the plurality of guides. In this case, the guides provided in the plurality of stages may be individually movable. . The fluid may be liquefied natural gas.

  According to the present invention, the flexible tube is bent into a U shape by the guide, and the flexible tube is sent out to the sea according to the reciprocating motion of the guide. The portion where no occurrence occurs is not affected by fatigue. In particular, when the fluid to be transported is a cryogenic fluid such as LNG, a metal is used for the flexible tube. Therefore, if bending is not caused, the life of the flexible tube can be extended due to fatigue of the portion. .

In addition, when connecting the supply section for supplying fluid to the flexible tube and the end of the flexible tube, it is necessary to attach it through various safety equipment such as an automatic disconnection device and a gas relief device in an emergency. Since it is extremely low temperature, it is necessary to pre-cool and connect each safety equipment including the flexible tube end, and the ratio of the time required for the connection work of the flexible tube end in the limited work time is large.
Therefore, if at least one end of the flexible tube is always connected to the fluid supply unit, the connection of the tanker is completed at the other end, so that the laying work man-hour is reduced. Also, if any end of the flexible tube can be connected to the supply unit, the end on the side not connected to the fluid supply unit becomes the delivery side of the flexible tube, so the connection unit is changed. Thus, it is possible to change the delivery end portion of the flexible tube, and therefore, it is possible to change a portion where the flexible tube is not bent during delivery. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the accumulation of fatigue experienced by the entire flexible tube caused by the use of the flexible tube.

  Also, if a pair of guides are used and a flexible tube can be provided in any of the guides, the bending direction of the flexible tube can be changed. By bending, the influence of fatigue can be suppressed, and the life of the flexible tube can be further extended.

  Furthermore, if a plurality of guides are provided, a plurality of flexible tubes can be efficiently sent out to the sea, and the fluid is transported by the plurality of flexible tubes, so that loading into the tanker can be completed in a shorter time. Can do.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to send out a flexible tube used when loading a fluid, particularly a low-temperature fluid, from a floating facility on the sea to a tanker, and by suppressing the accumulation of fatigue of the flexible tube, the flexible tube It is possible to provide a flexible pipe laying device that extends the life of the pipe and facilitates the work of laying the flexible pipe.

  Hereinafter, the laying apparatus 1 concerning embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a laying device 1 according to the first embodiment. The laying device 1 mainly includes a guide 13, a flexible tube 11, a feeding device 23, a winch 17, a roller 21, and the like.

  The laying device 1 is provided on the offshore floating facility 3. The offshore floating facility 3 is a storage base that is provided especially on the open sea and liquefies and stores natural gas calculated from the seabed gas field. The LNG stored in the offshore floating facility 3 is periodically transported to the tanker 5. The laying device 1 sends out a flexible tube 11 that transports fluid toward the receiving unit 9 of the tanker 5 to the sea when the LNG is transported.

  The flexible tube 11 is a flexible pipe, and one end thereof is connected to the supply unit 7. The supply part 7 is a connection part with the flexible tube which supplies LNG. When transporting LNG, the other end of the flexible tube 11 is connected to the receiving unit 9 of the tanker 5, and LNG is loaded from the supply unit 7 to the receiving unit 9. Details of the flexible tube 11 will be described later.

  On the offshore floating facility 3, a guide rail 19 is provided in the feeding direction of the flexible tube 11 (longitudinal direction of the offshore floating facility 3). Stoppers 16a and 16b are provided at both ends of the guide rail 19, respectively. A guide 13 is installed on the guide rail 19. The guide 13 is a semicircular member having a predetermined curvature on one side.

  Here, the predetermined curvature is a curvature larger than the allowable bending radius of the flexible tube 11 hung on the guide 13. The allowable bending radius is a minimum radius at which the flexible tube 11 is not subjected to plastic deformation by bending.

The stoppers 16 a and 16 b limit the movable range of the guide 13 on the guide rail 19. Therefore, the guide 13 can move along the guide rail 19 between the stoppers 16 a and 16 b on the guide rail 19. Details of the structure of the guide 13 will be described later.

  Wires 15 a and 15 b are provided in parallel to the guide rail 19 on both sides (front-rear direction) of the movement direction of the guide 13. The other ends of the wires 15a and 15b are wound around the winches 17a and 17b, respectively. The winches 17a and 17b are synchronized. For example, when the wire 15a is wound up by the winch 17a, the wire 15b is sent out from the winch 17b. Therefore, the guide 13 travels on the guide rail 19 by being pulled in the respective directions by the wires 15a and 15b. That is, the winches 17 a and 17 b function as a moving device for the guide 13.

  On one outer side of the guide rail 19, a plurality of rollers 21 are provided in parallel to the guide rail 19. The roller 21 is for assisting the movement of the flexible tube 11 when the flexible tube 11 is sent out to the sea. Therefore, the roller 21 is provided on the delivery side of the flexible tube 11. If the flexible tube 11 and the offshore floating facility 3 are slippery and the flexible tube 11 can easily move on the offshore floating facility 3, the roller 21 is not necessary.

  A feeding device 23 is provided in the vicinity of the position where the flexible tube 11 is fed out. The feeding device 23 is a device for feeding the flexible tube 11 from the offshore floating facility 3 to the sea, or sending (returning) the flexible tube 11 from the sea to the offshore floating facility 3. In addition, in the following description, the case where the flexible tube 11 is sent out to the sea is mainly demonstrated. The feeding device 23 is, for example, a pair of belt-like endless tracks, and the flexible tube 11 can be sent out to the sea by sandwiching the flexible tube 11 between the pair of endless tracks and operating the endless track. The feeding device 23 is not limited to an endless track, and may be a feeding roller or the like.

  One end of the flexible tube 11 is joined to the supply unit 7. The connection part with the supply part 7 is provided with an emergency disconnecting device, a leak detector, etc., not shown. Further, the flexible tube 11 is arranged toward the opposite side to the delivery direction, is hung on the curvature portion 14 of the guide 13 and reverses the direction, and is arranged in a U shape toward the delivery direction. It is sent out to the sea via the feeding device 23.

  When the flexible tube 11 is sent to the sea by the feeding device 23, the guide 13 moves on the guide rail 19 according to the feeding speed of the feeding device 23. That is, the winches 17a and 17b, which are moving devices of the guide 13, and the feeding device 23 are synchronized, and the wire 15a is wound up by the winch 17a according to the feeding speed of the feeding device 23, and the guide 13 is guided by the guide rail 19 Can be moved in the feeding direction of the flexible tube 11. At this time, the flexible tube 11 is sent to the sea while moving on the roller 21.

  Next, the flexible tube 11 will be described. The flexible tube 11 is a pipe having flexibility, and in order to transport a normal temperature fluid such as petroleum, a resin tube conventionally used may be used, but in order to transport a cryogenic fluid such as LNG. Are required to have high heat insulation and durability.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the flexible tube 11. A metal corrugated tube 25 is provided in the innermost part through which the fluid flows. The corrugated tube 25 allows the flexible tube 11 to withstand the internal pressure of the fluid flowing inside.

  Normally, 100,000 to 150,000 ton class tankers are used in consideration of fluid transportation efficiency. In addition, since the weather varies greatly on the sea, it is desirable that the operation of loading a fluid into a tanker or the like is usually completed within 24 hours. Therefore, considering the loading efficiency, about 2 to 3 flexible tubes 11 having a diameter of about 400 mm are used. However, the diameter of the flexible tube 11 is preferably larger in order to increase the fluid transport efficiency, but the allowable bending radius of the flexible tube 11 is increased, and the laying device of the flexible tube 11 is increased in size. The diameter and number of the flexible tubes 11 are appropriately determined according to usage conditions and the like.

  The corrugated tube 25 is flexible and can be bent freely as long as it has a predetermined bending radius or more. Here, the predetermined bending radius is an allowable bending radius of the flexible tube 11 and refers to a bending curvature that does not cause collapse of the tube due to plastic deformation of the flexible tube 11. Usually, the allowable bending radius of the flexible tube 11 is about 10 times the diameter of the flexible tube 11, and is preferably set to about 15 times the diameter of the flexible tube 11.

  For example, the flexible tube 11 having an inner diameter of about 400 mm and an outer diameter of about 500 mm can be used. In this case, the allowable bending radius is set to 5 m, and preferably about 7.5 m. Accordingly, the curvature of the curvature portion 14 of the guide 13 described above needs to be at least the allowable bending radius.

  A floor layer 27 is provided on the outer layer of the corrugated tube 25. The floor layer 27 is a layer for flattening irregularities on the outer periphery of the corrugated tube 25, and is, for example, a nonwoven fabric layer. A reinforcement layer 29 is provided on the outer layer of the floor layer 27. The reinforcing layer 29 suppresses deformation of the flexible tube 11 in the axial direction. The reinforcing layer 29 is, for example, a fiber woven tape or a metal tape, and is alternately wound in the axial direction of the flexible tube 11.

  A heat insulating layer 31 is provided on the outer layer of the reinforcing layer 29. The heat insulating layer 31 insulates the cryogenic fluid flowing inside the corrugated tube 25 from the outside, prevents a temperature drop of the outer layer of the flexible tube 11 and prevents heat from the outside from being transferred to the fluid. For example, a nonwoven fabric is used for the heat insulating layer 31. A waterproof layer 33 is provided on the outer layer of the heat insulating layer 31. The waterproof layer 33 is made of resin and follows the deformation of the flexible tube 11 and prevents seawater and the like from entering the flexible tube 11. The waterproof layer 33 is less affected by the temperature of the cryogenic fluid due to the heat insulating layer 31. Therefore, the waterproof layer 33 does not become brittle.

  According to the flexible tube 11, a cryogenic fluid can be transported, and the flexible tube 11 can follow relative position fluctuations caused by waves between the offshore floating body facility 3 and the tanker, so that it can follow. No space is required for storage on the offshore floating facility 3. In addition, the structure of the flexible tube 11 is not restricted to the structure of FIG. It can be changed according to the characteristics and operating conditions of the fluid to be handled.

  Next, details of the guide 13 will be described. 3A and 3B are views showing the guide 13, FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the guide 13, and FIG. 3B is a front view. In FIG. 3, the flexible tube 11 hung on the guide 13 is indicated by a dotted line. The guide 13 is a semicircular member having a curvature portion 14 having a predetermined curvature on one side. The curvature portion 14 is provided with an arc-shaped recess 18 according to the diameter of the flexible tube 11 hung on the guide 13. Therefore, the flexible tube 11 is hung on the concave portion 18 of the curvature portion 14 and reverses the direction.

  In the vicinity of the lower end of the guide 13, connection portions 35 a and 35 b are provided. The connection parts 35a and 35b are connection parts with the wires 15a and 15b. A wheel 37 is provided below the guide 13. The wheel 37 can travel on the guide rail 19. Therefore, the guide 13 can travel in the front-rear direction on the guide rail 19 by the wheels 37 in the direction pulled by the wires 15a and 15b. The material of the guide 13 is preferably a material having a certain level of strength and excellent wear resistance, and may be made of resin or metal, for example. When the slide between the guide 13 and the flexible tube 11 is bad, a guide roller can be separately provided in the recess 18.

  4A and 4B are views showing a guide 12a in which a plurality of guide rollers 12b are provided in a portion corresponding to the concave portion 18 of the guide 13. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the guide 13, and FIG. FIG. In FIG. 4, the flexible tube 11 hung on the guide 13 is indicated by a dotted line.

  The guide 13a is provided with a plurality of guide rollers 12b along the curvature portion 14 of the guide 12a at a portion corresponding to the concave portion 18 which is a contact portion of the guide 13 with the flexible tube 11. The guide roll 12 b has a shape in which a substantially central portion of a cylindrical roller is constricted according to the outer diameter of the flexible tube 11.

  The guide roller 12b protrudes outward from the guide 12a main body. The flexible tube 11 is hung on the constricted portion of the guide roller 12b and reverses the direction. Therefore, the flexible tube 11 does not rub against the main body of the guide 12a by the guide roller 12b. For this reason, by using the guide 12a provided with the guide roller 12b, the flexible tube 11 is not damaged by rubbing. The guide roller 12b only needs to have a certain level of strength, and resin, metal, or the like can be used. In the present invention, either the guide 13 or the guide 12a may be used as necessary. In the following description, the case where the guide 13 is used will be described.

  Next, the process of sending out the flexible tube 11 by the laying device 1 will be described. 5-7 is a figure which shows the process in which the flexible tube 11 is sent out by the laying apparatus 1. FIG.

  In a normal state, the flexible tube 11 is provided in a U shape on the offshore floating facility 3 as shown in FIG. Here, the offshore floating facility 3 has a length of about 300 m, and the installation space for the flexible tube 11 is even shorter in consideration of incidental facilities and the like. On the other hand, the distance from the offshore floating facility 3 to the tanker where loading is performed needs to be about 200 m for safety. For this reason, the delivery length of the flexible tube 11 from the offshore floating body facility 3 needs to be 300 m or more. Therefore, it is impossible to install the flexible tube 11 on the offshore floating facility 3 in a straight line. According to the laying device 1, since the flexible tube 11 is provided in a U-shape, if a flexible tube installation length of about 150 m can be secured on the offshore floating body facility 3, without winding around a drum or the like, A flexible tube 11 can be installed.

  One end of the flexible tube 11 is always connected to the supply unit 7. The guide 13 is located on the side farthest from the feeding direction of the supply unit 7 and the flexible tube 11. That is, the wire 15b is wound up by the winch 17b, and the winch 17 is in a state where the wire 15a is fed out.

  The flexible tube 11 is bent and installed in a U-shape from the supply unit 7 through the guide 13, and the portion of the flexible tube 11 facing the delivery direction (the right half toward the paper surface of FIG. 5) is a roller. 21 is arranged. That is, substantially half of the flexible tube 11 is provided on the roller 21.

  A joint 24 is provided at the end of the flexible tube 11. A feeding device 23 is provided in the vicinity of the joint 24 at the tip of the flexible tube 11, and the flexible tube 11 is sandwiched between the feeding devices 23.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the feeder 23 and the winches 17a and 17b are operated to feed the flexible tube 11 to the sea. The flexible tube 11 is sent out in the B direction according to the feeding speed of the feeding device 23. The flexible tube 11 is transported on the sea toward the receiving unit 9 of the tanker 5 by, for example, a small ship traveling on the sea. At this time, the winch 17a winds the wire 15a according to the feeding speed of the feeding device 23, and at the same time, the winch 17b feeds the wire 15b. Therefore, the guide 13 moves in the A direction according to the feed speed of the flexible tube 11. Since the feeding speed of the flexible tube 11 by the feeding device 23 and the moving speed of the guide 13 by the winches 17a and 17b are synchronized, the flexible tube 11 always maintains the state of being hooked on the guide 13. The moving speed of the guide 13 is about half of the feeding speed of the flexible tube 11.

  At this time, since the guide 13 moves on the guide rail 19, the guide 13 does not bend or tilt when the guide 13 moves. In addition, since the flexible tube 11 on the roller 21 can be easily moved by the roller 21, the resistance when the flexible tube 11 is fed can be reduced.

  Further, the flexible tube 11 is continuously fed by the feeding device 23, and the feeding device 23 and the winches 17a and 17b are stopped when the guide 13 moves to the end of the guide rail 19 (stopper 16a) as shown in FIG. Then, the feeding of the flexible tube 11 is stopped. In this state, the joint 24 is connected to a tanker (not shown) to start transporting the fluid. In addition, after transport of the fluid to the tanker 5 is completed, the guide 13 is returned to the original position by the reverse operation, and the fluid is loaded in a state where the flexible tube 11 is completely pulled up on the offshore floating facility 3. Ends.

  As described above, according to the laying device 1 according to the present embodiment, the flexible tube 11 is kept on the guide 13 to be U-shaped, and therefore the flexible tube 11 can be kept at an allowable bending radius or more. In addition, since the flexible tube 11 is sent out as the guide 13 moves, about half of the length of the flexible tube 11 is kept straight even when the flexible tube 11 is sent out and is not bent. For this reason, even if a metal tube is used for the flexible tube 11, substantially half of the flexible tube 11 is not fatigued. Therefore, the flexible tube 11 particularly suitable for transporting a cryogenic fluid can be sent out efficiently. Moreover, if the flexible tube 11 is re-mounted on the guide 13 and used after being inverted, the bending fatigue history of the flexible tube 11 becomes uniform throughout the flexible tube 11 and the life of the flexible tube 11 due to fatigue is extended. Can do.

  For example, assuming that the cargo handling frequency is 3 times / month, the cargo handling time is 24 hours, the mean wave height is 3 m, and the mean wave period is 6 seconds, the fatigue of the flexible tube due to the wave is calculated, and the bending of the flexible tube diameter is 14 times Assuming that twice (feeding and winding of the flexible tube) occurs, calculating fatigue due to feeding of the flexible tube, adding fatigue due to waves and feeding, and calculating the service life due to fatigue of the flexible tube, If the bending position of the flexible tube is changed and the fatigue due to feeding to the flexible tube is halved with respect to the service life due to normal drum winding or the like, a life improvement of about 50% is expected.

  In addition, since one end of the flexible tube 11 is always connected to the supply unit 7, it is not necessary to connect the supply unit 7 and the flexible tube 11 again after the flexible tube 11 is sent out. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce the man-hour for transporting the fluid by the flexible tube 11.

  The guide 13 has a curvature portion 14, and if the curvature of the curvature portion 14 is sufficiently larger than the allowable bending radius of the flexible tube 11, the flexible tube 11 is also attached when the flexible tube 11 is hung on the guide 13. There is no damage. In addition, since the guide 13 is provided with the recess 18, the flexible tube 11 does not come off the guide 13. Further, since the guide 13 travels on the guide rail 19, the guide 13 does not bend or tilt when moving.

  Further, the winches 17a and 17b, which are moving devices of the guide 13, and the feeding device 23 are synchronized, and the feeding speed of the flexible tube 11 by the feeding device 23 and the moving speed of the guide 13 by the winches 17a and 17b are synchronized. . Therefore, the flexible tube 11 always keeps being hung on the guide 13.

  Further, a roller 21 is provided at a site where the flexible tube 11 moves on the offshore floating facility 3. For this reason, the movement resistance of the flexible tube 11 on the offshore floating facility 3 is reduced, and the feeder 23 can be reduced in size.

  Next, the laying apparatus 40 according to the second embodiment will be described. In the following embodiment, the same number as FIG. 1-7 is attached | subjected to the component which performs the same function as the laying apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1-7, and the overlapping description is avoided. The laying device 40 according to the second embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the laying device 1, but differs in the following points. That is, the laying device 40 can be connected to the laying device 1 with the supply unit 7 connected to any end of the flexible tube 11, and the roller 21 and the feeding device 23 are provided on both sides of the guide rail 19. It is different.

  FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating the laying device 40. In the laying device 40, joints 24a and 24b are provided at both ends of the flexible tube 11, respectively. The supply unit 7 is provided so as to be connectable to both the joints 24a and 24b. That is, the supply unit 7 can be rotated, or the pair of supply units 7 can be switched by a valve to change the flow path.

  A plurality of rollers 21 are provided on both sides of the guide rail 19 along the guide rail 19. Feeding devices 23a and 23b are provided in the vicinity of the end portions (joints 24a and 24b) of the flexible tube 11, respectively. That is, the flexible tube 11 is sandwiched between the feeding devices 23a and 23b. The flexible tube 11 is held in a U-shape with the guide tube 13 being substantially centered on the flexible tube 11, and the linear portion of the flexible tube 11 is disposed on the roller 21.

  As shown in FIG. 8B, when the joint 24a is connected to the supply unit 7, the joint 24b side is sent out to the sea. Therefore, only the feeding device 23b operates without operating the feeding device 23a. The winch 17a, 17b which is a moving device of the feed device 23b and the guide 13 is synchronized, and the guide 13 operates according to the operation of the feed device 23b. The flexible tube 11 moves on the roller 21 on the feeding side and is sent out to the sea. In this case, the portion from the approximate center of the flexible tube 11 to the joint 24b is sent straight to the sea without being subjected to bending deformation.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8C, when the joint 24b is connected to the supply unit 7, the joint 24a side is sent out to the sea. Therefore, only the feeding device 23a operates without operating the feeding device 23b. The winch 17a, 17b which is a moving device of the feed device 23a and the guide 13 is synchronized, and the guide 13 operates according to the operation of the feed device 23a. The flexible tube 11 moves on the roller 21 on the feeding side and is sent out to the sea. In this case, the portion between the approximate center of the flexible tube 11 and the joint 24a is sent straight to the sea without being subjected to bending deformation.

  The connection between the joints 24a and 24b and the supply unit 7 is performed in advance before the flexible tube 11 is sent out. That is, which side of the joints 24 a and 24 b is determined to be sent to the sea, and the joint on the opposite side is connected to the supply unit 7. For this reason, when the flexible tube 11 is sent out, it is not necessary to perform a connection operation between the flexible tube 11 and the supply unit 7.

  According to the laying apparatus 40 concerning 2nd Embodiment, the effect similar to 1st Embodiment can be acquired. Moreover, since the supply part 7 can be connected to both ends of the flexible tube 11, it is possible to send out either side of the flexible tube 11 to the sea. At this time, since the flexible tube 11 on the side to be sent out to the sea is sent to the sea without being subjected to bending deformation, fatigue is not accumulated in the flexible tube 11 on the side to be sent out.

  Moreover, the site | part which receives the bending deformation of the flexible tube 11 can be changed by changing the delivery direction of the flexible tube 11 for every use. That is, in the respective half portions of the flexible tube 11 from the approximate center of the flexible tube 11 toward the joints 24a and 24b, the side where fatigue is accumulated by use and the side where deformation is not caused can be interchanged. For this reason, the flexible tube 11 can be sent out twice before the entire flexible tube 11 is subjected to bending fatigue. Therefore, the life of the flexible tube 11 due to fatigue can be extended.

  Next, the laying apparatus 50 according to the third embodiment will be described. The laying device 50 according to the third embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the laying device 1, but differs in the following points. That is, the laying device 50 is provided with a pair of guides 13, winches 17 a and 17 b, a feeding device 23, and the like with respect to the laying device 1.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the laying device 50. In the laying device 50, guide rails 19a and 19b are provided in parallel on the offshore floating facility 3, and guides 13a and 13b are provided on the guide rails 19a and 13b, respectively. The guides 13a and 13b are provided with wires 15a and 15b and wires 15c and 15d, respectively. The wires 15a and 15b are connected to the winches 17a and 17b, respectively, and the wires 15c and 15d are connected to the winches 17c and 17d.

  A plurality of rollers 21a and 21b are provided on the outer sides of the guide rails 19a and 19b along the guide rails 19a and 19b. Feeders 23a and 23b are provided in the vicinity of the ends of the rollers 21a and 21b in the feed-out direction of the flexible tube 11, respectively.

  One end of the flexible tube 11 is connected to the supply unit 7. The flexible tube 11 is disposed straight between the guide rails 19a and 19b (between the guides 13a and 13b). The substantially central portion of the flexible tube 11 is hung on the guide 13a to reverse the direction, and the roller 21a. The top is arranged substantially straight and is sandwiched between the feeding devices 23a. When the flexible tube 11 is delivered, the feeding device 23a is operated to send the flexible tube 11 to the sea. The guide 13a moves on the guide rail 19a by winches 17a and 17b which are moving devices of the guide 13a in synchronization with the feeding device 23a.

  On the other hand, after using the laying device 50, before sending out the flexible tube 11 again, the flexible tube 11 is re-hanged from the guides 13a to 13b. In the drawing, the flexible tube 11 in this state is indicated by a dotted line. The substantially central portion of the flexible tube 11 is hung on the guide 13b to reverse the direction, and the roller 21b is disposed substantially straight and is sandwiched between the feeding devices 23b. When the flexible tube 11 is delivered, the feeding device 23b is operated to send the flexible tube 11 to the sea. The guide 13b moves on the guide rail 19b by winches 17c and 17d which are moving devices of the guide 13b in synchronization with the feeding device 23b.

  According to the laying apparatus 50 concerning 3rd Embodiment, the effect similar to 1st Embodiment can be acquired. In addition, the flexible tube 11 can be hung on either of the pair of guides 13 a and 13 b, and can be sent to the sea from either the left or right direction with respect to the flexible tube 11 connected to the supply unit 7. Therefore, the bending direction of the flexible tube 11 can be changed each time the flexible tube 11 is sent out. For this reason, the bending of the flexible tube 11 in the same direction is eliminated, and the life of the flexible tube 11 due to the accumulation of fatigue can be extended.

  Next, the laying apparatus 60 according to the fourth embodiment will be described. The laying device 60 according to the fourth embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the laying device 1, but differs in the following points. That is, the laying device 60 is provided with a plurality of guides 13, winches 17 a and 17 b, feeding devices 23, and the like with respect to the laying device 1.

  FIG. 10 shows the laying device 60. A guide 13 a is provided on the offshore floating facility 3. The guide 13a is provided with wires 15a and 15b, which are connected to winches 17a and 17b, respectively. The flexible tube 11 is provided in a U-shape with its center approximately hung on the guide 13a. One end of the flexible tube 11 is connected to a supply unit 7 (not shown), and the other end is sent out to the sea by a feeding device 23a. The guide 13a travels and moves on a guide rail (not shown) according to the feed speed of the flexible tube 11.

  A stand 61a is provided above the guide 13a, the feeding device 23a, and the like. A guide 13b, a feeding device 23b, and the like are provided on the gantry 61a. The guide 13b is connected to the winches 17c and 17d through the wires 15c and 15d in the same manner as the guide 13a. The flexible tube 11 is provided in a U-shape with its center approximately hung on the guide 13b. One end of the flexible tube 11 is connected to a supply unit 7 (not shown), and the other end is sent out to the sea by a feeding device 23b. The guide 13b travels and moves on a guide rail (not shown) according to the feed speed of the flexible tube 11.

  A stand 61b is further provided above the guide 13b and the feeding device 23b. Similar to the guide 61a, a guide 13c, a feeding device 23c, and the like are provided on the gantry 61b. The guide 13c is connected to the winches 17e and 17f through the wires 15e and 15f in the same manner as the guide 13a. The flexible tube 11 is substantially U-shaped with the guide 13c at its center, one end is connected to the supply unit 7 (not shown), and the other end is sent out to the sea by the feeding device 23c. . The guide 13c travels and moves on a guide rail (not shown) according to the feed speed of the flexible tube 11.

  In addition, instead of the feeding devices 23b and 23c, a plurality of stages of the flexible tubes 11 can be sent out only by the feeding device 23a. In this case, the feeding device 23a may be provided so as to penetrate the mounts 61a and 61b. Furthermore, in this case, instead of the guides 13b and 13c, a plurality of stages of flexible tubes 11 may be hung only on the guide 13a. In this case, the guide 13a may be provided so as to penetrate the mounts 61a and 61b, and the recesses 18 may be provided in a plurality of stages. If only the guide 13a is used, the winches 17c, 17d, 17e, and 17f are unnecessary.

  According to the laying apparatus 60 concerning 4th Embodiment, the effect similar to 1st Embodiment can be acquired. Moreover, since the guides 13a, 13b, and 13c and a plurality of guides are provided and the flexible tube 11 is hung on each, the plurality of flexible tubes 11 can be sent out to the sea. Further, since the guides 13a, 13b, 13c and the like are stacked in a plurality of stages by the gantry 61a, 61b, space efficiency is good and the laying device 60 can be downsized.

  Further, if the plurality of flexible tubes 11 are fed out only by the feeding device 23a and the guide 13a, the feeding device, guides, winches and the like can be reduced, and a simpler laying device 60 can be obtained.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described referring an accompanying drawing, the technical scope of this invention is not influenced by embodiment mentioned above. It is obvious for those skilled in the art that various modifications or modifications can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. It is understood that it belongs.

  For example, although the wires 15a and 15b and the winches 17a and 17b are used for the movement of the guide 13, the moving means of the guide 13 is not limited to this. For example, the guide 13 may be moved by any known means such as hydraulic pressure or pneumatic pressure, or the guide 13 itself may be self-propelled. Moreover, although the wheel 13 was provided in the guide 13 and it was made to drive | work on the guide rail 19, if the guide 13 can move straightly, you may use this other method.

  The guide 13 has a semicircular shape, but is not limited to this shape. The portion on which the flexible tube 11 is hung may have a curvature portion 14 having a predetermined curvature, or may have a polygonal shape that is substantially similar to the curvature portion 14. In addition, for example, the guide 13 can be circular and the recess 18 can be provided on the entire circumference so that the guide 13 can be rotated. In this case, the guide 13 can function as a pulley and the flexible tube 11 can be sent out.

  Further, the moving direction of the guide 13 and the feeding direction of the flexible tube 11 do not necessarily coincide with each other, and the flexible tube 11 may be fed in a direction different from the moving direction of the guide 13 as necessary.

  In the fourth embodiment, the guide 13 is provided in three stages, but the guide 13 is not limited to three stages. In addition, the constituent elements of each embodiment can be used in any combination.

The figure which shows the structure of the laying apparatus. The perspective view which shows the structure of the flexible tube 11. FIG. In the figure which shows the guide 13, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a front view. In the figure which shows the guide 13a, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a front view. The figure which shows the state in which the flexible tube 11 was installed on the offshore floating body facility 3. FIG. The figure which shows the state by which the flexible tube 11 was sent out by the laying apparatus 1. FIG. The figure which shows the state which the delivery of the flexible tube 11 was complete | finished. The figure which shows the laying apparatus 40, (a) is a figure which shows the state in which the flexible tube 11 was installed in the laying apparatus 40, (b) is the figure which shows the state in which the joint 14b side was sent out, (c) is the joint 24a side. The figure which shows the state sent out. The figure which shows the laying apparatus 50. FIG. The figure which shows the laying apparatus 60. FIG. The figure which shows the laying apparatus 70 by the conventional drums 71a, 71b, 71c.

Explanation of symbols

1, 40, 50, 60 ......... laying device 3 ... offshore floating facility 5 ......... tanker 7 ......... supply unit 9 ......... receiving unit 11 ...... flexible tube 12a ......... guide 12b ... …… Guide roller 13 ………… Guide 14 ………… Curved portion 15a, 15b …… Wire 16a, 16b …… Stopper 17a, 17b ………… Winch 18 ……… Concavity 19 ……… Guide rail 21 ……… Roller 23 ......... Feeding device 25 ......... Corrugated tube 27 ......... Base layer 29 ......... Reinforcement layer 31 ...... Heat insulation layer 33 ......... Waterproof layers 35a, 35b ... Connection portion 37 ... Wheel 61a , 61b ......... Stand 70 ......... laying devices 71a, 71b, 71c ......... drums 73a, 73b, 73c ......... flexible tubes 75a, 75b, 75c ......... rotary shaft 77 ......... offshore floating facilities

Claims (6)

A flexible pipe laying device for fluid transportation provided in an offshore floating facility,
A guide provided to be movable;
A flexible tube hung on the guide;
A flexible tube feeding device capable of feeding the flexible tube from the offshore floating facility to the sea, or sending the flexible tube from the ocean to the offshore floating facility;
A guide moving device for moving the guide;
Comprising
The flexible tube laying device is characterized in that the flexible tube feeding device and the guide moving device are synchronized, and the guide moves while the flexible tube is fed out or fed in. A flexible tube connection for supplying fluid is connectable to either end of the flexible tube;
2. The flexible tube laying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one end of the flexible tube is connected to a flexible tube connecting portion, and the other end of the flexible tube is sent out to the sea.   The pair of guides are arranged side by side, the flexible tube can be hung on either of the pair of guides, and the bending direction of the flexible tube can be changed. Item 3. The flexible pipe laying device according to any one of Items 2 to 3.   4. The flexible pipe laying device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the guides are provided, and a plurality of the flexible pipes are hung on each of the plurality of guides. 5.   5. The flexible pipe laying apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the guides provided in a plurality of stages are individually movable.   6. The flexible pipe laying device according to claim 1, wherein the fluid is liquefied natural gas.

Images