JP2019214934A - Method and apparatus for performing burial assessment surveys - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce the weight and cost and increase the efficiency of the plows, equipment and vessels used in the offshore laying pipe and cable.SOLUTION: A BAS plow 400 manufactures a V-shaped trench along a straight route of a pipeline route, and an apparatus mounting bottle 470 moving together with the BAS plow 400 collects BAS data indicating a pitch, a roll, heading, a yaw, three-dimensional positioning, speed and depth of a chassis 10, and a shear force applied to a substance of a sea bottom and an added traction force. The apparatus mounting bottle 470 can be replaced for data collection or a connection part can be used for data stream supply at real time. The BAS plow 400 can backfill the manufactured trench at the same time so that the sea bottom remains undestroyed or the BAS plow can lay the pipeline on the BAS trench, and can make the pipeline deeper and wider by an additional trench cutting step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 51

Description

  The present invention relates generally to offshore laying of pipes and cables, and more particularly, to preparing and trenching the seabed to receive pipes or cables, and backfilling trenches after pipes or cables have been laid. Regarding the equipment used.

  Current pipe laying methods involve some basic submarine trenching tasks performed using long-accepted, time-consuming and budgetary operations and equipment.

  One of the challenges is that often it is necessary to remove boulders on the intended pipeline path or that are partially buried from the seabed before trenching can begin That is. Currently, the boulder removal process requires that boulders be pulled from the transport / towboat one at the cable end. In some boulder areas, this can be an endless and tedious process. This always requires one or more divers, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), or other boulder handling mechanism that connects cables to the boulder.

  Another challenge is that the trench cutting plow must be lowered to the seabed at the time of the trench cutting. Delivery of trench cutting plows typically requires a large ship carrying crane support equipment to lift the plow from the ship, rock the plow off the deck, and lower the plow into the sea. Retrieving the trench cutting plow from the seabed to the storage area on the tugboat after the last trench cutting stage also requires the use of crane support equipment. Known trench cutting plows present additional challenges when operating on the seabed. For example, many require skids that span the width of the trench being cut, thus limiting the number of possible passes that can be performed and the depth of the trench that can be cut.

  Similar challenges are encountered when backfilling trenches to cover pipes. First, heavy backfill plows must descend to the sea floor. Similar to delivering a trench cutting plow, delivering a known backfill plow usually involves lifting a plow from the ship, rocking the plow off the deck, and lowering the plow into the sea. And crane support equipment. After that last step, the backfill plow must be recovered from the seabed by using crane support equipment and returned to its position on the tugboat. As backfill plows operate on the seabed, one or more stages of the plow are required to cover the pipeline and fill the trench. A common known backfill plow has a chassis. The front skid of the chassis moves in the trench and straddles the pipeline, and the subsequent plow collects the excavated soil in those paths and moves away from the chassis so that it is deposited in the trench on the side of the pipeline. To tilt forward. As the skid travels in the trench very close to the pipeline, there is a significant risk that contact with the skid will compromise the integrity of the pipe. Also, a mixture of seawater and excavated soil, which is denser than a hollow pipe, is pushed to the outer limit of the trench by the plow plate and discharged to the side of the pipe, so that when the excavated soil sinks, the pipe is settled. There is a significant risk that the "floating" pipeline burial will be incomplete.

  Most of the equipment and operating methods for undersea drilling tasks are very inefficient in terms of time and money, and need improvement. However, the imperfections of the individual plows and their method of operation have led to the transport, delivery and retrieval of these plows, instead of much smaller vessels that might otherwise have been used for operation. Suppressed by requiring heavy equipment, large ships. Typically, the cost of known trench cutting plows and backfill plows are each in the range of $ 8,000,000. The cost of transport / towboats with crane support equipment is in the $ 500,000,000 range. Ship and plow rental fees range from $ 150,000 to $ 600,000 per day.

  It is therefore an object of the present invention to reduce the weight and cost and increase efficiency of plows, equipment and ships used for offshore laying of pipes and cables.

  The present invention may generally be adapted as to the burial of offshore pipelines and cables, and more particularly to performing burial assessment surveys at offshore pipeline and cable sites.

  The relative amount of sand, clay and boulders along the pipeline or cable path has a significant effect on the choice of trenching tool. For this purpose, a burial assessment survey (BAS) has been conventionally performed. Currently known BAS methods include taking a core sample, performing a hardness test on the core, and subsequently analyzing the collected data by a geotechnologist. The collected data is then used to facilitate selection of an appropriate trenching tool and to prepare an estimate of the expected trenching progress.

  The primary purpose of core sampling and hardness testing is to find “rock” for construction. Sampling and performing a test is a substantially vertical motion activity that is reasonably suitable for local construction site evaluation. However, the evaluation of pipeline and cable paths requires excessive interpolation and guesswork. Typically, sampling and testing of pipelines and cables is performed at 1 km intervals. Therefore, using known BAS methods to evaluate such paths can be significantly time consuming and produce large blank data streams.

  Often, knife-type cutting plows are mounted to provide some trench centerline data, but the linear data collected is not sufficient to assist in the analysis of the width of the V-trench. is there. Furthermore, with this linear approach, the total time required to track the centerline of the path is very long and generally serves no purpose other than collecting limited linear data. Furthermore, when tracking is completed, the seabed is destroyed by knife-type cutting.

  Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus useful in performing a buried assessment survey. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a BAS method and apparatus that can produce a continuous data stream that describes a cross section of a V-trench in a possible path of a pipeline or cable. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a BAS method and apparatus that can reduce the total time required for combining a BAS with an actual pipeline or cable V-trench cutting process. It is another object of the present invention to provide a BAS method and apparatus that can be used in performing a buried assessment survey without leaving the sea floor destroyed when tracking is completed.

[Single-mode chassis and multi-mode chassis]
According to the present invention, an elongate member is adapted to mount a skid on one of its ends to support the end above the seabed, and to attach one or more tools to the other end. Undersea plowers are provided that are adapted to perform various undersea trench digging tasks by mounting the undersea plows.

  In a first mode of operation in which the chassis is part of a boulder removal plow, the tool consists of a spar, which moves out of the way of the skid's travel as the skid moves ahead of the slat along the seabed. The boulders initially pushed by the skid are further removed outward from the path.

  In a second mode of operation in which the chassis is part of a trench cutting plow, the tool consists of plowshares and plowboards, where the skids precede the plowshares and plowboards along the seabed. Sometimes, the excavated soil is cut and moved sequentially so as to form a trench.

  In a third mode of operation, in which the chassis is part of a backfill plow, the tool is comprised of blades and plows, which, when the blades and plows precede the skid along the seabed, In turn, the trench excavation soil outside the trench is collected, inwardly centrally collected, and cooperated to discharge downwardly.

  Various chassis can be adapted to correspond to each mode, or the same chassis can be adapted to interconnect any tool with the skid, depending on the desired mode of operation.

  The chassis elongate member can have one or more permanent transition surfaces, or one or more attachments that provide the transition surfaces. The transition surface is configured to extend between a skid that can be mounted on the chassis and various tools. The transition surface profile is such that when the plow traverses the fulcrum at the tail of the plow carrier / towboat during discharge from the ship to the sea and during retrieval from the sea to the ship, the appropriate transition surface is the fulcrum. And is configured and arranged to pivot about its fulcrum. The shape and arrangement of the transition surface and the weight of the elongate member are adjusted to resist the roll of the chassis about the transition axis as the plow moves on the deck or across the fulcrum.

  Preferably, the longitudinal vertical cross-section of the transition surface is concave, the fulcrum is a roller, and the path defined by successive symmetrical points on the transition surface is such that when the plow traverses the roller, It has a profile that maintains contact with the rollers.

  In a preferred embodiment of the chassis used in more than one mode of operation, the first / cobble removal mode and the third / backfill mode are configured such that the first transition surface extends between the skid and the tool. , In the second / trench cutting mode, the second transition surface is configured to extend between the skid and the tool.

[Boulder removal plow and boulder removal method]
To remove boulders from the seabed, a plow is mounted on the chassis, a skid mounted on one end of the chassis above the seabed and supporting that end, and a plow mounted on the other end of the chassis. And a sloping plate that is oriented obliquely with respect to the vehicle. The accompanying plow further removes the boulders initially pushed outward by the leading skid as the skid leads the plow along the seabed.

  In a preferred embodiment of the boulder removal plow, a head is mounted on the forward end of the skid. The head has a front surface, the front surface of which is inclined backward from the vertical central plane in the longitudinal direction of the skid, tapered backward from its upper edge, and partially buried in the seabed. Can be moved away from the skid. The transition surface of the chassis extends between the skid and the plow and maintains contact with and pivots about the stern fulcrum / roller as the plow traverses the fulcrum during delivery and retrieval. It has such a contour.

  The boulder removal plow may also include a keel plate, wherein at least one keel plate extends below each plow. The primary function of the keel plate is to resist lateral displacement of the plow during operation by resisting the plow from deviating from its intended path even when the plow encounters seabed obstructions or uneven amounts of excavated soil. Is to ensure stability.

  The components of the plow are adjusted in weight and contact with the fulcrum to resist the roll of the plow about the transfer axis of boulder removal plow delivery and retraction.

  The pull point for the connection of the pull line to the boulder removal plow is located symmetrically with respect to the long axis of the chassis, and is smaller than the radius of the ship's rollers so that the contact surface of the plows can easily get over the ship's rollers. Is also offset by a small height from the bottom of the boulder removal plow.

  A method of removing boulders from a submarine path consists of positioning the plow with its front end pointing forward in the direction of the initial submarine path, and then pushing the boulders in the initial submarine path to the port and starboard sides of the plow. Propelling the plow along the initial seabed path. If a wider path is required, after removal from the initial submarine path, the plow front end may be directed on the second submarine path along one of the port and starboard sides of the initial submarine path in a direction opposite to the initial submarine path direction. The method continues with the step of repositioning to point forward. Once so repositioned, use the step of propelling the plow along the second submarine path to push boulders from the second submarine path further away on one of the starboard and port sides of the plow, respectively. This continues the method. If a wider path is required, after removal from the second path, the plow front end on the third submarine path along the other of the starboard and port sides of the initial submarine path in the direction of the initial submarine path. The method continues by using the step of repositioning to point forward. Once so positioned, using the step of propelling the plow along the third submarine path to push boulders from the third submarine path further away from the starboard and port sides of the plow, respectively. Then the method continues. If a wider path is required, the method may further include repeating the above-described widening step with respect to the path resulting from the initial, second and third paths being adjacent. The method contemplates repetition of these steps for successive paths along the seabed until removal from a single path of the desired width.

  For the over-stern boulder removal plow disclosed herein, a method of removing boulder from a submarine path comprises propelling the plow on a ship deck toward and across a stern fulcrum; The plow can be rotated about the fulcrum as it crosses the fulcrum and is released from the fulcrum into the sea, and the step of lowering the released plow toward the seabed at the end of the traction line first. Occur. In addition, the method of removing boulders from the seabed pathway involves lifting the plow at the end of the tow line towards the stern fulcrum at the other end of the line, and traversing the fulcrum towards the ship's deck. Followed by a step of pulling the plow.

[Backfill plow and backfill method]
To backfill the excavated soil in the submarine trench, the plow consists of a chassis, a skid that supports the rear end of the chassis above the seabed, a plow mounted on the chassis in front of the skid, and a bottom edge of the plow. And a blade attached to and connecting them. The blades collect the excavated soil in that path as the plow moves forward on the seabed. The plow is sized and oriented to straddle the trench and collect collected excavated soil toward the center of the blade as the plow moves forward on the seabed. The blade has a passage at its rear apex, the passage being configured to supply collected and centrally collected excavated soil onto a pipe disposed in a trench below the passage.

  In a preferred embodiment, the backfill plow further includes a flapper board at the rear of the aisle to break up excavated soil discharged through the aisle. The flapper board consists of a plate swinging below a horizontal shaft, which urges the plate in a vertical orientation with weight.

  The skids are configured to straddle the trenches, a bar mounted at the rear end of the chassis, a pair of skid posts, one at each end of the bar, and one at the bottom of each post. And a pair of skis. The front surface of the cross bar can be adapted to level the excavated soil discharged into the trench.

  The backfill plow may also include at least two keel plates spaced below the blade. The primary function of the keel plate is to resist lateral displacement of the plow during operation by resisting the plow from deviating from its intended path even when the plow encounters seabed obstructions or uneven amounts of excavated soil. Is to ensure stability.

  The plow has at least one transition surface between the skid and the plow. The transition surface is contoured such that the backfill plow contacts and pivots about the stern fulcrum as the backfill plow traverses the fulcrum during delivery from the ship and withdrawal from the ship.

  The components of the plow are adjusted in weight and contact surface with the fulcrum to resist the roll of backfill plow about the axis of travel of the plow.

  The tension point for the connection of the tension line to the backfill plow is arranged symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the chassis and a height smaller than the radius of the roller, so that the contact surface of the plow can easily get over the roller. It is only offset from the bottom of the backfill plow.

  A method of backfilling excavated soil in a submarine trench is to move forward at the seabed and propel the blade to collect the excavated soil along the sides of the trench; And allowing the centrally collected excavated soil to be discharged through the opening at the apex of the blade to the upper surface of the pipe disposed in the trench. The method further includes the step of breaking the excavated soil before the excavated soil reaches the pipe and / or leveling the excavated soil after the excavated soil has been discharged into the trench. One or both of them may be included.

  For the back stern backfill plow disclosed herein, a method of backfilling excavated soil in a trench includes propelling the plow on a ship deck toward and across a stern fulcrum; Allowing the plow to rotate about the fulcrum as the backfilled plow traverses the fulcrum and is released from the fulcrum into the sea; and lowering the released plow toward the seabed at the end of the towline. Happens first. Additionally, the method of backfilling the excavated soil in the trench involves lifting the plow at the end of the tow line toward the stern fulcrum at the other end of the tow line, and traversing the fulcrum toward the deck of the ship. And the step of pulling the plow.

  As a result of the above plow structure and method, the vessels required for transport, delivery, retrieval and operation of the plow are smaller and currently plentiful. They are available to users for a rental fee of $ 10,000 to $ 100,000 per day. This is a significant savings compared to the $ 150,000 to $ 600,000 per day rental fees currently paid for ships required for old plow construction and methods.

  Further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a novel BAS apparatus and method for continuously collecting data along an entire straight line of a pipeline or cable path. Each path is tracked by the new BAS equipment in the same way that a typical anchor-type trench cutting plow moves through a pipeline or cable trench path during the laying process.

  The BAS plow is positioned parallel to the chassis with a chassis, a skid mounted on the front end of the chassis, and an anchor-type plowshare mounted adjacent the rear end of the chassis. And a bottle mounted to move at the same time.

  The bottle contains equipment suitable for acquiring electronic logging data indicating the pitch, roll, heading, yaw, speed and depth of the chassis. A sensor mounted at the tip of the plowshare acquires data indicating the shearing force exerted on the sea floor by the plowshare. The sensor provides a continuous display of the acquired data. An additional load cell mounted on the skid provides data indicating traction applied to the skid. The bottle can be mounted externally or internally to the chassis.

  In a plow backfill embodiment, the T-shaped extension has a leg mounted to the rear end of the chassis and extending rearward from the rear end, and an arm extending outwardly from the rear end of the leg. The plow extends forwardly outward from the distal end of the arm. The bottom surfaces of the legs, arms and plow are in a common plane. The height of the plow with respect to the arm is adjustable.

  In a variation of the backfill embodiment, the T-shaped extension includes a leg attached to the rear end of the chassis and extending upwardly rearward from the rear end, and an arm extending downwardly outward from the rear end of the leg. Having. A plow extends forward from the distal end of the arm. The legs and the bottom of the arm define an arch between the plows. The height of the plow with respect to the arm is adjustable.

  Bottle equipment includes gyros to measure the pitch, roll, heading, yaw and speed of the plow. The bottles can be swapped to collect the acquired data, or a data transmission umbilical can be used to provide a real-time data stream. Underwater sonic links can also be used.

  A BAS method of performing a buried assessment survey (BAS) along offshore pipeline and cable paths involves the steps of creating a V-shaped trench and simultaneously acquiring BAS data along the trench being created. Performing the steps. V-shaped trenches are made by towing BAS plows with anchor-type plowshares on the sea floor. Data is acquired continuously by towing a BAS plow having a bottle containing equipment adapted to collect selected types of BAS data. Such data can include plow speed, trench depth, plow pitch and roll, heading and yaw, and three-dimensional positioning of the plow. Data is also acquired continuously by towing a BAS plow with a sensor, the sensor being mounted on the tip of a plow share and adapted to collect selected other types of BAS data. . Such other data may include the resistance of the plowshare tip. Data can also be obtained continuously by towing a BAS plow with a load cell arranged to monitor the traction and / or traction applied to the plow.

  The Bas plow can further perform the step of backfilling the fabricated trenches at the same time. Backfill can be achieved by towing a BAS plow with a plow extending forward and outward from the rear end of the chassis extension to collect and deposit excavated soil in the fabricated trench. . The plow can be connected to the BAS plow by a straight T-shaped extension or an inclined T-shaped extension. The straight T-shaped extension is such that the extension and the bottom of the plow are in a common plane to allow the accumulation of excavated soil and boulders on top of the fabricated trench, and the sloped T-shaped extension is , With arches between plows that allow excavated soil and boulder deposits to extend above the created trench.

  The method comprises the steps of laying a pipeline, cable or connecting part in the BAS trench, or deepening the V-shaped BAS trench created by at least one additional trench cutting step, and The laying of pipelines, cables or connecting parts is contemplated.

  The BAS plow propels the plow on the ship's deck toward and across the stern fulcrum, and the plow can rotate about the fulcrum as the plow is crossed and released from the fulcrum into the sea And discharging the discharged plow down to the seabed at the end of the tow line can be discharged from the tug deck. The BAS plow is pulled by the steps of lifting the plow at the end of the tow line toward the stern fulcrum at the other end of the line, and pulling the plow across the fulcrum toward the deck of the ship. Can be collected on ship deck.

  Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings.

FIG. 5 is a top left rear perspective view showing the chassis adapted for use in any of the boulder removal mode, trench cutting mode and backfill mode. FIG. 2 is a front right lower perspective view of the chassis of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a side view of the chassis of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a top view of the chassis of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the chassis of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an upper left front perspective view of a transition attachment used with the chassis of FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a front left lower perspective view of the transition attachment of FIG. 6. FIG. 7 is a top view of the transition attachment of FIG. 6. FIG. 7 is a side view of the transition attachment of FIG. 6. FIG. 4 is a top left front perspective view showing a skid configured for use in the first stage of the plow in the boulder removal mode and the trench cutting plow mode. FIG. 11 is an upper left front perspective view showing a cross beam that can be used to convert two skids as seen in FIG. 10 to a skid configured for use in backfill plow mode. FIG. 9 is a front view showing a skid configured for use in a second subsequent stage of the plow in trench cutting plow mode. FIG. 2 is an upper right rear perspective view showing the chassis of FIG. 1 used in the boulder removal plow mode. It is a lower right front perspective view of the boulder removal plow of FIG. It is a top view of the boulder removal plow of FIG. It is a side view of the boulder removal plow of FIG. It is a front view of the boulder removal plow of FIG. FIG. 41 is a top left rear perspective view of a typical keel plate for use with the boulder removal plow of FIG. 13 and the backfill plow of FIG. 37. FIG. 14 is a side view of the boulder removal plow of FIG. 13 during discharge / retrieve from the ship, with the plow skid pivoting about the stern. FIG. 14 is a side view of the boulder removal plow of FIG. 13 during discharge / retrieve from the ship, with the sloped portion of the plow chassis pivoting about the stern. FIG. 14 is a side view of the boulder removal plow of FIG. 13 during discharge / retrieve from the ship, with the plow transition attachment pivoting about the stern. FIG. 14 is a side view of the boulder removal plow of FIG. 13 during discharge / retrieve from the ship, with the keel plate of the plow pivoting about the stern. FIG. 14 is a top view of the boulder removal plow of FIG. 13 positioned to remove from a path through the boulder area. 14 is a graphical representation of a typical boulder removal route pattern for the boulder removal plow of FIG. FIG. 14 is a side view of the boulder removal plow of FIG. 13 in operation. FIG. 2 is an upper left rear perspective view showing the chassis of FIG. 1 used in trench cutting plow mode. FIG. 27 is a top view of the trench cutting plow of FIG. 26. FIG. 27 is a side view of the trench cutting plow of FIG. 26. FIG. 27 is a front view of the trench cutting plow of FIG. 26. FIG. 27 is an upper left front perspective view of a detachable shear used with the trench cutting plow of FIG. 26. FIG. 31 is a lower right rear perspective view of the detachable shear of FIG. 30. FIG. 31 is a vertical central cross-sectional view in the long axis direction of the detachable shear of FIG. 30. FIG. 27 is a side view of the trench cutting plow of FIG. 26 during discharge / retrieve from the ship, with the skid post riding over the stern. FIG. 27 is a side view of the trench cutting plow of FIG. 26 during discharge / retrieve from the ship, with the sloped portion of the chassis over the stern. FIG. 27 is a side view of the trench cutting plow of FIG. 26 during discharge / retrieve from the ship with the transition surface of the chassis and the shear attachment plate over the stern. FIG. 27 is a side view of the trench cutting plow of FIG. 26 during discharge / retrieve from the ship with the plow board over the stern. FIG. 2 is a front left upper perspective view showing the chassis of FIG. 1 used in the backfill plow mode. FIG. 38 is a top view of the backfill plow of FIG. 37. FIG. 38 is a side view of the backfill plow of FIG. 37. FIG. 38 is a front view of the backfill plow of FIG. 37. FIG. 38 is a top left rear perspective view showing the excavated soil collection blade used with the backfill plow of FIG. 37. FIG. 38 is a top right rear perspective view of a flapper board used with the backfill plow of FIG. 37. FIG. 38 is a side view of the backfilled plow of FIG. 37 during discharge / retrieve from the ship, with the plow skid pivoting about the stern. FIG. 38 is a side view of the backfilled plow of FIG. 37 during discharge / retrieve from the ship, with the inclined portion of the chassis pivoting about the stern. FIG. 38 is a side view of the backfilled plow of FIG. 37 during discharge / retrieve from the ship, with the plow transition attachment pivoting about the stern. FIG. 38 is a side view of the backfilled plow of FIG. 37 during discharge / withdrawal from the ship, with the keel plate of the plow pivoting about the stern. FIG. 38 is a top view of the backfill plow of FIG. 37 in operation. FIG. 38 is a side view of the backfill plow of FIG. 37 in operation. FIG. 14 is a top view of the boulder removal plow of FIG. 13 positioned to backfill a wide trench over a typical wide trench backfill route pattern. It is a side view which shows the plow hung below the stern roller. FIG. 3 is a top right front perspective view of an embodiment of an externally mounted device mounted bottle of a BAS plow without a plow. FIG. 52 is a front view of the BAS plow of FIG. 51. FIG. 52 is a side view of the BAS plow of FIG. 51. FIG. 52 is a top left rear perspective view of the BAS plow of FIG. 51. FIG. 52 is a top view of the BAS plow of FIG. 51. FIG. 3 is a top right front perspective view of an embodiment of an externally mounted device mounted bottle of a BAS plow with a plow mounted on a straight extension. FIG. 57 is a front view of the BAS plow of FIG. 56. FIG. 57 is a side view of the BAS plow of FIG. 56. FIG. 57 is a top left rear perspective view of the BAS plow of FIG. 56. FIG. 57 is a top view of the BAS plow of FIG. 56. FIG. 3 is a top right front perspective view of an embodiment of an externally mounted device mounted bottle of a BAS plow with a plow mounted on an inclined extension. FIG. 63 is a front view of the BAS plow of FIG. 61. FIG. 63 is a side view of the BAS plow of FIG. 61. FIG. 63 is a rear left upper perspective view of the BAS plow of FIG. 61. FIG. 63 is a top view of the BAS plow of FIG. 61. FIG. 4 is a top right front perspective view of an embodiment of an equipment-mounted bottle mounted inside a BAS plow without a boulder removal plate. FIG. 67 is a front view of the BAS plow of FIG. 66. FIG. 67 is a side view of the BAS plow of FIG. 66. FIG. 67 is a rear left perspective view of the BAS plow of FIG. 66. FIG. 67 is a top view of the BAS plow of FIG. 66. Figure 52 is a profile of a trench created by the BAS plow of Figure 51. 57 is a profile of a trench created by the BAS plow of FIG. 56. 67 is a profile of a trench created by the BAS plow of FIGS. 61 and 66. It is the schematic which shows operation | movement of the sensor of a plow share front-end | tip part. It is the schematic which shows the accommodation thing of an apparatus mounting bottle, and operation | movement. FIG. 7 is a side view of the first / fifth sequential pivoting of the BAS plow as it is released from the ship to the sea / recovered from the sea to the ship. FIG. 9 is a side view of a second / fourth sequential pivoting of a BAS plow as it is released from the ship to the sea / retrieved from the sea to the ship. FIG. 11 is a side view of a third sequential pivoting of the BAS plow as it is released from the ship to the sea / retrieved from the sea to the ship. FIG. 9 is a side view of the fourth / second sequential pivoting of the BAS plow as it is released from the ship to the sea / retrieved from the sea to the ship. FIG. 6 is a side view of a fifth / first sequential pivoting of a BAS plow as it is released from the ship to the sea / retrieved from the sea to the ship.

  While the invention will be described in connection with preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to those embodiments or to the details of construction or the arrangement of components as set forth in the accompanying drawings.

[Single-mode chassis and multi-mode chassis]
Referring first to FIGS. 1-5, a submarine plow chassis 10 used as a component of various submarine plows has an elongated member 11 which is attached to one end 13 thereof. The skid is adapted to mount one or more tools on the other end 15.

  As seen in FIGS. 13-17, the chassis 10 is used as part of the boulder removal plow 100 in a first mode of operation. In the first mode 100, boulders B on the seabed or partially buried in the seabed are first pushed outward by the skid 40 from the path P through which the skid 40 passes. The tool includes a plow 90. When the skid 40 precedes the plow 90 along the seabed S, the plow 90 further moves the boulders B initially displaced by the skid 40 and other boulders B in the path of the plow 90 further outward. Push.

  As seen in FIGS. 26-29, the chassis 10 is used as part of a trench cutting plow 200 in a second mode of operation. In a second mode 200, the tool includes a plowshare 210 and a plow 90. When the skid 40 precedes the plowshare 210 and the plowboard 90 along the seabed S, the plowshare 210 and the plowboard 90 sequentially cut and move the excavated soil M to form the trench T.

  As seen in FIGS. 37-40, chassis 10 is used as part of backfill plow 300 in a third mode of operation. In a third mode 300, the tool includes a blade 310 and a plow 90. When the blade 310 and the plow plate 90 precede the skid 40 along the seabed S, the blade 310 and the plow plate 90 collect the excavated soil M outside the trench in order, and collect the collected excavated soil M inside. The excavated soil M collected in the center cooperates so as to be discharged downward into the trench T.

  The chassis 10 facilitates sending plows 100, 200 or 300 from the deck D of the ship V over the stern to the seabed S and collecting plows 100, 200 or 300 from the seabed S to the deck D of the ship V over the stern. It is uniquely configured to The movement of the plow 100, 200 or 300 from the rest position on the deck D of the ship V to the point at which all contact of the plow 100, 200 or 300 with the ship V ends, or from that point to the rest position, It is referred to herein as "transition." Turning to FIGS. 15, 27 and 38, the plows 100, 200 or 300 described herein have major axes 101, 201 and 301, respectively. As shown, the major axes 101, 201 and 301 are aligned so as to be parallel to their expected direction of movement on the seabed S. Looking at FIGS. 19-22, 33-36 and 43-46, the shafts 103, 203 and 303 of the plow are aligned in the "transition" direction of the plows 100, 200 and 300 on deck D, respectively. Is done. As shown, the long axes 101, 201, and 301 of FIGS. 15, 27, and 38 correspond to the transition axes 103, 203, and 303 of FIGS. 19-22, 33-36, and 42-46. And each is aligned. However, the plows 100, 200 and 300 need not be aligned on the deck D in the same orientation as expected during operation on the seabed S. Thus, as used herein, a "transition axis" is a length that penetrates a plow 100, 200 or 300 in a direction parallel to the expected direction of travel 39 of the plow during delivery or withdrawal. Any axis that may or may not be a long axis.

  The plows 100, 200 or 300 have a position and weight distribution of the surface in contact with the deck D and the fulcrum / roller R at the tail of the ship V during discharge or withdrawal, about the respective transition axes 103, 203 and 303 respectively. Preferably, it is adjusted so as to resist the roll of the plow 100, 200 or 300 that has been formed. As shown and described, the chassis 10, skids 40 and skid posts 45, transition attachments 70, plows 90 and keel plates 110 and 370 are provided to support the fulcrum / roller when the plow 100, 200 or 300 is discharging / recovering the plow. As it traverses R, it has various surfaces with a profile that supports the plow in sliding contact with the deck D and pivots about the fulcrum / roller R on the tail of the ship V. For this purpose, other components can be used or specially added.

[Chassis structure]
Returning to FIGS. 1-5, the preferred embodiment of the chassis 10 can be used in any of the plow modes 100, 200 and 300 found in FIGS. 13, 26 and 37, respectively. As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, in a preferred embodiment of the chassis 10, the skid end 13 and the tool end 15 of the elongated member 19 are substantially horizontal and the skid end 13 to the tool end 15 by an intermediate part 27 which slopes downward. The post receptacle 19 extends vertically through the skid end 13. The forklift receptacle 21 extends transversely across the top of the tool end 15 of the elongated member 11. One receptacle 21 is located at the boundary between the tool end 15 and the inclined portion 17 of the elongated member 11. The other receptacle 21 is further toward the rear of the elongated member 11 and is located immediately in front of a pair of spaced apart shear connection plates 23 extending above the elongated member 11.

  A transition member 25 extends between the forklift receptacles 21 above the tool end 15 of the elongated member 11. As best seen in FIG. 3, the top surfaces of the receptacle 21, shear connection plate 23, and transition member 25 are provided for delivery and retraction as described herein below with respect to the second / trench cutting mode 200. It forms a useful, substantially continuous transition surface 27.

  The side extension plate 29 tapers downward from the tool end 15, and the rear flange plate 31 covers the tool end 15 of the elongated member 11. The shear connection slot 33 passes through the bottom of the tool end 15 of the elongated member 11 between the shear connection plates 23.

  13 to 17, 26 to 29, and 37 to 40, the plows 100, 200, and 300 each include an elongated member 11 for connecting a pull line L to the plows 100, 200, and 300. Has a pull point 65 as shown on a tow bar 67 extending laterally from the skid end 13 of the vehicle. Preferably, the pull point 65 is located symmetrically with respect to the central long axis 101, 201 and 301 of the plows 100, 200 and 300, and is larger than the radius of the roller R so as to facilitate the point of contact across the roller R. Is also offset by a small height from the point of contact of the plows 100, 200 and 300 with the deck D or rollers R.

[Transition attachment]
Turning to FIGS. 6-9, the transition attachment when the chassis is used in its first / cobble removal mode 100 or third / trench cutting mode 300 as seen in FIGS. 13, 26 and 37. 70 is configured to extend between the skid end 13 and the tool end 15 at the bottom of the elongated member 11 of the chassis 10.

  As shown in FIGS. 6-9, the transition attachment 70 extends into a generally horizontal wishbone shape, with its branches 71 opening from its front end 73 to its rear end 75. The top surface 77 of the transition attachment 70 has a contour that meshes with the bottom surface 31 of the elongated member 11 of the chassis 10 and the transition attachment 70 has a transition with respect to the bottom surface 31 as best shown in FIGS. The transition member 25 of the chassis 10 is fixed between the U-link plates 83 by pinning. 21 and 22 and 44 and 44 when the plow 100 or 300 crosses the fulcrum / roller R while the plow 100 or 300 is discharged from the ship into the sea and recovered from the sea to the ship. 45 has a contour such that it contacts and pivots about a fulcrum R at the tail of the plow transport / towing vessel V seen at 45.

  The shape of the bottom surface 79 of the attachment and the weight of the elongated member 11 and the attachment 70 depend on the chassis centered around the transition shaft 103 or 303 of the plow when the plow 100 or 300 moves on the deck D so as to move away from or close to the fulcrum R. Adjusted to resist 11 rolls.

  Preferably, the fulcrum R is a roller and, as best shown in FIG. 9, the longitudinal vertical cross section of the bottom surface 79 of the attachment is concave. 16, 39 and 50, the radius of the recess 79 is such that the transition attachment 70 can easily cross the fulcrum R during ejection and withdrawal of the plows 100 and 300. Greater than. Referring to FIG. 8, the recess 79 is symmetric about a vertical vertical plane at the center of the attachment 70. The surface 79 can have any shape as long as it provides a path to facilitate release and recovery of the plow 100 or 300 over the stern. The path may be straight or planar, and is preferably symmetrically defined by successive points on both sides of the bottom surface 79 of the attachment.

  As shown, the front end 73 of the attachment 70 has a front surface 81 that smooths the transition between the skid end 13 of the elongated member 11 of the chassis 10. Incline. A rear plate 85 is provided at an end of the branch 71 so as to be connected to the plow 90. The gap 87 between the branches 71 functions as a passage for debris during the third / backfill mode 300 as described herein below.

[Skid]
Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, a preferred embodiment of the skid 40 is adapted to be used in any of the plow modes 100, 200 and 300 shown in FIGS. 13, 26 and 37, respectively. Can be.

  FIG. 10 shows a skid 40 configured to be used in the first / boulder removal mode 100 and the second / trench cutting mode 200 seen in FIGS. 13 and 26, respectively. When used in the first / boulder removal mode 100 or the second / trench cutting mode 200, the parallel outer skis 41 of the skid 40 are bolted on either side of the central ski 43 and are close together. In this bolted configuration, the head 51 can be mounted in front of the skis 41 and 43 in the first / cobble removal mode 100 or the second / trench cutting mode 200 for the first stage. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 12, when the head 51 is not attached to the skis 41 and 43, the outer ski 41 can be tilted laterally upward from the central ski 43 using a link mechanism 48 so that the outer ski 41 can be tilted upward. The ski 41 can be pivotally mounted on the central ski 43. The use of the inclined outer ski 41 is particularly applicable to the second subsequent stage of this second / trench cutting mode 200, allowing the inclined ski 41 to follow the side walls of the trench T, The second subsequent stage of the plow 200 facilitates deepening the trench T. In this way, deeper trenches can be cut without the need for larger trench drilling plows.

  In the bolted or pivoted configuration described above for the outer ski 41, regardless of whether the head 51 is used, the post 45 pinned to the receptacle 47 of the central ski 43 has an upper 49 The upper portion 49 is convex from the front to the back. As shown, the outer ski 41 has the same receptacle 47 as the receptacle 47 of the central ski. When used in the first / boulder removal mode 100, a boulder removal head 51 is preferably added to the front end of the skid 40 across the front of the skis 41 and 43. As shown, the front surface 53 of the head 51 is inclined rearward from the vertical central plane in the long axis direction of the skid 40, and tapers rearward from the upper edge 55. The sloping and tapering surface 53 moves the partially buried boulder off the seabed and away from the skid 40 and, if necessary, the head 51 onto the boulder B hitting below the upper edge 55 of the plow 200 Allows you to ride.

  When used in the second / trench cutting mode 200, both the bolted configuration of the ski 41 and the pivoted configuration of the skis 41 that are not tilted are preferably in place for the first stage of the plow 200. Can be used with the head 51 in the above. For the subsequent steps, the pivoting configuration of the ski 41 is preferably used in a tilted situation without the head 51. In the second / trench cutting mode 200, trenches up to 25 meters wide can be cut using multiple steps.

  FIG. 11 shows a cross beam 57 for diverting the outer ski 41 of the skid 40 shown in FIG. 10 for use in the third / backfill mode 300. In the backfill mode 300, a pair of receptacles 63 each having an open end are spaced apart by the cross beam 57, and the receptacle 63 is separated from the center post 59 extending upward from an intermediate point of the cross beam 57. As can be seen in FIG. 37, the two posts 45 each sit on a receptacle 47 of the two outer skis 41 as shown in FIG. The posts 45 extend upwardly from the respective outer skis 41, penetrate the respective open receptacles 63 at the ends of the cross beams 57, and are pinned to the ski 41 at a desired distance below the cross beams 57. The crossbeam center post 59 is pinned to the chassis post receptacle 19 to set the desired height of the chassis 10 above the ski 41. The illustrated cross beam 57 has a front surface 61 configured to also act as an excavator in the backfill mode 300.

[Boulder removal plow and boulder removal method]
Turning to FIGS. 13-17, the boulder removal plow 100 includes a chassis 10, skids 40, transition attachments 70, and plows 90. The skid 40 having the head 51 shown in FIG. 10 is mounted on the skid end 13 of the chassis 10 above the seabed S and supports the skid end 13. The plow 90 includes a first plow 91, a second plow 93, and a third plow 95 mounted on the tool end 15 of the chassis 10. The transition attachment 70 is mounted between the skid 40 and the first plow 91 under the chassis 10.

  As best seen in FIG. 13, in the first / boulder removal mode 100, the chassis 10 is turned upside down as compared to the orientation shown in FIGS. That is, in the boulder removal plow 100, the skid end 13 is lower than the tool end 15 of the elongated member 11, and the skid post 45 is directed upward through the receptacle 19 of the skid end 13 of the chassis 10. Extend.

  As can be seen in FIGS. 13-17, a first plow 91, which can be permanently or removably attached to the tool end 15 of the chassis 10, comprises a tool end 15 of the chassis 10 and a transition attachment. It is inclined outwardly rearward from 70. The second plow 93 is mounted below the first plow 91 and the transition attachment 70 so as to increase the overall depth of the plow 91. The third plow 95 is used when removing the boulders B from a wider path. The third plow 95 is attached to the free ends of the first and second plows 91 and 93 and has a total depth of the combination of the first and second plows 91 and 93. On the other hand, the length of the plow 90 is increased.

  When the third plow 95 is used, the chassis extension 33 is connected to the rear flange plate 31 of the chassis 10 by its front flange 35, as best seen in FIGS. A support structure 37 consisting of beams and columns connects the chassis extension 33 to the third plow 95. A recovery fin 97 is attached to the free end of the plow 90. The fin 97 has a diverging arched end 99 for contacting the roller R during delivery and retraction.

  The boulder removal plow 100 may also include a keel plate 110 shown in detail in FIG. The keel plate 110 has a vertical center plate 111 and a horizontal base plate 113 extending laterally from the center plate 111. The base plate 113 and the center plate 111 support the vertical mounting plate 115 at an angle complementary to the angle of the plow 90. This structure is reinforced by a small support plate 117 and a large support plate 119. At least one keel plate 110 is mounted in front of each set of plows 90 and extends below each set of plows 90. As best seen in FIGS. 14, 15, 17 and 18, the keel plates 110 are mounted parallel to each other at the seam between the second plow 93 and the third plow 95. The first function of the keel plate 110 is to stabilize the path of the boulder removal plow 100 when the head 51 and plow 90 encounter boulders B, excavated soil M and / or other obstacles on the seabed S. is there.

  Referring to FIGS. 19 to 22 and FIG. 50, the boulder removal plow 100 is released from the ship V to the seabed S through the stern (FIGS. 19 to 22) and recovered from the seabed S to the ship V (FIGS. 22 to 19). ) Is indicated. During ejection, the plow 100 is preferably placed on deck D, initially with its plow 90 at the rear and the long axis 101 of the plow 100 aligned with the transition axis 103 of the plow 100, as shown. Is positioned on top. Skid 40 and keel plate 110 provide an initial point of contact or surface for plow 100 with deck D. As seen in FIG. 19, a winch or other suitable push / pull facility (not shown) causes the plow 100 to travel along the deck D of the vessel V toward and across the fulcrum / roller R at the tail of the vessel V. When the keel plate 110 moves away from the fulcrum / roller R when propelled as described above, the plow 100 descends with the plow plate 90 in contact, and the plow 100 contacts until the concave surface of the transition attachment 70 is reached. Slide as it is. At that point, the plow slides until the transition attachment 70 reaches the fulcrum / roller R, and the skid 40 begins to rise from the deck D. All contact between the plow 100 and the ship V has been transferred to the transition attachment 70 and the fulcrum / roller R of the ship V. Looking at FIG. 20, when the transition attachment 70 moves beyond the fulcrum / roller R in the stern direction, all contact between the plow 100 and the ship V will be reduced by the concave transition surface 79 of the attachment 70 and the fulcrum of the ship V. / Roller R remains, plow 100 continues to tilt towards the sea, and skid 40 continues to rise. As can be seen in FIG. 21, as the attachment 70 moves further on the fulcrum / roller R in the stern direction, any contact between the plow 100 and the ship V will again be between the transition attachment 70 and the fulcrum / roller R. However, the skid 40 is substantially vertical. Looking at FIG. 22, as the plow 100 continues to rotate on the fulcrum / roller R and continues to move across it, the buoyancy of the seawater and the speed of movement of the ship V limit the rotation of the plow 100. As the transition attachment 70 slides away from the fulcrum / roller R, the skid 40 will be the last contact with the fulcrum / roller R until the plow 100 is fully ejected to the seabed S at the end of the pull line L. .

  Recovery of the boulder removal plow 100 from the seabed S at the end of the pull line L is achieved by reversing the release method. As seen in FIG. 22, when the plow 100 is lifted toward the fulcrum / roller R at the tail of the ship V at the end of the line L, the skid 40 first contacts the fulcrum / roller R. As mentioned above, the pull point 65 of the plow 110 is arranged to ensure that the skis 41 and 43 of the head 51 and the sled 40 do not stop abnormally on the fulcrum / roller R. Further contact with the fulcrum / roller R is in turn transferred to the transition surface 79 of the transition attachment 70 as seen in FIG. 21, the concave portion of the attachment transition surface 79 as seen in FIG. 20, and then to FIG. Move along the bottom of the plow 90 as seen until it contacts the keel plate 110. The plow 100 has been pulled until it has completely traversed the fulcrum / roller R and becomes seated using the skid 40 and the keel plate 110 as contact points on the deck D of the ship V.

Referring to FIGS. 23-25, the use of a boulder removal plow 100 to remove boulders B from a path P on the seabed is shown. As seen in Figure 24, the plow 100, the front end of the plow 100 is positioned such that in a state facing forward in the direction of the initial undersea path P ₁ in the middle of the final path P intended. Pattern of the final path P is spread from the initial path P ₁ in a spiral shape. Then, the plow 100 may optionally be powered by the movement of the winch or ship at the end of the tension line L, so as to remove boulders B from the initial path P ₁ on the port side and starboard side of the plow 100 It is propelled along the initial path P _1. If needed wider path P, after removing from the initial path P _1, the second undersea path P ₂ above along the starboard side of the initial path P ₁ on the opposite of the initial undersea path direction as shown The boulder removal is continued by repositioning the plow 100 so that the front end of the plow 100 faces forward so as to move in the direction. Then, the plow 100 is propelled along the second path P ₂ to remove boulders in the second path P ₂ further away from the path P _1. If wider path P is required, after removal from the second path P _2, to move the third undersea path P ₃ on the direction of the initial seabed path along the port side of the initial path P ₁ The boulder removal is continued by repositioning the plow 100 so that the front end faces forward. Then, the plow 100 is propelled along the third path P ₃ further from the first path P1 to the third path P ₃ to remove boulders. If a wider path P is required, the boulder removal further requires that the initial path P ₁ , the second path P ₂ and the third path P ₃ illustrated along paths P ₄ and P ₅ are adjacent. May be repeated in the widening along the path P. The boulder removal process expects a repetition of the widening step to widen successively successive paths _Pn until removal from a single path P of the desired width along the seabed.

With attention to FIG. 25, when the head 51 hits in its initial path P ₁ in one or more of boulders B, depending on which side of the head 51 hits the boulders B, boulders B is port of the head 51 from the seabed Moved around the side or starboard side. The accompanying plow 90 moves and pushes the boulder B further away from the plow 100 to port or starboard. In the subsequent path P _2-n, only the outer and outer plow plate 90 of the head 51 collides with the boulder B on route, pushing away further from the initial path P ₁ of boulders B. As can be seen in FIG. 22, the boulders B pushed aside accumulate and become small mountains H of excavated soil created at the rear of the plow 100 due to the partial penetration of the plow 90 into the seabed.

[Trench cutting plow and trench cutting method]
26-29, trench cutting plow 200 includes chassis 10, skid 40, plow 90, and shear 210. In the configuration shown in FIG. 10, the skid 40 is mounted on the skid end 13 of the chassis 10 above the seabed and supports the skid end 13. The plow 90 initially includes only a first plow 91 mounted to the tool end 15 of the chassis 10. If more than one stage of the trench cutting plow 200 is performed, a second plow 93 and a third plow 95 can be added. Positioning a wedge (not shown) between the chassis 10 and the plow 90 to tilt the plow at a desired angle upward and rearward from the chassis 10 for a second subsequent stage of the plow. Can be. No transition attachment 70 is used. As shown, the head 51 can optionally be attached to the skid 40 in a first stage of the second / trench cutting mode 200.

  In the second / trench cutting mode 200, as best seen in FIG. 20, the chassis 10 is oriented face up as shown in FIGS. That is, in the trench cutting plow 200, the skid end 13 is higher than the tool end 15 of the elongated member 11, and the skid post 45 extends upward through the receptacle 19 of the skid end 13 of the chassis 10.

  The plowshare 210 can be permanently or removably attached to the chassis 10. The preferred embodiment of the shear 210 shown in FIGS. 26-32 includes a shoe box 211 that connects the bottom of the central rib 213 and the side plate 215, which supports the split plate 217 of the shear 210. The vertical plate 219 aligned with the shoe box 211 extends upward above the split plate 217 and is inserted between the shear connection plates 23 of the chassis 10. The pin 221 is inserted through the boss 223 of the vertical plate 219, and the connecting plate 23 fixes the shear 210 to the chassis 10.

  Referring to FIGS. 33-36, the release of the trench cutting plow 200 from the stern of the ship V to the seabed S (FIGS. 36-33) and the recovery from the seabed S to the ship V (FIGS. 33-36) are shown. It is. During ejection, the plow 200 described herein may first be raised and lowered on the deck D with the plow 90 at the rear and the long axis 201 of the plow 200 aligned with the transition axis 203 of the plow. Opposite positioning. The arched upper portion 49 of the skid post 45 and the free end of the plow 90 provide an initial point of contact or surface with the deck D. As seen in FIG. 36, a winch or other suitable push / pull facility (not shown) causes the plow 200 to travel along the deck D of the vessel V toward and across the fulcrum / roller R at the tail of the vessel V. When propelled as such, only the plow 90 and the arched upper portion 49 of the post 45 remain in contact with the fulcrum / roller R until the shear connection plate 23 reaches the fulcrum / roller R. As can be seen in FIG. 35, as the plow 200 continues to move aft, only the upper portion of the shear connection plate 23, followed by the rearward upper or transition surface 27 of the transition member 25, and the arched upper portion 49 of the post 45. , Fulcrum / roller R. As seen in FIG. 34, when the center of gravity of the plow 200 passes through the fulcrum / roller R, the weight of the cantilevered plow 200 causes the plow 200 to pivot about the transition surface 27 of the transition member 25, The plow 90 descends toward the seabed S, allowing the skid post 45 to rise from deck D. At this point in the transition, all contact between the plow 200 and the ship V is transferred to the inclined portion 17 of the chassis elongate member 11 and the fulcrum / roller R of the ship V. 33, after the inclined portion 17 of the chassis elongate member 11 has moved beyond the fulcrum / roller R in the stern direction, the plow 200 further rotates toward the seabed S, and the plow 200 and the ship V All further contact between them will be transferred to the arched upper part 49 of the skid post 45 and the fulcrum / roller R of the ship V. The arched upper portion 49 of the skid post 45 provides a final contact with the fulcrum / roller R when the plow 200 is fully ejected to the seabed S at the end of the pull line L.

  Recovery of the trench cutting plow 200 from the seabed S at the end of the pull line L is achieved by reversing the release method. As seen in FIG. 33, when the plow 200 is lifted at the end of the line L toward the fulcrum / roller R at the tail of the ship V, the arched upper portion 49 of the skid post 45 first contacts the fulcrum / roller R. I do. As mentioned above, the pull point 65 of the plow 110 is arranged to ensure that the post 45 does not abnormally stop on the fulcrum / roller R. Further contact with the fulcrum / roller R is, in turn, performed on the sloped portion 17 of the chassis elongate member 11 as seen in FIG. 34, the transition surface 27 as seen in FIG. 35, and the shear connection plate as seen in FIG. Move to the top of 23. The plow 200 uses the arched upper portion 49 of the skid post 45 and the upper portion of the free end of the plow 90 as the point of contact with the deck D of the ship V when pulled down completely across the fulcrum / roller R. Become seated.

[Backfill plow and backfill method]
Referring to FIGS. 37 to 40, in order to backfill excavated soil in a submarine trench, a backfill plow 300 includes a chassis 10, a skid 40 configured to straddle a trench that is being backfilled, and a skid 40. It includes a plow 90 attached to the chassis 10 at the front, and a blade 310 attached to and connecting the bottom edge of the plow 90.

  As best seen in FIG. 37, in the third / backfill mode 300, the chassis 10 is turned upside down as compared to the orientation shown in FIGS. That is, in the backfill plow 300, the skid end 13 is below the tool end 15 of the elongated member 11 and the cross beam center post 59 as in the first / boulder removal mode 100 shown in FIG. Extends upwardly through the receptacle 19 at the skid end 13 of the chassis 10, similar to the post 45 of the first / cobble removal mode 100 shown in FIG. However, the chassis 10 is oppositely oriented as compared to the first / cobble removal mode 100 shown in FIG. 13 such that the skid 40 is at the rear end of the backfill plow 300. As compared to the first / boulder removal mode 100, the ski 41 is also reversed in the third / boulder removal mode 300 to move forward at a rearward position.

  As seen in FIGS. 37-40, in the third / backfill mode, the plow 90 including the first plow 91, the second plow 93, and the third plow 95 has a chassis extension. Using the 33 and the support structure 37, the chassis 10 is mounted in the same manner as described for the first / cobble removal mode 100 of FIGS. The transition attachment 70 is also mounted on the chassis 10 as described with respect to the first / cobble removal mode 100 of FIGS. The recovery fin 97 is attached to the free end of the third plow 95 as described with respect to the first / boulder removal mode 100 of FIGS.

  Referring to FIG. 41, blade 310 has a passage 311 at a vertex 313 behind it. The passage 311 is configured to supply excavated soil collected by the blade 310 and centrally collected by the plow 90 to the top of a pipe or cable C disposed in the trench T below the passage 311. The lateral edges of the blade 310 are secured to the lower portion of each plow 90 using a side plate 315 and secured to the chassis extension 33 using an upright mounting structure 317. The mounting structure 317 is centered on the forward edge 319 of the blade 310 and extends from the edge 319 of the blade to the passage 311 as shown. The blade 310 can be reinforced by a rib 321. As shown, the passage 311 is slightly larger than a semicircle having a diameter 323 parallel to the blade's forward edge 319. The reinforcing ribs 321 fan out from points along the perimeter 325 of the passage to respective points along the forward edge 319 of the blade.

  Turning to FIG. 42, the backfill plow 300 further preferably includes a flapper board 340 at the rear of the passage 311. The flapper board 340 includes a plate 341 fixed to the horizontal shaft 343 and swinging below the horizontal shaft 343. Shaft 343 is pivotally supported to reciprocate on an axis parallel to passage diameter 323. The weight 345 biases the plate 341 in a vertical direction. The slapping action of the flapper board 340 breaks down excavated soil discharged through the blade passages 311. A large reinforcement 347 and a small reinforcement 349 reinforce the plate 341. When the water and the excavated soil discharged through the passage 311 swing the plate 341 backward, and the weight 345 swings the plate 341 back vertically, the plate 341 moves around its shaft 343. Swings back and forth.

  The backfill plow 300 may also include a keel plate 370, wherein at least one keel plate 370 extends on opposite sides of the excavated soil passage 311. The keel plate 110 shown in FIG. 18 used in the first / boulder removal mode 100 is mounted in front of the plow 90 in the backfill mode 300 and extends below the blade 310. / Backfill mode 300. As can be seen in FIGS. 38-40, keel plates 370 are mounted parallel to each other at the seam between second plow 93 and third plow 95. The primary function of the keel plate 370 is to stabilize the path of the backfill plow 300 as the blade 310 and plow 90 encounter and collect excavated soil M at the seabed S.

  Referring to FIGS. 43-46, the release of the backfilled plow 300 from the ship V over the stern to the seabed S (FIGS. 46-43) and the recovery from the seabed S to the ship V (FIGS. 43-46) are shown. It is. During ejection, the plow 300 described herein is initially placed on the deck D with the plow 90 at the rear and the long axis 301 of the plow 300 aligned with the transition axis 303 of the plow 300. Positioned. The skid 40 and the bottom of the keel plate 370 provide an initial point of contact with deck D. As seen in FIG. 46, a winch or other suitable push / pull facility (not shown) causes the plow 300 to travel along the deck D of the vessel V toward and across the fulcrum / roller R at the tail of the vessel V. When propelled, the keel plate 370 moves away from the fulcrum / roller R, allowing the plow 90 to descend toward the sea floor S. The plow begins to pivot about transition surface 79 and skid 40 begins to rise from deck D. At this point in the transition, all contact between the plow 300 and the ship V has been transferred to the transition attachment 70 and the fulcrum / roller R of the ship V. 45, as the plow 300 moves further across the fulcrum / roller R in the stern direction, all contact between the plow 300 and the ship V will be reduced by the concave portion of the transition surface 79 of the attachment 70 and the ship V Fulcrum / roller R. As can be seen in FIG. 44, when the attachment 70 moves aft beyond the fulcrum / roller R, all contact between the plow 300 and the ship V will result in the inclined portion 17 of the chassis elongate member 11 and the ship V It remains at the fulcrum / roller R. The plow 300 is inclined such that the skid 40 approaches vertical. Referring to FIG. 43, as the plow 300 continues to rotate about the fulcrum / roller R and continues to move across it, the buoyancy of the seawater and the ship as the transition attachment 70 slides away from the fulcrum / roller R. The moving speed of V limits the rotation of plow 300. The shape of the attachment 70 provides a smooth transition from the transition surface 79 to the skid 40. The skid 40 is the last contact with the fulcrum / roller R until the plow 100 is completely discharged to the seabed S at the end of the pull line L.

  Recovery of backfill plow 300 from seabed S at the end of pull line L is achieved by reversing the release method. As seen in FIG. 43, when the plow 300 is lifted toward the fulcrum / roller R at the tail of the ship V at the end of the line L, the skid 40 first contacts the fulcrum / roller R. As mentioned above, the pull point 65 of the plow 300 is arranged to ensure that the skis 41 and 43 of the head 51 and the sled 40 do not stop abnormally on the fulcrum / roller R. Further contact with the fulcrum / roller R is, in turn, the ramped portion 17 of the chassis elongate member 11 as seen in FIG. 44, the attachment transition surface 79 as seen in FIG. 45, the keel plate as seen in FIG. Move to the bottom of 370. When the plow 300 is pulled until it has completely traversed the fulcrum / roller R, the skid 40 and keel plate 370 will be seated using it as a point of contact on the deck D of the ship V.

  Referring to FIG. 47 and FIG. 48, when backfilling excavated soil M so as to cover pipe P laid in submarine trench T, the excavated soil M is moved along seabed S and along both sides of trench T. To be collected, the backfill plow 300 with the blade 310 in front is propelled. The plow 90 collects the collected excavated soil M at the center toward the vertex 313 behind the blade 310, and the collected excavated soil M is disposed in the trench T through the passage 311 of the blade vertex 313. Is discharged to the upper surface of the pipe P. Preferably, the excavated excavated soil M is separated by the flapper board 340 as shown before the excavated excavated soil M reaches the pipe P, and the excavated excavated soil M is discharged on the pipe P and in the trench T. The soil M is leveled by the front surface 61 of the cross beam 57 of the skid. Using the passage 311 to discharge excavated soil M directly onto the pipe P instead of the side of the pipe P reduces the likelihood of the denser excavated soil M lifting the pipe P in the trench T during backfill. I do.

Referring to FIG. 49, if the trench is wider than the widest span of the plow 90, the width of the trench T can be reduced using the boulder removal plow 100 shown in FIG. This is achieved by aligning the long axis 101 of the plow 100 outside the excavated soil M on one side of the trench T, such that only the starboard plow 90 pushes the excavated soil M. In the first stage P _a, excavated soil M in the path of the starboard plow plate, pushed or in a trench T toward the trench T. When the first stage P _a is completed, again only starboard plow plate 90 to indicate where to press the excavated soil M, plow 100 is aligned on the opposite side of the trench T. In a second stage P _b, excavated soil M in the path of the starboard plow plate, pushed or in a trench T toward the trench T. When the second stage P _b is completed, the process, until the trenches T is sufficiently filled to complete backfill with or backfill plow 300 until the trench T is filled, for stage P _n Can be repeated.

  Referring to FIG. 50, the plows 100, 200 or 300 can be retrieved by using the traction lines L connected to the retrieval fins 97. Depending on which of the plows 100, 200 or 300 is to be retrieved, the orientation of the plows 100, 200 or 300 can be rotated 180 ° about the axis of the traction line L to the appropriate retrieval position. In any 180 ° orientation, the arched end 99 of the fin 97 allows the plow 100, 200 or 300 to get over the fulcrum / roller R.

  The plows 100, 200 and 300 are made using steel plates that are welded, bolted or pinned depending on the intended invariant or removable nature of the components to be connected. The same chassis 10, skid 40, transition attachment 70, plow 90 and keel plate 110 can be configured to be in three different modes of operation, with a shear 210 and blade 310 as required for each mode. Can be added. The plow modes 100, 200 and 300 can all be delivered and retrieved over the stern, eliminating the need for large vessels, cranes and support equipment.

  Although conventional devices and methods have been described with respect to laid pipes, they are also applicable to laid cables. Further, any of the plows 100, 200 and 300 can be "merged" into the plow to provide additional mechanical functionality such as skid height adjustment or additional electrical functionality such as camera, lighting, and load measurement. It can be adapted for use with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV).

[BAS plow and BAS method]
FIGS. 51-55, 56-60, 61-65 and 66-70 show some possible embodiments of the on-board bottle-type BAS plow 400. Any of the embodiments of the BAS plow shown in FIGS. 51-70 may use the same chassis 10 and skid 40 as described herein above with respect to the trench cutting plow 200 of FIGS. 26-29. Each of them also has the same plow as previously described herein with respect to the trench cutting plow 200 of FIGS. 26-29, except that a BAS plow sensor 410 is added to the tip of the trench cutting plow share 210. The share 210 can be used. Furthermore, if a plow is used, the same plow 90 described hereinabove with respect to the trench cutting plow 200 of FIGS. 26-29 may be used, but if used, the plow may be It is attached to either a straight BAS extension 430 or an inclined BAS extension 450 added at the tool end 15 of the chassis 10. The extensions 430 and 450 can be added to the BAS plow chassis 10 in the manner described for the extensions 33 added to the boulder removal plow 100 of FIGS. In either embodiment of the BAS, an onboard bottle 470 is added externally or internally to the chassis 10. The BAS plow can be structurally modified to eliminate or reduce the excavated soil created by digging the BAS plow trench. An embodiment of automatic backfilling of BAS plows is particularly beneficial when multiple routes, none of which can be used, are trenched, and when it is desirable to restore the seabed and minimize its impact on the seabed.

  51-55, the equipment mounted bottle 470 is mounted outside the chassis 10 and the BAS plow 400 does not have a plow. As shown, the equipment bottle 470 is fixed above the tool end 15 of the chassis 10 and is aligned with the tool end 15 in the longitudinal direction. This is the most convenient embodiment of the BAS plow 400 because the trench cut plow 200 can be made by simply adding the plow 90 to the BAS plow 400 after the buried assessment study is completed. The equipment mounted bottle 470 can be left on the trench cutting plow 200 and can be removed if desired. The trench profile 500 resulting from the first stage of the BAS plow embodiment of FIGS. 51-55 can be seen in FIG. In FIG. 71, in the V-shaped trench 501 below the seabed 503, excavated soil 505 is arranged side by side above the seabed 503 and extends as a wall of the V-shaped trench 501 above the seabed 503.

  56 to 60, the equipment-mounted bottle 470 is mounted on the outside of the chassis 10 of the BAS plow 400, and the plow 90 is mounted on the linear extension 430 of the tool end 15 of the chassis 10. . This embodiment is used when it is desirable to backfill a trench created by a BAS plow 400, but differs from the backfill plow 300 described with respect to FIG. In the back-filled plow 300, the plow 90 precedes the skid 40 with the top of the plow 90 facing the skid 40. In the BAS plow 400 of FIGS. 56 to 60, the plow 90 follows the skid 40 with the apex of the plow 90 facing away from the skid 40. This is the opposite of the plow 90 of the backfill plow 300 of FIG. 37 as well as the plow 90 of the trench cutting plow 200 of FIG. 26, thus converting this embodiment of the BAS plow 400 to a trench cutting plow 200. Requires that the extension 430 and the plow 90 be removed and that the plow 90 be directly attached to the chassis 10 if desired. As best seen in FIG. 60, the straight extension 430 is T-shaped. The T-shaped extension 430 has a leg 431 mounted to and extending rearward from the rear end 15 of the chassis 10 and an arm 433 extending outward from the rear end of the leg 431. Plow 90 extends forward and outward from the distal end of arm 433. As best seen in FIGS. 57 and 58, the bottom surfaces of legs 431, arms 433 and plow 90 are in a common plane 435. This embodiment is particularly useful when there are no large boulders on the pipeline or cable path. Large as used herein refers to boulders that are not expected to fit within the cross section of the trench. However, the height of the plow 90 can be adjusted on the arm 433 of the extension 430 to accommodate the sand / boulder content of the seabed and to best refill the trench. The trench profile 510 resulting from the first stage of the BAS plow embodiment of FIGS. 56-60 can be seen in FIG. In FIG. 72, the V-shaped trench 511 below the seabed 513 is filled with excavated soil or excavated soil and small boulders 515.

  61-65, the equipment mounted bottle 470 is mounted on the exterior of the chassis 10 of the BAS plow 400, and the plow 90 is mounted on the inclined extension 450 of the tool end 15 of the chassis 10. . This embodiment of the BAS plow 400 is similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 56-60, and is also used to backfill trenches created by the BAS plow 400. It is T-shaped, but in that the T-leg 451 slopes upward and rearward relative to its arm 453 and the outer portion of the arm 453 of the arm 453 slopes downward and outward toward the plow 90. It differs from the embodiment of FIGS. In this way, the bottom surface of the legs 451 and the arms 453 define the arch 455 so that large objects, such as excavated soil and boulders, can be deposited between the plows 90 in the trenches and / or within the inner perimeter of the arch. Within the trench. The height of the plow 90 can be adjusted on the arms 453 of the extension 450 to accommodate seabed sand / boulder inclusions and best refill the trench. The trench profile 520 resulting from the first stage of the BAS plow embodiment of FIGS. 61-65 is seen in FIG. In FIG. 73, the V-trench 521 below the seabed 523 is filled with excavated soil or excavated soil and boulders 525 and covered by excavated soil or excavated soil 527 through the collected excavated soil or arch 455. You.

  Referring to FIGS. 66-70, the illustrated embodiment of the BAS plow 400 is illustrated in FIGS. 61-65 in all respects except that the equipment-mounted bottle 470 is mounted inside the chassis 10 of the BAS plow 400. This is the same as the embodiment shown. As in the embodiment of the outer bottle, the inner device bottle 470 is secured in alignment with the tool end 15 of the chassis 10 in the longitudinal direction. The device mounted bottle 470 can be similarly mounted in the chassis 10 of the embodiment of the BAS plow 400 of FIGS. 51-55 and 56-60. The trench profile 520 resulting from the first stage of the BAS plow embodiment of FIGS. 66-70 is seen in FIG. In FIG. 73, the V-trench 521 below the seabed 523 is filled with excavated soil or excavated soil and boulders 525 and covered by excavated soil or excavated soil and boulders 527 through the collected excavated soil or arch 455. You.

  As seen in FIGS. 51, 56, 61 and 66, in any of the configurations of the BAS plow illustrated and discussed herein, the sensor 410 is mounted on the tip of the plow share 210. Looking at FIG. 71, the tip of the sensor 410 houses a load cell 411, which calculates the shear force applied to the seabed 523 by the tip of the plow 400. The load cell 411 measures the force required to shear the substance on the seabed, transmits the data 481 and returns the data 481 to the data logger 471 stored in the device-mounted bottle 470. As seen in FIG. 72, the equipment mounted bottle 470 includes a power source 471, a data logger 473, a gyro 475, and a load sensor input 477. The gyro measures the pitch, roll, heading, yaw, three-dimensional positioning and speed of the plow 400 and the depth of the V-trench. Further, the load cell 479 mounted on the tow point 65 of the skid 40 calculates the tractive force applied to the plow 400, and the load cell data 483 is transmitted to the data logger 473 through the load cell input connection 477. The difference between the shear and traction measured at the plow chassis 10 indicates the ratio of the actual cutting force above the plow shear 40. Any collected data is stored in the data logger 473. The data logger 473 can be rotated at regular time intervals to download the data, or can be connected to the tug V by connecting components to perform live data feeds. Alternatively, an underwater sonic link could be used to transmit the data, but the underwater sonic link would at best provide a "everything is good" signal due to the currently achievable low transmission rates . The bottle equipment effectively monitors the response of the BAS plow to the seabed so as to image the orientation of the BAS plow 400 on the seabed. As the BAS plow 400 is towed along a possible buried path of the pipeline or cable, a continuous data stream is acquired and stored to facilitate plotting the traction force against the seabed position of the BAS plow 400.

  The anchor-type plowshare 210 described herein provides greater penetration into the seabed than a knife-type seabed cutting tool. If a deeper trench is desired, in any of the plow configurations of BAS plow 400, plow 90 will include third plows 93 and 95 as described with respect to trench cutting plow 200 in FIGS. It can be extended by adding. This facilitates the use of multiple stages of the BAS plow, as also described above with respect to the trench cutting plow 200 of FIGS.

  Various embodiments of the BAS plow 400 are configured to be released and retrieved over the stern using the principles described herein above for the boulder removal plow 100 / trench cutting plow 200 / backfill plow 300. be able to. Attention is directed to FIGS. 76-80, through the stern of a BAS plow 400, as shown, having an internal equipment mounted bottle 470 and plow board 90 mounted on a straight extension 430 as described herein. The release from ship V to seabed S (FIGS. 76-80) and the recovery from seabed S to ship V (FIGS. 80-76) are shown. During ejection, the plow 400 is initially positioned upside down on the deck D with the plow 90 at the rear and the long axis of the plow 400 aligned with the transition axis of the plow. The arched upper portion 49 of the skid post 45 and the free end of the plow 90 provide an initial point of contact or surface with the deck D. As seen in FIG. 76, a winch or other suitable push / pull facility (not shown) causes the plow 400 to travel along the deck D of the vessel V toward and across the fulcrum / roller R at the tail of the vessel V. When propelled, only the plow 90 and the arched upper portion 49 of the post 45 remain in contact with the fulcrum / roller R until the shear connection plate 23 reaches the fulcrum / roller R. As seen in FIG. 77, as the plow 400 continues to move aft, only the upper portion of the shear connection plate 23, followed by the rearward upper or transition surface 27 of the transition member 25, and the arched upper portion 49 of the post 45. , Fulcrum / roller R. As shown in FIG. 78, when the center of gravity of the plow 400 passes through the fulcrum / roller R, the plow 400 pivots due to the cantilevered weight of the plow 400, and the plow 90 descends toward the seabed S. And allow the skid post 45 to rise from deck D. At this point in the transition, all contact between the plow 400 and the ship V is transferred to the inclined portion 17 of the chassis elongate member 11 and the fulcrum / roller R of the ship V. Looking at FIG. 79, after the inclined portion 17 of the chassis elongate member 11 has moved beyond the fulcrum / roller R in the stern direction, the plow 400 further rotates toward the seabed S, and the plow 400 All further contact will be transferred to the arched upper portion 49 of the skid post 45 and the fulcrum / roller R of the ship V. The arched upper part 49 of the skid post 45 provides the last contact with the fulcrum / roller R. As can be seen in FIG. 80, the plow 400 is completely discharged to the seabed S at the end of the pull line L.

  Recovery of the BAS plow 400 from the seabed S at the end of the pull line L is achieved by reversing the release method. As seen in FIG. 80, when the plow 400 is lifted at the end of the line L toward the fulcrum / roller R at the tail of the vessel V, the arched upper portion 49 of the skid post 45 first contacts the fulcrum / roller R. I do. As mentioned above, the pull point 65 of the plow 110 is arranged to ensure that the post 45 does not abnormally stop on the fulcrum / roller R. Further contact with the fulcrum / roller R is, in turn, performed on the inclined portion 17 of the chassis 10 as seen in FIG. 79, the transition surface 27 as seen in FIG. 78, and the upper part of the shear connection plate 23 as seen in FIG. Move on to When the plow 400 is pulled until it has completely traversed the fulcrum / roller R, the arched upper part 49 of the skid post 45 and the upper part of the free end of the plow 90 as shown in FIG. It will be used as an upper contact point to sit down.

  The method and apparatus are useful in performing a burial assessment survey. A continuous data stream can be created that describes the cross section of the V-trench in the possible path of the pipeline or cable. The creation of a V-trench that can be used as a first step in the trench cutting process can also reduce the total time required for combining the BAS with the actual pipeline or cable V-trench cutting process. In addition, the backfilling of the BASV trench can also be enabled and can be used to perform a burial assessment survey without leaving the sea floor destroyed when tracking is completed.

  Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the present invention, a multi-mode submarine plow that fully satisfies the objects, goals, and advantages set forth above, as well as methods of discharging, operating, and retrieving the plow. It is also apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the present invention, a method and apparatus for performing a buried assessment survey that fully satisfies the objects, goals and advantages set forth above. Although the present invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. It is therefore intended that all such alternatives, modifications and variations be included within the spirit of the appended claims.

Claims (29)

A BAS plow (400) for performing a buried assessment survey (BAS) along offshore pipeline and cable paths,
Chassis (10),
A skid (40) mounted on a front end of the chassis (10);
An anchor-type plowshare (210) mounted adjacent to the rear end (15) of the chassis (10);
A bottle (470) positioned to be parallel to the chassis (10) and mounted to move simultaneously with the chassis (10), the pitch, roll, heading, yaw, and three-dimensional of the chassis. A bottle (470) containing equipment for acquiring electronic logging data indicating at least one of positioning, speed and depth;
A BAS plow (400).   The plow shear (210) further includes a sensor (410) mounted on a tip of the plow shear (210). The sensor (410) receives data indicating a shear force applied to the seabed (503, 513, 523) by the tip of the plow. The BAS plow (400) of claim 1, obtained.   The BAS plow (400) of claim 2, wherein the sensor (410) further provides a continuous display of the acquired data.   The BAS plow (400) of any preceding claim, further comprising a load cell (479) mounted on the skid (40) to provide data indicating traction applied to the chassis (10).   The BAS plow (400) according to claim 1, wherein the bottle (470) is mounted outside the chassis (10).   The BAS plow (400) of claim 1, wherein the bottle (470) is mounted inside the chassis (10). A leg (431) mounted on the rear end (15) of the chassis (10) and extending rearward from the rear end (15); and an arm (43) extending outward from the rear end of the leg (431). 433) a T-shaped extension (430) having
A plow plate (90) extending forward and outward from the distal end of said arm (433), wherein the legs (433), the arms and the bottom surface of the plow plate (90) are in a common plane (435). There is a plow board (90),
The BAS plow (400) of claim 1, further comprising:   The BAS plow (400) of claim 7, wherein the height of the plow (90) with respect to the arm (433) is adjustable. A leg (451) attached to the rear end (15) of the chassis (10) and extending upward rearward from the rear end (15); and a downward outward direction from the rear end of the leg (451). A T-shaped extension (450) having an arm (453) extending therethrough;
A plow plate (90) extending forward from a distal end of said arm (453), wherein said legs (451) and a bottom surface of said arm (453) define an arch (455) between said plow plates (90). Suki board (90)
The BAS plow (400) of claim 1, further comprising:   The BAS plow (400) of claim 9, wherein the height of the plow (90) with respect to the arm (453) is adjustable.   The BAS plow of claim 1, wherein the instrument includes a gyro (475) that measures electronic logging data indicative of at least one of pitch, roll, heading, yaw, three-dimensional positioning and speed of the plow. (400).   The BAS plow (400) of claim 1, further comprising a data transmission coupling component that provides a real-time data stream.   The BAS plow (400) of claim 1, further comprising an underwater sonic link. A method of performing a buried assessment survey (BAS) along offshore pipeline and cable routes, comprising the steps of creating a V-shaped trench (501, 511, 521), and at the same time, forming the trench ( (501, 511, 521) continuously acquiring BAS data.
Including a method.   15. The method of claim 14, wherein fabricating the V-shaped trench comprises towing a BAS plow (400) having an anchor-type plowshare (210) on the sea floor (503, 513, 523).   The step of continuously acquiring data includes towing the BAS plow (400) loaded with a bottle (470), wherein the bottle (470) collects BAS data of a selected type. 16. The method according to claim 15, comprising housing equipment adapted for: The selected type of BAS data is:
The speed of the plow,
The depth of the trench,
Pitch and roll of the plow, and heading and yaw of the plow,
17. The method of claim 16, comprising at least one of the following.   The step of continuously acquiring data includes the step of towing the BAS plow (400) having a sensor (410) attached to the tip of the plow share (210), wherein the sensor (410) is selected. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method is adapted to collect other types of BAS data.   19. The method of claim 18, wherein the selected other type of BAS data includes at least a tip resistance of the plowshare (210).   The step of continuously acquiring data comprises towing the BAS plow (400) having a load cell (479) arranged to monitor at least one of the traction and traction applied to the plow (400). 19. The method of claim 18, comprising the step of:   The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of backfilling the fabricated trenches (501, 511, 521) simultaneously.   The step of backfilling includes extending the plowshare (210) forward and outward to collect excavated soil (525, 527) and deposit it in the fabricated trenches (501, 511, 521). 22. The method of claim 21 including towing the BAS plow (400) with an accompanying plow (90).   The plow plate (90) is connected to the rear end of the BAS plow (400) by a T-shaped extension (430) extending rearward from the BAS plow (400), and the arm (430) of the extension (430). 433) extending outwardly to a proximal end of the plow plate (90), the bottom surface of the extension (430) and the plow plate (90) being in a common plane (435). The described method.   The step of backfilling comprises extending forwardly outward from the BAS plow (400) to collect and deposit excavated soil and boulders into the fabricated trenches (501, 511, 521). 22. The method of claim 21 including towing the BAS plow (400) having a plow (90) following the (210).   The plow is connected to a rear end of the BAS plow (400) by a T-shaped extension (450) extending upward and rearward from the BAS plow (400), and an arm (453) of the extension (450). ) Is external to the proximal end of the plow (90) so as to deposit excavated soil and boulders (515, 528) in the fabricated trenches (501), (511), (521). Extending downward, the extension (450) and the bottom surface of the arm (453) define an arch (455) between the plows (90) so that the fabricated trenches (501, 511) 25. The method of claim 24, wherein excavated soil and boulders (527) extending above the first arch (455) are allowed to accumulate within the perimeter of the arch (455).   15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of laying at least one of a pipeline, a cable and a connection part in the fabricated trench (501, 511, 521) continues. Deepening the fabricated V-shaped trenches (501), (511), (521) by at least one additional trench cutting step; and pipelines, cables and connecting parts in the deepened trenches Laying at least one of the following:
15. The method of claim 14, wherein Propelling the plow (400) on a deck (D) of the ship (V) towards and across a fulcrum (F) at the tail of the ship (V);
Allowing the plow (400) to rotate about the fulcrum (R) as the plow (400) is released into the sea from the fulcrum (R) across the fulcrum (R); ,
Lowering the discharged plow (400) at the end of the tow line towards the sea floor (503), (513), (523). Lifting the plow (400) at the end of the tow line towards the fulcrum of the tail of the ship at another end of the tow line;
Pulling the plow (400) across the fulcrum (R) towards the deck (D) of the ship (V);
15. The method of claim 14, wherein