JPS6352275B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an effective support for the simple, reliable, rapid, accurate and economical installation of pipeline pipes on uneven and deep seabeds. It is related to the device. Such a device is particularly suitable for application when the relief on the seabed is small, ie when the distance between the pipe to be supported and the seabed is small.

The sea floor has not only crevasses, slopes, and upward protrusions caused by the presence of rocks, but also slight undulations, and even these slight undulations can cause pipes laid on the seabed to be suspended. It creates a depression. In order to avoid the risk of undesirable bending of the pipe, even such slight depressions must be supported by suitable support devices.

There are currently various types of effective tube support devices;
These known devices are too large to be used in cases where the distance between the suspended pipe and the bottom of a depression on the ocean floor is very small, on the order of a few tens of centimeters. In such cases, the current state of the art provides only palliative methods, such as stacking sandbags under the pipe to be supported, which have no claims of effectiveness. This kind of support means cannot be used in deep seas because over time, the bag will disintegrate and sand will come out, making the support unreliable, and a diver will be required to put the sand bag under the pipe. figure,
Applies only to seabeds at depths suitable for divers.

The object of the invention is to provide a device which eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks and makes it possible to easily and quickly provide effective and permanent support for pipes suspended on uneven seabeds, even in deep water. There is a particular thing.

This is accomplished by inserting an empty bag under the pipe at the point where it is to be supported, and then inflating the bag to provide support by injecting cement or grout into the bag. .

In particular, the device of the present invention for supporting pipes suspended on an undulating seabed includes a support module or cushion constructed of a bag of high-strength synthetic fabric with a square base and a saddle-shaped top. One end of the base is provided with a lug, which is hooked onto the articulated arm of the submersible to carry the empty bag down the pipe. A hose with a check valve and a connector is provided at the other end. The connector provides instantaneous connection and disconnection via a protruding control lever. This coupling fits over the free end of a flexible outlet pipe of a container filled with cement liquid. The vessel is supported within a retrievable service module consisting of a casing connected to a supply vessel by support cables. The service module also includes a device for pressurizing the cement solution contained in the container into the support module.

The simplicity and economy of the equipment and the effectiveness of such support are obvious at first glance. The support module is inserted empty and therefore squishy under the pipe to be supported. Therefore, the pipe can be inserted even if the gap between the pipe and the seabed is small. Cement liquid is then injected into the bag, and the support module swells, not only supporting the pipe from below but also applying an upward force to the pipe to change its geometry at will. can. Since the pipe is supported in the saddle recess at the top of the support module, it is ensured that it will not accidentally become unsupported due to stress due to ocean currents or internal tensile stresses in the pipe. Furthermore, this support stabilizes over time as the injected cement liquid hardens within a short period of time, so that even if the fabric bag forming the support module tears, the support will not be compromised. Once the service module, which is the most costly part, is separated from the support module, it can be completely recovered and used, making the entire installation highly economical. Finally, the few controls to be operated all consist of projecting levers that can be easily operated from the submersible. These levers are mounted on the supply ship and can also be operated remotely by a hydraulic control system connected to the service module via hoses attached to support cables, so there is no limit to the depth of the sea. be.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

According to the drawing, reference numeral 1 indicates the sea surface, and 2 indicates the seabed having undulations 3 and 4. A depression 5 is formed between these undulations, above which a pipe 6 of the pipeline is suspended. The supply ship 7 carries a service module 9 according to the invention with a supporting cable 8.
It is supported by This service module 9
includes a casing 10 in which a metal container 11 filled with cement liquid is supported. A group of compressed air cylinders 12 supported by a casing 10 are connected to the top 13 of said vessel 11 by a conduit 14 provided with a stop valve 15 operated by a projecting control lever 16 and a pressure reduction device 17. ing. A high pressure gauge 18 and a low pressure gauge 19 are attached to the pressure reducing device 17. A hose 22 that leads compressed air from the supply ship 7 is also connected to the top 13 of the container 11 via a stop valve 20 operated by a protruding lever 21.
It is connected to the. This hose has support cable 8
It is installed on.

Mounted at the base of the container 11 is a system 23 consisting of a rotary pump operated by a hydraulic motor controlled by a protruding lever 24 . The system is connected to a flexible outlet pipe 25 of suitable length for operation from a submersible. The system also ends with a coupling 26 which can be connected and disconnected instantly by means of a projecting control lever 27.

The purpose of this coupling 26 is to removably connect the retrievable service module 9 to the support module 28. The support module 28 consists of a high-strength synthetic fabric bag with a square base 29 and a saddle-shaped top 30, and one end of the bag is provided with a lug 31 for hooking onto the external articulated arm of the submersible. A hose 32 is provided at the other end with a check valve 33 and a connector for connecting to the coupling ring 26.

The operation of this device is as follows.

The service module 9 to which the support module 28 is connected is connected to the supply ship 7 by the support cable 8.
From there, it is lowered into the vicinity of the pipe 6 to be supported. There, the externally articulated arm of the submersible is hooked onto the lug 31, and the still empty and squishy support module 28 (this state is represented by the dashed line 34 in the drawing) is inserted. Position under the pipe at the exact point where it is to be supported. Furthermore, using the articulated arm of the submersible, operate one of the levers 24, 16 or 21,
One of the three systems provided for injecting the cement liquid contained in the container 11 into the support module 28 is operated. When the support module 28 is filled with cement liquid and the pipe 6 is placed on the saddle part of the saddle top 30, the lever 27 is operated with the articulated arm of the submersible to separate the service module from the support module. This will be recovered by a supply ship.

The invention is not limited to the above description. i.e. a lever 24,1 controlling the system for injecting cement fluid into the support module instead of being operated manually by an articulated arm of the submersible.
6, 21 and a lever 27 for releasing the service module from the support module, for example by using an electro-hydraulic control element of known type supplied from the supply ship by an electrical cable attached to said support cable. It may also be remotely controlled from a supply ship.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawing shows a perspective view of the device according to the invention with the support module filled with cement liquid. 3, 4... undulations, 5... hollows, 6... pipes, 7... supply ships, 8... support cables, 9...
Service module, 10...Casing, 11
...Metal container, 12...Compressed air cylinder, 1
4...Conduit, 15...Shipping valve, 16...Control lever, 17...Pressure reducing device, 18...High pressure gauge,
19...Low pressure gauge, 20...Shiya valve, 21...
... lever, 22 ... hose, 23 ... pump system, 24 ... lever, 26 ... coupling,
27... Control lever, 28... Support module,
31...lag.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Suspended from a supply ship by a support cable to the seabed near the suspended pipe to be supported and placed by a submersible vessel under said pipe at the point to be supported. , a device for supporting a pipe suspended on an undulating seabed, having a support module or cushion constituted by a bag of high-strength synthetic fiber cloth having a square base and a saddle-shaped top; is provided with a hose having a non-return valve and a connector at one end, the connector being adapted to connect and disconnect the coupling device instantaneously by means of a projecting control lever, the coupling device being connected by means of the support cable to the attached to a flexible outlet end of a container filled with cement fluid supported by a retrievable service module comprising a casing connected to a supply vessel; A device for supporting a pipe suspended on an undulating seabed, characterized in that it has a device for press-fitting cement liquid contained therein into the support module. 2. The device for forcing the cement liquid contained in the container of the retrievable service module into the support module comprises a rotary pump hydraulic motor system operable by a projecting control valve; attached to the base of the container,
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is connected to a flexible outlet tube of the container. 3. The device for pressurizing the cement liquid contained in the container of the retrievable service module into the support module consists of a group of compressed air cylinders, which compressed air cylinders are supported by the service module. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is connected to the top of the container by a conduit provided with a pressure reduction device and a stop valve with a projecting control lever. 4. A device for forcing the cement liquid contained in the container of the retrievable service module into the support module includes a control lever attached to the supply ship and fixed to and protruding from the support cable. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a compressed air system connected to the top of said container by a hose having a bow valve with a valve. 5. The device for pressurizing the container of the retrievable service module into the support module is at the same time above the service module. 4. The device according to any of Item 4. 6 The other end of the base is provided with a lug, which is latched to an articulated arm of a submersible vessel for carrying the still empty support module under the pipe at the point where the pipe is to be supported. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is configured as follows.