US3713411A - Submersible catamaran for the placement and withdrawal of packages ona water bottom - Google Patents

Submersible catamaran for the placement and withdrawal of packages ona water bottom Download PDF

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Publication number
US3713411A
US3713411A US00113047A US3713411DA US3713411A US 3713411 A US3713411 A US 3713411A US 00113047 A US00113047 A US 00113047A US 3713411D A US3713411D A US 3713411DA US 3713411 A US3713411 A US 3713411A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
raft
ballast tanks
ballast
air
valve means
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00113047A
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English (en)
Inventor
R Bordessoule
A Kermabon
Vera S De
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Total Compagnie Francaise des Petroles SA
COMEX EQUIPMENT
Original Assignee
Compagnie Francaise des Petroles SA
COMEX EQUIPMENT
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Compagnie Francaise des Petroles SA, COMEX EQUIPMENT filed Critical Compagnie Francaise des Petroles SA
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Publication of US3713411A publication Critical patent/US3713411A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63C—LAUNCHING, HAULING-OUT, OR DRY-DOCKING OF VESSELS; LIFE-SAVING IN WATER; EQUIPMENT FOR DWELLING OR WORKING UNDER WATER; MEANS FOR SALVAGING OR SEARCHING FOR UNDERWATER OBJECTS
    • B63C7/00—Salvaging of disabled, stranded, or sunken vessels; Salvaging of vessel parts or furnishings, e.g. of safes; Salvaging of other underwater objects
    • B63C7/02—Salvaging of disabled, stranded, or sunken vessels; Salvaging of vessel parts or furnishings, e.g. of safes; Salvaging of other underwater objects in which the lifting is done by hauling
    • B63C7/04—Salvaging of disabled, stranded, or sunken vessels; Salvaging of vessel parts or furnishings, e.g. of safes; Salvaging of other underwater objects in which the lifting is done by hauling using pontoons or the like

Definitions

  • the vehicle comprises two ballasts [30] Foreign Application Priority Data tank held together by beams and a platform position on the beams.
  • the platform has an open center area Feb. ll, 1970 France ..70()4774 through which the loads are attached to or Separated from the vehicles.
  • the vehicle is raised or lowered by forcing air into or expelling air from the ballasts tank.
  • a raft of the catamaran type capable of supporting heavy loads and characterized by the fact that it involves two ballasts tanks which are connected together by beams. An empty space between the ballast tanks and the beams is for the placement of the package to be transported. Tying means are provided for securing said packages. At least on lattice platform is positioned between the two ballast tanks.
  • the raft also includes compressed-air tanks, at least one air escape valve and one compressed-air inlet valve which are connected to a duct which is connected between the upper portion of each of the ballast tanks.
  • An individual water introduction and evacuation valve is provided for each ballast tank, and means are provided for the manual control of each air inlet and outlet valve associated with pressure gauges that measure the hydrostatic pressure and the pressure prevailing in the ballast tanks, as well as an assembly of manual control means for each valve.
  • This raft has many advantages over prior art devices.
  • Packages weighing several tons, for example, may be loaded with the help of port facilities in the space on the raft which is to be situated above or below the wells.
  • the raft is then towed in the horizontal direction to the place where the package is to be deposited. Towing is accomplished under good stability conditions because of the lowering of the center of gravity obtained by the placement of the package which is in the water in the center of the raft.
  • Another object of the invention is a raft of the type indicated which includes a skid under each ballast tank and a float above and parallel to each ballast tank.
  • the chief advantage of this arrangement is that it improves the stability qualities of the vehicle, by lowering the center of gravity due to the presence of the skids and by raising the center of thrust due to the presence of the floats. From the increase in stability, even in case of false maneuvers, which may occur in the course of the placement on the water bottom or when the vehicle is placed on a bottom that is not horizontal, the vehicle cannot tip over. Moreover, in addition to the contribution of the skids to the stability of the vehicle, they also permit recovery of the vehicles thus equipped and permit placing them on a pier or a ship so that the tanks are protected against damage.
  • Another object of the invention is an apparatus of the type indicated, where we divide each ballast tank into three compartments, the two end compartments in each ballast tank having a common air escape duct connected with the common duct of the two extreme compartments of the other ballast tank, while the central compartments of each ballast tank have a common air escape duct different from the preceding duct and each of the six compartments thus formed has a manual control valve for the inlet and outlet of water arranged on a control footbridge.
  • Such an arrangement facilitates the operation of placement on the bottom and disengagement in case the device should sink into the bottom nonuniformly since the extreme compartments can be made heavier or lighter individually so as to facilitate the possible disengagement of the skids, while the central ballast tanks can be made lighter rapidly and simultaneously by the simple operation of the common compressed-air introduction control after the opening of the correspondin g water evacuation valves.
  • FIG. 1 is a plan and top view of the vehicle
  • FIG. 2 is a lateral and longitudinal view
  • FIG. 3 is an end view taken from the side of the control bridge.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a submersible raft capable of putting in place, with great precision, or
  • the raft is capable of reaching depths on the order of 50 meters.
  • Ballasts tanks 1 whose length in the embodiment shown is on the order of 5 meters, are positioned in their upper portion, through an assembly of transversal beams 2 and longitudinal beams 3, giving the assembly the necessary rigidity and permitting the tying of cargo to be displaced.
  • the tie-up rings provided for this effect have been shown at 4.
  • rings 4 we can arrange a central beam for the purpose of tying the package.
  • the stability provided by floats 28 is such that it is also possible to arrange the loads on the planking if loading conditions so require.
  • a keel 7 which may be made of an l-shaped steel beam, is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, longitudinal and below each ballast tank. 7
  • Each ballast tank 1, in FIGS. 1 and 2 is divided into three compartments labeled, in the drawing, A, X, B for one of them, and C, Y, D for the other one.
  • the compartments A, B, C and D which have a large volume, give the assembly a buoyancy that will be almost zero by simply regulating the volume of water introduced.
  • These compartments are designed to resist the outside ambient pressure at a depth on the other of 50 meters, according to known techniques.
  • each of these four compartments is itself divided by partitions l2 and 13 for A, and 14 and 15 for B into three elements such as A A A and B B and B as shown in FIG. 2.
  • the elements of each compartment are connected among each other through siphons 8 and 9 for compartment A, and 10 and 11 for compartment B.
  • the central compartments X and Y have a smaller capacity and assure the immersion and emersion movements at a slow rising speed, on the order of l m/sec. This is obtained through ballasting regulated by means of manual controls placed on the footbridge joining the compartments A and D in FIG. 1.
  • These controls include handles MA, MB, MC and MD for the control of valves VA, VB, VC and VD which provide for the connection between the lower part of each compartment and the ambient medium.
  • the valves are used for introducing or evacuating water.
  • handles MX and MY assure the opening and closing of valves VX and VY which control the introduction or evacuation of water outside the central compartments.
  • Several of these valves such as 16-19 1 are arranged to enable the complete emptying of the partition elements of each compartment. These valves are arranged in recesses in keels 7 which are provided for this purpose.
  • Compressed-air tanks 20, arranged below the catwalk, are used to pressurize the water stored in each compartment and in each ballast tank.
  • these tanks are connected to conduit 21, feeding the ducts 22 and 23, controlled, respectively, by valves V and V
  • the duct 22 connects the upper portions of the ballast tank A, B, C and D to the valve V
  • the duct 23 connects the upper portion of ballasts X and Y to the valve V It then sufiices to operate the valve V in order to pressurize the assembly of ballast tanks A, B, C. and D and to operate V in order to pressurize X and Y.
  • valves V and V arranged, respectively, at the end of ducts 22 and 23 provide a connection between each of the ducts and the surrounding medium, thus allowing pressurized air to escape.
  • the pressure gauges 24, 25, 26 and 27 control, respectively, the air pressure available and compressed to 200 bars, the pressure of tanks A, B, C and D, the pressure in tanks X, Y and the hydrostatic pressure.
  • ballast tanks A, B, C and D In addition to the ballast tanks, two floats 28 increase the stability of the raft by shifting the dynamic center upward. These floats are mounted for this purpose above the ballast tanks and they are spaced at the maximum distance from each other without increasing the width of the raft. The distance is limited by ballast tanks A, B, C and D.
  • the raft further includes (not shown) tie-up rings for towing the raft, access ladders, hoisting rings, etc.
  • Ringcarrying columns 29 are distributed around the planking and are capable of serving as tie-up points.
  • the floats and the ballast tanks are preferably made of soft, electrically welded steel.
  • the bottoms are stamped and have manholes for access to the interior.
  • Circular outside grooves are welded on ballast tanks in order to enable them to resist an outside pressure in 50 meters of water; here, rounded-off protecting pieces 30 and 31 prevent direct impacts upon the ballast tanks.
  • Supplementary air escape valves, such as 32, facilitate the regulation of the trimming or emptying of the extreme ballast tanks.
  • the apparatus is operated under the following conditions.
  • the assembly is given a slightly positive buoyancy.
  • a certain volume of water is progressively introduced into the ballast tanks A, B, C and D, opening the water inlet valves VA, VB, VC and VD, as well as the air escape vale V
  • the trim of the vehicle is regulated by closing one or more of these valves to attain a slightly positive buoyancy on the order of 200 kg, for example, and then closing the four water inlet valves VA, VB, VC and VD, as well as the air escape valve V
  • the buoyancy is then adjusted to obtain a slow descending speed on the order of meters per minute, using ballast tanks X and Y.
  • valves VX and VY are opened for the purpose of letting water into the ballast tanks along with the opening of the corresponding air escape valve V
  • the vehicle then becomes heavy and begins to descend.
  • the valves V VX and VY are then closed. If an operator estimates that the speed of descent is too slow, he can open the water inlet valves VX and VY until he gets the weight that gives him the desired speed. When the desired speed has been reached, the diver closes the valves VX and VY.
  • the inside pressure in the ballast tanks is increased until it is greater than the hydrostatic pressure.
  • the operator then opens the compressed-air inlet valve V until the pressure read off on the pressure gauge 26 is greater than that on the pressure gauge 27, giving the value of the hydrostatic pressure. He then again closes the valve 12.
  • ballast tanks X and Y After having made sure that the pressure in ballast tanks X and Y is the same as the hydrostatic pressure, the operator opens the water evacuation valves VX and VY and slightly opens the compressed-air inlet valve V The buoyancy now becomes positive, the vehicle begins to rise up again, and the operator can again close the escape valves VX and VY and the compressed-air inlet valve V The operator begins the operation over again or the opposite operaTion so as to attain a suitable raising speed.
  • a guided cable can be used which has first been anchored at the desired place on the bottom.
  • a guided cable is passed into the holes of the vehicle and this cable is connected between the cargo to be recovered and a buoy on the surface.
  • the buoy may have a thrust of 200 kg in order to produce a strong tension on the guide cable.
  • ballast tank A, B, C and D in order to reduce the apparent weight of the assembly down to a zero value, and then to regulate the hoisting speed by ballast tanks X and Y.
  • keels could be mounted to strengthen the navigation properties of the catamaran and an auxiliary motor could be provided in order to give it its own independent operation both on the surface and submerged.
  • auxiliary motor could be provided in order to give it its own independent operation both on the surface and submerged.
  • equipment designed to facilitate the operations of the operators or to provide for their total safety such equipment may be of any kind and may, in particular, involve devices that limit the speed with which the raft will rise again to the surface in case the operator should be in trouble.
  • a submersible raft for raising and lowering loads in water comprising,
  • ballast tanks a. a plurality of ballast tanks
  • tie-up means connected to said raft for tying said load to said raft;
  • ballast tanks f. air duct means connected between said ballast tanks;
  • ballast tanks for permitting introduction and evacuation of water from said ballast tanks
  • control means for controlling the raising and lowering operation of said raft, said control means comprising at least one internal compartment in each of said ballast tanks, each said compartment having a smaller volume than its corresponding ballast tank and one control member corresponding to each of said compartments, for controlling said air inlet valve means, said air escape valve means, and said water valve means whereby raising and lowering of said raft is controlled by the operation of said control members.
  • the raft of claim 1 further including,
  • ballast tanks a. a skid connected to the bottom of said ballast tanks;
  • ballast tanks b. float means coupled to said ballast tanks, above and parallel thereto.
  • each ballast tank includes at least three internal compartments
  • said air duct means comprises a
  • ballast air ducts connected between the two end compartments of each ballast tank
  • the raft of claim 3 wherein said platform includes a control station and wherein said control members are positioned at said control station.
  • said air inlet valve means are connected to said first and second common air ducts;

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Farming Of Fish And Shellfish (AREA)
  • Earth Drilling (AREA)
US00113047A 1970-02-11 1971-02-10 Submersible catamaran for the placement and withdrawal of packages ona water bottom Expired - Lifetime US3713411A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR7004774A FR2079732A5 (fr) 1970-02-11 1970-02-11

Publications (1)

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US3713411A true US3713411A (en) 1973-01-30

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US (1) US3713411A (fr)
CA (1) CA950277A (fr)
FR (1) FR2079732A5 (fr)
GB (1) GB1319706A (fr)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4015553A (en) * 1975-08-18 1977-04-05 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy Submersible barge control system
US4069923A (en) * 1974-12-16 1978-01-24 Ebasco Services Incorporated Buoyancy elevator for moving a load in an industrial facility such as a nuclear power plant
US20060042534A1 (en) * 2002-07-30 2006-03-02 Single Buoy Moorings, Inc Floating lowering and lifting device
CN103224015B (zh) * 2013-04-17 2016-05-04 哈尔滨工程大学 一种双柱壳双体组合式自救载人潜器
US10435991B2 (en) 2014-11-05 2019-10-08 Subsea 7 Norway As Handling heavy subsea structures

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2128939A (en) * 1982-10-22 1984-05-10 Richard Kennedy Dixon A submersible reservoir for storage and transportation of fluids

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4069923A (en) * 1974-12-16 1978-01-24 Ebasco Services Incorporated Buoyancy elevator for moving a load in an industrial facility such as a nuclear power plant
US4015553A (en) * 1975-08-18 1977-04-05 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy Submersible barge control system
US20060042534A1 (en) * 2002-07-30 2006-03-02 Single Buoy Moorings, Inc Floating lowering and lifting device
US7311469B2 (en) * 2002-07-30 2007-12-25 Single Buoy Moorings Inc. Floating lowering and lifting device
CN103224015B (zh) * 2013-04-17 2016-05-04 哈尔滨工程大学 一种双柱壳双体组合式自救载人潜器
US10435991B2 (en) 2014-11-05 2019-10-08 Subsea 7 Norway As Handling heavy subsea structures
US10890051B2 (en) 2014-11-05 2021-01-12 Subsea 7 Norway As Handling heavy subsea structures

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CA950277A (en) 1974-07-02
GB1319706A (en) 1973-06-06
FR2079732A5 (fr) 1971-11-12

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