Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
  • E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
  • E21B19/00—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables
  • E21B19/002—Handling rods, casings, tubes or the like outside the borehole, e.g. in the derrick; Apparatus for feeding the rods or cables specially adapted for underwater drilling
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
  • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
  • E02B17/00—Artificial islands mounted on piles or like supports, e.g. platforms on raisable legs or offshore constructions; Construction methods therefor
  • E02B17/0017—Means for protecting offshore constructions
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
  • E02B—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING
  • E02B17/00—Artificial islands mounted on piles or like supports, e.g. platforms on raisable legs or offshore constructions; Construction methods therefor
  • E02B17/0034—Maintenance, repair or inspection of offshore constructions

Definitions

• This invention relates to the protection of pipe means in a splash zone on a rig construction or similar installation at sea.
• the so-called splash zone constitutes a parti ⁇ cularly exposed region on the rig, the pipes and trunks in the splash zone being particularly exposed to corrosion-promoting and other influences, partially as a consequence of the influences of sea and air and partially as a consequence of the effects of the beating of the waves, attacks of marine overgrowth etc.
• a particular problem arises as a consequence of the often narrow intermediate spaces which are found be ⁇ tween pipes and trunks thrust together or adjacent, something which involves large problems for ready access.
• the objective is to avoid the afore-mentioned problems by carrying out corrosion protection and other protective attempts in a rational and proper manner, without using divers or personnel received in work domes or boxes.
• the present invention resides in an arrangement for use in the protection of pipe means in a splash zone on a rig construction at sea comprising: (a) a container made up of at least two parts for assembly around said pipe means and having a length which spans both exposed and submerged portions of said pipe means, said container and said pipe means defining therebetween an annular chamber which is closed below and open above and has a breadth which is limited rela ⁇ tive to its length, and said container being sealed at its lower end against said pipe means;
• a second carriage means guided and supported by said first carriage means and adapted for movement along the latter in a direction axially of said pipe means,said second carriage means comprising holder means for the replaceable mounting of equipment designed for remotely •controlled cleaning and " inspection of the surface of the pipe means and the application of protective medium thereto; and (e) means enabling operation of said equipment and extending from an upper portion to a lower portion of said annular chamber.
• the invention also includes a method of using the arrangement of the last preceding paragraph which com- prises:
• a chamber By employing a container of limited breadth, a chamber is available with a relatively low volume in spite of the relatively large length of the chamber. It is then posssible to effect cleaning, inspection and application of protective medium in a controlled atmos ⁇ phere, that is to say under regulatable temperature and regulatable air humidity conditions, the volume in the chamber being able to be exchanged, as required,, in a relatively easy manner.
• the chamber of said container may have an open end at its upper end and also at its lower end or only at its lower end. This is a practical solution in case of using the apparatus for removing growth, corrotion material etc. from the pipe or trunk surrounded by said chamber.
• the first and second carriage means constitute a coherent unit comprising two equivalent unit portions arranged one on each oppo ⁇ site side of the container.
• the equivalent unit portions are arranged to bear or thrust against each other at upper and lower positions in the container.
• each equivalent unit portion includes first and second carriage assemblies, said first carriage assembly comprising rigid frame means with an upper set of wheels mounted to run on a roller track at the upper edge of the container and with a lower set of wheels providing lateral supporting abutment against a circularly curved guide rail at the lower end of the container, said frame means comprising elongate bracing members between said upper and lower sets of wheels and upper and lower wheel support members for carrying said respective sets of wheels, parallel guide means arranged between said wheel support members as well as parallel to and between said bracing members for separate con ⁇ trol of said second carriage assembly which comprises a plate adapted to have the equipment replaceably mounted thereon and to be displaced in relatively close proxi ⁇ mity to the inner wall of the container.
• the guide means preferably pass through opposite end portions of the second carriage assembly.
• Fig. 1 is a side view of an arrangement in use on a rig trunk and seen from the side
• Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a container and associated carriage means
• Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the arrangement of Fig. 2
• Fig. 4 is a perspective view at the upper end of the container illustrating an alternative form of fastening for the arrangement
• Fig. 5 is a plan of the fastening of Fig. 4.
• a vertically extending rig trunk 10 is illustrated in the so-called splash zone, that is to say the rig trunk 10 is shown at 10b sub ⁇ merged below sea level 11 and at 10a above sea level 11.
• the rig trunk 10 is surrounded by a box-forming cylindrical container 12 or case which is provided with an upwardly opening, upper end 13 and a closed, lower end 14.
• the container 12 is carried in a support yoke 15 which is divided into two parts along a vertical plane separately fixable to the rig trunk 10 by means of clamp means 16 at the central portion 17 of the support yoke.
• the container 12 is designed as a two-part con ⁇ struction, that is to say a construction which is divided into two similar half portions 12a and 12b (Fig. 1 and 2) extending axially along dividing lines. Each half portion 12a and 12b can, if desired, be divided up, in addition, into several parts along radi ⁇ ally extending dividing lines. he container can have, for example, a length of 10-13 m.
• the half portions 12a and 12b are mounted one after the other in place on the rig trunk 10, they being suspended from the support yoke 15 and thereafter tightened together against each other and, at the same time, against the rig trunk 10 by means of an upper tightening means 18 and a lower tightening means 19 and preferably one or more inter ⁇ mediate tightening means 20.
• the con- tainer may be open in both upper and lower ends thereof. It is most convenient that remotely controlled closing means are located at both upper and lower ends of the container in order to close one or both ends thereof as need may be. This enables the container to have a more flexible application.
• the con ⁇ tainer may be used for different application in partly or in completely submerged condition with a closed off chamber surrounding the pipe or trunk.
• the container can be used in an efficient manner for specific cleaning applications with an open lower end, allowing the cleaned off material to be discharged directly through the lower end thereof into the surrounding body of sea. As shown in Fig.
• V-shaped sealing means 21 and V-shaped stop 22 are arranged along longitudinal vertical edges of the half portions 12a,12b as well as along horizontal, lower edges of the half portions.
• the sealing means 21 and the stops 22 form combined control means and sealing means.
• a bottom portion 23 extends over into a duct profile
• the tightening means 18, 19 and 20 are preferably hydraulically driven, split-up annular tightening means which can be submerged along the container to the respective fastening level by means of hoist lines (not) shown), in order to tighten together the container half portions into specific container portions which are locally extra braced.
• Bottom portion 23 of the container half portions extends horizontally inwards towards the duct profile 24.
• the bottom portion 23 and the duct profile 24 are braced relative to each other with a series of triangu ⁇ lar plates 26.
• a circularly curved rail 28 Just above the bottom portion 23 at the outer wall of the container, there is fixed, via radi- ally extending support arms 27, a circularly curved rail 28.
• the rail 28 is formed of a plate piece which has the lower portion of the rail 28 arranged at a certain height above the bottom portion 23 and which has the upper porticn f the rail 28 projecting a distance upwards above the support arms 27.
• a first carriage 30 is equipped with a pair of upper support wheels 32 and 32 which are rotated about horizontal wheel axes 3a and 32a and which rest against a roller track 33 on the top of the container 12.
• a set of lower support wheels or support rollers 34, 35, 36 which are rotated about vertical roller axes 34a, 35a, 36a respectively thrust against the inside and outside of the rail 28.
• the upper pair of support wheels 32, 32 with an associated support plate 37 is connected, via a pair of rigid control rods 39, 40 to the lower set of support rollers 34, 35, 36 with an associated support plate 38.
• guide-forming means 41, 42 In an intermediate space between the support plates 37 and 38 and between the control rods 39, 40, there are fixed guide-forming means 41, 42 between the support plates 37, 38, These guide- forming means 41, 42 are formed of somewhat elastic means, such as chains or wires or can, for example, be formed of rigid means, such as rigid pipes.
• a second carriage 43 or a slide which by means of a pair of guide sleeves 44, 45 engage with their respective associated guide means 41 and 42.
• the slide of the carriage 43 which in itself has a certain weight or supports special weight elements, is raised and lowered along the guide means 41, 42 via a support wire 46 and a winch 47 fastened to the upper support plate 37 of the carriage 30.
• the carriage 30 moves along the roller track 23 in a suspended condition with control and support along the rail 28 and is for- wardly driven in the peripheral direction of the con ⁇ tainer 12 by means of a drive motor 48 which is fastened to the support plate 37 and which engages with a drive gear wheel 49 (Fig. 11) with a gear wheel rim 50 just below the roller track 33 at the upper end of the container 12.
• each carriage 30 is equipped with an associated slide or carriage 43 and with an associated winch 47 and drive motor 48.
• Each carriage unit 30, 43 can, during mounting of the container half portions 12a and 12b on the rig trunk, already be mounted in place on the associated con- tainer half portion in certain accurately established positions in the container half portions.
• cooperating support means 52, 53 on the carriage units can jointly thrust against each other for mutual repelling and controlling of the carriage units rela ⁇ tive to each other in the peripheral direction of the container.
• the carriage units 30, 43 are adapted to move backwards and forwards over curved lengths each of about 180 (for example, approximately 190°) so that the carriage units collectively can cover the whole periphery of the rig trunk.
• the carriage units can collec ⁇ tively cover the rig trunk over the whole vertical dimension of the container.
• a fastening plate 43a On the slide or the carriage 43, there are fastenable on a fastening plate 43a, via associated fastening means 54, different types of the treating apparatus and control apparatuses, for example, cleaning equipment in the form of a sand blast nozzle or the like, control equipment in the form of TV camera or similar visual aid means including headlight or similar illuminating means and equipment for the appli ⁇ cation of protective medium, for example, in the form of paint roller with associated nozzle for the supply of protective medium to the paint roller or, if desired, directly to the surface which is to be supplied with protective agent.
• Said treatment apparatuses or control apparatuses can be mounted and used after the other as required.
• the carriage units 30, 43 After the container is emptied of water (draining by means of suction conduit and associated pump) and necessary equipment is mounted on the support plate 43a, provision is made for the carriage units 30, 43 to be operated by remote control either from the plat ⁇ form 51 or from a control room on the deck of the rig.
• the carriage 30, that is to say parallel to the con ⁇ trol rods 39, 40 there can be fastened associated electrical leads or medium hoses or pipes for the supply of different media to the equipment on the slide or the carriage 43.
• the control rods 39. 40 can themselves form medium supply pipes between the bottom of the container and the top.
• a rigid suction pipe or a suction hose which has its lower outlet arranged just above the bottom portion 23 of the container 12.
• This suction pipe or this suction hose can be used alternately for the removal of water from internal chambers of the container just after the mutual jointing of the two container half portions 12a, 12b and for the removal of cleaning medium (sand par ⁇ ticles or the like) and detached coating particles, excess corrosion protective medium or the like.
• a suitable hose or a suitable pipe for the supply of hot (preferably also dry) air or gas to the bottom portion of the container for heating and drying untreated and treated surfaces of the rig trunk in order to obtain a desired air humidity and a desired air temperature in internal chambers of the container 12.
• the objective is to effect a treatment and a visual control together with applying corrosion protective medium or another protec- tive medium on dried portions of a rig trunk or similar construction parts in a simple and risk-free manner by remote controland with minimum demands on space.
• guide sleeves and associates guide means of the slide or carriage are arranged laterally displaced relative to the intermediate fastening plate 43a while the control rods 39, 40 are further displaced sideways away from the slide or the carriage 43 but, nevertheless, not further away than that the control rods 39, 40 can, if necessary, form stops for guide sleeves of the slide or the carriage 43 or other suitable support means during displacement of the slide or the carriage along the guide means 41, 42.
• the said limited volume within the internal chamber of the container involves the advantage that the volume is relatively easy to empty and fill and in addition is easy to control in connection with airing so as to provide drier treatment surfaces and humidity- regulatable or temperature-regulatable atmosphere in a ready manner, the chamber being able to be blown through by air or gas which is supplied to the lower end of the chamber or which can be sucked through by sucking in air or gas from the lower end of the chamber. Simultaneously with the afore-mentioned air or gas exchange, there can be obtained, as a consequence of the narrow passage in the container, an effective flow along the outer surface of the rig trunk.
• the solution in connection with the treatment and con ⁇ trol of the rig trunk for application of corrosion pro ⁇ tective medium.
• the solution can also be em- ployed for application of another protective medium which is to be applied outside the treated surface of the rig trunk.
• the container can, for example, be used with advantage in connection with the application of a layer of rubber or a similar protective layer outside the rig trunk.
• such a coating can be applied in sections of plate material around the rig trunk with a vertical joint in each section and with a horizontal joint between each pair of sections, to form a freely sitting stocking which can slide down- wards along the rig trunk gradually as subsequent sections are jointed on.
• the stocking can, if necessary, be carried below by the carriage units 30, 43 via suit ⁇ able support equipment on the fastening plate 43a.
• the stocking can be supported indepen- dently of the carriage units 30, 43 via suitable support equipment (not shown) while the carriage units can be equipped for the application of or jointing to- gether of the plate-formed coating.
• suitable filler material such as a fluid medium of two or several components which on hardening expands to a certain limited extent.
• the inner wall of the container 12 can be arranged at a distance from the outer wall of the pipe trunk of 15 cm since such a distance can be sufficient to receive the above-described equipment. At the same time, such a limited distance will give a minimal volume in the container and the container will be able to be easily arranged at locations which other ⁇ wise can be accessible with difficulty with other equipment.
• a support and guide device 60 for the carriage 30 is fixed, independently of the con ⁇ tainer, directly to the pipe or trunk 10.
• the support and guide device is made in the form of two half por- tions 60a, 60b which are clamped together against each other around the pipe or trunk 10 by means of clamp bolts 61, 62 in opposite bracket portions 63, 64 of the two half portions 60a, 60b.
• a lower support for the carriage 30 on a guide at the bottom of the container there can be employed, in a manner corresponding to that shown in Fig. 2, a lower support for the carriage 30 on a guide at the bottom of the container.
• a lower support (not shown ' ) fixed directly to the pipe or trunk independent of the container.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Geology (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
• Cleaning In General (AREA)
• Earth Drilling (AREA)
• Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)
• Laying Of Electric Cables Or Lines Outside (AREA)
• Coating Apparatus (AREA)
• Filling Or Discharging Of Gas Storage Vessels (AREA)
• Electrophonic Musical Instruments (AREA)
• Signal Processing Not Specific To The Method Of Recording And Reproducing (AREA)

Priority Applications (6)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=19887977

Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (2)

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Citations (4)

• 1984
  • 1984-12-10 NO NO844923A patent/NO155658C/no unknown
• 1985
  • 1985-12-09 GB GB8619289A patent/GB2180908B/en not_active Expired
  • 1985-12-09 WO PCT/NO1985/000079 patent/WO1986003468A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1985-12-09 DE DE8585906095T patent/DE3562206D1/de not_active Expired
  • 1985-12-09 AU AU52031/86A patent/AU581720B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1985-12-09 BR BR8507105A patent/BR8507105A/pt not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1985-12-09 EP EP19850906095 patent/EP0204761B1/en not_active Expired
  • 1985-12-10 MX MX87785A patent/MX162407A/es unknown
• 1986
  • 1986-06-16 IN IN465/MAS/86A patent/IN167717B/en unknown
  • 1986-08-08 DK DK381086A patent/DK158292C/da active

Patent Citations (4)

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