WO1992007691A1 - Appareil permettant d'enlever un materiau de surface par erosion sous l'eau - Google Patents

Appareil permettant d'enlever un materiau de surface par erosion sous l'eau Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1992007691A1
WO1992007691A1 PCT/GB1991/001880 GB9101880W WO9207691A1 WO 1992007691 A1 WO1992007691 A1 WO 1992007691A1 GB 9101880 W GB9101880 W GB 9101880W WO 9207691 A1 WO9207691 A1 WO 9207691A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
slurry
water
jet
vehicle
ice
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB1991/001880
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Richard Anthony Beck
Original Assignee
Gec-Marconi Limited
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 Gec-Marconi Limited filed Critical Gec-Marconi Limited
Publication of WO1992007691A1 publication Critical patent/WO1992007691A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
    • B24C—ABRASIVE OR RELATED BLASTING WITH PARTICULATE MATERIAL
    • B24C1/00—Methods for use of abrasive blasting for producing particular effects; Use of auxiliary equipment in connection with such methods
    • B24C1/08—Methods for use of abrasive blasting for producing particular effects; Use of auxiliary equipment in connection with such methods for polishing surfaces, e.g. smoothing a surface by making use of liquid-borne abrasives
    • B24C1/086—Descaling; Removing coating films
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
    • B24C—ABRASIVE OR RELATED BLASTING WITH PARTICULATE MATERIAL
    • B24C1/00—Methods for use of abrasive blasting for producing particular effects; Use of auxiliary equipment in connection with such methods
    • B24C1/003—Methods for use of abrasive blasting for producing particular effects; Use of auxiliary equipment in connection with such methods using material which dissolves or changes phase after the treatment, e.g. ice, CO2
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B24—GRINDING; POLISHING
    • B24C—ABRASIVE OR RELATED BLASTING WITH PARTICULATE MATERIAL
    • B24C3/00—Abrasive blasting machines or devices; Plants
    • B24C3/32—Abrasive blasting machines or devices; Plants designed for abrasive blasting of particular work, e.g. the internal surfaces of cylinder blocks
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B63—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; RELATED EQUIPMENT
    • B63B—SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING 
    • B63B59/00—Hull protection specially adapted for vessels; Cleaning devices specially adapted for vessels
    • B63B59/06—Cleaning devices for hulls
    • B63B59/08—Cleaning devices for hulls of underwater surfaces while afloat
    • 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
    • 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
    • B63C11/00—Equipment for dwelling or working underwater; Means for searching for underwater objects
    • B63C11/34—Diving chambers with mechanical link, e.g. cable, to a base
    • B63C11/36—Diving chambers with mechanical link, e.g. cable, to a base of closed type
    • B63C11/42—Diving chambers with mechanical link, e.g. cable, to a base of closed type with independent propulsion or direction control

Definitions

  • This invention relates to apparatus for removing surface material from an underwater surface. While the invention is primarily directed to the cleaning of subsea structures, it is equally applicable in any underwater situation where surface erosion is required, whether this be for cleaning purposes or for any other surface erosion process.
  • Man-made subsea structures such as the subsea parts of oil platforms, tend to become encrusted with marine growth, rust and other unwanted coatings. These must be removed to facilitate inspection, to maintain the mass and stability properties of the structure, to avoid premature fatigue and stress-related cracking, to prevent important outlet apertures from becoming blocked, and to avoid accelerated corrosion.
  • ROVs remotel -operated vehicles
  • the grit (slurry) jet system is the leading cleaning system on the market at present.
  • grit particles are carried in a
  • One object of the present inventi on is to avoi d any abrasion damage to the slurry dispensi ng equipment, in parti cular the manipulator.
  • apparatus for removing surface materi al from an underwater surface by erosi on which comprises mi xing means for forming a slurry of pieces of ice in a water medium and jet means for projecti ng the slurry in a jet di rected at the surface.
  • the apparatus may compri se a vessel adapted to be located at or above the water surface, an underwater vehicl e which carries the jet means , hose means l inking the vessel with the vehicl e, and pump means adapted to pump, via the hose means , the slurry or water for use in forming the sl urry from the surface vessel to the underwater vehicle.
  • the mixing means is carried by the surface vessel , the pump means being adapted to pump the slurry to the underwater vehicle.
  • the mixing means and the jet means are carried by an underwater vehicle.
  • the mixing means may be adapted to use ambient water in the formation of the slurry.
  • the vehicle may carry a container in which ice pieces , made previously above the water
  • SUBSTITUTE SHEET surface can be stored prior to mixing with the water medium.
  • the jet means may comprises a nozzle from which the jet is issued, mounted on a manipulator arm adapted to control the direction of the jet, the manipulator arm incorporating heating means to prevent damage from the impact of stray ice fragments.
  • the underwater vehicle is preferably remotely operated.
  • the surface vessel may be adapted to be secured to the seabed.
  • the vessel may be an oil rig.
  • a remotely-operated vehicle is controlled to survey the beams or other members of a subsea structure, for example an oil rig, that are liable to be encrusted with extraneous matter.
  • the ROV is fitted with a nozzle of perhaps 10 cm diameter which terminates a hose extending down from a vessel above on the surface.
  • the vessel In the case of an oil rig the vessel would generally be the rig itself.
  • the hose is supplied with a slurry of ice blocks and water.
  • the slurry formed by a mixer carried by the surface vessel, is pumped down the hose to the ROV nozzle from which it emerges in a high pressure jet.
  • a suitable size for the pieces of ice, i.e. the blocks may be say, 3 cm 'diameter', although they do not have to be spherical, or indeed of any particular shape.
  • SUBSTITUTE SHEET to get into the moving parts of the manipulator they will cause very little abrasion damage because they will melt quickly therein.
  • heating coils or other heating arrangements can be incorporated in the manipulator at strategic positions. The melting of the ice would be yet further accelerated by the conversion, on impact, of some of its kinetic energy into heat, and perhaps by a depression of its melting point due to it acquiring impurities through contact with the surface. Small fragments and blocks will generally drift through the water slowly, a factor which limits their chance of ever getting back to the manipulator.
  • the ice is supplied ' directly from above the sea surface via a hose analogous to the grit hose used in the grit jet system, the ice blocks being preferably within several degrees of their melting point.
  • a supply of water preferably at a temperature just above (i.e. within several degrees of) the freezing point, is sent through a hose from above the sea surface and final chilling and conversion to ice blocks is performed by a refrigerator unit carried by the ROV.
  • the drawing (which is not to scale) shows the apparatus in operation cleaning one support pillar 1 of an oil rig platform 2.
  • Water for forming the jet slurry is fed to an underwater ROV 3 on the seabed 13 via a hose 4.
  • the ROV 3 would generally be connected by cable (not shown) to a control vessel at the water surface.
  • the water obtained from a supply pipe 5 on the platform, is cooled in a cooling plant 6 before being pumped by a pump 7 to the ROV 3.
  • the underwater end of the hose 4 is coupled to equipment carried by the ROV which comprises a refrigeration plant 8 and a mixer 9.
  • the plant 8 produces ice blocks of suitable size for subsequent combination in the mixer 9 with untreated water from the cooling plant 6 to form the required slurry.
  • the slurry output of the mixer 9 is fed to a nozzle 10 to generate the cleaning jet 11.
  • the nozzle 10 is mounted on a manipulator arm 12 which enables the jet to be controllably directed at and scanned over the pillar surface to be treated.
  • SUBSTITUTE SHEET also supports the slurry feed hose to the nozzle 10. This embodiment has an advantage over the direct supply of ice blocks which may have a low packing density in the hose and may give rise to occasional blockages of the hose.
  • a further alternative allows the hose from above the surface to be dispensed with entirely, thereby avoiding entanglement risks.
  • the ice blocks are formed from the ambient sea water by a refrigerator unit in the ROV. The sea water would probably be filtered before freezing to prevent large bodies such as fish, and unwanted impurities, from entering and reducing the effectiveness of the process by causing blockages or otherwise.
  • a fourth alternative, and one which again allows the hose from above , the surface to be dispensed with, involves storing the ice pieces made previously above the surface in an insulated container on the .ROV.
  • the ice pieces are dispensed as and when required for mixing with water to form the slurry.
  • the ice is nearly neutrally buoyant and can be taken underwater in bulk without need to make major adjustments to the overall density and centre of gravity of the ROV or other carrier.
  • a final advantage of the use of ice instead of grit is that possible damage to the environment is avoided.
  • a system for cleaning subsea structures in which small blocks of ice just below (i.e. within several degrees of) the melting point are carried in a high speed jet of sea water to strike the surface to be cleaned and thereby dislodge extraneous materials from that surface by erosion.
  • the ice fragments will melt rapidly after the impact so they can do little or no damage to the cleaning equipment.
  • the underwater vehicle is not essentially remotely-operated. In certain, critical operations it may be desirable to use a manned vehicle.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Ocean & Marine Engineering (AREA)
  • Cleaning By Liquid Or Steam (AREA)
  • Cleaning In General (AREA)

Abstract

Appareil permettant de nettoyer des structures sous-marines, telles que des barges de forage (1, 2), attaquées par des organismes marins, la rouille, etc. L'un des procédés connus de nettoyage dans ces conditions est le décapage au sable, mais ce procédé présente certains désavantages, notamment, et non des moindres, l'usure par frottement des supports, des joints d'étanchéité et d'autres pièces mobiles de l'équipement due à l'infiltration du sable. Dans le présent appareil, un mélange de morceaux de glace et d'eau est projeté en jet (11) sur la surface depuis un ensemble éjecteur (10, 12) situé sur un véhicule sous-marin à commande à distance (ROV en anglais) (3). On peut fabriquer ledit mélange de plusieurs manières: a) on peut le créer entièrement en surface et le pomper vers le bas par un tuyau; b) on peut pomper (7) dans un tuyau (4) de l'eau (6) à une température située juste au-dessus de zéro dans une installation de réfrigération (8) pour former des morceaux de glace; c) on peut fabriquer des morceaux de glace dans le ROV à partir de l'eau se trouvant sur place; et d) on peut stocker des morceaux de glace dans le ROV (3) avant de le descendre dans l'eau pour les utiliser au moment du fonctionnement de l'appareil. Grâce à l'utilisation de morceaux de glace, il est possible d'éliminer les problèmes d'abrasion indésirable, étant donné que les fragments de glace ont tendance à fondre après l'impact.
PCT/GB1991/001880 1990-10-26 1991-10-28 Appareil permettant d'enlever un materiau de surface par erosion sous l'eau WO1992007691A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB909023334A GB9023334D0 (en) 1990-10-26 1990-10-26 Method and apparatus for removing surface material underwater by erosion
GB9023334.7 1990-10-26

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1992007691A1 true WO1992007691A1 (fr) 1992-05-14

Family

ID=10684402

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB1991/001880 WO1992007691A1 (fr) 1990-10-26 1991-10-28 Appareil permettant d'enlever un materiau de surface par erosion sous l'eau

Country Status (2)

Country Link
GB (2) GB9023334D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO1992007691A1 (fr)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN102285435A (zh) * 2011-06-01 2011-12-21 华南理工大学 一种潜水泵喷水推进带缆遥控水下机器人
CN109050823A (zh) * 2018-08-14 2018-12-21 中国船舶科学研究中心（中国船舶重工集团公司第七0二研究所） 螺旋桨用水下空化清洗装置及其使用方法
CN109080791A (zh) * 2018-08-14 2018-12-25 中国船舶科学研究中心（中国船舶重工集团公司第七0二研究所） 螺旋桨用水下清洗装置及其方法

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2264659B (en) * 1992-02-29 1995-05-24 Rolls Royce Plc Abrasive fluid jet machining
US7258597B2 (en) * 2005-11-09 2007-08-21 Oceaneering International, Inc. Subsea abrasive jet cutting system and method of use
BE1025457B1 (nl) * 2017-08-08 2019-03-11 D.E.C.O. Nv Waterstraalinrichting en methode voor het detecteren van een insnijding

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2110527A5 (fr) * 1970-10-09 1972-06-02 Bertoncini Gaston
GB1397102A (en) * 1972-03-22 1975-06-11 Carrier Drysys Ltd Abrasive treatment of a surface of a metal substrate
EP0164914A1 (fr) * 1984-05-15 1985-12-18 N.I.S. Engineering Limited Méthode de nettoyage par projection
EP0316264A2 (fr) * 1987-11-11 1989-05-17 Werner & Zeisse GmbH & Co. Procédé et dispositif pour le dévernissage et l'enlèvement de couches de surfaces

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2934023A1 (de) * 1979-08-22 1981-03-12 Myers-Europe Pumpen GmbH, 4300 Essen Nasssandstrahl-verfahren und einrichtung zum durchfuehren des verfahrens
EP0408609A1 (fr) * 1988-03-02 1991-01-23 Cleaning Technology Limited Nettoyage ou decoupage par abrasion

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2110527A5 (fr) * 1970-10-09 1972-06-02 Bertoncini Gaston
GB1397102A (en) * 1972-03-22 1975-06-11 Carrier Drysys Ltd Abrasive treatment of a surface of a metal substrate
EP0164914A1 (fr) * 1984-05-15 1985-12-18 N.I.S. Engineering Limited Méthode de nettoyage par projection
EP0316264A2 (fr) * 1987-11-11 1989-05-17 Werner & Zeisse GmbH & Co. Procédé et dispositif pour le dévernissage et l'enlèvement de couches de surfaces

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN102285435A (zh) * 2011-06-01 2011-12-21 华南理工大学 一种潜水泵喷水推进带缆遥控水下机器人
CN102285435B (zh) * 2011-06-01 2013-07-10 华南理工大学 一种潜水泵喷水推进带缆遥控水下机器人
CN109050823A (zh) * 2018-08-14 2018-12-21 中国船舶科学研究中心（中国船舶重工集团公司第七0二研究所） 螺旋桨用水下空化清洗装置及其使用方法
CN109080791A (zh) * 2018-08-14 2018-12-25 中国船舶科学研究中心（中国船舶重工集团公司第七0二研究所） 螺旋桨用水下清洗装置及其方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9122811D0 (en) 1991-12-11
GB9023334D0 (en) 1990-12-05
GB2249045A (en) 1992-04-29

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