WO2000052268A1 - Charrue sous-marine - Google Patents

Charrue sous-marine Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2000052268A1
WO2000052268A1 PCT/GB2000/000612 GB0000612W WO0052268A1 WO 2000052268 A1 WO2000052268 A1 WO 2000052268A1 GB 0000612 W GB0000612 W GB 0000612W WO 0052268 A1 WO0052268 A1 WO 0052268A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
plough
flexible member
elongate flexible
guide
guide means
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2000/000612
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
John Peter Reece
Original Assignee
Soil Machine Dynamics 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 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited filed Critical Soil Machine Dynamics Limited
Priority to AU25660/00A priority Critical patent/AU2566000A/en
Publication of WO2000052268A1 publication Critical patent/WO2000052268A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
    • H02G—INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES
    • H02G1/00—Methods or apparatus specially adapted for installing, maintaining, repairing or dismantling electric cables or lines
    • H02G1/06—Methods or apparatus specially adapted for installing, maintaining, repairing or dismantling electric cables or lines for laying cables, e.g. laying apparatus on vehicle
    • H02G1/10—Methods or apparatus specially adapted for installing, maintaining, repairing or dismantling electric cables or lines for laying cables, e.g. laying apparatus on vehicle in or under water
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
    • E02F5/00—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes
    • E02F5/02—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches
    • E02F5/10—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches with arrangements for reinforcing trenches or ditches; with arrangements for making or assembling conduits or for laying conduits or cables
    • E02F5/102—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches with arrangements for reinforcing trenches or ditches; with arrangements for making or assembling conduits or for laying conduits or cables operatively associated with mole-ploughs, coulters
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
    • E02F5/00—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes
    • E02F5/02—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches
    • E02F5/10—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches with arrangements for reinforcing trenches or ditches; with arrangements for making or assembling conduits or for laying conduits or cables
    • E02F5/104—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches with arrangements for reinforcing trenches or ditches; with arrangements for making or assembling conduits or for laying conduits or cables for burying conduits or cables in trenches under water
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
    • E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
    • E02F5/00—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes
    • E02F5/02—Dredgers or soil-shifting machines for special purposes for digging trenches or ditches
    • E02F5/14—Component parts for trench excavators, e.g. indicating devices travelling gear chassis, supports, skids

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to submarine ploughs, and relates particularly, but not exclusively, to submarine ploughs for laying cables and/or other flexible products under the surface of the sea bed.
  • a substantial part of the world's international telecommunications is transmitted by means of fibre optic cables laid on the sea bed.
  • a single such cable can carry a very large number of simultaneous telephone calls, and any damage sustained by such cables can result in considerable financial loss .
  • One of the main causes of damage to cables laid on the sea bed is fishing activity, and attempts are generally made to protect cables from such interference and damage by burying them under the surface of the sea bed.
  • the cables are generally buried by means of a submarine plough, which is towed behind a cable laying ship and picks up a cable, laid on the sea bed, into the plough and then buries it in a trench dug in the surface of the sea bed by the plough.
  • the telecommunications cables are generally provided with repeater amplifiers at intervals along the cable, and these repeater amplifiers need to pass through the plough and also be buried.
  • Figure 1 shows a conventional submarine plough for burying a cable 2 in a trench 3 in the sea bed 4.
  • the plough 1 has a plough share 5 for cutting the trench 3 in the sea bed 4, and the cable 2 passes through the plough 1 and is held down by a movable depressor 6 which can lift up automatically to allow a repeater amplifier (not shown) provided on the cable to pass.
  • the plough share 5 is connected to a pair of depth control skids 7 at the front of the plough by means of a long beam 8, and the skids 7 are movable up or down relative to the beam 8 by moving skid support arms 9.
  • the plough 1 is pulled by a cable ship by means of a tow rope 10 attached to a movable drawbar 11 which can be lifted about pivot 12 to the position 11' (shown in dotted lines) when the plough is to be lifted up to the cable ship by means of its tow rope 10.
  • the cable 2 enters the plough 1 via a bellmouth device 13 designed to lift the cable 2 off the sea bed 4 and prevent it from being bent around radii which are too small and which could therefore cause damage to the cable 2.
  • the cable 2 passes along the beam 8 of the plough 1 and then down into the trench 3 about radius 14 and is held down by the movable depressor 6 having a curved lower surface 15.
  • the bellmouth device 13 has an upper part 16 which is used when the plough 1 is being lifted and lowered on tow rope 10 relative to the cable ship. It is usual to provide the curved cable running surfaces 13, 14, 15, 16 having at least an agreed minimum cable bend radius which, in the case of telecommunications cables, is usually 1.5 metres.
  • FIG 2 is a schematic illustration of a situation in which the conventional plough 1 of Figure 1 is lifted to the surface.
  • the plough is pulled forward in the direction of arrow X, while the skid arms 9 are pushed down so that the depth of the plough share 5 in the sea bed 4 is reduced to a minimum.
  • cable ship 17 is backed up until it is vertically above the plough 1 when the plough drawbar 11 is lifted to its raised position 11' .
  • the tow rope 10 which is now used as a lift rope, is taken in by tow winch 18 and the telecommunications cable 2 is taken in and kept generally taut by a cable engine 19.
  • Figure 3 shows schematically how lifting of the plough 1 to the ship 17 is carried out starting from position B with the plough 1 just clear of the sea bed 4 and the cable 2 having a tension of about 1 tonne.
  • the ship 17 is kept stationary, and the plough 1 is lifted vertically upwards. This causes the cable catenary behind the ship 17 to extend backwards, pulling the cable 2 out of the trench as shown in positions A to C to D to E to F.
  • Some cable laying operators also prefer to keep the ship 17 moving forward's, which can leave even more cable unburied.
  • FIG 4 which shows the cable 2 at the location where it exits from the plough 1, a cross-section through the plough share 5 along the plane X - X is shown.
  • the plough share 5 has side plates 20, which usually are made from solid steel up to 25 mm thick and having lower corners ground off to a radius 21 about equal to the plate thickness.
  • cable 2 runs out through the gap 22 between the side plates 20 in the direction of arrows A or B, or is pulled up into the gap 22 in the direction of arrows C or D.
  • the cable 2 takes up a position in which it rubs on the small radius 21.
  • the position shown by arrows A and C is often acceptable, but movement in the direction of arrow A out of the plough 1 is less likely to damage the outer skin of the cable 2 than movement in the direction of arrow C.
  • the cable 2 shown moving along the direction of arrows B and D has a much greater offlead angle (i.e. 30°) and is likely to be damaged whether it moves in the direction of arrow B or D, but damage is likely to be much worse if the cable moves in the direction of arrow D.
  • Preferred embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome the above disadvantages of the prior art .
  • a submarine plough comprising:
  • a plough share having at least one cutting means for cutting a trench in a sea floor
  • first guide means having at least one guide surface and having a working position in which at least one said guide surface is arranged adjacent said outlet to enable the elongate flexible member from the outlet to pass thereover, wherein the or each said guide surface has a sufficiently large radius of curvature to minimise damage to the elongate flexible member;
  • displacement means for displacing said guide means out of the working position thereof.
  • first guide means having at least one guide surface of sufficiently smooth curvature to avoid damage to the flexible member and which can be located adjacent the outlet, this provides the advantage of minimising the risk that damage to the member occurs as a result of the member being bent around side plates of the plough share as the plough is lifted off the sea floor, while also enabling the first guide means to be displaced out of its working position to prevent the guide means from interfering with the trench cutting operation of the plough.
  • the guide means comprises a bellmouth for receiving the elongate flexible member, and at least one said guide surface arranged in said bellmouth.
  • the bellmouth may be open to enable the elongate flexible member to be received therein. This provides the advantage of facilitating location of the channel on the elongate flexible member.
  • the bellmouth may be adapted to be opened to receive the elongate flexible member.
  • the plough share comprises a pair of side plates and the outlet is provided between said side plates .
  • the plough preferably further comprises biasing means for urging the first guide means into contact with the elongate flexible member.
  • This provides the advantage of ensuring that the guide means follows the elongate flexible member as it changes direction, without exerting unnecessary force on the member.
  • the biasing means may be. hydraulic.
  • biasing means may comprise at least one spring.
  • the displacement means may be adapted to displace the guide means between the working position and a stowed position.
  • the plough further comprises second guide means arranged rearwardly of said outlet for guiding the elongate flexible member into the trench, wherein the second guide means is displaceable relative to the outlet, and the first guide means is mounted to said second guide means.
  • the first guide means can be arranged to avoid the repeater amplifiers as the second guide means is automatically displaced to avoid the repeater amplifiers, thus simplifying construction of the apparatus.
  • the second guide means comprises a movable depressor.
  • the displacement means may be adapted to release the first guide means from the plough.
  • said first guide means is mounted to a pivot, and said displacement means is adapted to release said pivot from the plough.
  • a guide apparatus for a submarine plough including a plough share having at least one cutting means for cutting a trench in a sea floor, an inlet for receiving an elongate flexible member, and an outlet provided rearwardly of the or each said cutting means for inserting the elongate flexible member into the trench, the guide apparatus comprising:
  • guide means adapted to be mounted to the plough and having at least one guide surface and a working position in which at least one said guide surface is arranged adjacent said outlet to enable the elongate flexible member from the outlet to pass thereover, wherein the or each said guide surface has a sufficiently large radius of curvature to minimise damage to the elongate flexible member;
  • displacement means for displacing said guide means out of the working position thereof.
  • the guide means comprises a bellmouth for receiving the elongate flexible member, and at least one said guide surface arranged in said bellmouth.
  • the channel may be open at one end thereof .
  • the bellmouth may be open to enable the elongate flexible member to be received therein.
  • the bellmouth may be adapted to be opened to receive the elongate flexible member.
  • Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation of a prior art submarine plough for burying telecommunication cables
  • Figure 2 is a schematic view of the way in which the plough of Figure 1 is lifted from the sea bed;
  • Figure 3 is a schematic view of the lifting and lowering of the plough between sea bed and ship in the arrangement of Figure 2 ;
  • Figure 4 is a schematic 'cross-sectional view of the manner in which the cable moves in and out of the plough share of the plough of Figure 1 in the lifting process of Figure 3;
  • Figures 5 to 7 are three orthogonal views of a guide means of a submarine plough embodying the present invention.
  • Figure 8 is a detailed elevational view of a rear portion of the submarine plough embodying the present invention and fitted with the guide means of Figures 5 to 7 ;
  • Figure 9 is a schematic elevational view of a guide means of a second embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 10 is a detailed view of part of the guide means of Figure 9 ; and Figure 11 is a schematic view, corresponding to Figure 3, of the lifting and lowering of the plough of Figures 5 to 10 between sea bed and ship.
  • a guide means in the form of a displaceable bellmouth device 130 includes an end plate 131 located at the rear thereof, the end plate 131 being one half of a circular section bellmouth of radius R welded to mating rectangular plates 132 rolled so as to have a radius R joining along plane Y - Y.
  • the bellmouth is open, and tubes 134 are welded around the edges of the bellmouth 130 to give radiused edges to protect the cable 2 and provide strength.
  • the particular bellmouth device 130 shown in Figures 5 to 7 would be suitable to protect a cable 2 having an offlead angle of up to 30°, allowing it to bend around a radius of about 1 metre .
  • the bellmouth device 130 of Figures 5 to 7 is mounted to the. rear of a submarine plough 101 so as to be able to pivot about a pivot axis 135 under the control of a hydraulic cylinder 136.
  • the position of pivot axis 135 is chosen so that the upper narrow throat 137 (see Figure 6) of the bellmouth device 130 can move across substantially the whole of an opening 138 in the bottom of the plough 101, keeping as close as practicable to the lower edges 139 of the side plates 140 of the plough share.
  • the position of axis 135 is also chosen so that the rear curved surface 131 of the bell mouth device 130 is as near tangential as is practicable to the cable 2 through the whole range of cable positions from horizontal 2' (as the plough 101 rests on the sea bed) , through 2'' to the vertical position 2' ' ' as the plough 101 is lifted off the sea bed.
  • the bellmouth device 130 When the bellmouth device 130 reaches its initial working position beside the cable 2 in position 2' as shown in Figure 8, it needs to change from being positively moved by the hydraulic cylinder 136 to a state of being gently urged towards the front of the plough 101. This ensures that the bellmouth device 130 follows the cable 2 as it changes position, but without exerting unnecessary force on the cable 2. This can be easily achieved by means of the hydraulic system driving cylinder 136, or by a mechanical spring.
  • the bellmouth device 130 needs to be stowed on the plough 101 when not in use so that it is entirely above the highest level 140 of the soil when the plough is working in dense soil, and as much as possible above the highest level 141 of the soil when the plough is working in soft mud. This is achieved by mounting the pivot 135 and a pivot 142 for the hydraulic cylinder 136 on a movable sub frame 143 which itself can pivot about axis 144 under the control of a second hydraulic cylinder 145. This enables the whole apparatus including the bellmouth device 130 to be folded up out of the way of the plough share, as shown by dotted lines 130', 143'.
  • the sub frame 143 is only attached to the plough by means of two brackets 146, 147 welded to the back of movable depressor 106. This provides the advantage that the whole bellmouth device 130 can be lifted up out of the way of a repeater amplifier (not shown) provided on the cable 2 as it passes through the plough 101.
  • a jettisonable bellmouth device 230 is mounted to a pivot 235 and is urged in the direction of arrow C by means of a spring 250 which replaces the hydraulic cylinder 136 of Figure 8.
  • the spring 250 is connected to the rear of movable depressor 206, and the pivot 235 sits in two open slots 251 in side plates 240 of the plough share, shown in Figure 10, and -is held in place by means of a latch 252 fixed to the depressor 206.
  • the depressor 206 When it is required to jettison the bellmouth device 230, the depressor 206 is simply lifted a small distance, which raises the latch 252 to its release position 252', and the depressor 206 lifts the pivot 235 out of the open slots 251. The spring 250 then pulls the whole assembly down until it falls off the plough under its own weight.
  • Figure 11 illustrates the procedure required to lift the plough 101 up to the ship and put it down again leaving only a small length of cable 2 not buried.
  • Starting lifting of the plough at B it is necessary to coordinate the forward movement of the ship with the lifting of the plough 101 and the control of the telecommunication cable 2 payout so that the plough moves up the calculated catenary curve A to H.
  • the shape of this curve depends on the weight of the cable 2, the tension at A, the friction at the plough 101 and the required angle ⁇ .. This should be very small, say 3° to avoid any tendency to lift the cable 2 up out of the sea bed 4 at A.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Civil Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Laying Of Electric Cables Or Lines Outside (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne une charrue sous-marine qui comprend un soc de charrue permettant de creuser une tranchée dans le fond de la mer, une entrée pour un élément flexible allongé tel qu'un câble, et une sortie aménagée à l'arrière du soc de charrue, permettant d'introduire l'élément flexible dans la tranchée. Des moyens de guidage se présentent sous forme d'un dispositif (130) à ouverture évasée pouvant être déplacé. Ce dispositif a une position opérationnelle dans laquelle au moins une surface de guidage jouxte la sortie de manière que l'élément flexible provenant de la sortie passe sur cette surface opérationnelle. La/les surface(s) de guidage présente(nt) un rayon de courbure suffisant pour réduire au minimum le risque d'endommager le câble (2). Des moyens de déplacement tels qu'un vérin (136) hydraulique permettent de déplacer le dispositif (130) à ouverture évasée de manière à le retirer de sa position opérationnelle.
PCT/GB2000/000612 1999-03-05 2000-02-22 Charrue sous-marine WO2000052268A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU25660/00A AU2566000A (en) 1999-03-05 2000-02-22 Submarine plough

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9905042.9 1999-03-05
GBGB9905042.9A GB9905042D0 (en) 1999-03-05 1999-03-05 Submarine plough

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2000052268A1 true WO2000052268A1 (fr) 2000-09-08

Family

ID=10848996

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/GB2000/000612 WO2000052268A1 (fr) 1999-03-05 2000-02-22 Charrue sous-marine

Country Status (3)

Country Link
AU (1) AU2566000A (fr)
GB (1) GB9905042D0 (fr)
WO (1) WO2000052268A1 (fr)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2354886A (en) * 1999-09-28 2001-04-04 Engineering Business Ltd Cable or pipe laying apparatus
CN105429060A (zh) * 2015-12-29 2016-03-23 国网湖北省电力公司宜昌供电公司 一种用于穿引电缆的变力臂杠杆
LU93055B1 (fr) * 2016-05-03 2017-12-22 Js Patent S A R L Dispositif pour enterrer des éléments flexibles de grande longueur
EP3397816B1 (fr) * 2015-12-31 2021-12-01 Osbit Ltd Charrue sous-marine et labourage

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3423946A (en) * 1967-06-07 1969-01-28 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Undersea repeater burying plowshare
US4011727A (en) * 1974-07-26 1977-03-15 Nippon Telegraph And Telephone Public Corporation Movable cable plow for constructing underwater cable
US4012918A (en) * 1974-10-02 1977-03-22 Nippon Telegraph And Telephone Public Corporation Submarine cable laying system
EP0185422A1 (fr) * 1984-12-19 1986-06-25 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Procédé et dispositif pour creuser dans le sol
US4661018A (en) * 1981-06-03 1987-04-28 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. Apparatus for and method of installing underground cable having above ground terminals
US4664553A (en) * 1983-01-20 1987-05-12 The British Petroleum Company P.L.C. Plough assembly
EP0278705A1 (fr) * 1987-02-11 1988-08-17 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Soc pour l'enfouissement de câbles dans un sol sous-marin
EP0828031A1 (fr) * 1996-09-06 1998-03-11 CABLE & WIRELESS PLC Améliorations relatives au sillonage sous-marin

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3423946A (en) * 1967-06-07 1969-01-28 Bell Telephone Labor Inc Undersea repeater burying plowshare
US4011727A (en) * 1974-07-26 1977-03-15 Nippon Telegraph And Telephone Public Corporation Movable cable plow for constructing underwater cable
US4012918A (en) * 1974-10-02 1977-03-22 Nippon Telegraph And Telephone Public Corporation Submarine cable laying system
US4661018A (en) * 1981-06-03 1987-04-28 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. Apparatus for and method of installing underground cable having above ground terminals
US4664553A (en) * 1983-01-20 1987-05-12 The British Petroleum Company P.L.C. Plough assembly
EP0185422A1 (fr) * 1984-12-19 1986-06-25 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Procédé et dispositif pour creuser dans le sol
EP0278705A1 (fr) * 1987-02-11 1988-08-17 Soil Machine Dynamics Limited Soc pour l'enfouissement de câbles dans un sol sous-marin
EP0828031A1 (fr) * 1996-09-06 1998-03-11 CABLE & WIRELESS PLC Améliorations relatives au sillonage sous-marin

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2354886A (en) * 1999-09-28 2001-04-04 Engineering Business Ltd Cable or pipe laying apparatus
GB2354886B (en) * 1999-09-28 2003-10-15 Engineering Business Ltd Cable or pipe laying macxhines
CN105429060A (zh) * 2015-12-29 2016-03-23 国网湖北省电力公司宜昌供电公司 一种用于穿引电缆的变力臂杠杆
EP3397816B1 (fr) * 2015-12-31 2021-12-01 Osbit Ltd Charrue sous-marine et labourage
LU93055B1 (fr) * 2016-05-03 2017-12-22 Js Patent S A R L Dispositif pour enterrer des éléments flexibles de grande longueur

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9905042D0 (en) 1999-04-28
AU2566000A (en) 2000-09-21

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