Electricity: transmission to vehicles – Flexible extensions – Reels
Patent
1993-04-06
1994-12-20
Huppert, Michael S.
Electricity: transmission to vehicles
Flexible extensions
Reels
114315, 2423906, 2423902, 242418, H02G 1102, B63C 1134
Patent
active
053739256
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to diving apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This invention is primarily, but not essentially, concerned with commercial air breathing diving at depths down to 50 m and apparatus such as are disclosed in British Application GB 2182967A to David W. Kirkley et al., and published on May 28, 1987.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In diving operations life-support and other required services are supplied to a diver by means of an "umbilical" comprising a flexible bundle of ducts and cables paid out from a diver deployment device or surface support station. Such a system is not ideal.
This invention seeks to provide an apparatus for storage and feed or retraction of an umbilical under diver control and for sub-aqua deployment.
According to this invention there is provided a deployment, retrieval and storage apparatus for an umbilical, said apparatus comprising a reel with spacer flanges to contain the umbilical assembly wound around a hub of the reel, a rotary union mounted in the hub having a fixed assembly about which the hub rotates, said assembly receiving services and feeding same to a rotatable assembly connected with the hub and coupling said services to one end of the umbilical, first drive means to rotate the reel, second drive means coupled with a fairlead for driving the umbilical for deployment or retrieval, both said drive means being coupled and controlled so that a substantially constant tractive or drag force is exerted and maintained on the umbilical between the fairlead and reel. Both during extraction from and rewinding onto the reel.
This invention provides including the aforesaid apparatus mounted on a diving bell or the like.
The rotary union preferably comprises a first unit providing fluid line connections for gases and liquids and a second unit integral therewith providing electrical and/or fibre optic connections. The two units are typically positioned on the hub axis in end to end relationship.
The reel flanges may be spaced to provide a monospiral winding or alternatively the reel flanges are spaced to provide a multi-turn multi-layer arrangement with three windings being an advantageous width.
The drive means may use hydraulic motors under control of the diver who may have advance or retract control selection, alternatively air or electrical drives could be used.
It has been found in practice that a tractive force needs to be applied between the fairlead and reel as well as providing drive through the fairlead. One means for achieving this, broadly, uses a hydraulic circuit giving proportional control with flow being divided between the first reel drive means and the second fairlead drive means. The fairlead motor drive has a torque control system whereby the constant tractive force pulling against the reel motor drive drag is provided during unwinding with a smaller tractive drag against the reel motor drive being provided during reeling-in.
Control means may be provided which adjusts. continuously or step-wise, the speed of the reel according to the instantaneous wound umbilical diameter.
In practice it has been found important to provide the two drive means which are co-ordinated to provide the required power to overcome drag and friction without overstressing either the apparatus or the umbilical.
Encoding means may be included to determine the extracted length of the umbilical for control or monitoring purposes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments by way of examples and are described hereinafter in outline, i.e., various features of construction and operation are clearly shown on the drawings and are therefore not described in detail.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 shows two umbilical reeling apparatus on a wet diving bell, and in front elevation,
FIG. 2 shows a side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 shows a sectional detail through one reel,
FIG. 4 shows a side view of the reel shown in FIG. 3,
FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal sectional view t
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Handford Roger J.
Johnson Malcolm
Huppert Michael S.
Litman Richard C.
Lowe Scott L.
Ocean Technical Services Limited
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