Excavating – Beneath a body of water – Suction
Patent
1999-03-17
2000-11-14
Pezzuto, Robert E.
Excavating
Beneath a body of water
Suction
299 8, E02F 388
Patent
active
061452238
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a dredging apparatus, particularly intended for the removal of cuttings at the seabed around bore holes, said apparatus comprising a suction hose assigned a driven ejector which, at the ejecting aperture thereof, is coupled to an elongate pipe wherethrough cuttings sucked in through the intake opening of the suction hose are conveyed, said cuttings being conveyed through the suction hose to the ejecting aperture of the ejector, where said elongate pipe takes over the cuttings transport, feeding the cuttings out through the discharge aperture thereof situated at a substantial distance from the intake opening of the suction hose.
According to known technique, the ejector acting as the water flow based conveyor of the dredging apparatus, is driven by a motor-operated pumping device. When carrying out dredging and similar operations on the seabed, said pump is, according to known technique, mounted on the platfrom deck and, from the pump, a coarse-dimensioned hose extends down to the ejector on the seabed. At sea depths of e.g. 150 meters or more, operations must be carried out using a substantial pumping pressure at platform deck level, because one has to expect significant pressure losses within the hose/pipe system down to the ejector.
According to prior art technique, water to the motor-driven water pump is first pumped up to the platform deck and, thereafter, downwards again within the e.g. 150 meters long pipeline. Through the pipeline, e.g. 300-400 m.sup.3 water per hour may be conveyed. Thus, the part of a known dredging apparatus which is mounted on the deck constitutes a disproportionately large, bulky and heavy equipment package.
The ejector of the dredging apparatus working on the seabed is, preferably, assisted by a remote control vehicle (RCV) which may be adapted to guide the intake opening of the suction hose in order to hold it in a correctly positioned and orientated position in relation to the heap of cuttings.
The main object of the present invention has been to provide a space and weight saving dredging apparatus of the kind defined introductorily, in which also substantial energy savings are achieved.
According to the invention, this main object is realized by means of a dredging apparatus designed, shaped and adapted in accordance with the characterizing clause of the following claim 1.
In accordance with the present invention, the ejector and its water pump with drive motor are built together to a unit lowerable down to the seabed, where to the intake end of the ejector, as known per se, is coupled a suction hose/pipe for sucking in cuttings, mud, etc., desired to be removed from a certain, first place on the seabed, e.g. around the upper mouth of a bore hole, and where to the pressure end of the ejector, as known per se, is coupled a carrying off pipeline for the transfer of sucked-in cuttings, mud, etc., to another place on the seabed, well spaced from said first place, power (electricity/hydraulic pressure) to the drive motor of the water pump being delivered through a cable/hose from the surface/platform.
Through an arrangement according to the invention, significant weight savings are achieved, neither pump aggregate nor water hose drum being needed on the platfrom deck. Also, the arrangement will result in very significant energy savings due to the very much reduced pumping length for the drive water.
A dredging apparatus having an associated lowering and power supplying cable according to the invention is further explained in the following, reference being made to a non-restricting examplary embodiment diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a situational view showing the positioning of a dredging apparatus according to the invention on the seabed, said dredging apparatus having a hoisting wire and electrical cable connection to a drilling rig which has been shown on a substantially smaller scale than the dredging apparatus, and where the dredging by means of the ejector-operated dredging apparatus is assiste
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AGR Ability Group AS
Pezzuto Robert E.
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