Underwater trenching apparatus and pumping apparatus
AssigneeRoyal IHC Limited
InventorJonathan Ralph Manchester
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An underwater trenching apparatus and pumping apparatus includes: first and second pumps and a trench-cutting jetting tool with first and second sections, the first pump having an inlet for fluid connection with a source of water and an outlet fluidly connected to the first section of the jetting tool, the second pump having an inlet for fluid connection with a source of water and an outlet fluidly connected to the second section of the jetting tool, wherein the outlet of the first pump is fluidly connected to the inlet of the second pump by valve means that is operable to divert at least a portion of an outlet flow of the first pump to the inlet of the second pump.
Claims25
A pumping apparatus for use in an underwater trenching apparatus, comprising
- a first pump having an inlet for fluid connection through a first intake with a source of liquid and an outlet for fluid connection to the first section of a jetting tool and
- a second pump having an inlet for fluid connection through a second intake with a source of liquid and an outlet for fluid connection to the second section of a jetting tool,
- wherein the outlet of the first pump is fluidly connected to the inlet of the second pump by valve means that is operable to divert at least a portion of an outlet flow of the first pump from the first section of the jetting tool to the inlet of the second pump.
A method of operating an underwater trenching apparatus, the method comprising diverting at least a portion of the outlet flow of a first pump from the first section of a jetting tool to the inlet of a second pump fluidly connected to a second section of the jetting tool in order to increase the pressure of the outlet flow of the second pump supplied to the second section of the jetting tool, the first pump having a first intake and the second pump having a second intake.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.