Submersible habitat for the repair of subsea cable
AssigneeIrish Sea Contractors Limited
InventorsDavid Kinsella, Michael Kinsella
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A submersible habitat 100 for the repair of subsea cable 11, the habitat comprising a cable maintenance environment 108 being suitable for receiving a portion of the subsea cable under repair 115 while the subsea cable 11 is submerged. The submersible habitat further comprising raising and/or lowering component 25 configured for raising and/or lowering the submersible habitat 100 relative to the subsea cable 11. The entire repair is carried out within the submersible habitat 100 without the requirement to transport any portion of the subsea cable 11 to the surface.
Claims59
A submersible habitat for the repair of subsea cable, the habitat comprising:
- a cable maintenance environment suitable for receiving a portion of the subsea cable under repair while the subsea cable is submerged, wherein the cable maintenance environment is at least partially enclosed by an enclosure;
- wherein the entire repair is carried out within the submersible habitat without the requirement to transport any portion of the subsea cable to the surface, the submersible habitat further comprising raising and/or lowering means configured for raising and/or lowering the submersible habitat relative to the subsea cable;
- and
- wherein the enclosure comprises an entrance chamber further comprises a sealable first door or hatch for providing access to the interior of the entrance chamber from external of the submersible habitat, and a sealable second door or hatch for providing access from the entrance chamber to the cable maintenance environment of the enclosure.
A submersible habitat for the repair of subsea cable, the habitat comprising:
- a cable maintenance environment suitable for receiving a portion of the subsea cable under repair while the subsea cable is submerged, wherein the cable maintenance environment is at least partially enclosed by an enclosure;
- wherein the entire repair is carried out within the submersible habitat without the requirement to transport any portion of the subsea cable to the surface, the submersible habitat further comprising raising and/or lowering means configured for raising and/or lowering the submersible habitat relative to the subsea cable;
- and
- wherein the enclosure comprises four side walls and a roof portion connecting the four side walls, the bottom portion of the enclosure opposing the roof portion is an open portion such that the enclosure is in fluid communication with the water when the submersible habitat is submerged.
A method of repairing a cable, the method comprising;
- locating a portion of the subsea cable under repair over a cable maintenance environment while the subsea cable is submerged;
- adjusting the height of the cable maintenance environment;
- and
- lifting the portion of the subsea cable such that the portion of the subsea cable under repair is raised to a lifted position within the cable maintenance environment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.