Suction anchor or well support foundation for use in permeable water bottom formations
AssigneeNeoDrill AS
InventorsWolfgang Mathis, Ole Kristian Holen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A suction anchor has a skirt open at one end and closed at another end to define an interior volume. At least one conduit nested within or adjacent to the skirt, is open at one end and closed at another end to define an inner volume. A suction line is fluidly connected to the interior volume through a first valve. A second valve is fluidly connected between the inner volume and either the suction line or the interior volume. The first valve and the second valve are operable to cause water flow at respective selected rates along both the skirt and the conduit from a body of water when the interior volume and the inner volume are evacuated and the suction anchor is disposed on the bottom of a body of water.
Claims20
A suction anchor, comprising:
- a skirt open at one end and closed at another end to define an interior volume;
- at least one conduit nested within the skirt or disposed adjacent to the skirt, the conduit open at one end and temporarily closed at another end to define an inner volume;
- a suction line fluidly connected to the interior volume through a first valve;
- a second valve fluidly connected between the inner volume and either the suction line or the interior volume, wherein the first valve and the second valve are operable to cause water flow along both the skirt and the at least one conduit from a body of water at respective selected rates when the interior volume and the inner volume are evacuated and the suction anchor is disposed on the bottom of a body of water;
- and
- a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the inner volume and the interior volume, the pressure sensor arranged to generate signals corresponding to a difference between fluid pressure in the inner volume and fluid pressure in the interior volume.
A method for affixing a suction anchor having at least one conduit nested in or adjacent to a skirt extending to a bottom of a body of water, the method comprising:
- lowering the suction anchor so that the skirt is in contact with the bottom of the body of water;
- reducing pressure in an interior volume defined within the skirt and external to the at least one conduit;
- reducing pressure in an inner volume defined by an interior of the at least on conduit;
- and
- wherein the reducing pressure in the inner volume and the reducing pressure in the interior volume are performed at respective rates such that water cross flow between the interior volume and the inner volume is minimized, the reducing pressure comprising measuring a pressure in the inner volume and measuring pressure in the interior volume, and minimizing a difference between the measured pressures is minimized.
A suction anchor, comprising:
- a skirt open at one end and closed at another end to define an interior volume;
- a conduit nested within the skirt or disposed adjacent to the skirt, the conduit open at one end and temporarily closed at another end to define an inner volume;
- means for evacuating the inner volume and the internal volume, the means for evacuating operable to cause water flow along both the skirt and the conduit from a body of water by separately controlling rates of evacuation from the inner volume and the interior volume when the suction anchor is disposed on a bottom of a body of water, the means for evacuating comprising a pressure sensor in communication with the inner volume and with the interior volume, the pressure sensor generating signals corresponding to a difference in pressure between the inner volume and the interior volume.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.