Submersible catamaran
AssigneeItrec B.V.
InventorJoop Roodenburg
Life of this patent
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AssigneeItrec B.V.
InventorJoop Roodenburg
Estimating the term…
A submersible catamaran made of two parallel submergible floats, each having a triangular bow, a float midsection, a tail, and stern, a solid support surface forming a top to the two submergible floats adapted for supporting heavy loads, two movable columns disposed on the solid support surface, a fixed column on each submergible float, a ballast system disposed in each submergible float to raise and lower the catamaran with respect to the waterline, a horizontal positioning system with maneuvering winches and maneuvering lines connected to the winch and an object at sea, a controller for orienting the catamaran relative to the object at sea, and a vertical positioning system with two lines secured substantially vertically to the object at sea, two motion compensation systems disposed for monitoring the line tensions, and a control system to control the tension between the two motion compensation systems and the object at sea.
A submersible catamaran having a bow and a stem further comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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With multiple hulls: the hulls being interconnected rigidly
Vessels or similar floating structures specially adapted for specific purposes and not otherwise provided for: for transporting very large loads,…
Improving safety of vessels, e.g. damage control, not otherwise provided for: reducing risk of capsizing or sinking
With multiple hulls: semi-submersibles; Small waterline area multiple hull vessels and the like, e.g. SWATH
Term end not estimated
The present invention relates to a submersible watercraft; in particular, to a submersible watercraft having two hulls disposed generally parallel to and spaced apart from each other. At least two towers or columns are disposed generally above the hulls approximately in a longitudinal symmetry plane. The two hulls and the columns are rigidly interconnected a support surface. The towers or columns can contain propulsion and control mechanisms, crew accommodation and other equipment, such as ROV's, diver work chambers, pipeline repair gear or other operating equipment.
Experience with oil and natural-gas exploration, production and transmission in the North Sea has shown that, because of the frequent bad weather, surface vessels can have difficulty in moving a rig or platform from the shore to an offshore location. Considerable time can be spent waiting out the storms for calm water, which is important when transporting a heavy device, such as a platform. This waiting causes a major loss of working time for surface vessels engaged in any North Sea project or project where turbulence of the water is an issue.
Moving a large platform in pieces is also expensive and time consuming, as construction now must be performed at sea, in less than stable working conditions. The present invention was developed to enable the transport of rigs and drilling platforms even in rough sea conditions by submerging to one of two levels, while retaining the option to operate in a normal draft.
FIG. 1 is a top view of the catamaran with ballast systems.
FIG. 2 is a starboard view of the catamaran with two moveable columns.
FIG. 3 is a bow on view of the catamaran showing air gap 13.
The present invention has as its object to provide a vessel, which may be employed as floating watercraft and as a submersible vessel, which can be used in a wide variety of weather conditions.
Referring to FIG. 1, the invention is a submersible catamaran (2) having a bow (4) and a stem (6). The vessel has a first submergible float (8) and a second submergible float (10).
The first and second submergible floats each have a similar construction of bow, midsection and stem section, the latter being referred to hereafter as the tail.