Anchoring system and method
OwnerDaniel I. Corbettinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An anchoring system installed on a bottom of a body of water. The anchoring system has a tube sheet with an access tube defining a flow channel therethrough. One or more water tubes pass through the tube sheet. Each of the water tubes defining a longitudinal channel through the tube sheet. Each longitudinal channel has an open end at the top side and a closed end below the bottom side. A plurality of flow channels pass through the tube sheet. A skirt extends from the bottom of the tube sheet and defines a volume within the skirt encompassing at least a portion of the water tubes and the flow channels. A shock absorber is coupled to the closed end of at least one of the plurality of water tubes. The anchoring system is installed using negative pressure and extracted using positive pressure.
Claims20
An anchoring system configured to be installed on a bottom of a body of water, the bottom of the body of water being formed of a bottom material, the anchoring system comprising:
- a tube sheet having a top side and a bottom side;
- an access tube defining a flow channel through the tube sheet from the top side to the bottom side;
- a plurality of water tubes passing through the tube sheet, each of the plurality of water tubes defining a longitudinal channel from the top side to the bottom side of the tube sheet, each longitudinal channel comprises an open end at the top side and a closed end below the bottom side;
- a plurality of flow channels through the tube sheet from the top side to the bottom side;
- a skirt extending from the bottom side of the tube sheet and defining a volume within the skirt below the tube sheet encompassing at least a portion of the water tubes and the flow channels;
- and
- a shock absorber coupled to the closed end of at least one of the plurality of water tubes.
A method of installing an anchoring system on a bottom of a body of water, the bottom of the body of water being formed of a bottom material, the method comprises:
- submerging the anchoring system and lowering the anchoring system until a bottom of a skirt rests on the bottom of the body of water, the skirt defining an inner volume with the bottom of the body of water;
- pumping, using an excavation pump, the bottom material from the inner volume through an access tube to produce a negative pressure within the inner volume, the negative pressure configured to pull the anchoring system beneath the bottom of the body of water;
- continuing to pump the bottom material from the inner volume until the bottom of the skirt reaches a solid substrate;
- injecting a mud denser than the bottom material into the inner volume using one or more flow channels;
- and
- dissipating lateral motion, vertical motion, and a combination of lateral and vertical motion of the anchoring system using a plurality of shock absorbers on a bottom end of a plurality of water tube within the skirt.
A method of removing an anchoring system installed on a bottom of a body of water, the bottom of the body of water being formed of a bottom material, the method comprises:
- providing suction to at least one flow channel to withdraw a mud denser than the bottom material from a skirt defining an inner volume of the anchoring system, the skirt in contact with a solid substrate of the body of water;
- pumping water through an access tube to produce a positive pressure within the inner volume of the anchoring system causing the skirt to lift from the solid substrate of the body of water;
- continuing to pump water into the inner volume until the anchoring system becomes free from the bottom of the body of water;
- and
- lifting the anchoring system from the bottom of the body of water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.