Installation and removal of subsea foundations
AssigneeSubsea 7 Norway AS
InventorsNawras HAMDAN, Christian Linde OLSEN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An underwater pile foundation comprises a pump in fluid communication with an internal chamber of the pile to pump water out of or into the chamber. This reduces or increases the pressure of water in the chamber relative to ambient pressure of water outside the chamber during installation or removal of the pile. While that pumping phase is ongoing, and potentially before or after that pumping phase, a pressure variator in fluid communication with the chamber imparts oscillations in the pressure of the water in the chamber. The resulting pressure waves in water within the chamber reduce resistance to movement of the pile relative to soil in which the pile is embedded.
Claims36
-35. (canceled)
A method of reducing resistance to movement of a pile relative to soil during installation or removal of the pile underwater, the method comprising:
- pumping water out of or into an internal chamber of the pile, defined between a top plate of the pile, a skirt of the pile and the soil, to reduce or to increase a level of pressure of water in the chamber relative to ambient pressure of water outside the chamber;
- and
- while that pumping is ongoing, imparting additional oscillations in the pressure of the water in the chamber via a pressure variator pump, wherein the pressure variator pump is in fluid communication with the chamber.
An underwater pile, comprising:
- a pump in fluid communication with an internal chamber of the pile defined between a top plate of the pile, a skirt of the pile and the soil, the pump being configured to pump water out of or into the chamber during installation or removal of the pile, thus reducing or increasing a level of pressure of water in the chamber relative to ambient pressure of water outside the chamber;
- and
- a pressure variator pump in fluid communication with the chamber for imparting oscillations in the pressure of the water in the chamber, wherein the pressure variator pump is configured to apply negative pressure to the water in the chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.