US 4,001,543 AGranted

Apparatus for a laser welding of a pipeline, particularly suitable for application on pipe-laying ships

AssigneesSaipem S.P.A., BOC Limited

InventorsOttavio Bove, Galeazzo Grossi, David William Kirkley

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Abstract

Apparatus which may be mounted upon a lay barge to weld an end of a pipe spool to an end of a pipeline used under water, includes a stand fixed to the pipeline to support and secure its outer end, a pipe spool support which may hold a spool in coaxial relationship with the pipeline and with one end abutting the outer end of the pipeline, a laser positioned to direct a beam of coherent radiation along the axis of the pipeline, a reflection system including a mirror mounted for movement through an arc of 360.degree. in the path of the laser beam to reflect that beam radially on the abutting ends of the pipeline and pipe spool, and a laser energy source for generating a beam of sufficient intensity to weld together the abutting ends of the pipeline and the pipe spool.

Claims26

Dependent claims

An apparatus for welding a pipe spool to a pipeline from the inside and/or from the outside of the pipe spool to be welded, particularly suitable for application on pipelaying ships or barges, which apparatus comprises a stand fixed relative to the pipeline for supporting and securing one end of the pipeline;

means for aligning a pipe spool with the secured pipeline end and for maintaining one end of the spool in contact with the pipeline end;
means for holding the axis of the spool coaxial with that of the pipeline;
at least one laser source arranged to direct a beam of coherent radiation along the axis of the pipeline, and means for rotating at least one reflecting surface positioned in the path of the beam so that the laser beam, after reflection from the surface falls substantially radially on the abutting pipe ends and is caused to make at least one complete revolution about the pipeline axis, the energy of the beam being such that it is able to weld the abutting pipe ends together by fusion.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.