Subsea structure and methods of construction and installation thereof
AssigneeAcergy France SAS
InventorTegwen Bertrand Marie Miorcec de Kerdanet
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for buoyancy distribution along a substantially vertical submarine structure (100), the structure being provided with multiple modules (110), slidably mounted to the structure such that when vertically deployed at sea the modules are may adjust their positions along the structure by sliding, the force of each module acting upon the module above it rather than locally along the structure, resulting in the cumulative force (460) from the modules acting substantially against the top of the structure. Forces between modules may be evenly distributed by use of compliant intermediaries (310).
Claims18
A method of installing an elongate subsea structure having a top, wherein said subsea structure is provided with a plurality of buoyancy modules, said buoyancy modules being slidably mounted to said subsea structure, such that when said subsea structure is deployed at sea in a substantially vertical orientation said buoyancy modules are free to adjust their positions up or down said subsea structure by sliding, the buoyancy force of each buoyancy module acting upon the buoyancy module above it rather than locally along the structure, and the cumulative buoyancy force from said buoyancy modules acting substantially against said top of said subsea structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.