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US 9,353,501 B2Granted
Subsea excavation systems and methods
AssigneeDeep Reach Technology, Inc.
InventorsJohn Halkyard, Eric Jackson, Jonathan Bruce Machin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Novel subsea excavation apparatus and methods that exert force between a subsea anchor point and an excavator using a subsea actuator. In some examples the subsea actuator is attached to an anchor point on the seabed and the excavator directly. In other examples, a guide frame is anchored to the seabed to provide anchor points fixed relative to the seabed and the subsea actuators are attached to the guide frame and the excavator. In further examples, the subsea actuators can be attached to the excavator through a carrier frame or other excavator guides rather than directly to the excavator.
Claims19
A subsea excavation apparatus comprising:
- an excavator;
- a surface platform;
- a guide frame;
- a first anchor point in a fixed location on the seabed;
- a second anchor point in a fixed location on the seabed;
- a first anchor cable attached at a first end to the guide frame and a second end to the first anchor point;
- a second anchor cable attached at a first end to the guide frame and a second end to the second anchor point;
- a first subsea excavator actuator attached to the excavator and the guide frame for converting power to mechanical force between the guide frame and the excavator in a first dimension;
- a second subsea excavator actuator attached to the excavator and the guide frame for converting power to mechanical force between the guide frame and the excavator in a second dimension;
- a first guide frame actuator attached to the surface platform and the guide frame for converting power to mechanical force between the surface platform and the guide frame.
7 more elements
A subsea excavation apparatus comprising:
- an excavator;
- a surface platform;
- a guide frame;
- a first anchor point in a fixed location on the seabed;
- a second anchor point in a fixed location on the seabed;
- a third anchor point in a fixed location on the seabed;
- a first guide frame actuator attached to the guide frame at a first location and the first anchor point;
- a second guide frame actuator attached to the guide frame at a second location and the second anchor point;
- a third guide frame actuator attached to the guide frame at a third location and the third anchor point;
- a first subsea excavator actuator attached to the excavator and the guide frame for converting power to mechanical force between the guide frame and the excavator;
- a second subsea excavator actuator attached to the excavator and the guide frame for converting power to mechanical force between the guide frame and the excavator;
- a third subsea excavator actuator attached to the excavator and the guide frame for converting power to mechanical force between the guide frame and the excavator;
- a first guide frame actuator attached to the surface platform and the guide frame for converting power to mechanical force between the surface platform and the guide frame.
10 more elements
A subsea excavation apparatus comprising:
- an excavator;
- a surface platform;
- a guide frame;
- a first anchor point in a fixed location on the seabed;
- a second anchor point in a fixed location on the seabed;
- a third anchor point in a fixed location on the seabed;
- a fourth anchor point in a fixed location on the seabed;
- a first anchor cable attached at a first end to a first location on the guide frame and a second end to the first anchor point;
- a second anchor cable attached at a first end to a second location on the guide frame and a second end to the second anchor point;
- a third anchor cable attached at a first end to a third location on the guide frame and a second end to the third anchor point;
- a fourth anchor cable attached at a first end to a fourth location on the guide frame and a second end to the fourth anchor point;
- a first subsea actuator attached to the excavator and the guide frame for converting power to mechanical force between the guide frame and the excavator in a first dimension;
- a second subsea actuator attached to the excavator and the guide frame for converting power to mechanical force between the guide frame and the excavator in a second dimension;
- a vertical actuator attached to the excavator for controlling force between the excavator and an excavation face;
- a first guide frame actuator attached to the surface platform and the guide frame for converting power to mechanical force between the surface platform and the guide frame;
- a second guide frame actuator attached to the surface platform and the guide frame for converting power to mechanical force between the surface platform and the guide frame.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.