Method of governing the elevation, attitude and structural integrity of a pressure-containing vessel in a body of liquid
AssigneeEcosse Subsea Systems Limited
InventorMichael W. N. Wilson
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Abstract
A method for governing the elevation, attitude and structural integrity of a pressure-containing vessel in a body of liquid counterbalances flotation and incompressible ballast mediums against each other in separate serial compartments. Varying the quantity of incompressible ballast medium allows control of the elevation and attitude of the vessel. If the flotation medium is compressible, varying the quantity of flotation medium allows control of the ambient pressure of the vessel. The method facilitates floating and towing and laying of an undersea pipeline on, to and at a deep water site.
Claims33
A method of governing the elevation, attitude and structural integrity of a pressure-containing vessel in a body of liquid, the method comprising the steps of:
- selecting a flotation medium which is capable of increasing the buoyancy of the vessel;
- selecting an incompressible ballast medium which is capable of decreasing the buoyancy of the vessel;
- dividing the vessel into reciprocal serial hydraulically discrete compartments, one compartment for containing the selected flotation medium and the other compartment for containing the selected incompressible ballast medium;
- counterbalancing the selected flotation medium in the flotation medium compartment against the selected incompressible ballast medium in the ballast medium compartment;
- varying the quantity of incompressible ballast medium in the ballast medium compartment to control the elevation of the pressure-containing vessel in the body of liquid;
- and
- measuring the quantity of incompressible ballast medium injected into and exhausted from the ballast medium compartment during said step of varying the quantity of incompressible ballast medium in the ballast medium compartment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.