Jet trenching system
OwnerMichael W. N. Wilsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A jetting system for an undersea trencher has jetting conduits extending aftward of its trench-cutting jetting swords. Jetting conduit nozzles direct liquid radially from their jetting conduits into the trench after the trench is excavated by the jetting sword cutting nozzles. The jetting conduits direct sufficient liquid into the trench to maintain the mix of trenched soil and water in the trench along the length of the conduits at not more than a super-critical density.
Claims3
For maintaining mix in an undersea trench being dug by a jet trencher below critical density during descent of a pipe/cable toward a bottom of the trench, a method comprising the steps of:
- supplying liquid under pressure to at least one jetting conduit aligned and traveling aftward of the trencher along the bottom of the trench:
- and
- discharging the liquid under pressure received in the at least one jetting conduit radially from the at least one jetting conduit at intervals along the length of the at least one jetting conduit into the trench.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.