US 7028988 B2
A system or apparatus and method for retrieving cable from water during marine operations is provided that reduces damage to the cable from pulling forces during the retrieval. A pulling device distributes the forces and stresses all along the cable components. In one embodiment, the pulling drive comprises a pulling drum powered by a clutching system or by a hydraulic torque conversion system set to slip or stall at a selectable force value. The apparatus may use a see-saw action to maintain the forces below damaging levels. The system may be adapted for deploying cable in marine operations as well.
1. A system for retrieving cable from water during marine operations employing a floating vessel, said system comprising:
a distributor for distributing forces across all components of the cable while pulling said cable;
an adjuster for automatically adjusting the pulling forces on the cable caused by movement of said vessel in the water; and
a holding area on said vessel for said cable, said holding area comprising a cylindrical cage whose outside perimeter has vertical slots from a top edge thereof and whose interior comprises a raceway path and a smaller diameter cylinder about the central point of said cylindrical cage.
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a dampener for dampening stress applied to the cable from movements of said vessel, at least one roller for leading said cable to said pulling drum, and
a guider for guiding said cable over said at least one roller.
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24. A method for retrieving cable from water in marine operations employing a floating vessel, while monitoring and adjusting the pulling forces on said cable during said retrieval to reduce damage to said cable from said forces during said retrieval, said method comprising pulling said cable with a pulling device that distributes pulling forces and stresses among all of the cable components, and that employs a see-saw action for adjusting said pulling forces to maintain said forces below the damage point for said cable; and depositing cable in a storage area on said vessel, said storage area comprising a cylindrical cage having at least two vertical slots and a central interior cylinder having a conical top and separated from an exterior cylindrical cage wall by a raceway area for the cable, and a conical cap with a protruding arm rotatably mounted on the conical top for receiving and directing cable into the raceway area.
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28. An apparatus for retrieving and deploying cable in marine operations, said apparatus comprising:
(a) pulley drum assembly comprising a pulling drum capable of pulling the cable while distributing pulling forces across all components of the cable;
(b) powered drive motor with regulatable torque drive for operating the pulling drum and adjusting the forces such pulling exerts on the cable;
(c) front-mounted damper arm with an adjustable tension range positioned prior to the drum pulley assembly to dampen stress on the cable caused by movement of water;
(d) storage system for said cable, said storage system comprising a cylindrical case having a smaller diameter cylinder about its central point and a raceway path in-between the smaller diameter cylinder and the interior wall of the outer-part of the cylindrical cage, wherein said smaller diameter cylinder has a conical top capped with a rotatably mounted cone; and
(e) means for delivering cable from the pulley drum assembly to the storage system.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cable handling systems, particularly systems for deploying and retrieving electrical and fiber optic cables. Most particularly, the invention relates to marine seismic cable deployment and retrieval systems for use in conjunction with a marine vessel.
2. Brief Description of Relevant Art
In many fields of endeavor, there is an on-going requirement to place packages of sensing equipment of various types across the earth's surface and on the seafloor. Such equipment is commonly intended to be used at one location for a period of time and then transported to a different location for further use. However, precisely deploying and later retrieving such equipment without damaging the equipment can be difficult. Operations in water, especially oceans, bays, and surf zones, can be especially problematic. The equipment commonly sinks into muddy and sandy sea beds and tends to suffer stress damage when removed.
Seismic cables can be especially difficult to handle because they are typically made of multiple components such as electrical conductors, fiber optics, and stress supporting members all bundled together and covered with a protective jacketing material. Handling or pulling the cable causes these components to slip and move with respect to one another. Tension applied to the outer jacket pulls the jacketing material which then pulls on the inner components of the cable. This distribution of stresses applies differing stress values and elongation amounts to the different components of the cable. Even cables where the stress members are embedded into the outer jacket have such a stress distribution, although to a lesser degree. Propagation of stress through a cable's components changes and deteriorates the components and consequently reduces the cable's useful life.
In water, the platform or vessel used to deploy and retrieve the cables often contributes due to the action of the water. Pulling cable up from a sea bottom and through sea bottom material is stressful to equipment in the cable, but simply pulling the cable through water is also stressful. Typically the cable will be curved in the water, extending downwardly from a platform and curving to a horizontal position along the sea bottom. The curve's length and shape will depend on the rate of retrieval, the depth of the water, the amount of cable sunk into the sea bottom, and the value of the applied pulling tension. The curve of the cable inevitably causes portions of the cable to be pulled sideways through the water, creating vortexes in the water, cable strumming, and drag on the cable, and adding further to the stresses on the cable. Such pulling tensions can exceed the strength of the cable, causing it to break. Similarly, tensions caused by pulling of the cable due to heaving of the vessel on ocean waves and swells can exceed the strength of the cable, causing it to suffer elongation damage and even break. The cable strength is commonly only a tiny fraction of the applied forces that potentially may be applied against the cable.
A need exists for systems and methods for deploying and recovering cables that reduce the destructive forces against such cables, particularly when the cables are distributed along a sea bed or in water.
The present invention provides a system, method and apparatus for retrieving cable from the water during marine operations and is especially advantageous for use with floating vessels. The invention may be utilized for deploying cable in marine operations as well.
According to the method of the invention, the retrieval of the cable is conducted while monitoring and adjusting the pulling forces on the cable so as to reduce or prevent damage to the cable from such forces during the retrieval. A pulling device that distributes pulling forces and stresses among the cable components is used to pull the cable for its retrieval. The device may employ a see-saw action, that is, a pulling and playing back of the cable, to maintain the forces below the damage point for the cable.
A preferred embodiment comprises a pulling drum capable of pulling the cable by wrapping the cable around the drum, thereby distributing pulling forces across the components of the cable. The pulling drum may be powered by a drive motor with a regulatable torque drive for adjusting the forces on the cable. Alternatively, the drum may be powered by a clutching system or by a hydraulic torque conversion system set to slip or stall at a selectable force value. Any means for powering the drum may preferably allow payback of the cable to lessen forces on the cable if needed to avoid damage to the cable. Preferably the apparatus or system will also have a front-mounted damper arm with an adjustable tension range positioned in front of the pulling drum to dampen stress on the cable, particularly stress caused by the movement of the water.
The retrieved cable is preferably stored in a storage area that will avoid tangling or twisting of the cable. The storage area preferably includes a cage within which the cable is stored, with the attachments preferably positioned or stored on the outside of the cage.
According to the invention, a pulling device is provided that allows cable to be retrieved from water and sea beds without damage or fouling from the pulling process to either the cable components or attachments to the cable, even though such attachments may be wider than the cable itself. Cable components may include, for example, internal stress members, protective jackets, electrical and fiber optic conductors and insulating layers. Attachments to the cable may include, for example, sensor packages and other electrical or fiber optic equipment.
The pulling device distributes pulling forces and stresses among preferably all of the cable components, most preferably substantially equally among all of the cable components, including internal stress members of the cable and external jacketing material.
In a preferred embodiment, referring to
Referring again to
The damper arm 30 is preferably mounted so that the damper arm 30 can rotate about a rotation point 32 on mounting base 28, which is also rotationally mounted on base plate 12 so that mounting base 28 can swivel horizontally. Accordingly, damper arm 30 can provide a “following” action with respect to the cable 20. That is, the damper arm 30 preferably moves or swivels as the floating vessel containing the damper arm 30 drifts in the water due to wind and water current forces, so that the damper arm points in directional alignment with the deployed cable 20. The damper arm 30 also preferably contains alignment devices comprising rollers or sheaves 22 and 24 to align any attachments or components attached to the cable with the cable to aid the cable's passage through the roller system comprising drums (or sheaves) 10 and 70.
A preferred embodiment of the invention further provides a storage system for the retrieved cable (or for the cable prior to deployment). In one embodiment, the storage system provides for the storage of the cable and any attachments to the cable in a holding area, preferably or typically including a cage, with the attachments preferably positioned or stored on the outside of the cage, for easy access if desired or needed, with the cable storage being controlled so as to prevent fouling and tangling of the cable and attachments with one another.
Inside cage 40 is another smaller cage 50, preferably also circular or oval, and preferably centered on the same point as the cage 40, so that a raceway area or path 46, shown more clearly in
As shown more clearly in
In an alternative embodiment, arm 60 might have its own means for rotation and be independent of any rotation of cone 53. In such embodiment, arm 60 would not be attached directly to cone 53.
Preferably, the opening between cages 40 and 50 to raceway 46 will be sufficiently narrow to inhibit the entry into raceway (pathway) 46 of any attachments 7 on cable 20. Preferably, perimeter wall 42 will have a lip 44 extending from the wall 42 which, in combination with the edge of cone 51, will serve to catch or stop the entry of attachments 7 into raceway 46. Most preferably, such attachments 7 will bridge the entry space into raceway 46 and the cable will be directed by lip 44 into raceway 46 while the attachments remain held above the raceway 46. The attachments 7 may then be automatically or manually pulled to the outside of perimeter wall 42 where they will preferably be positioned in a holding bracket (not shown). Preferably, a portion of cable 20 associated with the attachment 7 will be pulled through a slot 41 to the outside of perimeter wall 42, along with the attachment. After the attachment 7 is positioned outside the perimeter wall 42, the associated cable may be returned manually or automatically to pathway 46 via another slot 41. That is, the cable exits from the raceway 46 with the attachment 7 via a slot 41, and returns back into raceway 46 by way of another slot 41.
Often for re-deployment, the weight of the cable and its drag in the water are sufficient forces to pull the cable out of the raceway 46 and over the side of a floating vessel transporting the cable. When such weight is not enough to effect the re-deployment or it is desired to deliver excess cable into the water faster than can be achieved by the vessel's forward speed alone, the drum or roller 70 may be powered to pull the cable up and out of raceway 46.
The foregoing description of the invention is intended to be a description of preferred embodiments. Various changes in the details of the described systems, apparatuses and methods may be made without departing from the intended scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.