Flexible Product Reel Cartridge

Abstract

A reel arrangement on a vessel for storage and laying of flexible product from the vessel offshore. A cartridge, main reel is designed to receive multiple smaller, flexible product standard storage reels in an epicyclic wheel arrangement for storing and laying the flexible product. The cartridge reel is rotated to bring a selected standard product storage reel from a storage position into a laying position where the product may be taken from the product storage reel and laid on the sea floor. A reel drive head is mounted with the product storage reel for laying product and maintaining proper tension on the product during laying operations.

Description

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF INVENTION[0001]Noon The invention is generally related to the storage of flexible product such as flexible pipe and cable and, more particularly, to the use of multiple reels for storage of such flexible product on a vessel and for laying the product on the sea floor.[0002]For the laying of product such as flexible pipe or cable on the sea floor, the product has been wound onto a large reel on a vessel. The vessel then sails to the location for laying the product and slowly moves along the intended sea floor path for laying the product as the reel is rotated to release the product. Rotation of the reel requires a drive arrangement capable of handling the weight of the reel and the product and also maintaining a certain minimum amount of tension on the product during laying operations.[0003]In some instances, such as for flexible product of cable or flexible pipe, multiple smaller reels have been loaded with product at the point of manufacture, transported on ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention has several benefits over previous methods of laying pipes and cables.

Problems solved by technology

One disadvantage of using multiple small reels is that they occupy a large amount of deck space on a vessel where efficient use of deck space is important.

Another disadvantage is that multiple lifts are required to move the reels onto and off of the vessel as well as to move the reels between the storage positions on deck and the laying position on deck.

A disadvantage of using large reels for flexible pipe is that the amount of pipe that can be wound onto the reel may be limited to prevent crushing of the flexible pipe on the reel due to the weight of the flexible pipe wound upon itself.

Another problem with large reels is they cannot be easily transported due to the complex logistics of finding equipment capable of lifting larger reels and transporting these reels in the public way.

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