A remote unmanned automatic hydraulic press-joining method for immersed tubes

By installing an electric control system and electric butterfly valve in the immersed tube tunnel and utilizing the control system of the installation vessel to automate the hydraulic crimping of the immersed tubes, the problems of low efficiency and poor safety of manual operation are solved, and accurate, safe and efficient hydraulic crimping of the immersed tubes is achieved.

CN115853017BActive Publication Date: 2025-09-12CCCC FIRST HARBOR ENGINEERING CO LTD +1
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202211555937.6
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-12-06
Publication Date
2025-09-12
Estimated Expiration
2042-12-06

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In the existing immersed tube hydraulic crimping process, manual operation is inefficient and unsafe. High-frequency intercom calls make it difficult to convey instructions and result in a high error rate. In addition, the hydraulic crimping operation is easily interrupted when the intercom communication is lost or fails, resulting in uncontrollable factors.

Method used

An electronic control system and electric butterfly valves are installed in the installed pipe sections and the pipe sections to be installed. Remote control is achieved through the control system of the installation vessel, and tensile and hydraulic crimping are performed automatically to ensure the accuracy and safety of data communication and valve operation.

Benefits of technology

It achieves accurate, safe and efficient automation of immersed tube hydraulic pressing, reduces manual operation errors and work intensity, and improves the controllability and safety of operations.

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of immersed tube tunnel construction and relates to a remote, unmanned, automatic hydraulic crimping method for immersed tubes, comprising: S1: installing a first electrical control box within an installed tube segment, with its cable input leading to the exterior of the installed tube segment; connecting a first electric butterfly valve on the first pipeline, a second electric butterfly valve on the third pipeline, a pressure sensor, an electromagnetic flowmeter, and a third electric butterfly valve via cables to the first electrical control box; installing a second electrical control box within the tube segment to be installed, with its cable output leading to the exterior of the tube segment to be installed and its input electrically connected to the control system of the installation vessel; S2: connecting the two electrical control boxes to the cables outside the tube segment after the tube segment to be installed is sunk; S3: performing tension crimping under the control of the control system, during which the third electric butterfly valve is automatically opened and closed and its opening controlled according to the pressure in the coupling chamber; S4: automatically adjusting the opening of the first electric butterfly valve under the control of the control system to complete the hydraulic crimping. This invention addresses the drawbacks of existing manual hydraulic crimping methods for immersed tubes and achieves remote, automatic hydraulic crimping of immersed tubes.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of immersed tube tunnel construction, and in particular relates to a remote unmanned automatic hydraulic crimping method for immersed tubes. Background Art

[0002] An immersed tube tunnel is made up of multiple pipe sections. After the prefabrication of the pipe section to be installed is completed, it is floated to the installation site for sinking, and then connected to the installed pipe section by hydraulic compression. Under the existing technology, the hydraulic compression between the pipe section to be installed and the installed pipe section is manually operated, which is divided into two stages: tension compression and hydraulic compression. Figure 1 The specific operation method is as follows:

[0003] Tension and crimping stage: after the pipe segment 2 to be installed is sunk and placed, the pipe segment 2 to be installed is pulled toward the installed pipe segment 1 by the pipe top pulling and closing device 3. When the GINA water stop 21 at the head end of the pipe segment 2 to be installed is fitted with the steel end shell at the tail end of the installed pipe segment 1 to form a sealed connection chamber 5 isolated from the external seawater, the on-site staff in the installed pipe segment 1 reads the pressure gauge 132a installed on the third pipeline 13 connected to the connection chamber 5 on the lower side of the steel sealing door 4 at the tail end of the installed pipe segment 1, and records the initial pressure of the connection chamber 5 (the second stop valve 131a has been opened before tension and crimping); as the pipe top pulling and closing device 3 continues to pull and close, the seawater pressure in the connection chamber 5 continues to increase. The on-site staff needs to observe the pressure of the connection chamber 5 at all times. When it reaches 1.02 times the initial pressure, the pipe top pulling and closing device 3 stops pulling and closing, and the third stop valve 135a is manually opened to release the pressure in the connection chamber 5. The seawater in the connection chamber 5 is released by the pressure gauge 132a. The third pipeline 13 is discharged into the water tank 14 of the installed pipe section 1, and one end of the third pipeline 13 located in the coupling chamber 5 is bent downward, and the other end located in the installed pipe section 1 close to the water tank 14 is bent upward. A filter 133 is also provided on the third pipeline 13; during the pressure release process of the coupling chamber 5, the GINA waterstop 21 at the head end of the pipe section 2 to be installed will be further compressed. During this process, the on-site staff needs to manually judge and adjust the opening of the third stop valve 135a according to the flow detected by the electromagnetic flowmeter 134 until the third stop valve 135a is closed when the pressure in the coupling chamber 5 returns to the initial pressure; then the pipe top pulling and closing device 3 continues to pull and close, and the on-site staff continues to open and close the third stop valve 135a according to the pressure conditions of the coupling chamber 5, and the above process is operated multiple times until the pipe top pulling and closing device 3 is insufficient to resist the external force required for the compression deformation of the GINA waterstop 21, and the tension and crimping stage is completed;

[0004] Hydraulic crimping stage: After the tension crimping stage is completed, the on-site staff in the installed pipe section 1 manually open the first stop valve 111a on the first pipeline 11 connected to the connecting chamber 5 on the upper side of the steel sealing door 4 at the tail end of the installed pipe section 1 to perform hydraulic crimping. The air in the installed pipe section 1 enters the connecting chamber 5 through the first pipeline 11. The first stop valve 111a controls the amount of air intake into the connecting chamber 5. One end of the first pipeline 11 located in the connecting chamber 5 is bent upward, and the other end located in the installed pipe section 1 is provided with a plate check valve 112. One end of the second pipeline 12 is connected to the first pipeline 11 between the first stop valve 111a and the plate check valve 112, and the other end is connected to the bent section of the third pipeline 13 near the water tank 14. Since the seawater pressure in the connecting chamber 5 is greater than the air pressure in the installed pipe section 1, the first stop valve After 111a is opened, the seawater in the combined cavity 5 will be discharged into the water tank 14 through the first pipeline 11 and the second pipeline 12. As the pressure in the combined cavity 5 drops, the GINA waterstop 21 at the head end of the pipe section 2 to be installed will be further compressed under the action of the seawater pressure of the steel sealing door 4 at the tail end of the pipe section 2 to be installed. The opening of the first stop valve 111a determines the compression speed of the GINA waterstop 21. In order to avoid the GINA waterstop 21 from being compressed too quickly and tipping over, the first stop valve 111a needs to be opened to a smaller opening in the early stage of the hydraulic pressing stage. Then, the on-site staff manually adjusts the opening of the first stop valve 111a from time to time according to the compression amount of the GINA waterstop 21 until the extreme compression of the GINA waterstop 21 is completed. At this point, the hydraulic pressing between the pipe section 2 to be installed and the installed pipe section 1 is completed.

[0005] However, during the entire immersed tube hydraulic crimping process, the immersed tube installation command and decision center is located on the installation vessel above the pipe section to be installed 2. The installation vessel can monitor the core data of the pipe section to be installed 2 and issue the immersed tube installation construction process; but because the pipe section to be installed 2 and the installed pipe section 1 are isolated by the connection cavity 5 filled with seawater, the on-site staff in the installed pipe section 1 cannot directly obtain the relevant data of the pipe section to be installed 2 and the instructions of the immersed tube installation command and decision center, and need to obtain instructions through walkie-talkies. Therefore, the entire hydraulic crimping process requires frequent use of walkie-talkies for conversations, and the on-site staff perform frequent manual operations. The entire process is inefficient, the workload of the on-site staff is high and the safety is poor, manual operations are prone to errors or inadequacies, and the instructions are inconvenient to convey and the error rate is high, which will bring uncontrollable factors to the immersed tube hydraulic crimping. Moreover, once the intercom communication in the pipe is lost or fails, the hydraulic crimping operation will be forced to be interrupted, which will bring abnormal risks to the immersed tube installation. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In response to the shortcomings in the relevant technologies, the present invention provides a method for remote unmanned automatic hydraulic crimping of immersed tubes, which aims to solve the various drawbacks of existing manual hydraulic crimping of immersed tubes, realize remote automatic hydraulic crimping of immersed tubes, and make the hydraulic crimping of immersed tubes more accurate, safe and efficient.

[0007] The immersed tube remote unmanned automatic hydraulic crimping method of the present invention comprises the following steps:

[0008] S1. Layout of the crimping system, including:

[0009] A first electric control box is provided in the installed pipe section, and a first watertight penetration is pre-buried on the steel sealing door at the tail end of the installed pipe section. The input end of the cable in the first electric control box passes through the first watertight penetration and is led to the outside of the steel sealing door; a first electric butterfly valve and a plate check valve are arranged in sequence on the first pipeline on the upper side of the installed pipe section along the direction from the tail end to the head end of the installed pipe section; a second electric butterfly valve, a pressure sensor, an electromagnetic flowmeter and a third electric butterfly valve are arranged in sequence on the third pipeline on the lower side of the installed pipe section along the direction from the tail end to the head end of the installed pipe section; the first electric butterfly valve, the second electric butterfly valve, the pressure sensor, the electromagnetic flowmeter and the third electric butterfly valve are respectively connected to the first electric control box through cables; in an initial state, the first electric butterfly valve, the second electric butterfly valve and the third electric butterfly valve are all closed; one end of the second pipeline inside the installed pipe section is connected to the first pipeline between the first electric butterfly valve and the plate check valve, and the other end is connected to the bending section of the third pipeline close to the water tank in the installed pipe section;

[0010] A second electric control box is installed in the pipe section to be installed, and a second watertight penetration is embedded in the steel sealing door at the head end of the pipe section to be installed. The output end of the cable in the second electric control box passes through the second watertight penetration and is led to the outside of the steel sealing door. The input end is electrically connected to the control system of the installation vessel above the pipe section to be installed.

[0011] The top of the pipe to be installed and the top of the pipe with installed pipe joints are equipped with matching pipe top pulling and closing devices, which can be started or stopped under the control of the installation ship's control system;

[0012] S2. Establishing communication: After the safety pipe section is sunk into place, the diver enters the water and connects the cable input end of the first electric control box to the cable output end of the second electric control box;

[0013] S3, tension pressing, is carried out under the control of the installation vessel's control system, specifically including:

[0014] S31. First, open the second electric butterfly valve, then activate the pipe top pulling and closing device to pull the pipe section to be installed toward the installed pipe section until the GINA waterstop at the head end of the pipe section to be installed and the steel end shell at the tail end of the installed pipe section fit together to form a joint cavity. The control system automatically collects the measurement value of the pressure sensor and records it as the initial pressure of the joint cavity.

[0015] S32: The pipe top pulling and closing device continues to pull the pipe section to be installed toward the installed pipe section to compress the GINA waterstop. When the control system detects that the pressure in the connection chamber reaches 1.02 times the initial pressure, the pipe top pulling and closing device is stopped, and the third electric butterfly valve is opened and its opening is controlled to discharge the seawater in the connection chamber into the water tank through the third pipeline. When the control system detects that the pressure in the connection chamber has returned to the initial pressure, the third electric butterfly valve is closed.

[0016] S33, restarting the tube top closing device, and looping through step S32 until the pressure in the coupling chamber no longer increases after the tube top closing device is started, and then stopping the tube top closing device;

[0017] S4. Hydraulic compression is carried out under the control of the control system of the installation vessel, specifically including: opening the first electric butterfly valve and controlling its opening to allow the air in the pipe section to be installed to enter the connecting cavity through the first pipeline, and then the seawater in the connecting cavity is discharged into the water tank through the first pipeline and the second pipeline. The GINA waterstop is compressed under the action of the seawater pressure at the tail end of the pipe section to be installed until the maximum compression of the GINA waterstop is reached.

[0018] The above technical solution realizes data communication between the installed pipe section, the pipe section to be installed and the installation ship's control system, so that the installation ship's control system can monitor and control the switching and opening of each electric butterfly valve in the installed pipe section in real time, thereby realizing remote automatic hydraulic crimping of the immersed tube; compared with the existing manual hydraulic crimping method of immersed tubes, this technical solution can make the hydraulic crimping of immersed tubes more accurate, safe and efficient.

[0019] In some embodiments, in step S1, a fourth electric butterfly valve is further provided on the first pipeline, and the fourth electric butterfly valve is located between the first electric butterfly valve and the second pipeline; a fifth electric butterfly valve is further provided on the third pipeline, and the fifth electric butterfly valve is located between the pressure sensor and the third electric butterfly valve; in an initial state, the fourth electric butterfly valve and the fifth electric butterfly valve are both closed;

[0020] In step S32, when the control system detects that the pressure in the coupling chamber reaches 1.02 times the initial pressure, the pipe top pulling and closing device is stopped, the third and fifth electric butterfly valves are opened, and the openings of the third and fifth electric butterfly valves are controlled to discharge the seawater in the coupling chamber into the water tank through the third pipeline. When the control system detects that the pressure in the coupling chamber returns to the initial pressure, the third and fifth electric butterfly valves are closed.

[0021] In step S4, during hydraulic compression, the first electric butterfly valve and the fourth electric butterfly valve are opened, and the opening degrees of the first electric butterfly valve and the fourth electric butterfly valve are controlled so that the air in the pipe section to be installed enters the connecting cavity through the first pipeline, and then the seawater in the connecting cavity is discharged into the water tank through the first pipeline and the second pipeline.

[0022] The above technical solution achieves dual protection of the cut-off status of the first pipeline and the third pipeline by setting the first electric butterfly valve and the fourth electric butterfly valve on the first pipeline and the third electric butterfly valve and the fifth electric butterfly valve on the third pipeline, better avoiding the situation where seawater leakage may occur due to the loose closure of a single electric butterfly valve when the first pipeline and the third pipeline are cut off, and further improving the accuracy and safety of the remote automatic hydraulic crimping of the immersed tube.

[0023] In some embodiments, the electromagnetic flowmeter is located between the third electric butterfly valve and the fifth electric butterfly valve. This technical solution makes it convenient to disassemble, repair and replace the electromagnetic flowmeter.

[0024] In some embodiments, after step S3, the compression of the GINA waterstop reaches 20% ± 2% of its maximum compression. This technical solution enables the GINA waterstop to achieve a preliminary compression effect after tensile compression, thereby ensuring that the GINA waterstop is not prone to rollover during subsequent hydraulic compression.

[0025] In some embodiments, in step S4, during hydraulic crimping, under the control of the control system, the openings of the first and fourth electric butterfly valves are first opened to 2.5% until the compression of the GINA waterstop reaches 40%±2% of its ultimate compression; the openings are then increased to 5% until the compression of the GINA waterstop reaches 55%±2% of its ultimate compression; the openings are then increased to 10% until the compression of the GINA waterstop reaches 70%±2% of its ultimate compression; the openings are then increased to 20% until the compression of the GINA waterstop reaches 83%±2% of its ultimate compression; and finally, the openings are increased to 100% until the compression of the GINA waterstop reaches its ultimate compression. This technical solution, by controlling the openings of the electric butterfly valves on the first pipeline, prevents the GINA waterstop from overturning due to excessive and rapid compression of the coupling chamber pressure during hydraulic crimping, thereby ensuring that the GINA waterstop is gradually and evenly compressed, thereby achieving safety and reliability in automatic hydraulic crimping of immersed tubes.

[0026] In some embodiments, in step S32, when the control system detects that the pressure in the coupling chamber has reached 1.02 times the initial pressure, the pipe top tensioning and closing device is stopped. Under the control of the control system, the third and fifth electric butterfly valves are first opened to 1% of the opening until the coupling chamber pressure drops below 1.01 times the initial pressure. The opening is then increased to 2% until the coupling chamber pressure drops to the initial pressure, at which point the third and fifth electric butterfly valves are closed. This technical solution, by controlling the opening of the electric butterfly valves on the third pipeline, prevents the coupling chamber pressure from being out of control due to excessively rapid release during tension and crimping, and also prevents the GINA waterstop from being compressed too quickly due to excessive release of the coupling chamber pressure, thereby ensuring that the entire tension and crimping process is safely controlled.

[0027] In some embodiments, in step S32, the control system monitors the actual flow rate of seawater discharged into the water tank through the third pipeline in real time through an electromagnetic flowmeter, and compares it with the theoretical flow rate calculated by the control system. If the actual flow rate is inconsistent with the theoretical flow rate, the control system issues an alarm to prompt manual intervention for inspection, and at the same time stops the pipe top pulling and closing device, and closes the third electric butterfly valve and the fifth electric butterfly valve.

[0028] In some embodiments, the first electric butterfly valve, the second electric butterfly valve, the third electric butterfly valve, the fourth electric butterfly valve and the fifth electric butterfly valve all include a drive head and a butterfly valve; the input end of the drive head is connected to the first electric control box through a cable, and the output end thereof is connected to the butterfly valve; the drive head drives the butterfly valve to open, close and adjust the opening of the butterfly valve under the control of the control system.

[0029] In some embodiments, in step S2, the cable input end of the first electric control box and the cable output end of the second electric control box are connected through an underwater connector; the underwater connector includes a male connector and a female connector adapted thereto, the male connector is arranged at the cable input end of the first electric control box, and the female connector is arranged at the cable output end of the second electric control box.

[0030] In some embodiments, in step S1 , a filter is further provided on the third pipeline, and the filter is located between the second electric butterfly valve and the electromagnetic flowmeter.

[0031] Based on the above technical solution, the remote unmanned automatic hydraulic crimping method for immersed tubes in the embodiment of the present invention solves the problems of high workload, low efficiency, poor safety, inconvenience in command transmission and high error rate caused by high-frequency intercom calls during the existing manual hydraulic crimping of immersed tubes. It realizes remote automatic hydraulic crimping of immersed tubes and makes the hydraulic crimping of immersed tubes more accurate, safe and efficient. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] The drawings described herein are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention and constitute a part of this application. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the present invention. In the drawings:

[0033] Figure 1 This is a layout diagram of the crimping system of the prior art immersed tube manual hydraulic crimping method;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a layout diagram of the crimping system of the immersed tube remote unmanned automatic hydraulic crimping method of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of the installed pipe segment tail end of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the first electric butterfly valve of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 5 This is a basic flow chart of the immersed tube remote unmanned automatic hydraulic crimping method of the present invention.

[0038] In the picture:

[0039] 1. Installed pipe joint; 11. First pipeline; 111. First electric butterfly valve; 1111. Drive head; 1112. Butterfly valve; 112. Plate check valve; 113. Fourth electric butterfly valve; 12. Second pipeline; 13. Third pipeline; 131. Second electric butterfly valve; 132. Pressure sensor; 133. Filter; 134. Electromagnetic flowmeter; 135. Third electric butterfly valve; 136. Fifth electric butterfly valve; 111a. First stop valve; 131a. Second stop valve; 132a. Pressure gauge; 135a. Third stop valve; 14. Water tank; 15. First electric control box; 16. First watertight penetration; 2. Pipe joint to be installed; 21. GINA waterstop; 22. Second electric control box; 23. Second watertight penetration; 3. Pipe top pulling and closing device; 4. Steel sealing door; 5. Combination cavity; 6. Underwater connector. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The following will provide a clear and complete description of the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described are only some of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary personnel in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "up", "down", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "left", "right", "front", "back", "vertical", "horizontal" and the like indicate directions or positional relationships based on the attached Figure 2 The orientation or positional relationship shown is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0042] The terms "first," "second," etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or to implicitly indicate the quantity of the technical features indicated. Thus, a feature specified as "first," "second," etc. may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0043] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they may refer to direct connections, indirect connections through an intermediary, or internal communication between two components. Persons skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0044] like Figure 2-Figure 5 As shown, the remote unmanned automatic hydraulic crimping method for immersed tubes of the present invention includes a crimping system layout step, a communication establishment step, a tension crimping step and a hydraulic crimping step.

[0045] S1. The layout steps of the crimping system include:

[0046] A first electrical control box 15 is provided within the installed pipe section 1. A first watertight penetration 16 is pre-embedded in the steel sealing door 4 at the rear end of the installed pipe section 1. The first watertight penetration 16 can be embedded in the position of the steel sealing door 4 corresponding to the middle corridor. The input end of the cable in the first electrical control box 15 passes through the first watertight penetration 16 and is then led to the outside of the steel sealing door 4. It is understood that the gap between the first watertight penetration 16 and the cable needs to be watertight.

[0047] On the first pipeline 11 on the upper side of the installed pipe segment 1, a first electric butterfly valve 111 and a plate-type check valve 112 are arranged in sequence from the tail end to the head end of the installed pipe segment 1. The end of the first pipeline 11 located in the coupling cavity 5 is bent upward, and the end located in the installed pipe segment 1 is connected to the inner cavity of the installed pipe segment 1, and the plate-type check valve 112 is provided at this end.

[0048] On the third pipeline 13 on the lower side of the installed pipe section 1, a second electric butterfly valve 131, a pressure sensor 132, an electromagnetic flowmeter 134 and a third electric butterfly valve 135 are arranged in sequence along the direction from the tail end to the head end of the installed pipe section 1. The end of the third pipeline 13 located in the combination cavity 5 is bent downward, and the end located in the installed pipe section 1 near the water tank 14 is bent upward; the first electric butterfly valve 111, the second electric butterfly valve 131, the pressure sensor 132, the electromagnetic flowmeter 134 and the third electric butterfly valve 135 are connected to the first electric butterfly valve 111 through cables. The first electric butterfly valve 111, the second electric butterfly valve 131, and the third electric butterfly valve 135 are all initially closed. One end of the second pipeline 12 inside the installed pipe section 1 is connected to the first pipeline 11 between the first electric butterfly valve 111 and the plate-type check valve 112, and the other end is connected to the bent section of the third pipeline 13 near the water tank 14 inside the installed pipe section 1, that is, connected to the third pipeline 13 between the third electric butterfly valve 135 and the water tank 14.

[0049] A second electrical control box 22 is provided within the pipe section 2 to be installed. A second watertight penetration 23 is pre-embedded in the steel sealing door 4 at the head end of the pipe section 2 to be installed. The second watertight penetration 23 can be embedded in the position of the steel sealing door 4 corresponding to the middle corridor. The output end of the cable in the second electrical control box 22 passes through the second watertight penetration 23 and is led outside the steel sealing door 4. The input end is electrically connected to the control system of the installation vessel above the pipe section 2 to be installed. It is understood that the gap between the second watertight penetration 23 and the cable needs to be watertight.

[0050] The top of the pipe section 2 to be installed and the top of the installed pipe section 1 are equipped with a matching pipe top closing device 3. The pipe top closing device 3 can start or stop closing under the control of the installation vessel's control system. The basic structure of the pipe top closing device 3 is well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail here.

[0051] S2, the communication establishment step specifically includes: after the pipe section to be installed 2 is sunk into place, usually when the pipe section to be installed 2 is about 5m away from the installed pipe section 1, the diver enters the water and connects the cable input end of the first electric control box 15 located outside the steel sealing door 4 of the installed pipe section 1 with the cable output end of the second electric control box 22 located outside the steel sealing door 4 of the pipe section to be installed 2; further, since the installed pipe section 1 is far away from the installation ship, direct communication transmission is more difficult, so the communication signal of the first electric control box 15 is converted and relayed by the second electric control box 22 in the pipe section to be installed 2, so as to realize the communication connection between the first electric control box 15 and the control system of the installation ship, so that the installed pipe section 1, the pipe section to be installed 2 and the control system of the installation ship form an electrical path, realizing interconnection; that is, the crimping system can receive and execute the instructions of the control system of the installation ship in real time, and can transmit the measurement results of the pressure sensor 132 and the electromagnetic flowmeter 134 to the control system in real time, so as to realize real-time communication between the crimping system and the control system of the installation ship;

[0052] S3, the tension and crimping steps are carried out under the control of the installation vessel's control system, specifically including:

[0053] S31. First, open the second electric butterfly valve 131, while the other butterfly valves remain closed. Then, activate the pipe top pulling and closing device 3 to pull the pipe section 2 to be installed toward the installed pipe section 1, until the GINA waterstop 21 at the head end of the pipe section 2 to be installed and the steel end shell at the tail end of the installed pipe section 1 fit together to form a joint cavity 5. Because the second electric butterfly valve 131 is in the open state, the pressure sensor 132 on the third pipeline 13 reads the pressure of the joint cavity 5. At this time, the installation vessel's control system automatically collects the measurement value of the pressure sensor 132 and records it as the initial pressure of the joint cavity 5.

[0054] S32, the pipe top pulling and closing device 3 continues to pull the pipe section 2 to be installed toward the installed pipe section 1, compressing the GINA waterstop 21, and the pressure in the connection chamber 5 continues to increase; the control system monitors the pressure in the connection chamber 5 in real time, and when it detects that the pressure in the connection chamber 5 reaches 1.02 times the initial pressure, the pipe top pulling and closing device 3 is stopped, the third electric butterfly valve 135 is opened and its opening is controlled to allow the seawater in the connection chamber 5 to be discharged into the water tank 14 through the third pipeline 13, thereby releasing the pressure in the connection chamber 5 and reducing the pressure in the connection chamber 5; during the pressure release process of the connection chamber 5, the GINA waterstop 21 will be further compressed; when the control system detects that the pressure in the connection chamber 5 has returned to the initial pressure, the third electric butterfly valve 135 is closed, at this time the third pipeline 13 is cut off, the pressure in the connection chamber 5 remains unchanged, and the GINA waterstop 21 stops being compressed;

[0055] S33: Start the pipe top pulling and closing device 3 again, and repeat step S32 until the pressure in the coupling chamber 5 no longer increases after starting the pipe top pulling and closing device 3. Then, stop the pipe top pulling and closing device 3, and the tension and crimping step is completed. It can be understood that at this time, the maximum pulling and closing force of the pipe top pulling and closing device 3 is no longer sufficient to resist the external force required for the recompression deformation of the GINA waterstop 21, and the third electric butterfly valve 135 has been closed. Furthermore, the number and time of tension and crimping can be displayed on the human-machine interface of the control system for technical personnel to view and verify.

[0056] S4, the hydraulic compression step is carried out under the control of the control system of the installation ship, specifically including: opening the first electric butterfly valve 111 and controlling its opening degree to allow the air in the pipe section 2 to be installed to enter the connecting cavity 5 through the first pipeline 11, and the setting of the plate check valve 112 on the first pipeline 11 can prevent gas backflow; because the air enters the connecting cavity 5, the seawater in the connecting cavity 5 is discharged into the water tank 14 through the first pipeline 11 and the second pipeline 12 under the action of the head difference, thereby causing the pressure in the connecting cavity 5 to drop, and the GINA waterstop 21 is compressed under the action of the seawater pressure at the tail end of the pipe section 2 to be installed until the maximum compression amount of the GINA waterstop 21 is reached.

[0057] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that, after the above-mentioned hydraulic pressing step is completed, a portion of seawater will remain in the coupling chamber 5. At this time, the control system will open the first electric butterfly valve 111 on the first pipeline 11 to the maximum opening, and the drainage device in the pipe section 2 to be installed will extract the remaining seawater in the coupling chamber 5 and discharge it into the sea; at this time, the air pressure in the coupling chamber 5 is kept consistent with the air pressure in the installed pipe section 1, and subsequent concrete pouring, removal of the steel sealing door 4 and other immersed tube construction operations are then carried out.

[0058] The above-mentioned schematic embodiment realizes data communication between the installed pipe section 1, the pipe section to be installed 2 and the installation ship control system, so that the installation ship control system can monitor and control the switch and opening of each electric butterfly valve in the installed pipe section 1 in real time, thereby realizing remote automatic hydraulic crimping of the immersed tube; it solves the various disadvantages of the existing manual hydraulic crimping of immersed tubes, such as low efficiency, high work intensity, poor safety, easy mistakes or inadequate manual operation, inconvenient command transmission and high error rate, and forced interruption of hydraulic crimping operation when intercom communication is lost or fails. Therefore, compared with the existing manual hydraulic crimping method of immersed tubes, this embodiment can make the hydraulic crimping of immersed tubes more accurate, safe, efficient, controllable and reliable.

[0059] like Figure 2 、 Figure 5As shown, in some embodiments, in step S1, a fourth electric butterfly valve 113 is further provided on the first pipeline 11, and the fourth electric butterfly valve 113 is located between the first electric butterfly valve 111 and the second pipeline 12. The fourth electric butterfly valve 113 has the same function as the first electric butterfly valve 111, and the two together control and adjust the on-off state of the first pipeline 11; a fifth electric butterfly valve 136 is further provided on the third pipeline 13, and the fifth electric butterfly valve 136 is located between the pressure sensor 132 and the third electric butterfly valve 135. The fifth electric butterfly valve 136 has the same function as the third electric butterfly valve 135, and the two together control and adjust the on-off state of the third pipeline 13; in the initial state, the fourth electric butterfly valve 113 and the fifth electric butterfly valve 136 are both closed;

[0060] In step S32, when the control system detects that the pressure in the coupling chamber 5 reaches 1.02 times the initial pressure, the control system stops the pipe top pulling and closing device 3, opens the third electric butterfly valve 135 and the fifth electric butterfly valve 136, and controls the opening degrees of the third electric butterfly valve 135 and the fifth electric butterfly valve 136 to discharge the seawater in the coupling chamber 5 into the water tank 14 through the third pipeline 13, thereby releasing the pressure in the coupling chamber 5. During the pressure release process of the coupling chamber 5, the GINA waterstop 21 will be further compressed. When the control system detects that the pressure in the coupling chamber 5 has returned to the initial pressure, the third electric butterfly valve 135 and the fifth electric butterfly valve 136 are closed, and the third pipeline 13 is now cut off.

[0061] In step S4, during hydraulic crimping, under the control of the control system, the first electric butterfly valve 111 and the fourth electric butterfly valve 113 are opened, and the openings of the first electric butterfly valve 111 and the fourth electric butterfly valve 113 are controlled to allow the air in the pipe section 2 to be installed to enter the combining cavity 5 through the first pipeline 11, and then the seawater in the combining cavity 5 is discharged into the water tank 14 through the first pipeline 11 and the second pipeline 12, so that the pressure in the combining cavity 5 drops, and the GINA waterstop 21 is compressed under the action of the seawater pressure at the tail end of the pipe section 2 to be installed until the maximum compression amount of the GINA waterstop 21 is reached.

[0062] The above-mentioned schematic embodiment, by providing the first electric butterfly valve 111 and the fourth electric butterfly valve 113 on the first pipeline 11, and the third electric butterfly valve 135 and the fifth electric butterfly valve 136 on the third pipeline 13, achieves dual protection of the cut-off state of the first pipeline 11 and the third pipeline 13, better avoiding the risk of seawater leakage and uncontrolled submerged tube crimping that cannot proceed normally due to the loose closure of a single electric butterfly valve when the first pipeline 11 and the third pipeline 13 are cut off, thereby further improving the accuracy and safety of the remote automatic hydraulic crimping of the submerged tube.

[0063] like Figure 2As shown, in some embodiments, the electromagnetic flowmeter 134 is located between the third electric butterfly valve 135 and the fifth electric butterfly valve 136. Furthermore, the flanges at both ends of the electromagnetic flowmeter 134 are matingly connected to the flanges of the third electric butterfly valve 135 and the fifth electric butterfly valve 136, respectively, making it very convenient to install and remove the electromagnetic flowmeter 134. Furthermore, if the electromagnetic flowmeter 134 malfunctions, the third electric butterfly valve 135 and the fifth electric butterfly valve 136 can be closed, shutting off the third pipeline 13 on both sides of the electromagnetic flowmeter 134, making it easy to repair or replace the electromagnetic flowmeter 134. This illustrative embodiment facilitates the installation, removal, repair, and replacement of the electromagnetic flowmeter 134.

[0064] like Figure 2 、 Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, after completing step S3, the compression of the GINA waterstop 21 reaches 20%±2% of its maximum compression. It should be noted that when the tension crimping is completed, the GINA waterstop 21 reaches a preset initial compression; it is understandable that the value of this initial compression is compatible with the maximum tensioning force of the pipe top tensioning device 3; this initial compression ensures that the GINA waterstop 21 is not prone to rollover when further compressed during subsequent hydraulic crimping.

[0065] refer to Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, in step S4, during hydraulic crimping, under the control of the control system, the openings of the first electric butterfly valve 111 and the fourth electric butterfly valve 113 are first opened to 2.5%, until the compression of the GINA waterstop 21 reaches 40%±2% of its limit compression; the openings of the first electric butterfly valve 111 and the fourth electric butterfly valve 113 are continuously increased to 5%, until the compression of the GINA waterstop 21 reaches 55%±2% of its limit compression; then the first electric butterfly valve 111 is opened to 2.5%, until the compression of the GINA waterstop 21 reaches 40%±2% of its limit compression; and the opening of the fourth electric butterfly valve 113 is increased to 10%, until the compression of the GINA waterstop 21 reaches 70%±2% of its maximum compression; then the opening of the first electric butterfly valve 111 and the fourth electric butterfly valve 113 is increased to 20%, until the compression of the GINA waterstop 21 reaches 83%±2% of its maximum compression; finally, the opening of the first electric butterfly valve 111 and the fourth electric butterfly valve 113 is increased to 100%, until the compression of the GINA waterstop 21 reaches its maximum compression.

[0066] It is further explained that during the hydraulic pressing process, according to the change in the compression amount of the GINA waterstop 21, the opening of the electric butterfly valve on the first pipeline 11 is controlled to control the gas flow rate delivered to the connecting chamber 5, and then the drainage speed of the connecting chamber 5 is controlled, so that the pressure of the connecting chamber 5 is gradually reduced in stages, thereby avoiding the GINA waterstop 21 being compressed too quickly and tipping over due to excessive drainage of the connecting chamber 5 and excessive and rapid changes in the pressure of the connecting chamber 5 during hydraulic pressing. It ensures that the GINA waterstop 21 is gradually and evenly compressed, effectively controls the crimping speed of the pipe section 2 to be installed, and realizes the safety and reliability of automatic hydraulic pressing of the submerged tube.

[0067] refer to Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, in step S32, when the control system detects that the pressure in the coupling chamber 5 has reached 1.02 times the initial pressure, the pipe top tensioning and closing device 3 is stopped. Under the control of the control system, the openings of the third electric butterfly valve 135 and the fifth electric butterfly valve 136 are first opened to 1% until the pressure in the coupling chamber 5 drops below 1.01 times the initial pressure. The openings of the third electric butterfly valve 135 and the fifth electric butterfly valve 136 are then increased to 2% until the pressure in the coupling chamber 5 drops to the initial pressure, and the third electric butterfly valve 135 and the fifth electric butterfly valve 136 are closed. In this exemplary embodiment, by controlling the openings of the electric butterfly valves on the third pipeline 13, the pressure in the coupling chamber 5 is gradually reduced, ensuring that the GINA waterstop 21 is gradually and slowly compressed. This prevents the coupling chamber 5 pressure from being out of control due to excessively rapid release during tension and crimping, and also prevents the GINA waterstop 21 from overturning due to excessive compression caused by excessive pressure release in the coupling chamber 5, thereby ensuring that the entire tension and crimping process is safely controlled.

[0068] like Figure 2 、 Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, in step S32, the control system monitors the actual flow of seawater discharged into the water tank 14 through the third pipeline 13 in real time through the electromagnetic flowmeter 134, and compares it with the theoretical flow calculated by the control system; if the actual flow is inconsistent with the theoretical flow, the control system will stop the pipe top pulling and closing device 3, and close the third electric butterfly valve 135 and the fifth electric butterfly valve 136, and at the same time issue an alarm to prompt manual intervention for inspection, such as checking whether the pressure sensor 132 and the electromagnetic flowmeter 134 on the third pipeline 13, the liquid level sensor in the water tank 14, etc. are working normally to ensure the safety and reliability of the tension crimping.

[0069] like Figure 2 、 Figure 4As shown, in some embodiments, the first electric butterfly valve 111, the second electric butterfly valve 131, the third electric butterfly valve 135, the fourth electric butterfly valve 113, and the fifth electric butterfly valve 136 each include a drive head 1111 and a butterfly valve 1112. The input end of the drive head 1111 is connected to the first electric control box 15 via a cable, and the output end thereof is connected to the butterfly valve 1112. The drive head 1111 receives and executes instructions from the control system, and drives the butterfly valve 1112 to open, close, and adjust the opening of the butterfly valve 1112 under the control of the control system, without the need for manual operation. This solves the problem in the prior art that manual valve opening and closing can easily lead to inaccurate and uncontrolled crimping due to operational errors or inadequate opening and closing, thereby improving the accuracy and safety of the entire hydraulic crimping process.

[0070] like Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, in step S2, the cable input end of the first electrical control box 15 is connected to the cable output end of the second electrical control box 22 via an underwater connector 6. The underwater connector 6 includes a male connector and a matching female connector. The male connector is provided at the cable input end of the first electrical control box 15, and the female connector is provided at the cable output end of the second electrical control box 22. This exemplary embodiment implements an underwater communication connection between the first electrical control box 15 and the second electrical control box 22.

[0071] like Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, in step S1, a filter 133 is further provided on the third pipeline 13. The filter 133 is located between the second electric butterfly valve 131 and the electromagnetic flowmeter 134 to filter out impurities in the seawater to avoid affecting the detection accuracy of the electromagnetic flowmeter 134.

[0072] To sum up, the remote unmanned automatic hydraulic crimping method for immersed tubes of the present invention solves the problems of high workload, low efficiency, poor safety, inconvenience in command transmission due to high-frequency intercom calls and high error rate in the existing manual hydraulic crimping of immersed tubes. It realizes remote automatic hydraulic crimping of immersed tubes and makes the hydraulic crimping of immersed tubes more accurate, safe and efficient.

[0073] Finally, it should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referenced to each other.

[0074] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the same. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, ordinary personnel in the field should understand that the specific implementation methods of the present invention can still be modified or some technical features can be replaced by equivalents without departing from the spirit of the technical solutions of the present invention. They should all be included in the scope of the technical solutions for which protection is sought.

Claims

1. A remote unmanned automatic hydraulic crimping method for immersed tubes, characterized in that: The steps include: S1. Layout of the crimping system, including: A first electric control box is provided in the installed pipe section, and a first watertight penetration is pre-buried on the steel sealing door at the tail end of the installed pipe section, and the input end of the cable in the first electric control box passes through the first watertight penetration and is led to the outside of the steel sealing door; a first electric butterfly valve and a plate check valve are arranged in sequence on the first pipeline on the upper side of the installed pipe section along the direction from the tail end to the head end of the installed pipe section; a second electric butterfly valve, a pressure sensor, an electromagnetic flowmeter and a third electric butterfly valve are arranged in sequence on the third pipeline on the lower side of the installed pipe section along the direction from the tail end to the head end of the installed pipe section; the first electric butterfly valve, the second electric butterfly valve, the pressure sensor, the electromagnetic flowmeter and the third electric butterfly valve are respectively connected to the first electric control box through cables; in an initial state, the first electric butterfly valve, the second electric butterfly valve and the third electric butterfly valve are all closed; one end of the second pipeline inside the installed pipe section is connected to the first pipeline between the first electric butterfly valve and the plate check valve, and the other end is connected to the bending section of the third pipeline close to the water tank in the installed pipe section; A second electric control box is provided in the pipe section to be installed, and a second watertight penetration is pre-embedded in the steel sealing door at the head end of the pipe section to be installed. The output end of the cable in the second electric control box passes through the second watertight penetration and is led to the outside of the steel sealing door, and its input end is electrically connected to the control system of the installation vessel above the pipe section to be installed; The top of the pipe to be installed and the top of the pipe with installed pipe joints are equipped with matching pipe top pulling and closing devices, and the pipe top pulling and closing devices are started or stopped under the control of the installation ship's control system; S2. Establishing communication: After the safety pipe section is sunk into place, a diver enters the water and connects the cable input end of the first electric control box to the cable output end of the second electric control box; S3, tension pressing, is carried out under the control of the control system of the installation vessel, and specifically includes: S31. First, open the second electric butterfly valve, then activate the pipe top pulling and closing device to pull the pipe section to be installed toward the installed pipe section until the GINA waterstop at the leading end of the pipe section to be installed and the steel end shell at the trailing end of the installed pipe section are in contact with each other to form a joint cavity. The control system automatically collects the measurement value of the pressure sensor and records it as the initial pressure of the joint cavity. S32: The pipe top pulling and closing device continues to pull the pipe section to be installed toward the installed pipe section to compress the GINA waterstop. When the control system detects that the pressure in the connection chamber reaches 1.02 times the initial pressure, the pipe top pulling and closing device is stopped, and the third electric butterfly valve is opened and its opening is controlled to discharge the seawater in the connection chamber into the water tank through the third pipeline. When the control system detects that the pressure in the connection chamber returns to the initial pressure, the third electric butterfly valve is closed. S33, restarting the pipe top closing device, and looping through step S32 until the pressure in the coupling chamber no longer increases after the pipe top closing device is started, and then stopping the pipe top closing device; S4, hydraulic crimping, is carried out under the control of the control system of the installation vessel, specifically including: opening the first electric butterfly valve and controlling its opening so that the air in the pipe section to be installed enters the combining cavity through the first pipeline, and then the seawater in the combining cavity is discharged into the water tank through the first pipeline and the second pipeline; the GINA waterstop is compressed under the action of the seawater pressure at the tail end of the pipe section to be installed until the maximum compression amount of the GINA waterstop is reached.

2. The immersed tube remote unmanned automatic hydraulic crimping method according to claim 1 is characterized in that: In step S1, a fourth electric butterfly valve is further provided on the first pipeline, and the fourth electric butterfly valve is located between the first electric butterfly valve and the second pipeline; a fifth electric butterfly valve is further provided on the third pipeline, and the fifth electric butterfly valve is located between the pressure sensor and the third electric butterfly valve; in an initial state, the fourth electric butterfly valve and the fifth electric butterfly valve are both closed; In step S32, when the control system detects that the pressure in the combined cavity reaches 1.02 times the initial pressure, the pipe top pulling and closing device is stopped, the third electric butterfly valve and the fifth electric butterfly valve are opened, and the openings of the third electric butterfly valve and the fifth electric butterfly valve are controlled to discharge the seawater in the combined cavity into the water tank through the third pipeline; when the control system detects that the pressure in the combined cavity returns to the initial pressure, the third electric butterfly valve and the fifth electric butterfly valve are closed; In step S4, during hydraulic compression, the first electric butterfly valve and the fourth electric butterfly valve are opened, and the openings of the first electric butterfly valve and the fourth electric butterfly valve are controlled so that the air in the pipe section to be installed enters the connecting cavity through the first pipeline, and then the seawater in the connecting cavity is discharged into the water tank through the first pipeline and the second pipeline.

3. The immersed tube remote unmanned automatic hydraulic crimping method according to claim 1 is characterized in that: The electromagnetic flowmeter is located between the third electric butterfly valve and the fifth electric butterfly valve.

4. The immersed tube remote unmanned automatic hydraulic crimping method according to claim 2 is characterized in that: After completing step S3, the compression of the GINA waterstop reaches 20%±2% of its ultimate compression.

5. The immersed tube remote unmanned automatic hydraulic crimping method according to claim 4 is characterized in that: In step S4, during hydraulic pressing, under the control of the control system, the opening of the first electric butterfly valve and the fourth electric butterfly valve is first opened to 2.5% until the compression of the GINA waterstop reaches 40%±2% of its ultimate compression; the opening is continued to be increased to 5% until the compression of the GINA waterstop reaches 55%±2% of its ultimate compression; then the opening is increased to 10% until the compression of the GINA waterstop reaches 70%±2% of its ultimate compression; then the opening is increased to 20% until the compression of the GINA waterstop reaches 83%±2% of its ultimate compression; finally, the opening is increased to 100% until the compression of the GINA waterstop reaches its ultimate compression.

6. The immersed tube remote unmanned automatic hydraulic crimping method according to claim 2 is characterized in that: In step S32, when the control system monitors that the pressure in the combining chamber reaches 1.02 times the initial pressure, the pipe top pulling and closing device is stopped. Under the control of the control system, the openings of the third electric butterfly valve and the fifth electric butterfly valve are first opened to 1% until the pressure in the combining chamber drops to below 1.01 times the initial pressure; then the openings are increased to 2% until the pressure in the combining chamber drops to the initial pressure, and the third electric butterfly valve and the fifth electric butterfly valve are closed.

7. The immersed tube remote unmanned automatic hydraulic crimping method according to claim 2 or 6, characterized in that: In step S32, the control system monitors the actual flow of seawater discharged into the water tank through the third pipeline in real time through the electromagnetic flowmeter, and compares it with the theoretical flow calculated by the control system. If the actual flow is inconsistent with the theoretical flow, the control system issues an alarm to prompt manual intervention for inspection, and at the same time stops the pipe top pulling and closing device, and closes the third electric butterfly valve and the fifth electric butterfly valve.

8. The immersed tube remote unmanned automatic hydraulic crimping method according to claim 2 is characterized in that: The first electric butterfly valve, the second electric butterfly valve, the third electric butterfly valve, the fourth electric butterfly valve and the fifth electric butterfly valve all include a drive head and a butterfly valve; the input end of the drive head is connected to the first electric control box through a cable, and the output end thereof is connected to the butterfly valve; the drive head drives the butterfly valve to open, close and adjust the opening of the butterfly valve under the control of the control system.

9. The immersed tube remote unmanned automatic hydraulic crimping method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S2, the cable input end of the first electric control box and the cable output end of the second electric control box are connected through an underwater connector; the underwater connector includes a male connector and a female connector adapted thereto, the male connector is arranged at the cable input end of the first electric control box, and the female connector is arranged at the cable output end of the second electric control box.

10. The immersed tube remote unmanned automatic hydraulic crimping method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S1, a filter is further provided on the third pipeline, and the filter is located between the second electric butterfly valve and the electromagnetic flowmeter.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

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