A method of recovering a submarine cable

Abstract

A submarine cable salvage method, using an underwater remote control robot to carry a clamp to hold the cable, and then releasing a composite rope, a mushroom anchor, a cable salvage hook and the like for recycling the cable clamp into water, the mushroom anchor is not in the same time with the cable clamp and the underwater remote control robot, compared with the prior art, can avoid binding the rope on the umbilical cable of the underwater remote control robot, does not need to operate the underwater remote control robot and the cable clamp connected with the umbilical cable and its rope at the same time, greatly reduces the risk of rope winding with the umbilical cable, the three times of diving of the underwater remote control robot are separately diving and operating, greatly reduces the operation requirements of the deck operator and the ship operator, and reduces the operation risk of the underwater remote control robot. In addition, the ship operation is more free, mainly considering the influence of the blow flow, if the blow flow is opened, the risk will be smaller.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of physics, in particular to the technology of submarine cable salvage, and more particularly to a method for salvaging a submarine cable. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the vigorous development of island economy, more and more island power grids are connected to land power grids, and the submarine cables are damaged by external factors such as anchoring of ships, which causes power interruption of islands and serious economic losses. When repairing the submarine cable, the cable needs to be salvaged on the ship first, and then the cable is repaired and laid on the seabed. In the prior art, the process of salvaging the submarine cable is as follows:

[0003] 1. An underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is lowered by a manipulator carrying a cable cutter, and the cable is cut by the cable cutter.

[0004] 2. The underwater remotely operated vehicle is recovered on the ship, the cable cutter is removed, and a cable gripper is connected to the manipulator of the underwater remotely operated vehicle.

[0005] 3. The superline is connected to the cable gripper, and the superline is tied to the umbilical cable of the underwater remotely operated vehicle (the umbilical cable is a cable for supplying power and control to the underwater remotely operated vehicle on the ship). Then the underwater remotely operated vehicle is lowered, and the cable gripper and the superline are dragged to the work site together. When the underwater remotely operated vehicle is lowered, the superline is also released. After diving into the seabed, the cable gripper grabs the cable. Then the manipulator of the underwater remotely operated vehicle releases the cable gripper, and the underwater remotely operated vehicle is in a free state. At this time, the superline is still connected to the cable gripper and the umbilical cable, and the superline is further tightened by the underwater remotely operated vehicle, which is strained, and thus the superline is broken from the binding of the umbilical cable, so that the superline and the umbilical cable are separated. After the superline and the umbilical cable are separated, the underwater remotely operated vehicle is recovered to the deck, and then the superline is recovered, and the cable gripper and the cable salvaged by the cable gripper are salvaged on the ship.

[0006] Because the underwater remote control robot has many protrusions and eight direction propellers, if the super strong rope is not tied on the umbilical cable, the super strong rope is released separately from the underwater remote control robot, the water flow is very turbulent, and the super strong rope is likely to be wound when encountering ocean current, and the super strong rope interferes with the protrusions and the propellers, therefore, the super strong rope needs to be tied on the umbilical cable. The tying of the super strong rope and the umbilical cable cannot be too tight or too loose, too tight leads to that the super strong rope cannot be separated from the umbilical cable after the underwater remote control robot is released, and too loose leads to that the super strong rope is separated too early, and the tightness is difficult to control and operate. In the prior art, although the super strong rope is fixed on the umbilical cable, the risk of winding is still large, and the underwater remote control robot and the super strong rope need to be released from the deck at the same time, the requirements of the deck operator and the ship operator are high, and special care is needed in the operation process, and as long as a little improper operation, the super strong rope and the umbilical cable are very easy to be wound, especially when the underwater remote control robot is operated, the underwater remote control robot must not be turned, otherwise the super strong rope and the umbilical cable will be wound, and the deeper the water is, the more dangerous it is. SUMMARY

[0007] The purpose of the present application is to provide a submarine cable salvage method, which solves the technical problems of the prior art that the tightness of the super strong rope and the umbilical cable is difficult to control, and the super strong rope and the umbilical cable are easy to be wound.

[0008] The submarine cable salvage method of the present application comprises a process of cutting and salvaging a submarine cable by using an underwater remote control robot, a cable cutting machine and a cable clamp, and the process of cutting and salvaging the submarine cable comprises the following steps:

[0009] Step one: connecting a mechanical arm of the underwater remote control robot with a cable cutting machine, releasing the underwater remote control robot at a middle position of a ship, and diving the underwater remote control robot to the seabed with the cable cutting machine, and controlling the cable cutting machine to cut the cable;

[0010] Step two: recovering the underwater remote control robot on the ship, removing the cable cutting machine, and connecting a cable clamp with the mechanical arm of the underwater remote control robot, and installing a beacon and a ring on the cable clamp;

[0011] Step three: diving the underwater remote control robot, grasping the cable by the cable clamp operated by the underwater remote control robot, releasing the cable clamp by the mechanical arm of the underwater remote control robot, and recovering the underwater remote control robot on the ship;

[0012] Step four: connect a composite rope with a mushroom anchor at the stern, the mushroom anchor is coiled with super strong rope, one end of the super strong rope is connected with the mushroom anchor, the other end of the super strong rope is connected with a cable salvage hook; then the ship moves forward, the composite rope is released at the stern by using the cable laying machine, the mushroom anchor enters the water, and the mushroom anchor is laid near the cable gripper according to the position of the beacon on the cable gripper;

[0013] Step five: the ship moves backward, the composite rope is loosened or tightened to ensure the position of the mushroom anchor and keep the composite rope tension; when the position of the underwater remote control robot released on the ship moves to the corresponding position above the mushroom anchor, stop moving the ship;

[0014] Step six: release the underwater remote control robot, after the underwater remote control robot dives to the position of the mushroom anchor, use a manipulator of the underwater remote control robot to grab the cable salvage hook, then the underwater remote control robot drags the cable salvage hook to move to the side of the cable gripper, and the cable salvage hook pulls out the super strong rope from the mushroom anchor at the same time;

[0015] Step seven: the underwater remote control robot controls another manipulator to grab the ring on the cable gripper, and connects the cable salvage hook with the ring;

[0016] Step eight: recycle the underwater remote control robot on the ship;

[0017] Step nine: recycle the composite rope, through the mushroom anchor, the super strong rope, the cable salvage hook, the ring, the cable gripper and the cable clamped by the cable gripper are recycled on the ship.

[0018] Further, the weight of the mushroom anchor is 50-100 kg.

[0019] Further, the length of the super strong rope is 50 meters, and the diameter is 10 mm.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the effect of the present application is positive and obvious. The submarine cable salvage method of the present application uses the underwater remote control robot to first clamp the cable with the gripper, then releases the composite rope, mushroom anchor, cable salvage hook and other devices used to recycle the cable gripper into the water, and the mushroom anchor is not in the water at the same time as the cable gripper and the underwater remote control robot. Compared with the prior art, the rope can be avoided to be tied on the umbilical cable of the underwater remote control robot, and the cable gripper connected with the umbilical cable and its rope do not need to be operated at the same time, which greatly reduces the risk of rope winding with the umbilical cable. The three times of diving of the underwater remote control robot are separately dived and operated, which greatly reduces the operation requirements of the deck operator and the ship operator, and reduces the operation risk of the underwater remote control robot. In addition, the ship operation is more free, mainly considering the influence of the flow, if the flow is blown open, the risk will be smaller. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 A first process diagram of a submarine cable salvage method of the present application.

[0022] Figure 2 A second process diagram of a submarine cable salvage method of the present application.

[0023] Figure 3 A third process diagram of a submarine cable salvage method of the present application.

[0024] Figure 4 A fourth process diagram of a submarine cable salvage method of the present application.

[0025] Figure 5 A fifth process diagram of a submarine cable salvage method of the present application.

[0026] Figure 6 A sixth process diagram of a submarine cable salvage method of the present application.

[0027] Figure 7 A seventh process diagram of a submarine cable salvage method of the present application.

[0028] Figure 8 An eighth process diagram of a submarine cable salvage method of the present application.

[0029] Figure 9 A front view diagram of a cable cutter used in an embodiment of a submarine cable salvage method of the present application.

[0030] Figure 10 A top view diagram of a cable cutter used in an embodiment of a submarine cable salvage method of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The present application is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments, but the present application is not limited to the present embodiments, and any similar structure and similar changes thereof that adopt the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application. The use of up, down, front, back, left, right, etc. directions in the present application is only for convenience of description, and is not a limitation on the technical solutions of the present application.

[0032] Part of the tools used in the present embodiment are introduced as follows:

[0033] I. As shown in Figure 9 and Figure 10 , the cable cutter 2 is shown as follows:

[0034] 1. Heavy-duty cable, umbilical cutter for harsh working conditions;

[0035] 2. Hydraulic operated anvil makes wire rope capture and cutting simple;

[0036] 3. The mounting holes on the main body allow for the installation of standard handles or custom mounting brackets;

[0037] 4. The hydraulically operated anvil facilitates the deployment of underwater remotely controlled robots;

[0038] 5. Can be used in any water depth.

[0039] II. Cable clamp 3

[0040] 1. Submarine cable clamps and retrieval tools;

[0041] 2. Mechanical locking gripping action ensures that the cable will not escape during the retraction process;

[0042] 3. The internal clutch mechanism prevents over-tightening.

[0043] III. Underwater Remotely Operated Robot 1: Equipped with two or more robotic arms that can be controlled independently.

[0044] III. Composite wire rope: CR 8-strand propylene wire rope 44mm, MBL 35T.

[0045] IV. Superline: 32mm S / L, MBL 24T-25.2T, 3 strands, polyester PET + polypropylene PP sheath.

[0046] 5. Cable retrieval hook 8: It has a locking buckle to secure the cable.

[0047] like Figures 1-10 As shown, a method for salvaging submarine cables according to the present invention includes the following steps:

[0048] Step 1: As Figure 1 As shown, the robotic arm of the underwater remotely operated robot 1 is connected to a cable cutter 2, as follows: Figure 2 As shown, an underwater remotely operated robot 1 is released at the mid-section of the ship, carrying a cable cutter 2 to dive to the seabed and control the cable cutter 2 to cut the cable.

[0049] Step Two: As Figure 3 As shown, the underwater remotely operated robot 1 is retrieved and loaded onto the ship. The cable cutter 2 is removed and replaced with a cable holder 3, which is connected to the robotic arm of the underwater remotely operated robot 1. A beacon (not shown in the figure) and a ring (not shown in the figure) are installed on the cable holder 3.

[0050] Step 3: As Figure 4 As shown, the underwater remotely operated robot 1 dives down. After the underwater remotely operated robot 1 operates the cable gripper 3 to grab the cable 4, the robotic arm of the underwater remotely operated robot 1 releases the cable gripper 3, as shown. Figure 5As shown, the underwater remotely operated vehicle 1 is retrieved and loaded onto the ship;

[0051] Step Four: As Figure 6 As shown, a composite rope 5 is connected to a mushroom anchor 6 at the stern. A super-strong rope 7 is coiled on the mushroom anchor 6. One end of the super-strong rope 7 is connected to the mushroom anchor 6, and the other end of the super-strong rope 7 is connected to a cable retrieval hook 8. Then the ship moves forward and the composite rope 5 is released at the stern using a cable laying machine. The mushroom anchor 6 enters the water and is placed near the cable holder 3 according to the beacon position on the cable holder 3.

[0052] Step 5: As Figure 7 As shown, the boat moves backward, loosening or tightening the composite rope 5 to ensure that the composite rope 5 does not drag the mushroom anchor 6 and to maintain the tension of the composite rope 5; when the position of the underwater remotely operated robot 1 released on the boat moves to the corresponding position above the mushroom anchor 6, the boat movement stops.

[0053] Step Six: As Figure 8 As shown, after the underwater remotely operated robot 1 dives to the position of the mushroom anchor 6, it uses one of its robotic arms to grab the cable retrieval hook 8. Then, the underwater remotely operated robot 1 drags the cable retrieval hook 8 to the side of the cable holder 3. At the same time, the cable retrieval hook 8 pulls out the super-strong rope 7 from the mushroom anchor 6.

[0054] Step 7: The underwater remotely operated robot 1 controls another robotic arm to grab the ring on the cable holder 3 and connect the cable retrieval hook 8 to the ring;

[0055] Step 8: Retrieve the underwater remotely operated robot 1 and load it onto the ship;

[0056] Step 9: Retrieve composite rope 5, and use mushroom anchor 6, super strong rope 7, cable retrieval hook 8, and ring to retrieve cable holder 3 and the cable 4 it holds onto the ship.

[0057] Furthermore, the mushroom anchor 6 weighs 50-100 kg.

[0058] Furthermore, the super-strong rope 7 is 50 meters long and 10 mm in diameter.

[0059] The submarine cable salvage method of the present application uses the underwater remote control robot 1 to first carry the cable gripper to clamp the cable 4, and then releases the composite rope 5, the mushroom anchor 6, the cable salvage hook 8, etc. for recovering the cable gripper 3 into the water. The mushroom anchor 6 is not released into the water at the same time as the cable gripper 3 and the underwater remote control robot 1. Compared with the prior art, the rope can be avoided from being tied on the umbilical cable of the underwater remote control robot 1, and the underwater remote control robot 1, the cable gripper 3 connected with the umbilical cable and the rope do not need to be operated at the same time, which greatly reduces the risk of the rope winding on the umbilical cable, the three submersion of the underwater remote control robot 1 is separately released into the water and operated, which greatly reduces the operation requirements of the deck operator and the ship operator, and reduces the operation risk of the underwater remote control robot 1. In addition, the ship operation is more free, mainly considering the influence of the blow flow, if the blow flow is opened, the risk will be smaller.

[0060] Specifically, the underwater remote control robot 1, the cable cutting machine 2, the cable gripper 3, the beacon, the circular ring, the composite rope 5, the mushroom anchor 6, the super strong rope 7, the cable salvage hook 8, etc. in the present embodiment all adopt the known scheme in the prior art, which is known to those skilled in the art and will not be described here.

Claims

1. A method of recovering a submarine cable comprising a process of cutting and recovering a submarine cable using an underwater remotely operated vehicle, a cable cutter and a cable gripper, characterized in that: The process of cutting and salvaging the submarine cable comprises the following steps: Step 1: connecting the manipulator of the underwater remote control robot with a cable cutter, releasing the underwater remote control robot at the middle position of the ship, and diving the underwater remote control robot to the seabed with the cable cutter, and controlling the cable cutter to cut the cable; Step 2: recovering the underwater remote control robot on the ship, removing the cable cutter, and connecting the cable gripper with the manipulator of the underwater remote control robot, and installing a beacon and a ring on the cable gripper; Step 3: diving the underwater remote control robot, and after the cable gripper is grabbed by the underwater remote control robot, the manipulator of the underwater remote control robot releases the cable gripper, and the underwater remote control robot is recovered on the ship; Step 4: connecting a composite rope with a mushroom anchor at the stern of the ship, winding a super strong rope on the mushroom anchor, connecting one end of the super strong rope with the mushroom anchor, and connecting the other end of the super strong rope with a cable salvage hook; then moving the ship forward, releasing the composite rope at the stern of the ship by using a mooring machine, and placing the mushroom anchor in water, and placing the mushroom anchor near the cable gripper according to the position of the beacon on the cable gripper; Step 5: moving the ship backward, loosening or tightening the composite rope to ensure the position of the mushroom anchor and maintain the tension of the composite rope; when the position of the underwater remote control robot released on the ship moves to the corresponding position above the mushroom anchor, stop moving the ship; Step 6: releasing the underwater remote control robot, diving the underwater remote control robot to the position of the mushroom anchor, and grabbing the cable salvage hook by using one manipulator of the underwater remote control robot, and then dragging the cable salvage hook to the side of the cable gripper by the underwater remote control robot, and taking the super strong rope out of the mushroom anchor along with the cable salvage hook; Step 7: controlling another manipulator of the underwater remote control robot to grab the ring on the cable gripper, and connecting the cable salvage hook with the ring; Step 8: recovering the underwater remote control robot on the ship; Step 9: recovering the composite rope, and salvaging the cable gripper and the cable gripped by the cable gripper on the ship through the mushroom anchor, the super strong rope, the cable salvage hook, and the ring.

2. A method of recovering a submarine cable according to claim 1, characterised in that, The weight of the mushroom anchor is 50-100 kg.

3. A method of recovering a submarine cable according to claim 1, characterised in that, The length of the super strong rope is 50 meters, and the diameter is 10 mm.

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