Polar region moon pool ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle) retracting and releasing system

Abstract

The invention relates to a polar region moon pool ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle) deploying and retracting system which is characterized in that a working platform is placed on two longitudinal beams at the top of a moon pool cabin, and an ROV lifting winch is arranged on the working platform; the ROV umbilical cable winch is arranged on one side of the ROV lifting winch and used for winding and unwinding an umbilical cable; the ROV track is arranged on the side wall of the port of the moon pool, and the tower lock is arranged on the lower portion of the working platform and used for storing and maintaining the ROV tackle and the ROV guide connector; the ROV tackle is arranged on the ROV track, the ROV track is connected with the ROV tackle through the telescopic track and the telescopic oil cylinder, the ROV tackle and the ROV guide connector are lifted and lowered through the ROV track, and the retracting and releasing functions of the ROV are achieved. By means of the system, laying and recovery operation of the polar region moon pool ROV can be completed, and it can be guaranteed that the ROV works stably when the ROV is collected and released through rigid connection of the guide connector and the tackle; and the limiting switch and the limiting bracket can effectively indicate the folding and unfolding working state, so that the working safety is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an ROV retracting and launching system in a ship system, in particular to an ROV retracting and launching system for a polar moon pool. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous deepening of polar ocean development, the polar moon pool ROV recovery and deployment system is designed to meet the operational needs in the harsh polar environment and plays an important role in ship systems and equipment. Due to the complex and changeable polar environment, underwater operations face many challenges, so it is crucial to ensure the safety and stability of the ROV during the recovery and deployment process. Traditional ROV recovery and deployment systems often have deficiencies in performance and reliability. In order to cope with diverse mission requirements, domestic and foreign research institutions and companies are actively exploring the design and technology of new ROV recovery and deployment systems to improve their safety and stability in polar operations. Summary of the invention

[0003] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention proposes a polar moon pool ROV retrieval and deployment system, through which the deployment and recovery operations of the polar moon pool ROV can be completed, and the rigid connection between the guide joint and the pulley can ensure that the ROV works smoothly during retrieval and deployment; the configured limit switch and limit bracket can effectively indicate the retrieval and deployment working status to ensure the safety of the work.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical scheme of the present invention is: a polar moon pool ROV collection and release system, which is used to hang or release the ROV on the main deck and the bottom of the moon pool and lift and transport it in the moon pool, including a working platform, an ROV lifting winch, an ROV umbilical cable winch, an ROV track, a tower lock, an ROV pulley, an ROV guide joint, and an ROV bracket. The working platform is placed on two longitudinal beams on the top of the moon pool cabin, and the ROV lifting winch is arranged on the working platform to lift the ROV guide joint and the ROV pulley; the ROV umbilical cable winch is arranged on one side of the ROV lifting winch for collecting and releasing the umbilical cable; the ROV track is arranged on the port side wall of the moon pool, and the tower lock is arranged at the bottom of the working platform for storing and maintaining the ROV pulley and the ROV guide joint; the ROV pulley is arranged on the ROV track, and the ROV track is connected to the ROV pulley through a telescopic track and a telescopic oil cylinder, and the ROV pulley and the ROV guide joint are lifted and lowered through the ROV track to realize the collection and release function of the ROV.

[0005] Furthermore, the working platform is welded into a frame structure by H-shaped steel. The working platform is placed on two H-shaped beams on the top of the moon pool cabin and connected by bolts. Grid platforms are arranged inside and around the working platform for operation and maintenance.

[0006] Furthermore, the ROV lifting winch is composed of a double drum, a frame, a flange shaft, a reducer, a hydraulic motor, a lifting cable and accessories, and a speed measuring device. When the cable is retracted or released, the hydraulic oil enters the brake to open the brake, and the hydraulic motor drives the cylinder to rotate through the reducer; the ROV lifting winch stops under any conditions, and the normally closed brake ensures the cylinder braking to keep the submersible in the parking position.

[0007] Furthermore, the ROV umbilical cable winch is composed of a drum, a frame, a flange shaft, an umbilical cable, and an electric slip ring. The ROV umbilical cable winch shares the power of the ROV lifting winch through a gear pair; the drum adopts the same rope groove parameters as the ROV lifting winch to ensure synchronous retraction and release with the ROV lifting winch; the inner core used in the umbilical cable can transmit both power and control signals; the electric slip ring is arranged at one end of the drum, the outer ring is connected to the drum, and the inner ring is connected to the frame.

[0008] Furthermore, the ROV track should be composed of an upper fixed track, a lower fixed track, wheels, a telescopic track, and a telescopic cylinder. The upper fixed track is arranged above the main deck, the lower fixed track is arranged inside the moon pool, and the telescopic track is arranged outside the upper fixed track. The ROV track with guide wheels can be raised and lowered in the upper and lower fixed track grooves under the action of the telescopic cylinder; the lower end of the telescopic track and the upper end of the lower fixed track adopt a docking groove structure to ensure the track docking accuracy and load-bearing capacity.

[0009] Furthermore, the tower lock consists of an upper tower frame and a lower tower frame. The upper part of the upper tower frame is connected to the bottom of the working platform, and the lower part is connected to the lower tower frame. The lower tower frame is arranged with a universal locking mechanism, which can automatically lock and actively unlock. The tower lock is also equipped with a limit switch to indicate the working status of the lock tongue and control the ROV lifting winch to lift into place.

[0010] Furthermore, the ROV pulley is composed of a pulley frame, wheels, and guide pulleys. The pulley frame is welded from hollow square steel into a frame structure. Wheels are installed on the side of the pulley frame, and a lifting cable guide pulley is installed on the top. A guide frame is provided in the middle of the pulley frame for docking the ROV guide joint. The wheels are divided into guide wheels and running wheels. The guide wheels are arranged on one side of the track for guiding and bearing in the direction of the ship length, and the running wheels are arranged on both sides of the track for guiding and bearing in the direction of the ship width. The guide pulley adopts a double-wheel structure to ensure that the cable does not interfere with or rub against the pulley frame.

[0011] Furthermore, two lifting ears are arranged on the upper part of the ROV guide joint for lifting and lowering, and the middle top is a load-bearing head structure closed with the tower lock.

[0012] Furthermore, the ROV bracket includes a maintenance bracket and a limit bracket. The maintenance bracket is installed on the bulkhead of the upper deck of the moon pool; the limit bracket is installed at the bottom of the moon pool to limit the extreme position of the ROV pulley and provide fixed support for the bracket; the ROV bracket working position limit switch is used for safety interlocking and status indication.

[0013] Furthermore, when the system is working normally, the maintenance bracket is in a retracted state, and when maintenance work is required, the maintenance bracket is flipped out to support the ROV pulley.

[0014] The beneficial effects brought by the technical solution of the present invention are as follows:

[0015] 1) Through the telescopic function of the ROV track in the polar moon pool ROV retraction and deployment system, the lowering pulley and the guide joint can be lifted to realize the retraction and deployment function of the ROV.

[0016] 2) The connection between the pulley and the guide joint is a rigid connection, which can effectively stop the swing and ensure the stability of the ROV retraction and deployment.

[0017] 3) The configured limit switch can effectively indicate the lifting working status, and the limit bracket can ensure the safety of the retracting and releasing operations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the polar moon pool ROV retraction and deployment system.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the winch layout of the polar moon pool ROV retraction and deployment system;

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the track layout structure of the polar moon pool ROV retraction and deployment system;

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the deployment of the polar moon pool ROV recovery and deployment system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0023] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, a polar moon pool ROV collection and deployment system of the present invention is used to hang or release the ROV on the main deck of the moon pool and the bottom of the ship and to lift and transport the ROV in the moon pool. The ROV armored cable is connected to the submersible through a guide wheel. The system mainly consists of a working platform 1, an ROV lifting winch 2, an ROV umbilical cable winch 3, an ROV track 4, a tower lock 5, an ROV pulley, an ROV guide joint 7, and an ROV bracket.

[0024] The working platform 1 is the main load-bearing structure, which is mainly composed of H-shaped steel welded into a frame structure. The working platform 1 is placed on the two longitudinal beams on the top of the moon pool cabin. The ROV lifting winch 2 is arranged on the working platform 1 to lift the ROV guide joint 7 and the ROV pulley. The ROV umbilical cable winch 3 is arranged on one side of the ROV lifting winch 2 to retract and release the umbilical cable. The ROV track 4 is arranged on the port side wall of the moon pool. The ROV track 4 adopts an H-shaped steel design. The fixed track is divided into two sections, the upper fixed track is arranged above the main deck, and the lower fixed track is arranged inside the moon pool. The fixed track cannot be arranged in the middle due to the moon pool hatch cover. The tower lock 5 is arranged at the lower part of the working platform 1 for the storage and maintenance of the ROV pulley and the ROV guide joint 7. The ROV pulley is arranged on the ROV track 4, and the frame of the ROV pulley is welded into a frame structure by hollow square steel. The guide joint 7 is used for docking and release with ROV on the deck or underwater. The main structure of the guide joint 7 is the main load-bearing and supporting structure of the guide joint 7. Two lifting ears are arranged on the upper part for lifting and lowering. The middle top is a load-bearing head structure closed with the tower lock 5. The maintenance bracket is installed on the bulkhead of the upper deck of the moon pool. When the system is working normally, the maintenance bracket is in a retracted state. When maintenance work is required, the maintenance bracket needs to be turned out to support the ROV pulley.

[0025] The working platform 1 is the main load-bearing structure, which is mainly composed of H-shaped steel welded into a frame structure. The working platform 1 is placed on the two H-shaped beams on the top of the moon pool cabin and connected by bolts. The ROV lifting winch 2, ROV umbilical cable winch 3, etc. are arranged on the working platform 1, and the tower lock 5 is arranged at the bottom of the working platform 1. Grid platforms are arranged inside and around the working platform 1 for operation and maintenance.

[0026] The ROV lifting winch 2 is arranged on the working platform 1 to lift the ROV guide joint 7 and the ROV pulley, and is mainly composed of a double drum, a frame, a flange shaft, a reducer, a hydraulic motor, a lifting cable and accessories, and a speed measuring device. When the cable is retracted, the hydraulic oil enters the brake to open the brake, and the hydraulic motor drives the cylinder to rotate through the reducer. The winch stops under any conditions, and the normally closed brake ensures that the cylinder is braked to keep the submersible in the parking position.

[0027] The ROV umbilical winch 3 is arranged on one side of the ROV lifting winch 2 for retracting and releasing the umbilical cable. It mainly consists of a drum, a frame, a flange shaft, an umbilical cable, and an electric slip ring. The ROV umbilical winch 3 shares the power of the lifting winch through a gear pair. The drum uses the same rope groove parameters as the ROV lifting winch 2 to ensure synchronous retraction and release with the lifting winch. The umbilical cable adopts a special design, and the inner core can transmit both power and control signals. The electric slip ring is arranged at one end of the drum, with the outer ring connected to the drum and the inner ring connected to the frame.

[0028] ROV track 4 is arranged on the port side wall of the moon pool, and is mainly composed of an upper fixed track 4.1, a lower fixed track 4.2, wheels 4.3, a telescopic track 4.4, and a telescopic cylinder 4.5. The track is designed with H-shaped steel, and the fixed track is divided into two sections, the upper fixed track 4.1 is arranged above the main deck, and the lower fixed track 4.2 is arranged inside the moon pool. The fixed track cannot be arranged in the middle due to the moon pool hatch. The telescopic track 4.4 is mainly arranged on the outside of the upper fixed track, and the track with guide wheels can be raised and lowered in the fixed track groove under the action of the telescopic cylinder. The lower end of the telescopic track 4.4 and the upper end of the lower fixed track 4.2 adopt a docking groove design to ensure the track docking accuracy and load-bearing capacity.

[0029] The tower lock 5 is arranged at the lower part of the working platform 1 for the storage and maintenance of the pulley and the guide joint. The tower lock 5 is mainly composed of an upper tower and a lower tower. The upper part of the upper tower is connected to the bottom of the working platform, and the lower part is connected to the lower tower. The lower tower is arranged with a universal locking mechanism, which can automatically lock and actively unlock. The tower lock is also equipped with a limit switch to indicate the working status of the lock tongue and control the ROV lifting winch to lift in place.

[0030] The ROV pulley is arranged on the ROV track, and mainly consists of a pulley frame 6.1, a wheel 6.2, and a guide pulley 6.3. The pulley frame 6.1 is welded from hollow square steel into a frame structure. The pulley frame 6.1 is equipped with wheels 6.2 on the side, and a lifting cable guide pulley 6.3 on the top. The middle of the pulley frame 6.1 is designed as a guide frame for docking the ROV guide joint 7. The wheel 6.2 is divided into a guide wheel and a running wheel. The guide wheel is arranged on one side of the track for guiding and carrying in the direction of the length of the ship, and the running wheels are arranged on both sides of the track for guiding and carrying in the direction of the width of the ship. The guide pulley 6.3 adopts a double-wheel design to ensure that the cable does not interfere or rub with the pulley frame.

[0031] ROV guide joint 7 is used for docking and release with ROV on deck or underwater. The main structure is the main load-bearing and supporting structure of the guide joint. Two lifting ears are arranged on the upper part for lifting and lowering. The middle top is the load-bearing head structure closed with the tower lock.

[0032] The ROV bracket includes a maintenance bracket 8.1 and a limit bracket 8.2. The maintenance bracket 8.1 is installed on the bulkhead of the upper deck of the moon pool. When the system is working normally, the maintenance bracket 8.1 is in a retracted state. When maintenance work is required, the maintenance bracket 8.1 needs to be flipped out to support the ROV pulley. The limit switch of the ROV bracket working position is used for safety interlocking and status indication. The limit bracket 8.2 is installed at the bottom of the moon pool, mainly used to limit the extreme position of the ROV pulley and provide fixed support for the bracket.

[0033] Key technical points of the present invention:

[0034] 1. Since the moon pool hatch cannot be arranged with fixed tracks, the ROV track in the polar moon pool ROV retraction and deployment system adopts a telescopic form to avoid the moon pool hatch. The track adopts H-shaped steel design, and the fixed track is divided into two sections, the upper fixed track is arranged above the main deck, and the lower fixed track is arranged inside the moon pool. The fixed track cannot be arranged in the middle due to the moon pool hatch. The fixed track is composed of two H-shaped steels, and a connecting frame is arranged in the middle to install one end of the telescopic cylinder. The mobile track adopts a frame design. The two H-shaped steels are connected by square tubes. The other end of the telescopic cylinder is installed on the square tube. The telescopic track with guide wheels can be lifted up and down in the fixed track groove under the action of the telescopic cylinder. The lower end of the mobile track and the upper end of the lower fixed track adopt a two-way docking groove design to ensure the track docking accuracy and bearing capacity.

[0035] 2. The ROV maintenance bracket is arranged on the upper part of the moon pool bulkhead, and the ROV limit bracket is arranged on the lower part of the moon pool bulkhead. There are buffer brackets at both ends of the ROV pulley. The ROV maintenance bracket consists of a support, a swing cylinder, and a swing bracket. The support is connected to the hull bulkhead, and the swing bracket swings in or out on the left and right sides of the swing cylinder. When the swing bracket swings in, the ROV maintenance bracket does not work, the buffer bracket on the ROV pulley does not interfere with the maintenance bracket, and the ROV pulley slides up and down normally. When the swing bracket swings out, the ROV maintenance bracket works, and the buffer bracket on the ROV pulley is placed on the bracket. At this time, the ROV pulley is separated from the ROV guide joint, and the ROV guide joint can be replaced or maintained. The limit bracket at the lower part of the moon pool bulkhead is a T-shaped structure. When the ROV pulley moves to the upper part of the limit bracket, the buffer bracket on the pulley contacts the limit bracket, and the ROV pulley moves to the lower limit position of the track. When the ROV guide joint continues to be lowered, it will be separated from the ROV pulley.

[0036] 3. The ROV pulley adopts a frame design. Two cable guide pulley assemblies and a cable guide frame are arranged on the upper part of the frame, which are mainly used to guide the ROV lifting cable. The lower part of the frame adopts a guide beam design for rigid suspension with the ROV. Two sets of guide wheels are arranged on the pulley, one set for horizontal longitudinal guidance and the other set for horizontal lateral guidance. The pulley guide wheels are arranged on the track.

[0037] 4. The ROV guide joint has an integrated frame design. The middle of the upper part of the ROV guide joint is a load-bearing guide cylinder, which is mainly used for guiding the armored cable. The two sides of the upper part are pyramid-shaped designs, which dock with the ROV pulley in two horizontal directions. The lower part is a guide device, which is used to dock with the ROV guide.

[0038] 5. The working platform is arranged on the two supporting beams on the top of the moon pool cabin. The working platform is a frame structure. The ROV lifting winch and ROV umbilical winch are arranged on the platform. The platform frame adopts a hollow structure at the winch outlet. The ROV lifting winch adopts a double spiral drum design, and a transmission gear is arranged on one side of the drum. The ROV umbilical winch is arranged on one side of the ROV lifting winch. The pitch diameter of the umbilical winch drum is consistent with that of the ROV lifting winch drum, and the drum is also arranged with a transmission gear pair with the same parameters. When the ROV lifting winch rotates, the ROV umbilical winch moves in the same direction driven by the synchronous gear pair. Since the parameters of the drum and the synchronous gear are the same, the cable speed and release length of the ROV lifting winch and the ROV umbilical winch are the same.

Claims

1. A polar moon pool ROV retracting and launching system, used to hook or unhook the ROV on the moon pool main deck and the bottom of the ship and to lift and transport the ROV in the moon pool, characterized by: It includes a working platform, an ROV lifting winch, an ROV umbilical cable winch, an ROV track, a tower lock, an ROV pulley, an ROV guide joint, and an ROV bracket. The working platform is placed on two longitudinal beams on the top of the moon pool cabin. The ROV lifting winch is arranged on the working platform to lift the ROV guide joint and the ROV pulley. The ROV umbilical cable winch is arranged on one side of the ROV lifting winch to retract and release the umbilical cable. The ROV track is arranged on the port side wall of the moon pool. The tower lock is arranged at the lower part of the working platform to store and maintain the ROV pulley and the ROV guide joint. The ROV pulley is arranged on the ROV track. The ROV track is connected to the ROV pulley through a telescopic track and a telescopic cylinder. The ROV pulley and the ROV guide joint are lifted and lowered through the ROV track to realize the ROV retraction and release function.

2. The polar moon pool ROV retraction and deployment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The working platform is welded into a frame structure by H-shaped steel. The working platform is placed on two H-shaped beams on the top of the moon pool cabin and connected by bolts. Grid platforms are arranged inside and around the working platform for operation and maintenance.

3. The polar moon pool ROV retraction and deployment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ROV lifting winch consists of a double drum, a frame, a flange shaft, a reducer, a hydraulic motor, a lifting cable and accessories, and a speed measuring device. When the cable is retracted or released, the hydraulic oil enters the brake to open the brake, and the hydraulic motor drives the cylinder to rotate through the reducer; the ROV lifting winch stops under any conditions, and the normally closed brake ensures the cylinder braking and keeps the submersible in the parking position.

4. The polar moon pool ROV retraction and deployment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ROV umbilical winch consists of a drum, a frame, a flange shaft, an umbilical cable, and an electric slip ring. The ROV umbilical winch shares the power of the ROV lifting winch through a gear pair; the drum uses the same rope groove parameters as the ROV lifting winch to ensure synchronization with the ROV lifting winch; the inner core of the umbilical cable can transmit both power and control signals; the electric slip ring is arranged at one end of the drum, the outer ring is connected to the drum, and the inner ring is connected to the frame.

5. The polar moon pool ROV retraction and deployment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ROV track is composed of an upper fixed track, a lower fixed track, wheels, a telescopic track, and a telescopic cylinder. The upper fixed track is arranged above the main deck, the lower fixed track is arranged inside the moon pool, and the telescopic track is arranged outside the upper fixed track. The ROV track with guide wheels can be raised and lowered in the upper and lower fixed track grooves under the action of the telescopic cylinder; the lower end of the telescopic track and the upper end of the lower fixed track adopt a docking groove structure to ensure the track docking accuracy and load-bearing capacity.

6. The polar moon pool ROV retraction and deployment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tower lock consists of an upper tower frame and a lower tower frame. The upper part of the upper tower frame is connected to the bottom of the working platform, and the lower part is connected to the lower tower frame. The lower tower frame is equipped with a universal locking mechanism that can automatically lock and actively unlock. The tower lock is also equipped with a limit switch to indicate the working status of the lock tongue and control the ROV lifting winch to lift into place.

7. The polar moon pool ROV retraction and deployment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ROV pulley is composed of a pulley frame, wheels, and guide pulleys. The pulley frame is welded from hollow square steel into a frame structure. Wheels are installed on the side of the pulley frame, and a lifting cable guide pulley is installed on the top. A guide frame is provided in the middle of the pulley frame for docking the ROV guide joint. The wheels are divided into guide wheels and running wheels. The guide wheels are arranged on one side of the track for guiding and bearing in the direction of the ship length, and the running wheels are arranged on both sides of the track for guiding and bearing in the direction of the ship width. The guide pulley adopts a double-wheel structure to ensure that the cable does not interfere with or rub against the pulley frame.

8. The polar moon pool ROV retraction and deployment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Two lifting ears are arranged on the upper part of the ROV guide joint for lifting and lowering, and the middle top is a load-bearing head structure closed with the tower lock.

9. The polar moon pool ROV retraction and deployment system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ROV bracket includes a maintenance bracket and a limit bracket. The maintenance bracket is installed on the bulkhead of the upper deck of the moon pool; the limit bracket is installed at the bottom of the moon pool to limit the extreme position of the ROV pulley and provide fixed support for the bracket; the limit switch at the working position of the ROV bracket is used for safety interlocking and status indication.

10. The polar moon pool ROV retracting and launching system according to claim 9, characterized in that: When the system is operating normally, the maintenance bracket is in a retracted state. When maintenance work is required, the maintenance bracket is flipped out to support the ROV pulley.

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