A polar lunar pool ROV deployment and recovery system

Abstract

This invention relates to a polar lunar pool ROV deployment and retrieval system. A working platform is placed on two longitudinal beams on the top of the lunar pool compartment, and an ROV hoisting winch is arranged on the working platform. An ROV umbilical cable winch is arranged to one side of the ROV hoisting winch for deploying and retrieving the umbilical cable. An ROV track is arranged on the port sidewall of the lunar pool, and a tower lock is arranged under the working platform for storing and maintaining the ROV trolleys and ROV guide joints. The ROV trolleys are arranged on the ROV track, which is connected to the ROV trolleys via telescopic rails and telescopic cylinders. The ROV trolleys and ROV guide joints are raised and lowered via the ROV track, realizing the ROV deployment and retrieval function. This system can complete the deployment and retrieval operations of ROVs in polar lunar pools. The rigid connection between the guide joints and the trolleys ensures stable operation during ROV deployment and retrieval. Limit switches and limit brackets effectively indicate the deployment and retrieval status, ensuring operational safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an ROV deployment and recovery system in a ship system, and more particularly to an ROV deployment and recovery system for a polar lunar pool. Background Technology

[0002] With the deepening of polar ocean development, polar lunar pool ROV deployment and retrieval systems are designed to meet the operational needs of the harsh polar environment and play a crucial role in ship systems and equipment. Due to the complex and variable polar environment, underwater operations face numerous challenges; therefore, ensuring the safety and stability of ROVs during deployment and retrieval is paramount. Traditional ROV deployment and retrieval systems often have shortcomings in performance and reliability. To address diverse mission requirements, domestic and international research institutions and enterprises are actively exploring the design and technology of new ROV deployment and retrieval systems to improve their safety and stability in polar operations. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention proposes a polar lunar pool ROV deployment and retrieval system. This system enables the deployment and retrieval of ROVs in polar lunar pools. The rigid connection between the guide joint and the trolley ensures stable operation during ROV deployment and retrieval. The configured limit switches and limit brackets effectively indicate the deployment and retrieval status, ensuring operational safety.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is: a polar lunar pool ROV deployment and retrieval system, used for attaching or detaching ROVs on the main deck and bottom of the lunar pool and for lifting and transporting them within the lunar pool. The system includes a working platform, an ROV lifting winch, an ROV umbilical cable winch, an ROV track, a tower lock, ROV trolleys, ROV guide joints, and an ROV bracket. The working platform is placed on two longitudinal beams on the top of the lunar pool compartment. The ROV lifting winch is arranged on the working platform for lifting the ROV guide joints and ROV trolleys. The ROV umbilical cable winch is arranged on one side of the ROV lifting winch for deploying and retrieving the umbilical cable. The ROV track is arranged on the port sidewall of the lunar pool. The tower lock is arranged below the working platform for storing and maintaining the ROV trolleys and ROV guide joints. The ROV trolleys are arranged on the ROV track, which is connected to the ROV trolleys via telescopic rails and telescopic cylinders. The ROV track is used to lift and lower the ROV trolleys and ROV guide joints, thus realizing the ROV deployment and retrieval function.

[0005] Furthermore, the work platform is a frame structure welded from H-beams, and is placed on two H-beams on the top of the lunar pool compartment and connected by bolts; the interior and perimeter of the work platform are equipped with grid platforms for operation and maintenance.

[0006] Furthermore, the ROV hoisting winch consists of a double drum, frame, flange shaft, reducer, hydraulic motor, hoisting cable and accessories, and speed measuring device. When the cable is wound up or down, hydraulic oil enters the brake to open it, and the hydraulic motor drives the drum to rotate through the reducer. When the ROV hoisting winch stops under any conditions, the normally closed brake ensures that the drum is braked, keeping the submersible in the stopped position.

[0007] Furthermore, the ROV umbilical cable winch consists of a drum, frame, flange shaft, umbilical cable, and electric slip rings. The ROV umbilical cable winch shares the power of the ROV hoisting winch through a gear pair. The drum uses the same rope groove parameters as the ROV hoisting winch to ensure synchronous winding and unwinding with the ROV hoisting 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, with the outer ring connected to the drum and the inner ring connected to the frame.

[0008] Furthermore, the ROV track consists of an upper fixed track, a lower fixed track, wheels, a telescopic track, and a telescopic cylinder. The upper fixed track is located above the main deck, the lower fixed track is located inside the moon pool, and the telescopic track is located outside the upper fixed track. The ROV track with guide wheels can move up and down within 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 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 equipped with a universal locking mechanism that can automatically lock and actively unlock. The tower lock is also equipped with limit switches to indicate the working status of the lock tongue and control the ROV hoisting winch to lift into place.

[0010] Furthermore, the ROV trolley consists of a trolley frame, wheels, and guide pulleys. The trolley frame is a frame structure welded from hollow square steel. Wheels are mounted on the sides of the trolley frame, and guide pulleys for the lifting cable are mounted on the top. A guide frame is located in the middle of the trolley frame for docking the ROV connector. The wheels are divided into guide wheels and traveling wheels. The guide wheels are arranged on one side of the track for guiding and bearing loads in the length direction of the vessel, while the traveling wheels are arranged on both sides of the track for guiding and bearing loads in the width direction of the vessel. The guide pulleys adopt a double-wheel structure to ensure that the cable does not interfere with or rub against the trolley frame.

[0011] Furthermore, the ROV guide joint has two lifting lugs on the upper part for lifting and lowering, and the middle top is a load-bearing head structure that closes 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 positions of the ROV trolley and provide fixed support for the bracket; the working position of the ROV bracket has a limit switch for safety interlocking and status indication.

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

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

[0015] 1) By utilizing the telescopic function of the ROV track in this polar lunar pool ROV deployment and retrieval system, the lowering trolley and guide joint can be raised to achieve the deployment and retrieval function of the ROV.

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

[0017] 3) The configured limit switches can effectively indicate the lifting working status, and the limit bracket can ensure the safety of the lifting and lowering operations. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the composition of the polar lunar pool ROV deployment and recovery system;

[0019] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the winch arrangement for the ROV deployment and recovery system in the polar lunar pool.

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

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the deployment of the polar lunar pool ROV deployment and recovery system. Detailed Implementation

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

[0023] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the present invention provides a polar lunar pool ROV deployment and retrieval system for attaching or detaching the ROV on the main deck and bottom of the lunar pool and for lifting and transporting it within the lunar pool. The ROV armored cable is connected to the submersible via 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, primarily composed of a frame structure welded from H-beams. Working platform 1 rests on two longitudinal beams on the top of the moon pool compartment. The ROV hoisting winch 2 is located on working platform 1 for hoisting the ROV guide joint 7 and the ROV trolley. The ROV umbilical cable winch 3 is located to one side of the ROV hoisting winch 2 for retrieving and deploying the umbilical cable. The ROV rail 4 is located on the port sidewall of the moon pool. The ROV rail 4 uses an H-beam design, with the fixed rail divided into upper and lower sections. The upper fixed rail is located above the main deck, and the lower fixed rail is located inside the moon pool. Due to the moon pool compartment cover, a fixed rail cannot be installed in the middle. A tower lock 5 is located under working platform 1 for storing and maintaining the ROV trolley and ROV guide joint 7. The ROV trolley is located on ROV rail 4, and its frame is constructed from hollow square steel welded into a frame structure. The guide joint 7 is used for docking and disengaging with the ROV on deck or underwater. The main structural body of the guide joint 7 is the main load-bearing and supporting structure. Two lifting lugs are arranged on the upper part for lifting and lowering, and the middle top is a load-bearing head structure that closes with the tower lock 5. The maintenance bracket is installed on the upper deck bulkhead of the moon pool. When the system is working normally, the maintenance bracket is in the retracted state. When maintenance work is required, the maintenance bracket needs to be flipped out to support the ROV trolley.

[0025] The working platform 1 is the main load-bearing structure, primarily composed of a frame structure welded from H-beams. Working platform 1 rests on two H-beams on the top of the lunar pool compartment and is connected by bolts. The ROV hoisting winch 2 and ROV umbilical cable winch 3 are mounted on working platform 1, and a tower lock 5 is located at the bottom of working platform 1. A grid platform is installed inside and around working platform 1 for operation and maintenance.

[0026] The ROV hoisting winch 2, located on the working platform 1, is used to lift the ROV guide joint 7 and raise / lower the ROV trolley. It mainly consists of a double drum, frame, flange shaft, reducer, hydraulic motor, hoisting cable and accessories, and speed measuring device. When the cable is wound up or down, hydraulic oil enters the brake, opening it, and the hydraulic motor drives the drum to rotate via the reducer. The winch stops under any conditions; the normally closed brake ensures the drum is braked, keeping the submersible in the stopped position.

[0027] The ROV umbilical cable winch 3, located on one side of the ROV hoisting winch 2, is used for winding and unwinding the umbilical cable. It mainly consists of a drum, frame, flange shaft, umbilical cable, and electric slip rings. The ROV umbilical cable winch 3 shares the power of the hoisting winch via a gear pair. The drum uses the same cable groove parameters as the ROV hoisting winch 2 to ensure synchronized winding and unwinding with the hoisting winch. The umbilical cable is specially designed so that its inner core can transmit both power and control signals. The electric slip ring is located at one end of the drum; the outer ring is connected to the drum, and the inner ring is connected to the frame.

[0028] The ROV track 4 is located on the port sidewall of the moon pool and mainly consists 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 uses an H-beam design. The fixed track is divided into upper and lower sections: the upper fixed track 4.1 is located above the main deck, and the lower fixed track 4.2 is located inside the moon pool. The middle section cannot be fitted with a fixed track due to the moon pool hatch cover. The telescopic track 4.4 is mainly located outside the upper fixed track. Guide wheels on the track allow it to move up and down within 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 use a docking groove design to ensure track docking accuracy and load-bearing capacity.

[0029] Tower lock 5 is located under the working platform 1 for the storage and maintenance of the pulley and guide joint. Tower lock 5 mainly consists of an upper tower and a lower tower. The upper part of the upper tower connects to the bottom of the working platform, and the lower part connects to the lower tower. The lower tower is equipped with a universal locking mechanism, capable of automatic locking and active unlocking. The tower lock is also equipped with limit switches to indicate the working status of the lock tongue and control the ROV hoisting winch to reach the correct position.

[0030] The ROV trolley is arranged on the ROV track and mainly consists of a trolley frame 6.1, wheels 6.2, and guide pulleys 6.3. The trolley frame 6.1 is a frame structure welded from hollow square steel. Wheels 6.2 are mounted on the sides of the trolley frame 6.1, and guide pulleys 6.3 for the lifting cable are mounted on the top. A guide frame is designed in the middle of the trolley frame 6.1 for docking the ROV connector 7. The wheels 6.2 are divided into guide wheels and traveling wheels. The guide wheels are arranged on one side of the track for guidance and load-bearing in the longitudinal direction of the vessel, while the traveling wheels are arranged on both sides of the track for guidance and load-bearing in the beam direction. The guide pulleys 6.3 adopt a double-wheel design to ensure that the cable does not interfere with or rub against the trolley frame.

[0031] The ROV guide joint 7 is used for docking and detaching from the ROV on deck or underwater. The main structure is the main load-bearing and support structure of the guide joint. Two lifting lugs are arranged on the upper part for lifting and lowering. The middle top is a load-bearing head structure that closes with the tower lock.

[0032] The ROV support 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. During normal system operation, the maintenance bracket 8.1 is in the retracted position. When maintenance work is required, the maintenance bracket 8.1 needs to be extended to support the ROV trolley. Limit switches are provided at the working positions of the ROV bracket for safety interlocking and status indication. The limit bracket 8.2 is installed at the bottom of the moon pool and is mainly used to limit the extreme positions of the ROV trolley and provide fixed support for the bracket.

[0033] Key technical points of this invention:

[0034] 1. Due to the inability to install fixed tracks under the lunar pool hatch, the ROV track in this polar lunar pool ROV deployment and recovery system is telescopic to avoid the lunar pool hatch. The track uses an H-beam design, with the fixed track divided into upper and lower sections. The upper fixed track is located above the main deck, and the lower fixed track is located inside the lunar pool. A fixed track cannot be installed in the middle due to the lunar pool hatch. The fixed track consists of two H-beams with a connecting frame in the middle for mounting one end of the telescopic cylinder. The moving track uses a frame design, with the two H-beams connected by a square tube. The other end of the telescopic cylinder is mounted on the square tube. The telescopic track, equipped with guide wheels, can move up and down within the fixed track groove under the action of the telescopic cylinder. The lower end of the moving track and the upper end of the lower fixed track use a two-way docking groove design to ensure track docking accuracy and load-bearing capacity.

[0035] 2. An ROV maintenance bracket is installed on the upper part of the moon pool bulkhead, and an ROV limiting bracket is installed on the lower part of the moon pool bulkhead. Buffer supports are located at both ends of the ROV trolley. 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 and out to the left and right of the swing cylinder. When the swing bracket swings in, the ROV maintenance bracket is not in operation, the buffer supports on the ROV trolley do not interfere with the maintenance bracket, and the ROV trolley slides normally up and down. When the swing bracket swings out, the ROV maintenance bracket is in operation, the buffer supports on the ROV trolley rest on the bracket, and the ROV trolley separates from the ROV guide joint, allowing for replacement or maintenance of the ROV guide joint. The limiting bracket at the lower part of the moon pool bulkhead has a T-shaped structure. When the ROV trolley moves to the upper part of the limiting bracket, the buffer supports on the trolley contact the limiting bracket. When the ROV trolley moves to its lower limit position on the track, the ROV guide joint will separate from the ROV trolley as it continues to descend.

[0036] 3. The ROV trolley adopts a frame design. The upper part of the frame houses two cable guide pulley assemblies and a cable guide frame, primarily used for guiding the ROV lifting cable. The lower part of the frame uses a guide beam design for rigid anti-sway with the ROV. Two sets of guide wheels are arranged on the trolley: one set for horizontal longitudinal guidance and the other for horizontal lateral guidance. The trolley guide wheels are arranged on the track.

[0037] 4. The ROV guide joint features an integrated frame design. The upper middle part of the ROV guide joint is a load-bearing guide cylinder, mainly used for guiding the armored cable. The two upper sides are pyramidal in shape, connecting to the ROV trolley in two horizontal directions. The lower part is a guide device, used for guiding and connecting with the ROV.

[0038] 5. The working platform is located on two supporting beams on the top of the moon pool compartment. The platform has a frame structure and houses the ROV hoisting winch and the ROV umbilical cable winch. The platform frame has a perforated structure at the winch cable exit point. The ROV hoisting winch uses a double-helix drum design, with a drive gear on one side of the drum. The ROV umbilical cable winch is located on the same side as the ROV hoisting winch, with the same drum pitch diameter and drive gear pair with the same parameters. When the ROV hoisting winch rotates, the ROV umbilical cable winch moves in the same direction under the drive of the synchronous gear pair. Because the drum and synchronous gear have the same parameters, the cable speed and release length of the ROV hoisting winch and the ROV umbilical cable winch are the same.

Claims

1. A polar lunar pool ROV deployment and retrieval system, used for attaching or detaching an ROV from the main deck and bottom of the lunar pool and for lifting, lowering, and transferring it within the lunar pool, characterized in that: The system includes a working platform, ROV hoisting winch, ROV umbilical cable winch, ROV rails, tower lock, ROV trolleys, ROV guide joints, and ROV brackets. The working platform is placed on two longitudinal beams on the top of the moon pool compartment. The ROV hoisting winch is located on the working platform and is used to lift and lower the ROV guide joints and ROV trolleys. The ROV umbilical cable winch is located to one side of the ROV hoisting winch and is used to retrieve and deploy the umbilical cable. The ROV rails are located on the port sidewall of the moon pool. The tower lock is located under the working platform and is used for storing and maintaining the ROV trolleys and ROV guide joints. The ROV trolleys are located on the ROV rails, which are connected to the ROV trolleys via telescopic rails and telescopic cylinders. The ROV rails are used to lift and lower the ROV trolleys and ROV guide joints, enabling the ROV to be retrieved and deployed. The tower lock consists of an upper tower and a lower tower. The upper part of the upper tower connects to the bottom of the working platform, and the lower part connects to the lower tower. The lower tower is equipped with a universal locking mechanism that can automatically... The system includes locking and unlocking mechanisms; the tower lock is also equipped with limit switches to indicate the working status of the lock tongue and control the ROV hoisting winch to reach its designated position; the ROV trolley consists of a trolley frame, wheels, and guide pulleys. The trolley frame is a frame structure welded from hollow square steel; wheels are mounted on the sides of the trolley frame, and guide pulleys for the hoisting cable are mounted on the top. A guide frame is located in the middle of the trolley frame for docking the ROV guide joint; the wheels are divided into guide wheels and traveling wheels. The guide wheels are arranged on one side of the track for guiding and supporting the ROV along its length, while the traveling wheels are arranged on both sides of the track for guiding and supporting the ROV along its width; the guide pulleys adopt a double-wheel structure to ensure that the cable does not interfere with or rub against the trolley frame; the ROV bracket includes a maintenance bracket and a limit bracket. The maintenance bracket is installed on the upper deck bulkhead of the moon pool; the limit bracket is installed at the bottom of the moon pool to limit the extreme positions of the ROV trolley and provide fixed support for the bracket; limit switches are used for safety interlocking and status indication at the working positions of the ROV bracket.

2. The polar lunar pool ROV deployment and recovery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The work platform is a frame structure welded from H-beams. The work platform is placed on two H-beams on the top of the lunar pool compartment and connected by bolts. The work platform is equipped with a grid platform inside and around it for operation and maintenance.

3. The polar lunar pool ROV deployment and recovery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ROV hoisting winch consists of a double drum, frame, flange shaft, reducer, hydraulic motor, hoisting cable and accessories, and speed measuring device. When the cable is wound up or down, hydraulic oil enters the brake to open it, and the hydraulic motor drives the drum to rotate through the reducer. When the ROV hoisting winch stops under any conditions, the normally closed brake ensures that the drum is braked, keeping the submersible in the stopped position.

4. The polar lunar pool ROV deployment and recovery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ROV umbilical cable winch consists of a drum, frame, flange shaft, umbilical cable, and electric slip rings. The ROV umbilical cable winch shares the power of the ROV hoisting winch through a gear pair. The drum uses the same rope groove parameters as the ROV hoisting winch to ensure synchronous winding and unwinding with the ROV hoisting 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, with the outer ring connected to the drum and the inner ring connected to the frame.

5. The polar lunar pool ROV deployment and recovery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ROV track consists of an upper fixed track, a lower fixed track, wheels, a telescopic track, and a telescopic cylinder. The upper fixed track is located above the main deck, the lower fixed track is located inside the moon pool, and the telescopic track is located outside the upper fixed track. The ROV track with guide wheels can move up and down within 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 lunar pool ROV deployment and recovery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ROV guide joint has two lifting lugs on the upper part for lifting and lowering, and the middle top is a load-bearing head structure that closes with the tower lock.

7. The polar lunar pool ROV deployment and recovery system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the system is working normally, the maintenance bracket is in the retracted state. When maintenance is required, the maintenance bracket is flipped out to support the ROV trolley.

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