An auxiliary device for the erection of submarine pipelines in ocean engineering

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the field of submarine pipeline inspection, and particularly relates to an auxiliary device for the erection of submarine pipelines in ocean engineering. This auxiliary device is sleeved on the outer wall of the submarine pipeline and advances by means of a traveling mechanism. A bridging component is also provided on the retaining frame of the auxiliary device. The bridge plate of the bridging component is hinged to the telescopic slide rod by means of a first swinging mechanism. The first swinging mechanism includes first swing arms symmetrically arranged at both ends of the telescopic slide rod and a cross pull rod connected between the first swing arms. The cross pull rod is arranged parallel to the telescopic slide rod. The bridge plate extends to the front of the traveling path of the traveling mechanism by means of the swinging of the first swing arms and is placed between the concrete casings at both ends of the submarine pipeline joint. Through dynamic bridging, synchronous control and adaptive pressing design, the present invention solves the problems of equipment pressure loss and impact at the pipeline joint, and has the advantages of convenient installation, environmental adaptability and construction safety, significantly improving the laying and inspection efficiency of submarine pipelines.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of submarine pipeline inspection, and particularly relates to an auxiliary device for the erection of submarine pipelines in ocean engineering. Background Art

[0002] The submarine pipeline includes a metal pipe body and a concrete protective shell coated outside the pipe body, and the concrete protective shell is used to resist the erosion of seawater. In order to facilitate welding operations on the pipe-laying ship, a welding section is usually reserved at the joint of the pipeline. After the pipeline is welded on the pipe-laying ship, a waterproof film is coated. Then, the pipe-laying ship moves forward, and the welded pipeline exits from the ship and sinks into a trench pre-excavated on the seabed, thus completing the erection.

[0003] Although the submarine pipeline has a large diameter and is coated with a concrete protective shell, there will still be a certain degree of bending in the floating section between the pipeline exiting the hull and sinking to the seabed. The exposed metal pipeline part bears the main deformation. Although the deformation at a single joint is very small, the submarine pipeline is long in the front and back, which also poses high requirements for the welding and waterproof quality of the pipeline joint. Currently, mainly unmanned underwater vehicles are used to follow the laying of the pipeline for inspection in order to carry out remedial treatment before the pipeline completely sinks to the seabed. However, due to the influence of the wake of the pipe-laying ship, the unmanned underwater vehicle has the risk of capsizing and hitting the pipeline. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an auxiliary device that can complete the inspection task while the pipeline is being erected. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art, the present invention provides an auxiliary device for the erection of submarine pipelines in ocean engineering, which can smoothly cross the pipeline connection section without a concrete protective shell and smoothly travel along the pipeline.

[0005] The specific technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0006] An auxiliary device for the erection of submarine pipelines in ocean engineering, which is sleeved on the outer wall of the submarine pipeline, includes a cage arranged around the submarine pipeline and a traveling mechanism arranged on the cage. The auxiliary device travels along the outer wall of the submarine pipeline by means of the traveling mechanism. A bridging component is also arranged on the cage. The bridging component includes a fixed slide rail, a telescopic slide rod and a bridge plate arranged on the telescopic slide rod. The fixed slide rail is fixedly connected with the cage. The telescopic slide rod has a sliding freedom degree of telescoping relative to the fixed slide rail and extending to the front of the auxiliary device by means of a first driving mechanism. The bridge plate is hinged to the telescopic slide rod by means of a first swinging mechanism. The first swinging mechanism includes first swing arms symmetrically arranged at both ends of the telescopic slide rod and a cross tie rod connected between the first swing arms. The cross tie rod is arranged parallel to the telescopic slide rod. The cross tie rod, the first swing arms and the telescopic slide rod are hinged to form a four-bar linkage mechanism. The bridge plate is hinged to the cross tie rod. The first swing arms have a swinging freedom degree by means of a second driving mechanism arranged on the telescopic slide rod. The bridge plate extends to the front of the traveling path of the traveling mechanism by means of the swinging of the first swing arms and is placed between the concrete casings at both ends of the submarine pipeline joint.

[0007] The cage is a closed ring structure. Multiple groups of the traveling mechanisms are arranged around the submarine pipeline inside the cage. The traveling mechanism includes a fixed beam and caterpillar wheels. The wheel frame of the caterpillar wheel forms a four-bar linkage mechanism with the fixed beam by means of a second swing arm. A second swinging mechanism is also arranged on the wheel frame of the caterpillar wheel. The second swinging mechanism includes a thrust spring, a swinging seat and a connecting arm. The swinging seat is slidably connected with a chute arranged on the fixed beam. The thrust spring is connected between the swinging seat and the fixed beam. The connecting arm is hinged between the wheel frame of the caterpillar wheel and the swinging seat. The thrust spring pulls the swinging seat and the connecting arm to move backward, so that the caterpillar wheels press against the outer wall of the submarine pipeline.

[0008] An arc-shaped flanging part is also arranged on the side of the bridge plate hinged to the cross tie rod. The flanging part overhangs outside the first swing arm when the bridge plate is folded. A return spring is also arranged between the flanging part and the first swing arm. The bridge plate is folded on one side of the first swing arm by means of the return spring.

[0009] The bridging component is arranged on one side of the traveling mechanism and is inclined relative to the traveling mechanism. The swinging direction of the first swing arm faces the traveling path direction of the traveling mechanism.

[0010] Camera devices are respectively arranged at the front and rear ends of the fixed beam. The camera devices are covered with waterproof shells made of transparent materials.

[0011] The described first driving mechanism includes a first driving motor mechanism and a driving rack arranged on the side wall of the telescopic sliding rod. The first driving motor mechanism is fixedly connected to the cage, and the first driving motor mechanism forms a meshing drive with the driving rack by means of a gear arranged on its rotary output end.

[0012] The described second driving mechanism includes a second driving motor mechanism arranged on the telescopic sliding rod and a driven gear arranged at the hinged end of the first swing arm. The gear arranged on the rotary output end of the second driving motor mechanism meshes with the driven gear, and the first swing arm is driven to swing by means of the reciprocating rotation of the second driving motor mechanism.

[0013] The connecting arm is also provided with a limiting ear in the extending direction of the swinging pull seat, and a through hole for the limiting screw to pass through is arranged on the limiting ear.

[0014] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0015] Aiming at the structure at the joint of the submarine pipeline, the present invention builds a bridge for the traveling mechanism by setting a bridge plate, avoiding equipment jamming caused by large slopes and slipping at the joint.

[0016] The auxiliary device realizes rapid installation and disassembly through modular design. Two groups of C-shaped cages are buckled to form a closed-loop structure, which can be conveniently fixed on the outer wall of the submarine pipeline, improving the construction efficiency.

[0017] The traveling mechanism adopts caterpillar wheels combined with a four-bar mechanism and a thrust spring, automatically compresses the outer wall of the pipeline and maintains a stable frictional force. The driving motor provides power for the device. The symmetrically arranged traveling mechanisms reduce the elastic force of the thrust spring through the limiting screw, which is convenient for disassembly and also avoids damage to the pipeline caused by overload.

[0018] The bridging assembly dynamically extends to the pipeline joint through the telescopic sliding rod and the four-bar mechanism. The bridge plate fills the missing area of the concrete protective shell, provides continuous support for the wheel set, and prevents the equipment from hitting the pipeline in the air; the telescopic sliding rod moves in the opposite direction to the traveling mechanism synchronously, ensuring that the bridge plate is relatively stationary when the wheel set passes through. Its length design covers the missing section of the joint and the stroke of the traveling mechanism, avoiding the problem that the traveling mechanism has not passed through the defective area of the concrete protective shell of the pipeline when it advances to the front end of the telescopic sliding rod.

[0019] The bridge plate is equipped with an arc-shaped flanging part and a return spring, automatically folds when not in contact with the pipeline, and is triggered to flip to a state flush with the pipe wall by the frictional force after contact. The inclined bridging design combines the forward movement of the telescopic sliding rod to compensate for the displacement, reducing the wear between the bridge plate and the pipeline.

[0020] The device is equipped with a waterproof camera device to monitor the pipeline and the operating state in real time. The bridge plate extends backward to avoid blocking the front view, improving the safety of inspection. Description of the Drawings

[0021] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a schematic diagram in the side view direction;

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram when the bridge plate is folded;

[0024] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram after the bridge plate is lowered;

[0025] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram when the driven gear is transmitting power;

[0026] Figure 6 is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of the traveling mechanism;

[0027] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the telescopic slide rod;

[0028] In the drawings, 1. cage, 2. fixed slide rail, 3. telescopic slide rod, 4. bridge plate, 5. first swing arm, 6. cross tie rod, 7. fixed beam, 8. crawler wheel, 9. thrust spring, 10. swing pull seat, 11. connecting arm, 12. flanging part, 13. return spring, 14. imaging device, 15. first driving motor mechanism, 16. driving rack, 17. second driving motor mechanism, 18. driven gear, 19. limit ear, 20. second swing arm, 101. subsea pipeline. Specific embodiments

[0029] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0030] Specific embodiments such as Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown in the figure, the present invention is an auxiliary device for erecting a submarine pipeline 101 in ocean engineering, which is sleeved on the outer wall of the submarine pipeline 101. It includes a cage 1 arranged around the submarine pipeline 101 and a traveling mechanism arranged on the cage 1. The auxiliary device travels along the outer wall of the submarine pipeline 101 by means of the traveling mechanism. A bridging component is also arranged on the cage 1. The bridging component includes a fixed slide rail 2, a telescopic slide rod 3 and a bridge plate 4 arranged on the telescopic slide rod 3. The fixed slide rail 2 is fixedly connected to the cage 1. The telescopic slide rod 3 has a sliding freedom degree of telescoping relative to the fixed slide rail 2 and extending to the front of the auxiliary device by means of a first driving mechanism. The bridge plate 4 is hinged to the telescopic slide rod 3 by means of a first swinging mechanism. The first swinging mechanism includes first swing arms 5 symmetrically arranged at both ends of the telescopic slide rod 3 and a cross tie rod 6 connected between the first swing arms 5. The cross tie rod 6 is arranged parallel to the telescopic slide rod 3. The cross tie rod 6, the first swing arms 5 and the telescopic slide rod 3 are hinged to form a four-bar linkage mechanism. The bridge plate 4 is hinged to the cross tie rod 6. The first swing arms 5 have a swinging freedom degree by means of a second driving mechanism arranged on the telescopic slide rod 3. The bridge plate 4 extends to the front of the traveling path of the traveling mechanism by means of the swinging of the first swing arms 5 and is placed between the concrete outer shells at both ends of the submarine pipeline 101 joint.

[0031] Sheet-shaped hinge pieces are arranged at both ends of the cross tie rod 6. The hinge pieces are hinged to the first swing arms 5 on both sides. The rod body part of the cross tie rod 6 is hinged to the bridge plate 4.

[0032] When the present invention is in use, as Figure 2 shown in the figure, two C-shaped cages 1 are buckled into a closed-loop structure by means of bolts, so that a number of traveling mechanisms are buckled on the submarine pipeline 101. The auxiliary device can travel on the outer wall of the submarine pipeline 101 by means of the traveling mechanism. The traveling mechanism is equipped with inspection equipment, which is convenient for the development of inspection work.

[0033] Due to the lack of the concrete protective shell, gullies are formed at the metal pipeline joint part, and the wheel sets of the traveling mechanism lose support and are difficult to pass through. When encountering a pipeline joint, through the extension of the telescopic slide rod 3, the bridge plate 4 is brought out onto the pipeline joint, and through the operation of the first swinging mechanism, the first swing arms 5 carry the bridge plate 4 and press it towards the pipeline direction, so that the bridge plate 4 is placed in the advancing direction of the wheel sets of the traveling mechanism, providing support for the passage of the wheel sets and avoiding the situation that the equipment impacts the pipeline due to the loss of pressure of the wheel sets.

[0034] When the traveling mechanism passes through, the first driving mechanism set contracts synchronously in the reverse direction, so that the bridge plate 4 can be stationary relative to the pipeline. In terms of dimensions, the length of the bridge plate 4 is greater than the missing length of the concrete protective shell at the joint, and the telescopic sliding rod 3 is at least one length of the traveling mechanism longer than the bridge plate 4, so as to ensure that the traveling mechanism can pass through the joint smoothly. When the traveling mechanism is in the traveling state, the bridge plate 4 extends from the rear of the tail of the traveling mechanism by means of the reverse retraction of the telescopic sliding rod 3, so as to avoid blocking the front view.

[0035] Further, as Figure 2 and Figure 6 shown, the cage 1 is a closed ring structure, and multiple groups of the traveling mechanisms are arranged around the submarine pipeline 101 in the cage 1. The traveling mechanism includes a fixed beam 7 and a crawler wheel 8. The wheel frame of the crawler wheel 8 forms a four-bar linkage with the fixed beam 7 by means of a second swing arm 20. A second swing mechanism is further arranged on the wheel frame of the crawler wheel 8. The second swing mechanism includes a thrust spring 9, a swing pull seat 10 and a connecting arm 11. The swing pull seat 10 is slidably connected with a chute arranged on the fixed beam 7. The thrust spring 9 is connected between the swing pull seat 10 and the fixed beam 7. The connecting arm 11 is hinged between the wheel frame of the crawler wheel 8 and the swing pull seat 10. The thrust spring 9 pulls the swing pull seat 10 and the connecting arm 11 to move backward, so that the crawler wheel 8 presses against the outer wall of the submarine pipeline 101.

[0036] When it is necessary to press the submarine pipeline 101, the swing pull seat 10 is pushed by means of the thrust spring 9, so that the swing pull seat 10 pushes the connecting arm 11 outward. The connecting arm 11 pushes the wheel frame of the crawler wheel 8, and the second swing arm 20 connected to the wheel frame of the crawler wheel 8 is swung open, so that the crawler wheel 8 approaches the outer wall of the pipeline and forms a frictional contact. A driving motor is arranged on the wheel frame, and the driving wheel set is driven by the driving motor, and the crawler belt of the crawler wheel 8 is rotated by the driving wheel set, so as to provide the forward power for the device of the present invention.

[0037] Further, as Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, an arc-shaped flanging part 12 is further arranged on one side of the bridge plate 4 hinged to the cross tie rod 6. The flanging part 12 extends outside the first swing arm 5 when the bridge plate 4 is folded. A return spring 13 is further arranged between the flanging part 12 and the first swing arm 5. The bridge plate 4 is folded on one side of the first swing arm 5 by means of the return spring 13.

[0038] As Figure 3 shown, when the bridge plate 4 and the flanging part 12 do not contact the concrete protective shell on the outer wall of the pipeline, the bridge plate 4 is folded by means of the elastic force of the return spring 13. In the folded state, the bridge plate 4 is inclined relative to the first swing arm 5. As Figure 3As shown; after the first swing arm 5 swings out, the extended flanging part 12 first contacts the concrete protective shell. As the first swing arm 5 continues to press, the bridge plate 4 in an inclined state is finally laid flat, as Figure 4 shown, the bridge plate 4 has an arc-shaped structure, so as to cover both ends of the notch of the concrete protective shell, facilitating the passing of the traveling mechanism.

[0039] Furthermore, as Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, the bridging assembly is arranged on one side of the traveling mechanism and is inclined relative to the traveling mechanism. The swinging direction of the first swing arm 5 is towards the traveling path direction of the traveling mechanism. By inclining the bridging assembly, the bridge plate 4 is pressed onto the concrete outer shell along the inclined direction, so as to ensure that the bridge plate 4 can be driven to flip by the frictional force of the concrete outer shell, enabling the first swing arm 5 to press open the bridge plate 4 into Figure 4 a state. In order to prevent the bridge plate 4 from moving along the direction of the telescopic slide rod 3 along with the first swing arm 5 and prevent excessive wear, when the first swing arm 5 swings open, the telescopic slide rod 3 can be made to continue to move forward with the help of the first driving mechanism.

[0040] Furthermore, as Figure 6 shown, camera devices 14 are respectively arranged at the front and rear ends of the fixed beam 7, and the camera devices 14 are covered with waterproof shells made of transparent materials.

[0041] Furthermore, as Figure 7 shown, the first driving mechanism includes a first driving motor mechanism 15 and a driving rack 16 arranged on the side wall of the telescopic slide rod 3. The first driving motor mechanism 15 is fixedly connected to the cage 1, and the first driving motor mechanism 15 forms a meshing transmission with the driving rack 16 by means of a gear arranged at its rotating output end.

[0042] As Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, the second driving mechanism includes a second driving motor mechanism 17 arranged on the telescopic slide rod 3 and a driven gear 18 arranged at the hinged end of the first swing arm 5. The gear arranged at the rotating output end of the second driving motor mechanism 17 meshes with the driven gear 18, and the first swing arm 5 is driven to swing by means of the reciprocating rotation of the second driving motor mechanism 17.

[0043] Each of the driving motor mechanisms includes a motor and a speed reducer arranged at the output end of the motor. The driving motor mechanisms are sleeved with waterproof shells, and the output end of the speed reducer is the rotating output end.

[0044] Furthermore, a limit ear 19 is further arranged on the connecting arm 11 in the extending direction of the swinging pull seat 10, and a through hole for the limit screw 21 to pass through is arranged on the limit ear 19.

[0045] As shown Figure 1 in the figure, two sets of traveling mechanisms are symmetrically arranged back to back. A limiting screw is tied between the connecting arms 11 of these two sets of traveling mechanisms. By pulling and compressing the thrust spring 9 with the limiting screw, the crawler wheels 8 on both sides are lifted, so that the cage 1 can be opened and buckled, facilitating the disassembly and installation of the auxiliary device.

Claims

1. An auxiliary device for installing a submarine pipeline in an offshore engineering project, mounted on the outer wall of a submarine pipeline (101), comprising a retaining frame (1) arranged around the submarine pipeline (101) and a running mechanism arranged on the retaining frame (1), wherein the auxiliary device moves along the outer wall of the submarine pipeline (101) with the aid of the running mechanism, and characterized in that: The retaining frame (1) is also provided with a bridge assembly, the bridge assembly comprising a fixed slide rail (2), a telescopic slide rod (3) and a bridge plate (4) arranged on the telescopic slide rod (3), the fixed slide rail (2) is fixedly connected to the retaining frame (1), the telescopic slide rod (3) has a sliding freedom to be telescoped relative to the fixed slide rail (2) and extended to the front of the auxiliary device by means of a first driving mechanism, the bridge plate (4) is hingedly connected to the telescopic slide rod (3) by means of a first swing mechanism, and the first swing mechanism comprises first swing arms (4) symmetrically arranged at both ends of the telescopic slide rod (3) 5) and a lateral tie rod (6) connected between the first swing arm (5), the lateral tie rod (6) and the telescopic slide rod (3) are arranged in parallel, the lateral tie rod (6), the first swing arm (5) and the telescopic slide rod (3) are hinged to form a four-bar mechanism, the bridge plate (4) is hingedly connected to the lateral tie rod (6), the first swing arm (5) has a swinging freedom by means of a second driving mechanism arranged on the telescopic slide rod (3), the bridge plate (4) is extended to the front of the travel path of the walking mechanism by means of the swinging of the first swing arm (5) and is placed between the concrete shells at both ends of the joint of the submarine pipeline (101).

2. The auxiliary device for laying submarine pipelines in marine engineering according to claim 1, characterized in that: The retaining frame (1) is a closed annular structure. A plurality of walking mechanisms are arranged in the retaining frame (1) around the submarine pipeline (101). The walking mechanism comprises a fixed beam (7) and a track wheel (8). The wheel frame of the track wheel (8) forms a four-bar linkage with the fixed beam (7) by means of a second swing arm (20). A second swing mechanism is also arranged on the wheel frame of the track wheel (8). The second swing mechanism comprises a thrust spring (9), a swing seat (10) and a connecting arm (11). The swing seat (10) forms a sliding connection with a slide groove arranged on the fixed beam (7). The thrust spring (9) is connected between the swing seat (10) and the fixed beam (7). The connecting arm (11) is hinged between the wheel frame of the track wheel (8) and the swing seat (10). The thrust spring (9) pulls the swing seat (10) and the connecting arm (11) to move backward, so that the track wheel (8) presses against the outer wall of the submarine pipeline (101).

3. The auxiliary device for laying submarine pipelines in marine engineering according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side of the bridge plate (4) hinged to the cross-tie rod (6) is also provided with an arc-shaped flange portion (12). When the bridge plate (4) is folded, the flange portion (12) is cantilevered outside the first swing arm (5). A return spring (13) is also provided between the flange portion (12) and the first swing arm (5). The bridge plate (4) is folded to one side of the first swing arm (5) with the help of the return spring (13).

4. The auxiliary device for installing a submarine pipeline in an ocean engineering according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bridge assembly is arranged on one side of the walking mechanism and is arranged obliquely relative to the walking mechanism, and the swing direction of the first swing arm (5) is towards the direction of the travel path of the walking mechanism.

5. The auxiliary device for laying submarine pipelines in marine engineering according to claim 2, characterized in that: Camera devices (14) are respectively provided at the front and rear ends of the fixed beam (7), and the camera device (14) is covered with a waterproof shell made of a transparent material.

6. The auxiliary device for laying submarine pipelines in marine engineering according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first drive mechanism comprises a first drive motor mechanism (15) and a drive rack (16) arranged on a side wall of the telescopic slide rod (3); the first drive motor mechanism (15) is fixedly connected to the retaining frame (1); the first drive motor mechanism (15) forms a meshing transmission with the drive rack (16) by means of a gear arranged at a rotation output end thereof.

7. The auxiliary device for laying submarine pipelines in marine engineering according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second driving mechanism comprises a second driving motor mechanism (17) arranged on the telescopic slide rod (3) and a driven gear (18) arranged at the hinged end of the first swing arm (5); a gear arranged at the rotation output end of the second driving motor mechanism (17) meshes with the driven gear (18) for transmission, and the first swing arm (5) is driven to swing by means of the reciprocating rotation of the second driving motor mechanism (17).

8. The auxiliary device for laying submarine pipelines in marine engineering according to claim 2, characterized in that: The connecting arm (11) is also provided with a limiting ear (19) in the extending direction of the swing pull seat (10), and the limiting ear (19) is provided with a through hole for the limiting screw to pass through.

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