Lifting method for underwater equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a hoisting method for underwater equipment. The hoisting method comprises the steps that a response system of a mother ship and the underwater equipment is established, and a corresponding reference object responder is arranged; acquiring environment parameters and equipment parameters; mother ship position data and reference position data are collected respectively; establishing a relative coordinate system based on the underwater equipment; respectively analyzing and collecting mother ship position data and reference position data; generating a compensation function by taking the reference position data as a benchmark and combining the environment parameters and the equipment parameters; constructing a coordinate data set of the underwater equipment according to the compensation function and the mother ship position data, and generating a real-time attitude simulation graph; and controlling the underwater equipment to carry out hoisting operation according to the real-time attitude simulation graph. A corresponding positioning communication system is formed between the underwater equipment and the mother ship by arranging the response system, and meanwhile, the positioning of the response system is corrected and compensated by arranging the corresponding reference object in the mother ship, so that the simulation graph conforming to the actual attitude is generated to guide sailors to carry out underwater hoisting operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of underwater equipment positioning technology, and particularly relates to a method for lifting underwater equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, with the increasing level of exploration, research, and utilization of marine resources, the research and development of underwater equipment such as deep-water piling hammers, deep-water underwater trenching machines, deep-water drilling rigs, deep-water underwater leveling machines, and underwater dredging and silt removal equipment has also become increasingly in-depth. However, these deep-water underwater projects all have one thing in common: they require a mother ship to transport the equipment to the construction site and complete the hoisting operation before operations can begin. Currently, these underwater equipment can be launched into the water using the positioning system of the bridge system when they arrive at the designated location. However, after the underwater engineering equipment completes the construction, it needs to be docked with the engineering vessel for hoisting before it can be retrieved from the water. Currently, this is done using ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) and underwater divers to dock and anchor the underwater equipment to the crane on the engineering vessel. This method is prone to wasting equipment downtime, and different sea areas pose varying degrees of risks to underwater divers. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the issues mentioned in the background art, such as wasted downtime during underwater docking and anchoring operations in different sea areas, and the risks posed to divers' work during underwater operations in different sea areas, this invention proposes the following technical solution:

[0004] A method for lifting underwater equipment, comprising:

[0005] Establish a response system between the mother ship and underwater equipment and install corresponding reference transponders;

[0006] Obtain environmental and equipment parameters;

[0007] Collect mother ship position data and reference position data separately;

[0008] Establish a relative coordinate system based on the underwater equipment;

[0009] The mother ship's position data and reference position data were analyzed and collected separately.

[0010] A compensation function is generated based on the reference location data and the environmental parameters and equipment parameters;

[0011] Based on the compensation function and the mother ship position data, a coordinate dataset of the underwater equipment is constructed and a real-time attitude simulation diagram is generated.

[0012] The underwater equipment is controlled to carry out hoisting operations based on real-time attitude simulation diagrams.

[0013] The response system includes: a mother ship sensor array, an equipment sensor array, a data processing center, and a bridge module. The mother ship sensor array is fixedly mounted on the mother ship, and each mother ship sensor is located in the same plane. The equipment sensor array includes multiple equipment sensors fixedly mounted in the same characteristic plane of the underwater equipment, and each equipment sensor is arranged circumferentially around the anchor bolt interface of the underwater equipment. The data processing center is located inside the mother ship and is used to receive data transmitted back from the mother ship sensor array and the equipment sensor array and parse it to generate the real-time attitude simulation diagram. The bridge module connects the data processing center and an external measurement and control system to control the mother ship sensor array and the equipment sensor array to perform positioning communication.

[0014] Furthermore, the mother ship sensor array is fixedly installed on the bottom of the mother ship, and each of the mother ship sensors is located on one of two mutually perpendicular straight lines.

[0015] Furthermore, the reference transponders are respectively installed on the boom of the mother ship and the cable connecting the boom, and each of the reference transponders is connected to the data processing center to feed back the reference position data to the data center.

[0016] Furthermore, the data processing center establishes a relative coordinate system with the center of the anchor bolt interface of the underwater equipment as the origin. When processing the position data of each mother ship, the data processing center needs to convert the relative coordinate system into an absolute coordinate system and compensate for the position data of each mother ship according to the compensation function. After restoring the underwater equipment by fusing the equipment parameters, the real-time attitude simulation diagram is generated.

[0017] Furthermore, the data processing center is equipped with an environmental compensation algorithm. When collecting the mother ship's position data and the reference position data, the data processing center also needs to perform compensation and correction based on the environmental compensation algorithm and the environmental parameters.

[0018] Furthermore, the equipment parameters include: the dimensions of the underwater equipment, the dimensions of the boom, the depth of the boom underwater, the dimensions of the mother ship, the spacing between each of the mother ship sensors, and the spacing between each of the equipment sensors.

[0019] Beneficial effects: This invention establishes a corresponding positioning and communication system between underwater equipment and the mother ship by setting up a response system. At the same time, the positioning of the response system is corrected and compensated by setting up corresponding reference objects in the mother ship, thereby generating a simulation diagram that conforms to the actual attitude to guide the crew in lifting operations. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1This is a flowchart of a lifting method for underwater equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the lifting of an underwater device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a real-time attitude simulation diagram for an underwater device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0023] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0024] It should be understood that the terms “center,” “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “back,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” and “outer,” etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this patent and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this patent.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a lifting method for underwater equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Reference Figure 1 A lifting method for underwater equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0027] S000. Establish a response system between the mother ship and underwater equipment and set up corresponding reference transponders.

[0028] Specifically, in this step, preparations for launching the underwater equipment are completed by establishing a transponder system between the mother ship and the underwater equipment, and setting up corresponding reference transponders. The transponder system comprises a mother ship sensor array, an equipment sensor array, a data processing center, and a bridge module. The mother ship sensor array includes multiple mother ship sensors mounted on the bottom of the mother ship, each sensor positioned at intervals along one of the perpendicularly intersecting straight lines. In this embodiment, three mother ship sensors are used, each connected to form a right-angled triangle, and the plane formed by this right-angled triangle is parallel to the surface of the mother ship's bottom.

[0029] The equipment sensor array comprises multiple sensors positioned around the anchor structure of the underwater equipment, each sensor fixed within the same characteristic plane. Reference transponders are mounted on the boom and cables, serving as the reference base for data correction of the equipment sensor array. The data center receives data transmitted from both the mother ship's sensor array and the equipment sensor array, simultaneously parsing and generating corresponding real-time attitude simulation diagrams. The bridge module, located inside the mother ship, connects to the external telemetry and control system and the data processing center, thus supporting positioning communication between the mother ship's sensor array and the equipment sensor array.

[0030] S010. Obtain environmental and equipment parameters.

[0031] Specifically, before underwater equipment is deployed, operators need to acquire data on the equipment by obtaining environmental and equipment parameters to provide a basis for subsequent compensation and correction after coordinate generation. Environmental parameters include water temperature, salinity, and water pressure. These parameters affect the propagation speed of sound waves, and after being attenuated by water, errors can easily occur when calculating distances from collected data. Equipment parameters include the dimensions of the underwater equipment, the boom size, the boom's depth underwater, the dimensions of the mother ship, the spacing between each sensor on the mother ship, and the spacing between each device's sensors. These equipment parameters can improve the speed of subsequent data expansion and the generation of real-time attitude simulation maps. Furthermore, they can help verify whether the feedback data from the equipment sensors is distorted.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting of an underwater device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] S020. Collect device location data and reference location data respectively.

[0034] Reference Figure 2 Specifically, after the response system is set up, the crew on the mother ship control the mother ship's sensor array through the bridge module to send positioning commands to the reference transponder and the equipment sensor array, thereby prompting the reference transponder and the equipment sensor to feed back the corresponding positioning data.

[0035] S030. Establish a relative coordinate system based on the underwater equipment.

[0036] Specifically, after acquiring feedback data from the equipment's sensor array and the reference transponder, a relative coordinate system needs to be constructed using the underwater equipment as a reference. The data processing center establishes the relative coordinate system using the plane containing the underwater equipment's anchor bolt interface as the X-axis and Y-axis, the center of the anchor bolt interface as the origin, and the elevation direction as the Z-axis. The equipment position data and the reference object position data together constitute the positioning data. After establishing the relative coordinate system, the data processing center analyzes this data to complete the relative positioning between the underwater equipment and the mother ship.

[0037] S040. Separately analyze the location data of the acquisition device and the reference location data.

[0038] Specifically, in this step, the data processing center analyzes the location data of each device using environmental parameters, calculates the distance between the device sensors and the mother ship sensors based on the time difference of the feedback signals from each device sensor, and converts this into a corresponding coordinate dataset. Similarly, the coordinates generated after the calculation are compared with the coordinates directly obtained from the device parameters to obtain the corresponding error ratio. This ratio can then be used as a reference for compensation and correction of the coordinate dataset formed from the device location data during subsequent correction processes.

[0039] S050. Generate a compensation function based on the reference location data and the environmental parameters and equipment parameters.

[0040] Specifically, in this step, the jacking depth and jacking distance can be measured using equipment on the mother ship. The jack is connected to the mother ship's crane via a cable and is perpendicular to the ground under gravity. The jack's center of gravity is concentrated in its middle section, which can be considered a point mass with significant water flow resistance. The water flow has a negligible impact on the jack's vertical attitude. However, the cable is relatively lightweight compared to the jack, resulting in a smaller resistance area. The water flow force is mainly concentrated on the jack, causing the cable to deviate from its vertical position. The cable attitude can be established using transponders on the jack and cable. The cable's end is connected to the crane. The release length of the cable can be obtained using the winch's slack line, thus determining the length from the top of the crane boom to the jack. This allows for direct measurement of the actual coordinates of this reference point.

[0041] Therefore, there is a corresponding error between the reference coordinates calculated by the data processing center and the coordinates measured by the mother ship's cable-laying equipment and the corresponding measurements. Since both are located in the same water body, the attenuation of the feedback signals from the underwater equipment and the boom follows a linear law. After generating coordinates based on the above data, the data processing center can compensate and correct the feedback data from each device sensor using a compensation function generated by combining the reference position data with environmental and equipment parameters.

[0042] Figure 3 This is a real-time attitude simulation diagram for an underwater device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] S060. Construct the coordinate dataset of the underwater device based on the compensation function and the device position data, and generate a real-time attitude simulation diagram.

[0044] Specifically, in this step, the position of each device sensor needs to be compensated and corrected to locate the position of each device sensor. (Refer to...) Figure 3 Since each device sensor is distributed around the anchor bolt interface, after acquiring the position coordinates of each sensor, and given the fixed size of the underwater equipment, the data processing center can expand and fuse the data using device parameters to generate a coordinate dataset for the entire underwater equipment. The data processing center matches and fuses the various points of the underwater equipment based on the internally stored device size information, calls the internal database to fuse the coordinate system, and generates a corresponding real-time attitude simulation map, thus displaying the attitude and position of the underwater equipment. Furthermore, in this step, to optimize the positioning and communication between the offshore and land-based bases regarding the attitude of the underwater equipment, the relative coordinate system generated based on the underwater equipment within the real-time attitude simulation map should be converted into an absolute coordinate system based on the Earth's surface.

[0045] Furthermore, to reduce attitude disturbances caused by water turbulence during the mother ship's navigation or docking, an environmental compensation algorithm is incorporated into the data processing center. When collecting equipment position data and reference position data, the data processing center stabilizes the generated coordinate system using the environmental compensation algorithm, thereby preventing coordinate system shifts and misalignments. In this embodiment, the stability of the coordinate system depends on the sea state and the mother ship's wave resistance rating. Taking "Haiyang Shiyou 291" as an example, its displacement is over 5,000 tons, and it withstands sea state 9. In actual offshore operations, this is far less than the required level, allowing lifting operations to be performed in sea states below 3. In summary, the coefficients of the mother ship and the sea state determine the system's filtering level. Operational environment parameters, such as wind force, wave force, and current, can be obtained through the bridge system inside the mother ship. Alternatively, corresponding parameters can be manually input to obtain the system's filtering parameters. Preferably, the environmental compensation algorithm includes, but is not limited to, commonly used coordinate system data filtering algorithms such as Kalman filtering and recursive least squares.

[0046] S070. Control the underwater equipment to carry out hoisting operations based on the real-time attitude simulation diagram.

[0047] Specifically, after establishing the corresponding coordinate system, the data processing center guides the crew in lowering and lifting the entire underwater equipment by generating real-time attitude simulation diagrams. During the mother ship's voyage, the crew communicates with the underwater equipment at intervals through a transponder system, thereby ensuring the data updates on the underwater equipment's attitude, ensuring the safety of the underwater equipment, and determining the corresponding interface positions between the boom and the underwater equipment when lifting is required later.

[0048] In summary, this invention establishes a corresponding positioning and communication system between underwater equipment and the mother ship by setting up a response system. At the same time, the positioning of the response system is corrected and compensated by setting up corresponding reference objects in the mother ship, thereby generating a simulation diagram that conforms to the actual attitude to guide the crew in lifting operations.

[0049] The foregoing has described specific embodiments of the invention. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims.

[0050] The terms “exemplary,” “example,” etc., used throughout this specification mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration” and do not imply “preferred” or “advantageous” than other embodiments. Detailed descriptions are included for the purpose of providing an understanding of the described techniques. However, these techniques can be practiced without these detailed descriptions. In some instances, well-known structures and apparatuses are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the concepts of the described embodiments.

[0051] The optional embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the scope of the technical concept of the embodiments of the present invention, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and these simple modifications all fall within the protection scope of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0052] The foregoing description of this specification is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to implement or use the content of this specification. Various modifications to the content of this specification will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of protection of this specification. Therefore, this specification is not limited to the examples and designs described herein, but is consistent with the widest scope of the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for lifting underwater equipment, characterized in that, include: Establish a response system between the mother ship and underwater equipment and install corresponding reference transponders; Obtain environmental and equipment parameters; Collect mother ship position data and reference position data separately; Establish a relative coordinate system based on the underwater equipment; The mother ship's position data and reference position data were analyzed and collected separately. A compensation function is generated based on the reference location data and the environmental parameters and equipment parameters; Based on the compensation function and the mother ship position data, a coordinate dataset of the underwater equipment is constructed and a real-time attitude simulation diagram is generated. The underwater equipment is controlled to carry out hoisting operations based on real-time attitude simulation diagrams.

2. The lifting method for underwater equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The response system includes: a mother ship sensor array, an equipment sensor array, a data processing center, and a bridge module; the mother ship sensor array is fixedly mounted on the mother ship, and each mother ship sensor is located in the same plane; the equipment sensor array includes multiple equipment sensors fixedly mounted in the same characteristic plane of the underwater equipment, and each equipment sensor is arranged circumferentially around the anchor bolt interface of the underwater equipment; the data processing center is located inside the mother ship, and the data processing center is used to receive data returned by the mother ship sensor array and the equipment sensor array and parse it to generate the real-time attitude simulation diagram; the bridge module connects the data processing center and an external measurement and control system to control the mother ship sensor array and the equipment sensor array to perform positioning communication.

3. The lifting method for underwater equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The mother ship sensor array is fixedly installed on the bottom of the mother ship, and each of the mother ship sensors is located on one of two mutually perpendicular straight lines.

4. The lifting method for underwater equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The reference transponders are respectively installed on the boom of the mother ship and the cable connecting the boom, and each of the reference transponders is connected to the data processing center to feed back the reference position data to the data center.

5. A method for lifting underwater equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The data processing center establishes a relative coordinate system with the center of the anchor bolt interface of the underwater equipment as the origin. When processing the position data of each mother ship, the data processing center needs to convert the relative coordinate system into an absolute coordinate system and compensate for the position data of each mother ship according to the compensation function. After restoring the underwater equipment by fusing the equipment parameters, the real-time attitude simulation diagram is generated.

6. A method for lifting underwater equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The data processing center is equipped with an environmental compensation algorithm. When collecting the mother ship's position data and the reference position data, the data processing center also needs to perform compensation and correction based on the environmental compensation algorithm and the environmental parameters.

7. A method for lifting underwater equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The equipment parameters include: the dimensions of the underwater equipment, the dimensions of the boom, the depth of the boom underwater, the dimensions of the mother ship, the spacing between each of the mother ship sensors, and the spacing between each of the equipment sensors.

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