ROV umbilical cable anti-winding rope cutter

Abstract

The utility model discloses an anti-winding rope cutter for an ROV umbilical cable, and aims to solve the problem that the ROV umbilical cable is wound by a fishing net or a rope during underwater operation. The device is mounted at the root of an umbilical cable and comprises a split type ring sleeve base and a plurality of cutting blades which are vertically mounted in a surrounding manner. The ring sleeve base is formed by splicing a plurality of arc-shaped petal bodies and is fixed through bolts, and installation and replacement are convenient. The cutting edge of the cutting blade faces outwards and is of an inclined plane structure expanding outwards, and efficient cutting is guaranteed. The length of the blade is larger than the height of the base, and the cutting edge extends to the tip, thereby ensuring wide cutting range. According to the working principle, when the umbilical cable moves, sundries wound on the umbilical cable can be cut off by the cutting blade and loosen and fall off, and therefore continuous winding is avoided. The device is light and small in size, normal work of the ROV is not affected, and the operation safety and efficiency of the ROV are effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of auxiliary tooling technology for underwater ROV equipment, specifically to a supporting facility for preventing underwater debris from entangled in the ROV umbilical cable, and more specifically to an ROV umbilical cable anti-entanglement rope cutter. Background Technology

[0002] The ROV umbilical cable, serving as a crucial link between the land-based control center and underwater equipment, possesses a sophisticated and complex internal structure. Power cables deliver a continuous and stable power supply to the ROV, ensuring the proper functioning of its various components such as thrusters, sensors, and robotic arms, providing the power source for underwater operations. Signal cables and optical fibers undertake vital information transmission tasks, enabling the ROV to transmit various data collected underwater, such as environmental parameters, images and video information of target objects, and sensor feedback data, back to the land-based control center in real time. Simultaneously, it can receive operational commands from the control center, achieving precise remote control. Load-bearing ropes provide the necessary tensile strength for the entire umbilical cable, ensuring it can withstand its own weight and potential external forces without breaking under varying water depths and complex currents. The insulation layer not only effectively prevents seawater corrosion of internal cables and components, ensuring long-term stable operation, but also reduces the impact of external electromagnetic interference on signal transmission, maintaining signal accuracy and stability. The length of the ROV umbilical cable is not arbitrarily set but is closely related to the ROV's operating depth and radius. The deeper the operating depth, the longer the umbilical cable needs to extend to ensure stable signal and power transmission to underwater equipment. Simultaneously, a larger operating radius and a wider underwater range for the ROV also require a sufficiently long umbilical cable to meet the operational needs in different locations. For example, in deep-sea oil and gas exploration operations, the ROV may need to inspect and maintain subsea pipelines, drilling platform foundations, etc., over a large area, necessitating a longer umbilical cable. Furthermore, because the umbilical cable is a single, continuous cable without intermediate connections, it places extremely high demands on its manufacturing process. It must not only ensure the consistency of performance across all components during long-distance production but also guarantee the overall reliability and durability of the cable.

[0003] In complex aquatic environments, ROV umbilical cables face numerous potential risks. Among these, snagging with fishing nets and ropes is one of the most common and challenging problems. These nets and ropes, typically made of nylon, exhibit buoyancy in water and can become lodged in the water for various reasons, suspending vertically at different depths depending on their length. When an ROV moves underwater, its unpredictable trajectory makes it highly susceptible to contact and snagging with these suspended nets and ropes. As the ROV continues its movement, such as moving forward or surfacing, the nets and ropes snagging the umbilical cable will slide down its base. This is particularly dangerous during ROV retrieval, as the umbilical cable is subjected to both the tension from the ROV and the drag force from the ropes, causing the ropes to repeatedly tug at the base of the umbilical cable, which can easily damage the cable's root. Such damage can manifest as a break in the outer insulation layer, reducing its insulation performance and increasing the risk of seawater erosion of the internal cables; it can also cause fiber optic cables to break, interrupting signal transmission and severely impacting ROV operations, even causing it to lose control completely; it can also damage the load-bearing ropes, weakening the tensile strength of the umbilical cable and threatening the safety of the entire system. Once the ROV umbilical cable is damaged, due to the complexity and precision of its internal structure, it is usually difficult to repair quickly. In most cases, the only option is to replace the umbilical cable or cut it and reconnect it. The long procurement cycle of umbilical cables means that waiting for new umbilical cables to arrive or for repairs to be carried out will inevitably cause operational delays or even shutdowns. For time-sensitive and costly projects such as deep-sea resource development and the construction and maintenance of subsea infrastructure, the economic losses caused by such operational interruptions are enormous. This includes not only direct costs of idle equipment and wasted manpower, but also the risk of contract breaches due to project delays, affecting the company's reputation and future business development. Currently, there is no good, convenient, and low-cost solution to this technical problem in existing technologies.

[0004] Therefore, from the perspective of ensuring operational continuity and reducing economic losses, it is extremely necessary to design a protective device specifically for the root of the ROV umbilical cable. This protective device should be able to effectively prevent dragging damage to the root of the umbilical cable from fishing nets, ropes, etc., have good impact resistance and abrasion resistance, and provide reliable safety for ROV operations in complex waters without hindering the normal function of the umbilical cable, thus ensuring the stable operation of the entire underwater operation system. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings and problems of the existing technology, the inventors have designed and improved a rope cutter capable of self-cutting entangled debris. This rope cutter is lightweight, compact, and easy to replace. Without affecting the normal operation of the ROV, it is mounted on the ROV's umbilical cable and enters the water. When the umbilical cable is caught on fishing nets or ropes, the rope cutter can cut the nets or ropes entangled on the umbilical cable. Specifically, this invention is implemented as follows:

[0006] An ROV umbilical cable anti-tangle cutter, installed at the root of the umbilical cable, includes: a conical retaining ring fitted at the root of the umbilical cable, serving as a mounting base for installing cutting blades; the cutting blades have several blades, which are vertically mounted around the conical retaining ring, with the blades facing outward and exposed outside the conical retaining ring, the blades having an outwardly expanding bevel structure from end to end.

[0007] Furthermore, the conical retaining ring is a split design, composed of several arc-shaped petals spliced ​​together. Each adjacent arc-shaped petal has a threaded hole and an operating hole on its side. These threaded holes and operating holes are positioned opposite each other, allowing the arc-shaped petals to be inserted into the threaded holes of adjacent arc-shaped petals via fastening bolts, thus enabling pairwise splicing and installation. This structure facilitates installation and assembly.

[0008] Furthermore, the number of cutting blades is matched to the number of arc-shaped petals, and each cutting blade is installed within the joint where adjacent arc-shaped petals are joined. Each cutting blade has two openings for the fastening bolts to pass through during installation, thus securing the cutting blade. During installation, the fastening bolts pass through the openings in the cutting blades, and the cutting blades installed at the joint provide good installation stability and high strength.

[0009] Furthermore, the length of the cutting blade is greater than the height of the conical retaining ring, the end of the cutting blade is longer than the top of the conical retaining ring, and the cutting edge of the cutting blade extends to the tip. This structural design allows the entangled material to contact the blade immediately, avoiding "dead zones" that cannot be cut.

[0010] Furthermore, the cutting blade includes a beveled edge and a flat edge, with the beveled edge located at the front end and the flat edge at the rear end, both higher than the surface of the tapered retaining ring. The beveled edge guides the displacement of the entangled material and, during the gradual displacement, is subjected to the action of the continuously expanding beveled edge, thereby improving cutting efficiency and success rate. The flat edge, located at the root, can gradually cut and sever the stubborn entangled material through reciprocating motion during movement.

[0011] The working principle of this invention: The rope cutter is installed at the root of the umbilical cable of an ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle), specifically at the point where the umbilical cable connects to the ROV. In actual use, when the umbilical cable of the ROV becomes entangled with underwater debris such as fishing nets or ropes, it moves to the root of the umbilical cable and comes into contact with the rope cutter. The contact point touches the cutting blade. Because the cutting blade has an outward-facing blade edge and an outward-expanding bevel structure, the debris entangled on it is cut off as the umbilical cable moves. The design of the beveled and flat blades makes cutting more efficient; the beveled blade cuts into the debris more easily, while the flat blade helps to complete the cutting action. Since the length of the cutting blade is greater than the height of the conical retaining ring, and the blade edge extends to the tip, the effective cutting range of the entire rope cutter is ensured. Therefore, this rope cutter can quickly and effectively cut off entangled ropes and other debris, which then loosen and fall off, thus preventing continuous and cumulative entanglement on the umbilical cable.

[0012] The beneficial technical effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0013] (1) It effectively solves the problem of umbilical cables being easily tangled. By installing a cutting blade at the root of the umbilical cable, it can effectively cut off fishing nets, ropes and other debris tangled on the umbilical cable, thus preventing these debris from continuously tangling the umbilical cable and protecting the integrity and function of the umbilical cable.

[0014] (2) High cutting success rate: The cutting blade is designed with an outward-expanding bevel structure, and is divided into a beveled edge and a flat edge. The beveled edge is easy to cut into debris, while the flat edge helps to complete the cutting action. This design makes the cutting process more efficient and thorough.

[0015] (3) Easy to install and replace: The conical retaining ring adopts a split design, which is composed of several arc-shaped petals spliced ​​together and fixed by connecting fastening bolts. This design makes the installation and replacement of the rope cutter very convenient and can be carried out without affecting the normal operation of the ROV. The entire rope cutter is designed to be lightweight and small in size, without adding too much burden to the ROV, and without affecting the ROV's mobility and operational flexibility.

[0016] (4) It has good applicability. This rope cutter is suitable for various types of ROV umbilical cables. Whether in marine exploration, underwater operations or other occasions where ROVs are required, it can effectively prevent the umbilical cable from getting tangled. Because the length of the cutting blade is greater than the height of the conical shackle and the blade extends to the tip, the effective cutting range of the entire rope cutter is ensured, which improves the reliability and stability of the cutting. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the usage state of this utility model;

[0018] Figure 2 This is a front view of the rope cutter structure of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional view of the rope cutter structure of this utility model;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the split structure of the conical retaining ring of this utility model;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the cutting blade of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the rope cutter of this utility model installed on an ROV;

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the effect of the rope cutter of this utility model in cutting debris.

[0024] Wherein: 1—conical retaining ring, 2—cutting blade, 3—arc-shaped petal, 4—threaded hole, 5—operating hole, 6—fastening bolt, 7—opening, 8—slanted blade, 9—flat blade. Detailed Implementation

[0025] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of this utility model. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and technologies are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concept of this utility model.

[0026] Example 1: An ROV umbilical cable anti-tangling cutter, installed at the root of the umbilical cable, includes: a conical retaining ring 1 fitted around the root of the umbilical cable, serving as a mounting base for the cutting blades 2; the cutting blades 2 have several pieces, vertically arranged and wrapped around the conical retaining ring 1, with the blades facing outwards and exposed outside the conical retaining ring 1, the blades having an outwardly expanding inclined structure from end to end. Based on the outer diameter of the umbilical cable and the internal space dimensions of the hook-and-release cutter, while ensuring the normal operation of the hook-and-release cutter, the conical retaining ring 1 is designed as an open conical ring with 3-6 blades. In this example, 4 cutting blades 2 are used as an example. The conical retaining ring 1 is fixed at the root of the umbilical cable near the ROV lifting mushroom head. Once the umbilical cable becomes entangled with the fishing net rope, as the ROV moves, the fishing net rope slides to the root of the umbilical cable, cutting the entangled rope to protect the root of the umbilical cable from damage and help the ROV escape. This rope cutter can also be used on other underwater work equipment with umbilical cables to protect the umbilical cable root from damage by fishing net ropes suspended in the water.

[0027] The conical retaining ring 1 adopts a modular, assemblable design, allowing it to be spliced ​​together and fixed at various positions on the umbilical cable. The structure consists of three parts: a cutting blade 2, an arc-shaped valve body 3, and a fastening bolt 6. The conical retaining ring 1 is a modular structure composed of 3 to 6 identical circumferentially symmetrical arc-shaped valve bodies 3; in this embodiment, there are 4. The fastening bolt 6 securely fixes the modular conical retaining ring 1 to the outer circumference of the umbilical cable. A cutting blade 2 is inserted between every two adjacent conical retaining rings 1. The thickness of the blade is specifically designed according to the number of retaining rings and the diameter of the umbilical cord. The blade has through holes through which the fastening bolt 6 can pass. When the fastening bolt 6 tightens the conical retaining ring 1 onto the umbilical cable, it also fixes the cutting blade 2 onto the conical retaining ring 1.

[0028] In actual use: Figure 1 This diagram illustrates an ROV's umbilical cable becoming entangled in a net underwater. Typically, the ends of these nets are secured with heavy objects such as rocks or sandbags. The nets can range in length from several hundred meters to several kilometers underwater, suspended at varying depths. During operation, ROVs are easily entangled in these nets, most likely their umbilical cables. When the nets are not taut, the ROV's underwater movement is largely unaffected, and the entanglement may go unnoticed. However, as the ROV continues to move forward or surface, the weight of the nets and the drag from the heavy objects at their ends restricts its operations. This can range from limited speed to damage to the umbilical cable or loss of ROV balance, rendering it unable to continue working. Figure 7 A photo showing the ROV's umbilical cable entangled in a net underwater.

[0029] When the ROV's umbilical cable gets tangled in nets underwater, it is difficult for the ROV to free itself because it is unclear from which direction the ROV was tangled in, and the number and size of the tangled nets are unknown.

[0030] The rope cutter of this utility model is suitable for fixing on the umbilical cable. It adopts a split design and consists of three parts: a conical retaining ring 1, a fastening bolt 6, and a cutting blade 2. It can be fixed on the umbilical cable for a long time without affecting the normal operation of the ROV, and is easy to assemble and disassemble.

[0031] The conical retaining ring 1 is a split structure composed of multiple identical structural parts. The split conical retaining ring 1 can be firmly fixed to the outer circumference of the umbilical cable by fastening screws. A cutting blade 2 is inserted between every two adjacent conical retaining rings 1. The thickness of the blade is specifically designed according to the number of retaining rings and the diameter of the umbilical cord. The blade has through holes through which the fastening screw can pass. When the fastening screw tightens the conical retaining ring 1 onto the umbilical cable, it also fixes the cutting blade 2 onto the conical retaining ring 1. The blade can be replaced according to the usage.

[0032] The assembled rope cutter is fixed near the mushroom head end of the ROV lifting device. Based on the outer diameter of the umbilical cable and the internal space dimensions of the hook-and-release rope cutter, the rope cutter can smoothly pass through the interior of the hook-and-release rope cutter during the ROV's deployment and retraction, ensuring that it does not affect the normal operation of the hook-and-release rope cutter.

[0033] When the ROV umbilical cable becomes entangled, as the ROV moves forward or the umbilical cable winch retrieves the cable, the entangled netting will slide along the umbilical cable towards the ROV's lifting mushroom head, eventually reaching the rope cutter. The rope cutter is conical or streamlined from top to bottom, allowing the netting to pass smoothly across its blades, increasing the probability of it being cut. If this process fails to cut the netting, it will become stuck at the point where the umbilical cable and the ROV's lifting mushroom head pass through. This is the location where the rope cutter is installed; essentially, the entangled netting is now stuck on the cutter's blades. As the drag force of the netting increases, it will eventually be cut.

[0034] The rope cutter of this embodiment can be deployed underwater along with the umbilical cable without damaging it or affecting its normal winding and bending. It employs a passive anti-tangling protection design for the umbilical cable, eliminating the need for an additional large rope cutter to remove the netting, thus economically reducing the frequency of umbilical cable entanglement accidents. Its modular structure is compact, easy to install, has replaceable blades, and is widely applicable.

[0035] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative or explanatory of the principles of this utility model and do not constitute a limitation thereof. Therefore, any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made without departing from the spirit and scope of this utility model should be included within its protection scope. Furthermore, the appended claims are intended to cover all variations and modifications falling within the scope and boundaries of the appended claims, or equivalent forms of such scope and boundaries.

Claims

1. A ROV umbilical cable anti-tangle cutter, installed at the root of the umbilical cable, characterized in that... include: A conical retaining ring (1) is installed at the root of the umbilical cable and serves as a mounting base for the cutting blade (2). The cutting blade (2) has several blades, which are mounted vertically around the conical retaining ring (1), with the blade facing outward and exposed outside the conical retaining ring (1). The blade has an outwardly expanding bevel structure from the end to the tail.

2. The ROV umbilical cable anti-tangle cutter according to claim 1, characterized in that, The conical retaining ring (1) is a split design, consisting of several arc-shaped petals (3) spliced ​​together. Each pair of adjacent arc-shaped petals (3) is provided with a threaded hole (4) and an operating hole (5) on its side. The threaded hole (4) and the operating hole (5) are arranged opposite to each other. The arc-shaped petals (3) can be inserted into the threaded hole (4) of the adjacent arc-shaped petals (3) through the operating hole (5) by fastening bolts (6), so as to realize the splicing and installation of each pair.

3. The ROV umbilical cable anti-tangle cutter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The number of cutting blades (2) is matched with the number of arc-shaped petals (3), and each cutting blade (2) is installed in the joint where adjacent arc-shaped petals (3) are spliced ​​together.

4. The ROV umbilical cable anti-tangle cutter according to claim 3, characterized in that, The cutting blade (2) has two openings (7) on its blade body for the fastening bolt (6) to pass through during installation to fix the cutting blade (2).

5. The ROV umbilical cable anti-tangle cutter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The length of the cutting blade (2) is greater than the height of the conical retaining ring (1), the end of the cutting blade (2) is longer than the top of the conical retaining ring (1), and the cutting edge of the cutting blade (2) extends to the tip.

6. The ROV umbilical cable anti-tangle cutter according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cutting blade (2) has a beveled edge (8) and a flat edge (9). The beveled edge (8) is located at the front end and the flat edge (9) is located at the tail end, both of which are higher than the surface of the tapered retaining ring (1).

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