SELF-PROPELLED CLEANING DEVICE FOR MARINE FLUTES

Abstract

A marine flute cleaning device (12) comprises a plurality of cleaning modules (35) mounted on a main frame (50) in an angularly spaced orientation. At least one cleaning module (35) includes a main drive wheel rotatably connected to a cleaning element (40). At least one cleaning module (35) includes a guide (36) mounted on it. The guide (36) is configured to deflect devices mounted on the marine flute (10) out of a passage followed by the cleaning modules (35). At least one of the cleaning modules (35) includes a device for converting the movement of water past at least one cleaning module (35) into rotational energy to drive the drive wheel on it.

Description

m~ lutes mari :,__ - ? _ -lames sc, s 10 water, making the tow more difficult ~expensive, failure of rupture. Marine streamers known in the state of the art include various navigation devices along their length. These 15 devices may include lateral force and depth control devices (LFDs), and "underwater pulse generators" as part of an acoustic distance detection system. There is a need for a marine streamer cleaning device that 20 can traverse an entire deployed marine streamer, the marine streamer including such an LFD and other devices. Figure 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a marine flute cleaning device that is used on a geoph- y -capable marine flute. The z:.e 2 e of n esposit.e de rm 'toyage. view eb and making the marine flutes subject to operation or a 20 Fig... e 7e an oblique view of a d' <_ l le u marine flute cleaning device passing over an acoustic marine flute position locating device. Figure 8 shows an oblique view of an exemplary embodiment of the marine flute cleaning device passing over any device mounted on the marine flute above the horizontal plane. Figure 9 shows an exemplary embodiment of the marine flute cleaning device that is assembled on a marine flute. Figure 10 shows the assembly procedure of Figure 9 after actuation of a handle and locking pivot combination.Figure 1 shows an automatic seismic streamer cleaning device for a geophysical research device, such that a streamer in the Bute m 10.,- ? se 24 is reflected - by _ structures (not 1{} shown) under the bottom 22 of the body of water 16 . This reflected energy is finally detected by the sensors (not shown) on the streamer 10 for recording by the recording system 20. The implementation shown in Figure 1 as an example 15 comprises only one streamer; however it is known in the art for a single vessel to tow a plurality of streamers in laterally spaced positions and / or vertically spaced positions behind the seismic vessel or another vessel. 20 Therefore, the actual configuration of ships and marine flutes is not a limitation for the scope of the invention.As is known in the art, the marine flute 10 typically comprises a generally cylindrical shape which may be a flexible polyurethane material. An outer sheath of reinforcement (not translucent) is formed therein such that the marine flute 10 has substantially the same outer diameter as the sheath. A marine flute may thus be formed from 100 or more of these interconnected segments. Thus, the greater part of the length of the marine flute 10 has a generally cylindrical outer surface of substantially constant diameter, for the application of various devices, including a cleaning device 12 according to the various aspects of the invention.In some embodiments, the marine flute 10 may include a stop 11 disposed at selected positions along the marine flute 10 where movement of the cleaning device 12 is to be stopped or reversed during normal operation. The stops 11 may be configured to act in cooperation with certain features, which will be further explained below, to cause movement of the cleaning device 12 to be reversed along the marine flute 10. The present embodiment of the cleaning device 12 may be manufactured in a modular form to simplify construction and maintenance. Cleaning elements (explained below) come into contact with the exterior of the flute and remove 1.5 debris from the exterior of the flute.The cleaning elements (explained below) may be mounted in cleaning modules ("modules"). In the present embodiment, there may be two types of modules, self-propelled and passively propelled. Figure 2 shows an example of a self-propelled module 35. Components of the self-propelled module 35 may be attached to a frame 34 which may be made of steel or other high-strength material. The present embodiment may include brackets 30A, 30B extending outwardly from the frame 34. Brackets 30A, 30B may be mounted on a rotating turbine 32.The turbine may be protected by the outside of the 30 38C The belt 2 in contact with the nose (10 in Figure 1) in order to move the self-propelled module 35 along the outside of the marine flute may be one or more traction belt guide wheels 48 disposed longitudinally between the main drive wheel 46 and the idler wheel 44. The traction belt guide wheels 48, as well as the main drive wheel 46 and the idler wheel 44, may be spring loaded or otherwise biased on the frame 34 in order to urge the traction belt 42 into contact with the outside of the marine flute 20 (10 in Figure 1) over substantially the entire length of the traction belt 42.In other embodiments, the traction belt 42 may be omitted, and the main drive wheel 46, and any idler wheel 44, and the guide wheels 48 may directly contact the exterior of the module (10 in the frame 1). The drive belt 42 is provided in US Pat. No. 409,919 issued to Ogeveen et al. In some embodiments, there may be more than one cleaning element 40 in each module. The self-propelled module 35 may also include a guide 36 on one or both longitudinal ends connected to the frame 34.The guide(s) 36 cooperate with similar guides on other modules forming the cleaning device (12 in Figure 1) to rotate the cleaning device (12 in Figure 1), the flute (10 in Figure 1) or a device mounted on the flute relative to each other such that the cleaning device (12 in Figure 1) can freely pass these devices on the inside of the flute. The devices may include, without limitation, the devices and others below. D-shaped devices which 30 The rotational energy thereof to the traction belt {42 in Figure 2) and to the cleaning element {40 in Figure 2) as used in the self-propelled modules 35. The passive module 35A can thus be moved by the energy 1 delivered by the one or two self-propelled modules 35 transferred via the main chassis (described below).The traction belt (42 in Figure 2) on the passive module 35A may be connected for rotation to one or more cleaning devices (40 in Figure 2) such that longitudinal movement of the passive module 35A along the (marine lute results in rotation of its cleaning element(s). The traction belt on the passive module 35A may include idler wheels mounted with return at both ends and one or more guide wheels mounted with return. The passive module may drive at the level or at two hale_ ut c^^ r with It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a transfer of rotational motion from the main drive wheel in each of the modules to the cleaning element and in self-propelled modules a transfer of rotational motion from the turbine to the main drive wheel may also be achieved by suitably arranged sprockets.The pulleys and belts as explained above represent only one example of devices for transferring rotational motion. Other arrangements of devices for transferring rotational motion will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the present disclosure. The three modules 35, 35A may all be mounted on a main frame 50 which may be fabricated from carbon fiber tubing or similar material. The modules 35, 35A may be mounted on the main frame 50 such that they act equally self-contained, as shown in Figure 1),30 in Figure 1) in substantially neutral motion. By having the cleaning device of essentially neutral season, the flute depth is substantially unaffected as the cleaning device (12 in Figure 1) moves along the flute (10 in Figure 1).The main frame 50 may include receptacles 53 mounted thereon to house electronic devices such as sensors, cameras, or other devices to assist the user in determining the operating status of the cleaning device. These electronic devices may communicate with the recording system (20 in FIG. 1), for example, using radio communication. In these embodiments, a radio antenna 54 may be attached to the float 52 or other suitable device. The main frame 50 may include a device (nor_ é} the flat device e .. place of the d 10 dan_ l _) on the flute marie: (10 dal la fi in any chosen longitudinal position.Once the cleaning device (12 in Figure 1) is suspended on the flute, the locking handle and pivot combination 56 may be rotated to move the attached self-propelled module inward such that the relative positions of the three modules are substantially as shown in Figure 3. The foregoing procedure is shown in more detail and will be explained with reference to Figures 9 and 10. Figure 5 shows an exemplary embodiment of the cleaning device 12 as it approaches an LFD device 14 on the flute 10. The LFD device shown in Figure 5 may rotate three control surfaces angularly spaced apart from the final axis af 10, the flute 10 being typically sufficiently torsionally flexible to allow sufficient relative rotation of the control surfaces 61 relative to the cleaning device 12.In each case, this relative rotation may allow the control surfaces 61 to pass through the circumferential or angular gaps 15 between the modules 35, 35A. The shape of the main frame 50 may be such that the control surfaces 61 may pass through suitable gaps (see Figure 6) formed therein. Figure 6 shows an end view of the cleaning device 12 as it passes over the LFD device 14. The LFD device 14 and / or the marine streamer 10 have been rotated by the cooperation of the control surfaces 61 with the guide nose 36A on the passive module 35A and the guides 36 on the self-propelled modules such that the > ge .. 61 may be placed in the gaps between 35, 35A and the main 50. This nett 12 12 plus the eve; [deg.] ! 3i6 5 :name of Falk _.berg and others. D_ ire typ: Their underwater impulses 65 - oriented v. the ;as and extends from the bottom of the marine flute.The shape of the underwater pulse generator 65 cooperates with the respective guide on each self-propelled module 35 such that the underwater pulse generator 65 remains oriented in the circumferential or angular space between the two self-propelled modules 35. Any contact between components of the self-propelled modules 35, for example the cleaning elements (40 in FIG. 2) or the traction belt (42 in FIG. 2), and the underwater pulse generator 65 can be easily dealt with if the respective components are spring-loaded or otherwise spring-mounted to the module frame (34 in FIG. 2) as explained with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 8 shows an oblique view of a cleaning ion 70 the main flute 56. leu W l'air and can _realization.ionation relative to the modules and the conference of the marine flute in other embodiments may depend on the types and positions of devices attached to the marine flute. It is also to be understood that the cleaning device operates for certain configurations of objects on the marine flute with only one of the cleaning modules comprising a guide, or any other number of cleaning modules less than the total number thereof comprising a guide. As previously explained with reference to Figure 4, a combination handle and locking pivot (56 in Figure 41 may be used to facilitate assembly of the cleaning device on and removal from a marine flute.Figure 9 shows an end view of an exemplary embodiment of the cleaning device 12 that is assembled on a marine flute 10. Removal of the cleaning device 12 from the marine flute 10 may include reversing the foregoing procedure. In some embodiments, the cleaning device may include components for causing automatic reversal of movement along the marine flute. Examples of such devices are more fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,409,919 issued to Hoogeveen et al.20 A cleaning device according to the various aspects of the invention can provide improved cleaning capability, and can provide improved travel capability along a marine flute in which one or more types of device having large diameter characteristics. The raft if here is applicable to which type e inc' tant of the sensor flutes r .. 'luter.

Claims

DEMANDS 1. A marine flute cleaning device (12), characterized in that it comprises: a plurality of cleaning modules (35) fixed to a main frame (50) in an angularly spaced orientation, each cleaning module (35) comprising a main drive wheel (46) rotatably connected to a cleaning element (40), at least one cleaning module (35) comprising a guide (36) mounted thereon, the guide (36) being configured to cooperate with a similar guide (36) on at least one other cleaning module to rotate the cleaning device and the marine flute or a device mounted on the marine flute relative to each other such that said device mounted on the marine flute can pass through a gap between the modules; and at least one of the cleaning modules (35) includes a device for converting the movement of the water beyond at least one cleaning module (35) into rotational energy in order to drive the drive wheel (46) above it.

2. Marine flute cleaning device (12) according to claim 1, characterized in that each module comprises an idler wheel (46) mounted with return and at least one guide wheel (48) mounted with return.

3. Marine flute cleaning device (12) according to claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises a traction belt (42) surrounding the wheel main drive wheel (46), idler wheel (46) mounted with return and at least one guide wheel (48) mounted with return.

4. Marine flute cleaning device (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the motion conversion device comprises a turbine system (32) and pulley (38A, 38B) and belt (38).

5. Marine flute cleaning device (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that three cleaning modules (35) are mounted on the main frame (50) in substantially equal angularly spaced orientations.

6. Marine flute cleaning device (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it further comprises a buoyancy device (52) connected to the main frame (50).

7. Marine flute cleaning device (12) according to claim 6, characterized in that the buoyancy device (52) is configured such that the marine flute cleaning device has substantially neutral buoyancy in water.

8. Marine flute cleaning device (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that one of the cleaning modules (35) is fixed to the main chassis (50) with a combination of locking handle and pivot (56), the combination of locking handle and pivot (56) being configured to move one of the cleaning modules (35) fixed thereto laterally away from the other cleaning modules (35).

9. Marine flute cleaning device (12) 5 according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the cleaning modules (35) is equipped with a guide (36).

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