Jackup mobile shiplift

Abstract

A shiplift for a marine vessel. The shiplift has a barge hull that defines an enclosed moon pool. A platform is connected to hoists mounted on the barge hull to raise and lower the platform. The platform to be raised into and lowered from the moon pool. The barge hull has spud columns for jacking the barge hull up and down relative to a water level.

Description

Jackup Mobile ShipliftTechnical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a shiplift for drydocking and transferring a vessel to land. More particularly, this invention relates to the field of raising and transferring marine vessels between water and land.Furthermore, this invention relates to a shiplift that can be deployed at user selected locations for retrieving and launching a marine vessel to and from land.Background Art

[0002] It is known to transfer marine vessels from a body of water to land and from land to a body of water with various methods and devices. In known devices it is possible to use a ramp that slopes into the water together with a cradle that can be driven into the water. Vertical shiplift drydocks are also well known.

[0003] United States Patent No. 3, 073, 125 to Raymond Pearlson discloses a vertical shiplift vessel drydock that has a vertically displaceable platform that that can be raised / lowered for launching and retrieving a marine vessel. Pearlson haselectro-mechanical synchronous wire rope hoists mounted along both sides of a lifting platform on parallel piers supported by piles. Such shiplift dry-docks are installed in a land based shipyard, several have been installed in floating "U-shaped" barges that can be towed to a site and operated.

[0004] The concept of a jack-up barge is also known United States Patent No. 4, 456, 404 to Evans discloses an apparatus for positioning a barge above a sea surface. Evans discloses the barge is used to support drilling operations and has equipment including cranes and a derrick mounted on the barge, hacking legs are mounted on the barge and are jacked up and down by jacking mechanisms to elevate the barge and construction equipment above the water.

[0005] United States Patent No. 5, 655, 850 to Holmgren discloses a floating dock and boat lift that has a front frame connecting two side frames that defined a U-shape boundary, where the frames are supported by floatation devices that carry the boat lift and a boat to be carried by the lift. The lift has a platform for a boat that is raised by a cable mechanism.

[0006] None of the above art use a shiplift or method as disclosed in the instant application. Therefore, there is still space for improvement in the construction of a shiplift that is mobile and which can be elevated above the water so that thedeck of the barge is level with the adjacent land for moving a vessel between water and land at user selected locations.Summary of the Invention:

[0007] The present invention is a shiplift that is mobile and which can be jacked-up to accommodate locations that do not have the civil infrastructure to accommodate traditional shiplifts, which has the effect of providing versatility in transferring vessels between land and water for maintenance and repair at a location that does not have infrastructure to support shiplift hoists on land.

[0008] With the above and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention shiplift for a marine vessel. The shiplift has a barge hull that defines an enclosed moon pool. A platform is connected to hoists mounted on said barge hull to raise and lower the platform. The platform to be raised into and lowered from said moon pool. The barge hull has spud columns for jacking the barge hull up and down relative to a water level .

[0009] It is accordingly a further object of the invention, that the platform has guide posts disposed thereon for guiding hauling lines that are connected to the marine vessel.

[0010] In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the guide posts have an eyelet on a distal end for guiding a hauling line .

[0011] In accordance with an additional feature of the invention the hull has a deck that defines an edge of the moon pool.

[0012] In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the shiplift includes pinning assemblies to pin the platform to the hull. The pinning assemblies each have a hangar plate, a clevis, and a pin to pin the hangar plate to the clevis .

[0013] In accordance with yet another added feature of the invention, the pinning assemblies each include a linear actuator connected to the pin to move the pin.

[0014] In accordance with still another added feature of the invention, the pinning assemblies each include a V-channel to guide the pin along a linear displacement thereof.

[0015] In accordance with still another added feature of the invention, the hoists each have a respective load cell pin that each provide hoist load information to monitor the load on the hoists .

[0016] In accordance with still yet another added feature of the invention, the shiplift includes dead end plates at each of the hoists for pinning a terminal end of a respective rope of the hoists with the respective load cell pin.

[0017] In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the shiplift includes a ramp connected to the barge hull for transferring the vessel to and from land.

[0018] In accordance with yet another additional feature of the invention, the hoists each have a respective rope that connect the hoists to the platform.

[0019] With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided a method for transporting a marine vessel from land to water. The method provides a shiplift with a barge hull that defines an enclosed moon pool (surrounded on all sides thereof) . The moon pool has an elevation adjustable platform. The barge hull has spud columns to jack the barge hull up and down. The method sets a position of the shiplift to be at a transport level of the land and moves a marine vessel disposed on a cradle onto the platform. The method lowers the platform to a position in which the marine vessel floats off the cradle and in which the marine vessel has clearance for an air draft of the marine vessel under the barge hull and moves the vessel out from under the barge hull.

[0020] In accordance with yet another added feature of the invention, the method raises the barge hull above the transport level to create sufficient clearance for the air draft of the marine vessel.

[0021] With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided a method for transporting a marine vessel from water to land. The method provides a shiplift with a barge hull that defines an enclosed moon pool. The moon pool has an elevation adjustable platform. The barge hull has spud columns for jacking the barge hull up and down. The method sets a position of the shiplift to be at a transport level of the land and moves a cradle onto the platform. The method lowers the platform to a position in which the marine vessel can float over the cradle with clearance for an air draft of the marine vessel under the barge hull and moves the vessel under the barge hull to a position above the cradle. The method raises the platform to a height aligned with a deck level of the barge hull and moves the cradle with the marine vessel from the shiplift to land.

[0022] Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

[0023] Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a jackup mobile shiplift and methods for moving a vessel between land and water, it is nevertheless not intendedto be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.Brief Description of the Drawing Figures

[0024] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a jacked-up shiplift in a position for transferring a vessel from land to a body of water;

[0025] Fig. 1A is an enlarged corner of the perspective view of Fig . 1 ;

[0026] Fig. 2 is a side view of the shiplift of Fig. 1;

[0027] Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing a ramp at a land interface of the shiplift;

[0028] Fig. 4 is a side view of the shiplift of Fig. 1 with a vessel transferring between the shiplift and land;

[0029] Fig. 5 is a side view of the shiplift of Fig. 1 with the vessel and cradle disposed on the shiplift;

[0030] Fig. 6 is a side view of the shiplift of Fig. 1 with the platform lowered into the body of water;

[0031] Fig. 7 is an enlarged schematic view of a hoist of the shiplift; and

[0032] Fig. 8 is an enlarged schematic view of the hoist of the shiplift with the platform pinned to the hoist frame;

[0033] Fig. 9 is an enlarged schematic view showing a haul-out line guide assembly of the shiplift;

[0034] Fig. 10 is a side view a pinning assembly of the lift;

[0035] Fig. 11 is an enlarged partial side view showing the pinning area;

[0036] Fig. 12A is a side view of a wire rope cable connection to a hoist of the shiplift;

[0037] Fig. 12B is another side view of Fig. 12A; and

[0038] Fig. 13 is a top plan view of the shiplift of an embodiment with 8 rope hoists.Description of the Invention:

[0039] A jackup mobile shiplift (JMS) 1 constructed to be height adjustable from water level to land level L, to launch and retrieve vessels independent of on-shore support facilities andcivil infrastructure. The shiplift 1 serves to facilitate transfer of the drydocked vessel V across a ramp 14 to land or from the land to the shiplift 1.

[0040] The shiplift 1 has jackup spud columns 40 that serve to elevate the shiplift 1. The columns 40 are of a two piece construction that have an upper section 41 and a lower section 42 that are connected at a joint 44. The lower section 42 can have a foot 43. The two piece construction of the spud columns 40 provides for transport of the shiplift 1 to the deployment site as the upper section 41 can be separated from the lower section 42 for transport. The lower sections 42 are raised by the jacking or lifting mechanism 45 towards the underside of the hull 12 of a barge 10 so that the foot 43 is against the hull 12. The foot 43 can be sized as reguired to support the shiplift 1 on different substrates (sized for the density / hardness ) . The upper sections 41 of the jackup spud columns 40 are secured to a deck 13 of the barge 10 of the shiplift 1 for transport. In this state, the shiplift 1 may be transported, "ready to deploy" to a deployment site on a suitable heavy lift vessel. The upper sections 41 of the columns 40 may be installed at (or near) the deployment site. The lower sections 42 are lowered and the upper sections 41 are connected to lower sections 42 at the joint 44. The thus assembled spud columns 40 are then lowered by the jacking mechanism 45 to engage the substrate to raise theshiplift 1 to a desired height relative to the land L. If required, the fully configured shiplift 1 can be towed locally to the deployment location next to land or shore-line with the columns 40 installed, where power is connected to the on-board power distribution panel 50.

[0041] The barge 10 has a centrally located moon pool 11 provided therein. The hull 12 is continuous to completely enclose the moon pool 11. The shiplift 1 has a platform 20 that is raised and lowered to / from the moon pool 11 by synchronous electromechanical wire rope hoists 30 that are mounted on both lateral sides of the moon pool 11. The platform has transverse beams 21 and longitudinal beams 22 to which steel grid decking 24 is mounted. The platform 20 is provided with hauling line guide posts 25 about the edge of the platform 20. The guide posts 25 have an eyelet 26 that receive a respective hauling line 27 which are connected to the vessel V at locations on the vessel adjacent the corresponding guide posts 25. Each of the hauling lines 27 is fed to a respective chock 15 on the deck of the barge hull 12 mounted at the edge of the moon pool 11 and on to respective capstans 16. The synchronous electro-mechanical wire rope hoists 30 have wire rope cables 31, as shown in Fig. 6 that are connected to the platform 20 at the ends of the transverse beams 21 for raising and lowering the platform 20. Thesynchronous electro-mechanical wire rope hoists 30 each have a cross beam 34 that has a dead end plate 35. The terminal ends of the wire rope cables 31 each have an open spelter socket 36 with apertures (shown broken out in Fig. 12A and 12B) affixed thereon. Load cell pins 33 pin the open spelter socket 36 to the respective dead end plate 35 through holes in the plates and the open spelter socket 36.

[0042] As shown in Figs. 10 and 11 the shiplift 1 is provided with a pinning assembly 60. The pinning assembly 60 engages a clevis 32 provided on an underside of the hoist 30. The transverse beam 21 of the platform is provided with a hangar plate 23 that is inserted into the clevis 32 when the platform 20 is raised up into moon pool 11. A linear actuator 61 mounted on the cross beam 34 of the rope hoist 30 moves a pin 62 into the apertures of the hangar plate 23 and the clevis 32 to secure the platform 20 and puts the load onto the pins 62 and relieves the platform 20 load from the wire rope cables 31 to securely lock the platform 20 to the hull 12. The pin 62 is guided on a V-channel 63 adjacent the clevis 32. As shown in Fig. 8, the hull 12 has channels 12c that accommodate the end of the transverse beam 21 so that the hangar plate 23 is provided in position aligned with the clevis 32 that is on the underside of the hoist 30.Jackup Operation:

[0043] The floating jack-up mobile shiplift 1 is temporarily moored at the deployment site adjacent to the shore prior to jacking up. Initially, a generator or shore electric power is switched to the distribution panel 50 operating the jackup system hydraulic power unit (HPU) housed within the enclosure that also houses the distribution panel 50.

[0044] When the four corner jackup columns 40 are activated, the empty shiplift 1 is jacked-up adjacent to a shore until the deck of the shiplift platform is leveled at transfer elevation.Next, the center jackup columns 40 are lowered to the sea floor to provide additional support. The transfer ramp 14 is then secured to the bow of the shiplift 1 and extended across to the on-shore transfer area. The shore end of the ramp 14 is secured to suitable anchors embedded in the land side of the shoreline to restrain the longitudinal forces during transfer. To support the platform 20, the weight of the transfer vehicle TV, cradle C, and the vessel V, the shiplift platform 20 may be pinned (pin 62 inserted through the clevis 32 and the hangar plate 23) at deck level DL to the hull 12. This is so that the combined weight of a vessel V, transfer vehicle TV, and cradle C can be driven onto the shiplift 1 with the load supported by theplatform 20 is pinned to the hull 12. After the transport cradle C is positioned on the shiplift platform 20, the transfer vehicle TV is driven from the shiplift 1.Shiplift Operation - Launching:

[0045] Power, that has been previously connected to the distribution panel 50 is switched to the shiplift motor control center 51. If the platform 20 has been pinned, the shiplift platform 20 is raised slightly to transfer the load of the platform 20 with the vessel V and cradle C from the support pins 62 to the wire rope cables 31 and the pins 62 are then withdrawn from the clevis 32 and hanger plates 23 by the linear actuator 61. The hauling lines 27 are secured to the vessel V that is being made ready for launch.

[0046] The shiplift platform 20 is subsequently lowered by the hoists 30 until the vessel V is partially submerged and is checked for integrity before continuing to lower the platform 20 and floating the vessel V off of the cradle C. The shiplift platform 20 is further lowered until the vessel V is floating with at least 12 inches of clearance above the cradle C. If the air draft of the vessel does not clear the underside of the hull 12, the barge 10 can be elevated sufficiently to provide adequate clearance. Prior to raising the barge 10, the shipliftplatform is further lowered by the distance the barge 10 will be elevated to maintain clearance of the vessel V above the cradle C. The vessel V is then moved out of the moon pool 11 under the aft end of the hull 12.Shiplift Operation - Retrieving:

[0047] Starting with the shiplift platform 20 at deck level DL supported by the rope cables alone or when the platform 20 is pinned to the hull 12 by the pins 62 the transport vehicle TV and cradle C can be driven onto the shiplift platform 20.

[0048] To prepare for retrieving the vessel V, the empty cradle C is secured in position on the shiplift platform 20 and the hauling lines 27 fed through the eyelets 26 on the guide posts 25 are made ready to be affixed to the corresponding locations on the vessel V. The transfer vehicle TV is driven off the shiplift 1 onto the shore and electric power on the shiplift 1 is switched to the shiplift motor control center.

[0049] If the platform 20 has been pinned to the hull 12, the shiplift platform 20 is raised slightly (approximately one inch) to transfer the load from the pins 62 to the wire rope cables 31and the pins 62 are withdrawn from the clevis 32 the hangar plates 23 by the linear actuator 61.

[0050] The shiplift platform 20 is then lowered until there is at least 12 inches of clearance to the vessel hull above the cradle C and the air draft of the vessel V has clearance under the hull 12. After the platform 20 is lowered, the lines 27 are fed through the chocks 15 and onto the capstans 16. If there is insufficient air draft clearance under hull 12, the barge 10 can be elevated sufficiently to provide adequate clearance. Prior to raising the barge 10, the shiplift platform 20 is further lowered by the distance the barge 10 will be elevated.

[0051] The hauling lines 27 leading from the guides posts 25 are attached to the vessel V while the vessel V is held in position at the aft end of the shiplift 1. The vessel V is pulled into the moon pool 11 under the aft end of the hull 12 by the hauling lines 27 over the platform 20 above the cradle C. If the barge 10 had to be elevated to provide adequate air draft clearance under the aft end of the hull 12, the barge 10 must be lowered the same distance the barge 10 was previously elevated.

[0052] After final alignment of the vessel V above the cradle C, the shiplift platform 20 is raised by the synchronous electromechanical wire rope hoists 30 until the load cell pins 33indicate that the vessel V has landed fair on the cradle C. The platform 20 is then raised to just above deck level DL and the pins 62 are inserted into the platform hanger plates 23 and the clevis 32 by the linear actuator 61.

[0053] Next, the platform is lowered onto the pins 62 to transfer the platform load from synchronous electro-mechanical wire rope hoists' wire rope cables 31 to the support pins 62. The transfer vehicle is then driven onto the shiplift 1 to pick up the cradle C and the vessel V and then drive off the shiplift 1 over the end of the barge 12, across the ramp 14 and onto the on-shore facilities.

[0054] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention :

[0055] Reference symbol key :C cradleDL deck levelL land levelV vesselTV transfer vehicleI jackup mobile shiplift (JMS)10 bargeII moon pool12 hull13 deck14 ramp15 chocks16 capstans20 platform21 transverse beam22 longitudinal beam23 hangar plate24 decking25 guide posts26 eyelet27 hauling lines30 synchronous electro-mechanical wire rope hoist31 wire rope cables32 clevis33 load cell pins34 cross beam35 dead end plates36 open spelter socket40 spud columns41 upper section of column 4042 lower section of column 4043 foot of lower section 42 of column 4044 joint of 41 and 4245 jacking / lift ing mechanism50 power distribution panel51 ship lift motor control center60 pinning assembly61 linear actuator62 pin63 V-channel

Claims

I Claim:

1. A shiplift for a marine vessel, the shiplift comprising: a barge hull defining an enclosed moon pool; a platform connected to hoists mounted on said barge hull, said platform for being raised into and lowered from said moon pool by said hoists; and said barge hull having spud columns for jacking said barge hull up and down relative to a water level.

2. The shiplift according to claim 1, wherein said platform has guide posts disposed thereon to guide hauling lines that are connected to the marine vessel.

3. The shiplift according to claim 2, wherein said guide posts have an eyelet on a distal end to guide a hauling line.

4. The shiplift according to claim 1, wherein the hull has a deck that defines an edge of said moon pool.

5. The shiplift according to claim 1, further comprising pinning assemblies for pinning said platform to said hull, said pinning assemblies each having a hangar plate, a clevis, and a pin for pinning said hangar plate to said clevis.

6. The shiplift according to claim 5, wherein said pinning assemblies each include a linear actuator connected to said pin to move said pin.

7. The shiplift according to claim 6, wherein said pinning assemblies each include a V-channel to guide said pin along a linear displacement thereof.

8. The shiplift according to claim 1, wherein said hoists each have a respective load cell pin that each provide hoist load information to a shiplift controller to monitor the load on said hoists .

9. The shiplift according to claim 8, further comprising dead end plates at each of said hoists for pinning a terminal end of a respective rope of said hoists with said respective load cell pin .

10. The shiplift according to claim 1, further comprising a ramp connected to said barge hull for transferring the vessel to and from land.

11. The shiplift according to claim 1, wherein said hoists each have a respective rope that connect said hoists to said platform.

12. A method for transporting a marine vessel from land to water comprising: providing a shiplift with a barge hull defining an enclosed moon pool, the moon pool having an elevation adjustable platform, the barge hull having spud columns for jacking the barge hull up and down; setting a position of the shiplift to be at a transport level of the land; moving a marine vessel disposed on a cradle onto the platform; lowering the platform to a position in which the marine vessel is floating off the cradle and in which the marine vessel has clearance for an air draft of the marine vessel under the barge hull; moving the vessel out from under the barge hull.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising raising the barge hull above the transport level to create sufficient clearance for the air draft of the marine vessel.

14. A method for transporting a marine vessel from water to land comprising:providing a shiplift with a barge hull defining an enclosed moon pool, the moon pool having an elevation adjustable platform, the barge hull having spud columns for jacking the barge hull up and down; setting a position of the shiplift to be at a transport level of the land; moving a cradle onto the platform; lowering the platform to a position in which the marine vessel can float over the cradle with clearance for an air draft of the marine vessel under the barge hull; moving the vessel under the barge hull to a position above the cradle; raising the platform to a height aligned with a deck level of the barge hull; moving the cradle with the marine vessel from the shiplift to land.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising prior to moving the marine vessel above the cradle, raising the barge hull above the transport level to create sufficient clearance for the air draft of the marine vessel.

Images