Angled Gutter Capstan for Pipe Laying Tension Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laying devices for elongated elements in water bodies, such as pipes, face challenges with compactness and ease of use, particularly when dealing with sections of large radial extent, and often require high friction which can lead to harmful forces like crushing or twisting during deployment.
Innovation Solution
A compact laying device utilizing a winch capstan with a drive mechanism that includes a drum with angled gutters and a chain with skids to guide and move the pipe, allowing for efficient unwinding and tensioning without excessive lateral forces, ensuring the pipe slides progressively without blocking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large number of turns are performed around the drum to ensure effective retention of the submerged section, then the friction between turns and drum is sufficient for retention, but the lateral forces required to push the turns are too great and produce harmful effects such as crushing, rotating, or twisting the elongated element
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a capstan as an intermediary element between the drum and the elongated element. The capstan with its helical grooves and pads provides a mechanical advantage that multiplies the drum's rotational force into axial tension on the element, while the pads gently guide the element without applying excessive lateral forces that would cause crushing or twisting.
Solution Approach 2:
The capstan features helical grooves that follow a curved path around the drum axis. This curved geometry allows the element to be guided smoothly around the capstan in a progressive manner, distributing the lateral forces over a longer path and preventing sudden crushing or twisting impacts on the element.
2Device complexity
If the device is made compact and simple, then it is easier to implement and use, but it becomes difficult to manage the transmission of forces between the chain and drum and to pass sections of greater radial extent
Solution Approach 1:
The helical grooves on the capstan create a curved guiding path that naturally accommodates sections of the element with larger radial extent. The curved geometry allows these bulky sections to be gradually guided around the capstan without requiring additional space or complex mechanisms, maintaining device compactness while enabling smooth passage of large sections.
3Reliability
If the elongated element is wound around the drum to ensure retaining tension, then the capstan effect provides retention, but the high friction opposes the sliding of the element between entry and exit points
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the retention function from the guiding function. The drum provides retention through the capstan effect with its multiple wraps, while the capstan with its helical grooves and pads provides a separate guiding path that facilitates smooth sliding. This segmentation allows both high friction for retention and low friction for sliding to coexist in different parts of the system.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables efficient and compact deployment of elongated elements with minimal bulk, effectively managing tension and preventing damage, while maintaining the capstan effect for secure retention in the water body.
Implementation Method 1
a drum (42) rotatable around a central axis (B-B')
Implementation Method 2
The downstream section (74) extending from the drum (42) towards the body of water (14) is retained by a capstan effect
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~5
Figure 3~4
AI summary
This device comprises a drum (42) intended to be driven in rotation about a central axis (B-B'), the drum (42) defining a circumferential casing (50) for winding the elongate element about the central axis (B-B'), the elongate element being intended to form at least one turn about the central axis (B-B') on the circumferential casing (50). It comprises a mechanism (44) for driving the or each turn of the elongate element over the circumferential casing (50). The driving mechanism (44) comprises at least one assembly (80) for moving the turn in a moving direction (D) that forms a non-zero angle with the local axis of the turn, taken in a bearing region of the turn on the moving assembly (80).