Detachable Suction Bucket Trunk Lid for ROV-Free Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Offshore anchoring systems using suction buckets face challenges with complex and costly equipment for closing the water suction outlet, requiring underwater ROV intervention, which complicates and prolongs the installation process.
Innovation Solution
A detachable suction bucket trunk lid with a locking arrangement that allows for ROV-free installation, enabling the lid to be transported and mounted using a suction pump skid, which includes a lid hoist mechanism for positioning and locking the lid without the need for underwater vehicles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a detachable suction bucket trunk lid with locking arrangement is used, then the installation process becomes faster and more convenient without requiring ROV intervention, but the device complexity increases due to the locking arrangement and detachable design
Solution Approach 1:
The trunk lid is designed as a detachable unit separate from the suction bucket trunk, allowing independent manufacturing, transportation, and installation. The locking arrangement is segmented into distinct components (locking members, locking groove, actuator) that can be assembled and operated independently, enabling ROV-free installation while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking arrangement is designed to be operated from the surface using the suction pump skid's actuator mechanism, eliminating the need for underwater ROV intervention. The system serves itself by providing automated locking and unlocking capabilities through surface-based control, thereby increasing installation productivity without requiring complex underwater operations.
2Ease of manufacture
If a detachable trunk lid is used instead of an integrated design, then the equipment becomes more cost-efficient and installation more flexible, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase to ensure proper fitting and sealing
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the trunk lid from the suction bucket trunk into independent components, each part can be manufactured using optimized processes for its specific requirements. The lid can be produced as a separate unit with standardized interfaces, reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost while allowing for precise fitting through designed locking and sealing features.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking arrangement combines multiple functions (securing the lid, providing sealing, enabling easy release) into an integrated mechanism that achieves precise fitting without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances on individual components. The locking members and groove work together to ensure proper alignment and sealing while maintaining ease of assembly and disassembly.
3Ease of operation
If the trunk lid is made detachable and transportable by suction pump skid, then the installation process becomes more convenient and cost-effective, but the device complexity increases due to additional mounting and locking mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The suction pump skid acts as an intermediary platform that provides the necessary mounting and locking capabilities for the detachable trunk lid. The skid's actuator mechanism serves as a mediator between surface operations and the underwater lid, enabling convenient installation and securing without requiring complex underwater manipulation systems or ROV intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking arrangement and mounting mechanism are designed to perform multiple functions: securing the lid to the trunk, providing easy release capability, and enabling operation from the surface. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized components, thereby increasing ease of operation while limiting the increase in overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A suction bucket trunk lid for being fitted in or on an outlet opening of a trunk of a suction bucket of an anchoring system for soft ocean floors includes a locking arrangement that is moveable between an unlocked state, in which the suction bucket trunk lid is arranged to be removable from the trunk, and a locked state, in which the suction bucket trunk lid is arranged to be secured to the trunk. The locking arrangement has a lock control interface for shifting the locking arrangement from the unlocked state to the locked state, and the suction bucket trunk lid is a detached unit.