Flexible Cable Delivery System with Inline Quadrant
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cable laying systems are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and risk-prone due to limited flexibility in vessel heading and cable feeding options, which are affected by weather and ocean conditions, restricting optimal performance and increasing the risk of operations.
Innovation Solution
A system featuring an inline quadrant and a smart spooling system that allows flexible guidance of cables from either side of the vessel, using a cable highway with portside and starboard guides, and a smart spooling system with lower bends, guides, and drive systems to accommodate various storage devices and environmental conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional quadrant deployment method is used with cable fed from only one side, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to different weather and ocean conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The cable laying system is designed to feed cable to the quadrant from either the portside or starboard side, making the system universal and adaptable to different environmental conditions. The vessel can choose the optimal side for cable feeding based on weather, wind, current, and wave conditions, thereby improving adaptability without requiring multiple separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates dynamic decision-making capability where the vessel can switch between portside and starboard side cable feeding based on real-time environmental conditions. This dynamic adaptability allows the operation to continue under varying sea states, wind directions, and current conditions that would otherwise force aborting or slowing of operations.
2Productivity
If cable is fed from only one side to the quadrant, then the ease of operation is improved, but the productivity deteriorates due to operation delays and abortions
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides universal cable feeding capability from both portside and starboard side, enabling the vessel to maintain productivity under various environmental conditions. By having multiple feeding options, the system prevents operation delays and abortions that would occur with single-side feeding limitations.
3Reliability
If the vessel heading is limited by single-side cable feeding, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to higher risks from unpredictable disturbances
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables dynamic adjustment of vessel heading and cable feeding side based on real-time environmental conditions. The vessel can orient itself optimally relative to wind, waves, and current by choosing to feed cable from the appropriate side, thereby reducing risks from unpredictable disturbances and improving operational reliability.
4Loss of time
If conventional quadrant deployment is used requiring heavy cable manipulation, then the device complexity is reduced, but the loss of time deteriorates due to labor-intensive operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system is configured with the quadrant and cable highway ready in advance, allowing cable to be fed directly to the quadrant from either side without requiring time-consuming manipulation and repositioning. The preliminary setup of dual-side feeding capability eliminates the need for labor-intensive offline-to-inline quadrant deployment.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
A system (20) for laying flexible product (10) from a storage area (22) below a deck (13) of a vessel includes an inline quadrant (28) above the deck (13) for guiding cable (10) to a portside or starboard side of the vessel. The cable can enter the inline quadrant (28) from either a portside and a starboard side. The system further includes a highway (27) with a highway portside guide (29) and a highway starboard side guide (31) for guiding the flexible product (10) from a below deck position to an above deck position on either the portside or the starboard side; and a movable spooling system to guide flexible product (10) between the storage area (22) and to either the portside guide or the starboard side guide of the highway (27). The highway (27) extends to the portside entrance and the starboard side entrance of the inline quadrant.