Floating Pipeline Coupling Assembly for Safer Remote Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floating pipeline systems for dredging operations are cumbersome and unsafe for manual coupling and decoupling, particularly risking buckling and injury to deck personnel due to the need for manual handling and alignment of heavy components.
Innovation Solution
A coupling assembly featuring buoyancy bodies with connectors and a winch system on a working vessel, allowing for controlled and safe coupling of floating pipeline sections using mooring cables and a manipulator arm, with hydraulic locking mechanisms for remote operation, enabling secure and efficient connection and disconnection without manual handling of heavy equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual coupling of pipeline sections is performed on deck, then the coupling can be made by deck personnel using deck cranes, but it is clumsy and dangerous for deck personnel and risks buckling at the outer edges of the deck
Solution Approach 1:
A floating working vessel serves as an intermediary platform between the pipeline sections to be coupled. The vessel provides a stable, floating workspace that moves with the water, eliminating the need for personnel to work on the deck edges of a stationary vessel. This intermediary platform resolves the contradiction by providing both operational capability and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical handling on deck with a controlled system involving winches, mooring cables, and a manipulator arm. The coupling process is substituted from manual deck operations to a more controlled mechanism where the working vessel and pipeline sections are positioned and coupled using winch-controlled cable tensioning and robotic manipulation, reducing direct human exposure to hazardous conditions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If flexible floating pipeline sections are used to allow vessel maneuvers, then the vessel can make necessary maneuvers, but there is risk of buckling at the outer edges of the deck
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the coupling operation from a two-dimensional deck surface to a three-dimensional floating workspace. The working vessel provides a volumetric working space that can accommodate the flexible pipeline sections and coupling operations without constraining them to the limited deck perimeter, thereby eliminating buckling risks while preserving maneuverability.
3Ease of operation
If heavy pipeline sections are handled manually on deck, then coupling can be performed by deck personnel, but it increases the danger to personnel
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service coupling where the working vessel and pipeline sections position and couple themselves through winch-controlled cable tensioning and buoyancy forces, minimizing the need for personnel to physically handle heavy components. The manipulator arm performs the final connection tasks, further reducing manual intervention with heavy objects.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical handling of heavy pipeline sections is replaced with a winch-cable system and manipulator arm mechanism. The heavy components are positioned and coupled through controlled cable tensioning and robotic manipulation rather than direct manual handling, eliminating the injury risk while maintaining operational capability.
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
Facilitates safe and efficient coupling and decoupling of floating pipeline sections, reducing the risk of injury and operational complexity, allowing for controlled alignment and engagement of connectors while minimizing manual labor in hazardous environments.
Implementation Method 1
The first buoyancy body and second buoyancy body keep the first connector and the second connector at about the same height with respect to the water to engage onto each other
Implementation Method 2
By hauling in the first mooring cable and the second mooring cable by means of the first winch and second winch, the first buoyancy body and the second buoyancy body may be brought alongside the hull of the working vessel to align the first connector and the second connector. By hauling in the third mooring cable by means of the third winch, the first buoyancy body and the second buoyancy body are brought towards each other
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
The invention relates to an assembly comprising a floating pipeline with a coupling assembly, and a working vessel in the vicinity of the pipeline, wherein the coupling assembly comprises a first buoyancy body and a first connector, and a second buoyancy body and a second connector for connecting cooperation with the first connector, and wherein the working vessel comprises three winches with mooring lines, and a manipulator arm for manipulation of the mooring lines on the winches, wherein a first mooring line is attached to the first buoyancy body, a second mooring line is attached to the second buoyancy body, and a third mooring line is attached to the second buoyancy body and guided by the first buoyancy body to pull the first buoyancy body towards the second buoyancy body to couple the first connector and the second connector.