Foldable Umbilical Carousel Adapter for Easier Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
The transportation of large carousel systems for subsea umbilical storage and deployment is cumbersome and time-consuming due to their size, often requiring special permits and causing project delays and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible carousel adapter system that includes foldable base legs and a drive unit, allowing for compact transportation and easy assembly on offshore vessels, with components that can be transported without oversized permits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional large carousel systems are used for subsea umbilical storage, then adequate storage capacity and structural stability are achieved, but transportation becomes cumbersome and time-consuming requiring special permits
Solution Approach 1:
The carousel system is divided into multiple base legs that can be independently folded or collapsed. This segmentation allows the structure to be broken down into smaller, more manageable components for transportation while maintaining the complete structure for storage operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The base legs are designed to be dynamically configurable - they can transition between an extended stable configuration during storage operations and a folded compact configuration during transportation. This dynamic adaptability resolves the contradiction between storage capacity and transportation ease.
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional large carousel systems are used, then structural stability is maintained, but transportation requires special permits and causes project delays
Solution Approach 1:
The carousel system employs dynamically adjustable base legs that provide structural stability when deployed and compact folding capability when transported. This dynamic design eliminates the need for special transportation permits and prevents project delays while maintaining operational stability.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the base structure into multiple independently foldable legs, the system can be broken down for standard transportation without requiring special permits, thereby preventing project delays while maintaining structural integrity during use.
3Ease of operation
If the carousel system is made compact for transportation, then transportation ease improves, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic folding mechanism is designed to be self-contained and intuitive, allowing base legs to be easily deployed from a compact transportation state to an operational stable state without requiring complex assembly procedures or specialized equipment.
Data Source
AI summary
A carousel for pipe products including cables and umbilicals includes a drum coupled to a carousel adapter, the carousel adapter coupled to a drive unit. The carousel adapter includes an upper base plate opposite a lower base plate, a fixed base leg coupled between the upper base plate and the lower base plate and extending radially outwardly therefrom. The carousel adapter also includes a plurality of foldable base legs coupled between the upper base plate and the lower base plate and extending radially outwardly from the upper and lower base plates. Each of the foldable base legs is disposed about a periphery of the upper and lower base plates and is rotatable about an independent axis perpendicular to the upper base plate and the lower base plate.