High Power Laser Subsea Structure Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for removing subsea structures are inefficient, unreliable, and pose health, safety, and environmental risks due to slow cutting speeds, incomplete cuts, and the use of hazardous materials like explosives, particularly in difficult-to-access offshore locations.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a high power laser system capable of cutting through various materials, including those below water, using a high power laser cutting tool that can deliver a high power laser beam to cut structures into manageable sections, with real-time cut verification and precise control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high power laser systems are used for cutting subsea structures, then cutting speed and reliability are improved, but device complexity and initial cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical cutting systems (saws, torches, hydraulic cutters) with a high power laser system that uses optical energy to cut subsea structures. The laser beam delivers concentrated energy to vaporize and melt materials, achieving complete cuts through thick steel and concrete without mechanical contact, thereby eliminating the complexity of mechanical drive systems, cutting heads, and abrasive mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by adjusting laser beam properties (power, pulse duration, wavelength, focal point) to optimize cutting performance for different materials and thicknesses. The system dynamically modifies laser parameters to maintain cutting efficiency while adapting to varying structural conditions, reducing the need for multiple specialized cutting devices.
2Reliability
If traditional cutting methods are used, then device complexity is lower, but cutting completeness and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates real-time feedback systems that monitor laser beam position, power output, and cutting progress using sensors and imaging systems. This feedback enables automatic adjustment of cutting parameters and verification of cut completeness, ensuring reliable severance of subsea structures without requiring complex mechanical positioning or multiple cutting passes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary scanning and positioning to identify the optimal cutting path and potential obstacles before initiating the cutting process. This preliminary action ensures complete cuts by pre-planning the laser trajectory and power distribution, eliminating the need for complex real-time mechanical adjustments during cutting.
3Productivity
If explosives are used for structure removal, then cutting speed is improved, but safety and environmental harm worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of high energy concentration from explosives into a controlled laser beam that delivers energy precisely where needed. Instead of uncontrolled explosive fragmentation, the laser systematically vaporizes and melts materials, achieving rapid removal without the harmful shock waves, flying debris, and contamination associated with explosives.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical-mechanical explosion process with an optical-thermal process. The high power laser beam delivers energy that directly vaporizes and melts structural materials, achieving rapid removal through controlled material phase changes rather than explosive force, thereby eliminating environmental contamination and safety hazards.
4Productivity
If mechanical cutting tools are used underwater, then ease of operation is maintained, but cutting speed and effectiveness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces water as an intermediary that enhances laser cutting performance rather than hindering it. The water-cooled laser head and water-assisted beam delivery system leverage the aquatic environment to improve cutting efficiency, eliminating the need for complex pressure-compensated mechanical systems while maintaining ease of operation through remote-controlled laser positioning.
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
Enables efficient, safe, and controlled cutting of subsea structures, reducing environmental impact and operational costs by providing complete cuts with minimal material waste and avoiding hazardous substances.
Implementation Method 1
a high power laser system capable of cutting through various materials, including those below water, using a high power laser cutting tool that can deliver a high power laser beam to cut structures into manageable sections
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided high power laser systems, high power laser tools, and methods of using these tools and systems for cutting, sectioning and removing structures objects, and materials, and in particular, for doing so in difficult to access locations and environments, such as offshore, underwater, or in hazardous environments, such as nuclear and chemical facilities. Thus, there is also provided high power laser systems, high power laser tools, and methods of using these systems and tools for removing structures, objects, and materials located offshore, under bodies of water and under the seafloor.