High Power Laser Subsea Structure Cutting
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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 processes, incomplete cuts, and the use of hazardous materials like explosives, which are also environmentally harmful.
Innovation Solution
A high power laser system is used to cut or section offshore structures by delivering a high power laser beam along a defined path, allowing for precise and controlled cutting of structures both above and below water surfaces, including inside and outside cuts, with the ability to verify cuts in real-time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional methods (explosives, mechanical cutters, abrasive water jets) are used to remove subsea structures, then removal can be achieved, but the processes are slow, unreliable, and pose health, safety, and environmental risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical cutting systems (cutters, water jets, explosives) with a laser-based optical system. The laser beam delivers concentrated thermal energy to melt and vaporize metal structures, achieving complete and reliable cuts without mechanical contact. This substitution resolves the contradiction by providing both high productivity (rapid cutting) and high reliability (complete, controlled cuts) while eliminating safety and environmental hazards associated with traditional methods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes controlled changes in laser beam parameters (power, duration, focal position) to optimize the cutting process. By adjusting these parameters, the system achieves complete penetration cuts at various depths and angles, ensuring reliability while maintaining high cutting speed. The ability to precisely control energy delivery parameters allows the system to adapt to different material thicknesses and cut configurations, resolving the contradiction between speed and completeness
2Productivity
If hazardous materials like explosives are used for structure removal, then removal can be achieved, but environmental harm and safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces hazardous materials (explosives, abrasive water jets) with a clean laser beam system. The laser delivers concentrated thermal energy that melts and vaporizes metal without producing harmful byproducts. This substitution maintains high removal efficiency while completely eliminating environmental contamination and safety hazards associated with explosives and abrasive materials
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful concentrated energy of the laser beam into a beneficial cutting tool. By precisely controlling the laser energy delivery, the system achieves complete, clean cuts without the uncontrolled destruction and environmental harm caused by explosives. The high energy density that could be harmful is instead used to create precise, controlled material removal with no environmental impact
3Reliability
If slow cutting processes are used, then structural integrity can be maintained, but removal time and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs pulsed laser delivery with optimized duty cycles to maintain structural integrity during cutting while achieving rapid material removal. The periodic application of high-power laser pulses melts and vaporizes metal efficiently, completing cuts quickly while controlling thermal accumulation to prevent uncontrolled deformation. This resolves the contradiction by enabling fast decommissioning without sacrificing cut completeness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses continuous or near-continuous laser beam delivery to maintain constant cutting action, eliminating idle time between cuts. The laser system operates continuously to penetrate through entire structure thicknesses in a single sustained action, dramatically reducing decommissioning time while ensuring complete cuts. This continuous useful action resolves the contradiction between speed and reliability by maintaining uninterrupted cutting power
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
The high power laser system enables rapid, reliable, and safe cutting of subsea structures, reducing environmental impact and operational costs by providing complete cuts without the need for hazardous materials, thus facilitating efficient decommissioning and removal of offshore infrastructure.
Implementation Method 1
delivering a high power laser beam along a defined path, allowing for precise and controlled cutting
Implementation Method 2
The laser beam is directed at the metal structure, and the energy from the laser beam is absorbed by the metal, causing it to heat up and melt
Implementation Method 3
the energy from the laser beam is absorbed by the metal, causing it to heat up and melt
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C~1D
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.