Marine Fall Pipe Intermediate Opening Blockage Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Marine fall pipe systems often become blocked when larger rocks or stones interfere, leading to increased weight and potential breakage or loss, as additional blocks accumulate on the blockage, overwhelming the hoisting systems.
Innovation Solution
A marine fall pipe system with an opening arrangement that allows for the creation of an intermediate opening at a specific position along its length, enabling the discharge of blocks above the blockage, thereby preventing additional load accumulation and allowing only the blockage and possibly some top blocks to contribute to the pipe's weight, which is minimized.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the fall pipe remains closed during operation, then the blocks of rock and stone can be continuously discharged at the bottom end, but the fall pipe becomes blocked when larger blocks interfere, causing additional blocks to accumulate and increase the weight and load
Solution Approach 1:
The fall pipe is divided into multiple segments that can be independently disconnected. When a blockage is detected, the connection elements between segments can be disconnected to create an intermediate opening, allowing the upper segment to be separated and its contents discharged, thereby preventing continuous accumulation of blocks and limiting weight increase.
Solution Approach 2:
Connection elements serve as intermediaries between fall pipe segments. These connection elements can be selectively disconnected to create intermediate openings in the fall pipe, enabling controlled discharge points that prevent complete blockage while managing the weight and load distribution along the pipe.
2Reliability
If the fall pipe continues to accumulate blocks due to blockage, then the blocks remain stuck in the pipe, but the fall pipe may break or become too heavy for hoisting systems to handle
Solution Approach 1:
The fall pipe is pre-configured with disconnectable connection elements and predetermined weakened parts that enable rapid disconnection and creation of intermediate openings when blockage is detected. This preliminary preparation allows quick response to blockages before they cause excessive weight accumulation that would exceed hoisting system capacity or cause pipe failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The fall pipe system incorporates predetermined weakened parts designed to break at specific load thresholds. When the load from accumulated blocks exceeds a predetermined limit, these weakened parts break to create intermediate openings, automatically relieving excess load and preventing the fall pipe from becoming too heavy for hoisting systems or suffering structural failure.
3Ease of operation
If connection elements are made disconnectable to provide intermediate openings, then blocks above blockage can be discharged, but the complexity of the fall pipe system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connection elements are designed to be extractable or disconnectable from the fall pipe segments. This allows the upper segment to be separated and removed or repositioned to create an intermediate opening for blockage clearance, providing a simple mechanical solution that doesn't require complex active control systems while still enabling effective blockage management.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a
AI summary
A marine fall pipe system(100) is constructed for placing blocks of stone and/or rock(R) on a seabed(SB) and configured for suspension from a marine vessel(10). The fall pipe system comprisesa substantially tubular fall pipe(100) having an open end for discharging the blocks of rock and/or stone, and the fall pipe system comprises an opening arrangement constructed such as to allow opening the substantially tubular fall pipe to provide an intermediate opening(170) at a position along its length for discharging the blocks of stone and/or rock at said position from the fall pipe.The fall pipe may be locally discontinued by releasing one or more fall pipe segments(110) of the fall pipe,may comprisesfall pipe segmentswith weakened parts where they will break, or a fall pipe segment may be movable sidewards to provide theintermediate opening. Figure6b