Shallow Sea Outfall Pipeline Mounting with Four-Pontoon Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The mounting of sea outfall pipelines in shallow sections is challenging due to their long distance, inaccessibility at low tide, and the need for precise construction during high tide, which complicates the installation process and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing four specially-designed pontoon apparatuses with hoisting supports, traction winches, and anchor windlasses to assemble pipeline sections within a pre-excavated foundation trench, allowing for precise positioning and disassembly of pipeline ends, reducing the need for companion ships and minimizing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional mounting methods are used for sea outfall pipelines in shallow sections, then the pipeline can be installed, but the construction time is excessive and the available window period during high tide is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The pipeline is divided into multiple sections that can be pre-assembled on land and then mounted in sequence in the shallow sea section. The pontoon apparatus is also segmented into multiple units that can work cooperatively, allowing parallel operations and reducing overall construction time
Solution Approach 2:
Foundation trenches are pre-excavated in the shallow sea section before pipeline installation. Pipeline sections are pre-assembled with flanges and connection components on land, and the pontoon apparatus is pre-positioned and anchored before the actual pipeline mounting begins, maximizing the utilization of the limited high tide window period
2Ease of operation
If pipeline sections are assembled in the shallow section with long distance, then the pipeline can be installed, but the mounting technique becomes quite difficult and requires high control
Solution Approach 1:
The pontoon apparatus serves as an intermediary platform between the land-based assembly area and the final pipeline position in the shallow sea. It provides a stable, floating workspace with integrated hoisting, traction, and positioning systems that simplify the complex operation of installing pipelines in difficult-to-reach shallow water areas
Solution Approach 2:
The pontoon apparatus is designed as a multi-functional device that combines hoisting support, traction winching, anchor positioning, and pipeline guidance capabilities in a single integrated platform. This universal device can handle various pipeline sections and mounting scenarios, reducing the need for multiple specialized equipment and simplifying the overall mounting process
3Reliability
If the shallow section is inaccessible at low tide, then the pipeline can be protected from exposure, but construction can only be carried out during high tide resulting in a short available window period
Solution Approach 1:
Foundation trenches are pre-excavated and prepared before the high tide window begins. All pontoon apparatus are pre-positioned, anchored, and equipped with necessary tools and materials. Pipeline sections are pre-assembled on land with connection components ready, so that when high tide occurs, the mounting operation can begin immediately and be completed efficiently within the limited time window
Solution Approach 2:
The pontoon apparatus enables continuous mounting operations during the high tide period without interruption. Multiple pontoons work in parallel to assemble different pipeline sections simultaneously. The coordinated operation of hoisting, traction, and positioning systems ensures that the pipeline installation process continues smoothly from start to finish within the available window period, maximizing productivity
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 method effectively addresses the installation challenges by ensuring structural safety, reducing construction time and costs, and minimizing environmental impact while maintaining pipeline quality.
Implementation Method 1
two pontoon bodies (10) are disposed in parallel at a spacing greater than a diameter of the sea outfall pipeline, so that there is a pipeline channel between the two pontoon bodies (10)
Implementation Method 2
the spreader includes two sets of sheave blocks, two hoisting winches, and one hoisting steel wire rope; fixed pulleys of the two sets of sheave blocks are suspended in one-to-one correspondence on the middles of bottom surfaces of the two longitudinal beams of the hoisting support respectively
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a mounting method for a sea outfall pipeline in a shallow section, including a preparation process and a construction process. The preparation process includes a pipeline pre-submergence preparation step and a pontoon apparatus positioning step. At the pipeline pre-submergence preparation step, a female flange and a male flange are welded in one-to-one correspondence at two ends of a pipeline section, blind flanges are fixed to outer ends of the female flange and the male flange respectively. At the pontoon apparatus positioning step, from front to back, a first pontoon apparatus to a fourth pontoon apparatus are sequentially anchored and positioned at a certain spacing, the first pontoon apparatus and the fourth pontoon apparatus are used in one-to-one correspondence for dismounting the blind flanges at the two ends of the pipeline section, the second pontoon apparatus and the third pontoon apparatus are used for mounting the pipeline section.