ROV Cable Routing Pulley System Preventing Umbilical Entanglement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing launch and recovery systems for remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) face challenges with entanglement of umbilical and lifting cables during launching and recovering operations, especially in deep water scenarios.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus employs a system of separate pulley mechanisms and clips to manage the umbilical and lifting cables, ensuring they follow distinct paths and reducing the likelihood of entanglement, with additional safety measures like snap-hooks and rope segments to secure the cables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate pulley mechanisms are used for lifting and umbilical cables, then cable entanglement is prevented, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the cable management function into separate pulley mechanisms: a first pulley mechanism for the lifting cable and a second pulley mechanism for the umbilical cable. This segmentation prevents cable entanglement by giving each cable its own dedicated path and control mechanism, directly resolving the technical contradiction between reliability and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The pulley mechanisms act as intermediary elements between the cables and the ROV housing. The first pulley mechanism mediates the lifting cable's interaction with the housing, while the second pulley mechanism mediates the umbilical cable's interaction, preventing direct contact and potential entanglement between the two cables.
2Reliability
If clips are used to secure cables to housing, then operational safety is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clips serve as combining elements that attach both the lifting cable and umbilical cable to the housing structure at appropriate locations. This merging approach secures both cables simultaneously through a simple clipping mechanism, enhancing safety without significantly increasing system complexity.
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
This configuration effectively prevents cable entanglement and enhances operational safety by maintaining separate paths for the umbilical and lifting cables, facilitating smooth submersion and retrieval of ROVs in deep waters.
Implementation Method 1
a first pulley mechanism attached to the support structure and comprising first and second pulleys; a second pulley mechanism attached to the housing and moveable relative to the support structure and comprising third and fourth pulleys
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2~4
AI summary
An apparatus comprises a housing (110) for carrying a remotely operated vehicle, a support structure (120) and a first pulley mechanism (130) attached to the support structure (120), a second pulley mechanism (140) attached to the housing (110) and moveable relative to the support structure (120), a third pulley mechanism (150) attached to the housing and moveable relative to the support structure (120). The first, second and the third pulleys are configured to cooperate so as to collectively form a first path for supporting a first cable (160) and second path for supporting a second cable (170), the first path and the second path being separate from each other.