Synthetic Load Transfer Sling Assembly for Subsea Rigging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional subsea load transfer operations using steel hardware and synthetic slings become cumbersome and heavy due to deeper water depths and increased safety factors, limiting the 'height under hook' of installation vessels and making rigging systems difficult to handle.
Innovation Solution
A synthetic load transfer sling assembly composed of two synthetic slings bound together, eliminating steel components like tri-plates and shackles, and utilizing high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE) fibers for lightweight, flexible, and cost-effective rigging solutions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If traditional steel hardware and synthetic sling hybrid solution is used, then load transfer operations can be performed, but the rigging system becomes very large and heavy, limiting the height under hook of installation vessels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes steel hardware components (shackles, tri-plates, grommets) from the rigging system, retaining only synthetic slings. This extraction eliminates the weight and bulk associated with steel components while maintaining the load-bearing function through properly configured synthetic sling assemblies with adequate safety factors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple synthetic slings into a unified rigging system configuration that achieves both weight reduction and maintained reliability. By merging the functions previously performed by separate steel and synthetic components into an integrated synthetic-only system, the invention achieves lighter weight while preserving structural integrity through proper engineering of the synthetic sling arrangement.
2Ease of operation
If traditional steel hardware and synthetic sling hybrid solution is used, then load transfer operations can be performed, but the rigging system becomes difficult to handle
Solution Approach 1:
By removing steel hardware components that require complex assembly and disassembly procedures, the patent simplifies the rigging system. Synthetic slings alone are more flexible and easier to handle, store, and deploy, reducing the operational complexity despite maintaining full functionality for load transfer operations.
3Reliability
If deeper water depths and increased safety factors are used, then safety is improved, but the rigging system becomes very large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters by using high-performance synthetic materials with superior strength-to-weight ratios compared to steel. This allows achieving the required safety factors for deeper water operations without the volumetric penalty of traditional steel hardware, as the synthetic materials provide equivalent or superior mechanical properties with reduced dimensions.
Data Source
AI summary
A synthetic load transfer assembly. The assembly generally includes a load portion connectable to a connection point (e.g., a shackle) of a load, a first lifting portion connectable to a first lifting device (e.g., a crane of a vessel, a winch of a production system, etc.), and a second lifting portion connectable to a second lifting device (e.g., another crane of the vessel, a crane of another vessel, another winch of the production system, etc.). Load bearing portions connect the load portion to the respective lifting portions. The portions are formed of one or more synthetic materials.