METHOD OF LAYING A PIPE BUNDLE ON THE SEABED

• US 20200132224A1
• Filed: 12/08/2017
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: SOERENSEN, JOHNNY
• Granted Patent: US 11,274,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 1/18 the pipes being S- or J-shaped and under tension during laying
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 1/203 the pipes being wound spirally prior to laying
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/233 by means of a flexible band
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 9/20 Pipe assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 1/10 in or under water

Abstract

Provided is a method of laying empty pipes on the seabed, which method includes arranging a plurality of empty pipes in a bundle; arranging a bundle-strengthening element in a cavity defined by the pipes of the bundle; binding the bundle; and lowering the bundle to the seabed.

Claims

1. A method of laying empty pipes on the seabed, the method comprising:

arranging a plurality of empty pipes in a bundle;

arranging at least one bundle-strengthening element in a cavity defined by the pipes of the bundle;

binding the bundle; and

lowering the bundle to a seabed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the radius of the bundle-strengthening element is chosen such that the bundle-strengthening element touches all empty pipes of the bundle.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the weight of a bundle-strengthening element is chosen to counteract the buoyancy of the empty pipes.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of binding the bundle comprises wrapping tape around the bundle.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the empty pipes have the same diameter.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein an empty pipe is an unarmoured pipe.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of lowering the bundle to the seabed is followed by a horizontal directional drilling procedure to bury the bundle under the seabed.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of lowering the bundle to the seabed is followed by a step of installing a transmission cable arrangement into a pipe.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of lowering the bundle to the seabed is followed by a step of subsequently pumping water into the pipe.

10. A bundling system realized to carry out the steps of the method according to claim 1, the bundling system comprising:

a plurality of drums, each drum carrying a coiled empty pipe;

at least one further drum carrying a coiled bundle-strengthening element;

a bundling unit adapted to arrange a plurality of empty pipes in a bundle and to arrange a bundle-strengthening element in a cavity in the interior of the bundle.

11. The bundling system according to claim 10, comprising a binding unit adapted to bind the bundle.

12. The bundling system according to claim 10, further comprising a feeding unit adapted to feed the bundle onto or into the seabed.

13. The bundling system according to claim 10, wherein the bundle-strengthening element comprises a communications cable or an empty tube realized to accommodate a communications cable.

14. The bundling system according to claim 10, wherein a bundle-strengthening element comprises a wire rope.

15. The bundling system according to claim 14, wherein the bundling system is installed on a marine vessel.