JACKET PILE CLEANOUT APPARATUS

• US 3,646,947 A
• Filed: 06/12/1970
• Issued: 03/07/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ronald Lee Wycoff, William R. Rochelle
• Original Assignee: Ronald Lee Wycoff, William R. Rochelle
• Inventors: Wycoff, Ronald Lee, Rochelle, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bleutge, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US05/057,860
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 134/22C,24,166C,167C,168C,169C
• US Class Current: 134/167.00C
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 17/00 Artificial islands mounted on piles or like supports, e.g. platforms on raisable legs or offshore constructions; Construction methods therefor construction methods for floating platforms B63B75/00; anchoring floating platforms B63B21/00; floating platforms, e.g. anchored, B63B35/44; underwater reservoirs B65D88/78
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 17/0017 Means for protecting offshore constructions
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 17/0034 Maintenance, repair or inspection of offshore constructions
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 5/40 in open water

Abstract

A jacket pile cleanout device for cleaning in situ the interior of an offshore piling including a fluid accumulation jetting chamber for accumulating and jetting a fluid against debris within the interior of a pile casing and a pumping chamber connected with the accumulation chamber. The pumping chamber is fashioned with a fluid inlet and fluid exit with a means for introducing pressurized gas into the interior of the pumping chamber between the fluid inlet and the fluid exit. The pump serves to lift fluid and fragmented matter within the piling to the surface by a gas lift.

Claims

1. A jacket pile cleanout device, designed to clean the interior of an offshore piling extending from within a sea bed to above the surface of the sea for supporting a platform thereon, wherein said piling may be filled or partially filled with sediment or debris, comprising:

a fluid accumulation jetting chamber, having a fluid jetting means communicating with a portion of said accumulation jetting chamber, and a fluid inlet aperture in another portion of said accumulation chamber, whereby pressurized fluid entering said inlet aperture can be momentarily stored in said accumulation chamber and then jetted through said jetting means;

a pumping chamber connected with said accumulation chamber, and having a fluid inlet in one portion thereof;

a fluid exit in another portion thereof, and means attached to said pumping chamber, between said fluid inlet and said fluid exit, to introduce pressurized gas into the interior of said pumping chamber;

whereby when said cleanout device is positioned within an offshore piling, fluid jetting from said jetting chamber will dislodge and fragment matter within the piling and of said fragmented matter will be lifted to the surface through said pumping chamber by gas lift.

2. A jacket pile cleanout device as defined in claim 1 wherein said fluid jetting means comprises:

a first central penetration nozzle;

a second ring of cutting nozzles disposed upstream of said penetration nozzle and a third ring of scouring nozzles disposed upstream of both said penetration and cutting nozzles.

3. A jacket pile cleanout device as defined in claim 1, wherein said means to introduce pressurized gas into said pumping chamber comprises:

a toroidal manifold within said pumping chamber, said manifold containing a plurality of apertures therein to allow pressurized gas to escape therefrom into the interior of said pumping chamber.

4. A pile cleanout device adapted to clean the interior of an offshore piling extending from within a sea bed to above the surface of a sea, for supporting a platform thereon, wherein said piling may be filled or partially filled with sediment or other foreign matter, comprising:

a generally cylindrical accumulation jetting chamber having, a fluid jetting means in one end thereof, and a fluid inlet aperture in the other end thereof, whereby pressurized fluid entering said inlet aperture can be momentarily stored in said accumulation chamber and then jetted through said jetting means;

a generally cylindrical pumping chamber, connected to said accumulation chamber so that the axis thereof is substantially parallel to the axis of said fluid accumulation jetting chamber, and having a fluid inlet in one end thereof, a fluid exit in the other end thereof, and means attached to said pumping chamber between said fluid inlet and said fluid exit to introduce pressurized gas into the interior of said pumping chamber;

whereby when said cleanout device is positioned in an offshore piling, fluid jetting from said jetting chamber will dislodge and fragment matter within the piling and said fragmented matter will be lifted to the surface through said pumping chamber by gas lift.

5. A jacket pile cleanout device as defined in claim 4 wherein said means to introduce pressurized gas into said pumping chamber comprises:

a conduit connected to an aperture within the wall of said cylindrical pumping chamber, and a generally triangularly shaped, toroidal manifold, the base thereof being formed by a portion of the inner surface of said pumping chamber, said manifold being positioned coaxially within said pumping chamber so that said aperture in the wall of said pumping chamber opens directly thereinto, and said toroidal manifold contains a plurality of apertures therein to allow pressurized gas to escape therefrom into the interior of said pumping chamber.

6. A jacket pile cleanout device as defined in claim 4, and further comprising:

a rolling support means connected to said accumulation jetting chamber, and adapted to support said jacket pile cleanout device centrally within said jacket pile casing.

7. A jacket pile cleanout device as defined in claim 6 wherein:

said support means comprises a first set of three rollers connected to said accumulation jetting chamber by support arms radially extending therefrom; and

a second set of three rollers connected to said accumulator jetting chamber by support arms radially extending therefrom and axially spaced from said first set of rollers, whereby said accumulation jetting chamber can be centered within said pile casing and positioned substantially coaxial therewith.

8. A jacket pile cleanout device as defined in claim 7, wherein:

at least a pair of said rollers of said first set and a corresponding pair of said rollers of said second set are connected to said radially extending arms by a multiple pin position connection, whereby removal of a pin of said multiple pin position connection will allow corresponding rollers of said first and said second sets to pivot, thus allowing entry of said jacket pile cleanout device into a lateral opening in said casing with a minimum chordal dimension.

9. A pile cleanout device as defined in claim 4, wherein said fluid jetting means comprises:

a first vertically extending penetration nozzle;

a second plurality of circumferentially disposed cutting or dispersing nozzles positioned upstream of said penetration nozzle and at an acute angle to the vertical; and

a third plurality of circumferentially disposed scouring nozzles positioned upstream of both said penetrating and cutting nozzles.

10. A pile cleanout device adapted to clean the interior of an offshore piling extending from within the bed of a body of water to above the surface of the water, for supporting a platform thereon, wherein said piling may be filled or partially filled with sediment or other debris, said device comprising:

a generally cylindrical, accumulating chamber, having a fluid jetting means in a lower end thereof, a fluid inleT aperture in an upper end thereof, whereby pressurized fluid entering said inlet aperture will be momentarily stored in said accumulation chamber and then jetted through said jetting means;

a generally cylindrical pumping chamber, coaxially connected to and surrounding said accumulation chamber, having a fluid inlet in a lower end thereof, a fluid exit in an upper end thereof, and means within said pumping chamber positioned between said fluid inlet and said fluid exit to introduce a pressurized gas into the interior of said pumping chamber;

whereby with said cleanout device positioned in an offshore piling, fluid jetting from said jetting chamber will dislodge and fragment matter within the piling and said fragmented matter will then be lifted to the surface through said pumping chamber by gas lift.

11. A jacket pile cleanout device as defined in claim 10 wherein said means to introduce pressurized fluid into said pumping chamber comprises:

a conduit extending into said pumping chamber;

a generally triangular toroidal manifold connected to said conduit, the base of said triangular toroidal manifold being formed by a portion of the outer cylindrical wall of said accumulation chamber, and a plurality of apertures formed in said toroidal chamber to allow pressurized gas to escape therefrom into the interior of said pumping chamber.

12. A jacket pile cleanout device as defined in claim 10 wherein:

said fluid jetting means comprises a central nozzle, said central nozzle being surrounded by a plurality of similar fluid jetting nozzles oriented in a generally hemispherical pattern.