Buoyancy systems
First Claim
1. A submersible buoy for use in controlling the descent or ascent in an object in a body of water, comprising, in combination:
- an inflatable, collapsible buoy member including an inlet for receipt and discharge of an inflating medium, said buoy member capable of being inflated from a collapsed state of minimum buoyancy to a fully inflated state of maximum buoyancy,and valve means connected to said inlet and adapted to be connected to a source of inflating medium, said valve means being responsive to variations in the hydrostatic pressure about said buoy when submersed in a body of water to control the amount of inflation of said buoy member by the addition or removal of inflating medium in said buoy member in response to changes in the depth of submergence of said buoy member, while maintaining a relatively small pressure differential between the pressure of said inflating medium and said hydrostatic pressure throughout the depths of submergence of said buoy member in said body of water.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A buoyancy system is disclosed for use in controlling the descent and ascent of an object, such as a pipe line being laid offshore. The system includes a plurality of inflatable, collapsible, submersible buoys which may be remotely controlled by air or other inflating mediums. As each of the buoys, and thus the load connected thereto, is lowered or raised in a body of water the pressure inside the buoys is controlled by a valve which is responsive to the hydro-static pressure in the body of water or the volume of the buoy to maintain a relatively small pressure differential between the pressure inside the buoy and the hydro-static pressure at all depths of submersion whether the amount of buoyancy provided by the buoys is to be positive, negative, or neutral. Also disclosed are a plurality of systems utilizing the submersible buoys of this invention for laying pipe line and other objects on or near the sea bottom.
56 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A submersible buoy for use in controlling the descent or ascent in an object in a body of water, comprising, in combination:
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an inflatable, collapsible buoy member including an inlet for receipt and discharge of an inflating medium, said buoy member capable of being inflated from a collapsed state of minimum buoyancy to a fully inflated state of maximum buoyancy, and valve means connected to said inlet and adapted to be connected to a source of inflating medium, said valve means being responsive to variations in the hydrostatic pressure about said buoy when submersed in a body of water to control the amount of inflation of said buoy member by the addition or removal of inflating medium in said buoy member in response to changes in the depth of submergence of said buoy member, while maintaining a relatively small pressure differential between the pressure of said inflating medium and said hydrostatic pressure throughout the depths of submergence of said buoy member in said body of water. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A buoyancy system for controlling the descent or ascent of an object in a body of water, comprising, in combination:
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a plurality of inflatable, collapsible, submersible buoys, each of said buoys having an inlet for receipt and discharge of an inflating medium, and being capable of being inflated from a collapsed state of minimum buoyancy to a fully inflated state of maximum buoyancy, a source of inflating medium for providing said inflating medium at pressure at least as high as the hydrostatic pressure in said body of water at the greatest depth of submersion of at least one of said submersible buoys; and a plurality of valve means each connected to the inlet of one of said buoys and to said source of inflating medium, each of said valve means being responsive to variations in the hydrostatic pressure about the buoy to which it is connected when it is submerged in said body of water to control the amount of inflation of said buoy by the addition or removal of inflating medium in said buoy in response to changes in the depth of submergence of said buoy, while maintaining a relatively small pressure differential between the pressure of said inflating medium and said hydrostatic pressure throughout the depths of submergence of said buoy in said body of water. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of supporting an object at various depths in a body of water comprising the steps of:
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supporting a major part of the load of said object with a plurality of inflatable, substantially completely collapsible, and relatively easily portable primary buoys submerged in said body of water, each of said buoys being inflatable so as to be substantially surrounded by only said body of water when submerged therein and utilizing a valve means responsive to variations in the hydrostatic pressure about said buoy when submerged in said body of water to automatically control the inflation of each of said buoys in response to the depth of submergence of said buoy during either ascent or descent of said buoys while maintaining a substantially constant relatively small pressure differential between the pressure of said inflating medium and the hydrostatic pressure at any selected depth in said body of water. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A buoyancy system for aid in controlling the descent, ascent, and positioning of a vertical riser extending in a body of water from sea bottom to a drillship comprising, in combination:
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a plurality of inflatable, collapsible, submersible buoys positioned at spaced intervals about said riser, each of said buoys having an inlet for receipt and discharge of an inflating medium, and being capable of being inflated from a collapsed state of minimum buoyancy to a fully inflated state of maximum buoyancy, a source of inflating medium for providing said inflating medium at pressure at least as high as the hydrostatic pressure in said body of water at the greatest depth of submersion of at least one of said submersible buoys; and a plurality of valve means each connected to the inlet of one of said buoys and to said source of inflating medium, each of said valve means being responsive to variations in the hydrostatic pressure about the buoy to which it is connected when it is submerged in said body of water to control the amount of inflation of the buoy by the addition or removal of inflating medium in said buoy in response to changes in the depth of submergence of said buoy, while maintaining a relatively small differential between the pressure of said inflating medium in said buoy and said hydrostatic pressure about the buoy throughout the depths of submergence of said buoy in said body of water.
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28. A method of aiding in the control of the descent, ascent, and positioning of a vertical riser extending in a body of water from sea bottom to a drillship, comprising the steps of:
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supporting a major part of the load of said object with a plurality of inflatable, substantially completely collapsible, and relatively easily portable buoys positioned at spaced intervals about said riser and submerged in said body of water, each of said buoys being inflatable so as to be substantially surrounded only by said body of water when submerged therein and utilizing a valve means responsive to variations in the hydrostatic pressure about said buoy when submerged in said body of water to automatically control the inflation of each of said buoys in response to the depth of submergence of said buoy while maintaining a substantially constant relatively small pressure differential between the pressure of said inflating medium and the hydrostatic pressure at the depth of the respective buoy in said body of water.
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Specification