Water jet system for trenching of pipelines

• US 5,288,172 A
• Filed: 05/05/1993
• Issued: 02/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Helix Energy Solutions Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cal DIVE International Incorporated
• Inventors: Reuhl, Gerald G.
• Primary Examiner(s): CORBIN, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US08/057,608
• Time in Patent Office: 293 Days
• Field of Search: 405/73, 405/74, 405/159, 405/160, 405/161, 405/162, 405/163, 37/323, 37/342, 37/343, 37/344
• US Class Current: 405/163
• CPC Class Codes: E02B 3/023 Removing sediments in barrages or reservoirs E02B8/02
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/104 for burying conduits or cables in trenches under water floating substructures per se E02F9/06
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/107 using blowing-effect devices, e.g. jets digging devices using a blowing effect per se E02F3/9206
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 10/00 at coastal zones; at river basins

Abstract

A water jet system for trenching of a cable or a pipe below the floor of a river, lake, gulf or ocean bottom. Two opposed water jet legs are carried on a carriage forward of venturi tubes for disposing of the trenched bottom. The carriage includes a hydraulically powered track system for advancing along the length of the cable or pipeline. The water jets are a plurality of nozzles mounted in a rotating tube at different angular directions. When the nozzle tube rotates within the housing and the nozzles pass by different openings at different heights, the jets'"'"' high pressure water shoot forth. The high pressure action of the streams of water loosen the sediment below the floor of the body of water, which is subsequently carried away by air or water action through venturi tubes which are positioned behind the jet legs. The jet legs and carriage are positioned, controlled and powered from a work vessel on the surface of the water.

Claims

1. A water jet leg for trenching underwater comprising:

a. an enclosed housing having a surface surrounding a central axis of said housing and having at least one opening formed through said surface with said opening only partially surrounding said axis;

b. a hollow member disposed within said housing and mounted for rotation about said axis, said hollow member having a nozzle secured thereto for rotation therewith, said nozzle communicating with an interior of said hollow member, said nozzle disposed to be exposed through said opening during only a portion of angular displacement of said nozzle about said axis, said nozzle sealed from said opening during a remainder of said angular displacement;

c. means for rotating said member relative to said housing about said axis; and

,

d. means for supplying liquid into said member under pressure for ejecting a stream through said nozzle when said nozzle is aligned with said opening.

2. A water jet lag system according to claim 1 wherein said nozzle is disposed to project fluid from said member at an angle relative to a radius line from said axis.

3. A water jet system comprising:

a. a vertical cylindrical housing with a closed end and a plurality of spaced openings along a longitudinal length of said housing;

b. a hollow cylindrical member and means for rotatably mounting said member in said vertical cylindrical housing for rotation about said cylindrical axis relative to said housing, a plurality of nozzles carried on said member for rotation therein, said nozzles disposed to be exposed through an opening during at least a portion of an angular displacement of said member about said axis and said nozzle sealed from said opening during a remainder of said angular displacement;

c. means for rotating said hollow cylindrical member about said axis; and

,

d. means for supplying liquid under pressure into said hollow cylindrical member for forming jet streams of water exiting said nozzles.

4. A water jet system according to claim 3 wherein said nozzles include means for projecting a fluid from said member at an angle relative to a radius line extending from said axis.

5. A water jet leg for trenching a pipeline, flexible pipeline or cable underwater comprising:

a. a vertical cylindrical housing with a closed end and a plurality of spaced openings along a longitudinal length of said housing, each of said openings extending from first to second ends in a circumferential arc partially surrounding a cylindrical axis of said housing;

b. a hollow cylindrical member disposed coaxially within said housing for rotation about said axis, said member having a plurality of nozzles disposed along a longitudinal length of said member and with of said openings for said nozzle to be exposed through said opening during a portion of an angular displacement of said member about said axis;

c. said housing sealed against said member for liquid under pressure to be restrained from flowing through said nozzle except when said nozzle is exposed through said opening;

d. means for rotating said hollow cylindrical member about said axis; and

,

e. means for supplying liquid under pressure into said hollow cylindrical member for forming jet streams of water exiting said nozzles.

6. The water jet leg of claim 5 comprising four of said openings spaced along said longitudinal length of said housing.

7. The water jet leg of claim 5 comprising three nozzles aligned for each of said openings.

8. The water jet leg of claim 7 wherein said nozzles are spaced at 120°

.

9. The water jet leg of claim 5 wherein said nozzles at an opening adjacent a distal end of said housing are at different levels within vertical height of said lowest opening for generating a V-groove in a trench.

10. The water jet lag according to 5 wherein said nozzles include means for projecting a fluid from said member at an angle relative to a radius line extending from said axis.

11. The water jet lag according to claim 10 wherein said plurality of nozzles are provided with differing angles of projection.

12. A tracker for burying pipe, flexible pipe or a cable by water jet legs comprising:

a. a frame including opposing sides spaced apart a distance sized for said pipe to pass between said sides;

b. two spaced axles between said opposing sides and extending transverse to a length of a pipe between said sides, a sprocket on each of said axles;

c. an endless chain engaged about said sprockets with a leg of said chain opposing said length of said pipe and generally parallel thereto;

d. a traction cushion block attached to each chain link of said endless chain, said cushion having a surface opposing and abutting said length of said pipe in force transmitting relation when said link is moved to said leg;

e. means for driving one of said sprockets; and

,

f. means for supporting two opposing water jet legs from opposing sides of said tracker.

13. The tracker of claim 12 including means for supporting two opposing eductor means from opposing sides of said tracker and spaced from water jet legs.

14. The tracker of claim 12 including mounting plate means to pivot said legs independently with respect to each other.

15. The tracker of claim 12 including means to pivot said eductor means independently with respect to each other.

16. A system for burying a pipeline, flexible pipeline or cable comprising:

a. a tracker for water jet legs comprising a frame including opposing sides, two spaced axles between said opposing sides, a sprocket on each of said axles, an endless chain engaged about said sprockets, a geometrically configured traction cushion block attached to each chain link of said endless chain, means for driving one of said sprockets, and means for supporting two opposing water jet legs from opposing sides of said tracker; and

,

b. a water jet leg comprising a vertical cylindrical housing with a closed end and a plurality of spaced openings along a longitudinal length of said housing, internal cylindrical spacers about an internal circumference between edges of each of said openings, a hollow cylindrical member with a plurality of nozzles substantially aligned at a height of each of said openings, said nozzles including at least one hole at an angle of 0°

-180°

in the x, y, and z axis, means for rotating said hollow cylindrical member and affixed to said vertical cylindrical housing, and means for supplying liquid under pressure into said hollow cylindrical member for forming jet streams of water exiting said nozzles at predetermined angles.

17. The system of claim 16 including eductor for clearing trenched debris.

18. The system of claim 16 including air means to power said eductor means.

19. The system of claim 16 including water means to power said eductor means.

20. A water jet system, comprising:

a. a vertical cylindrical housing with a closed end and at least one opening, said opening having a top and a bottom, and said housing having a longitudinal axis;

b. a hollow cylindrical member and means for rotatably mounting said member in said vertical cylindrical housing for rotation about said axis relative to said housing;

c. at least three nozzles carried on said member for rotation therewith, said nozzle disposed to be exposed through said opening during at least a portion of an angular displacement of said member about said axis, a first of said nozzles being disposed proximate said top of said opening, said first nozzles pointing downward, a second of said nozzles being disposed proximate said bottom of said opening, said second nozzle pointing upward, and a third of said nozzles being disposed between said first and second nozzles, said third nozzle pointing proximately horizontally;

d. said nozzle sealed from said opening during a remainder of said angular displacement;

e. means for a rotating said hollow cylindrical member about said axis; and

f. means for supplying liquid under pressure into said hollow cylindrical member for forming jet streams of water exiting said nozzles, whereby a first of said jet streams exiting said first nozzle is directed downward, a second of said jet streams exiting said second nozzle is directed upward, and a third of said jet streams exiting said third nozzle is directed proximately horizontal.

21. A water jet system in accordance with claim 20, wherein each said nozzle is proximately equally spaced from each other horizontally.

22. A water jet system in accordance with claim 20, wherein at least one of said nozzles projects a jet stream of water at a horizontal angle relative to a radius line extending from said axis.

23. A water jet system in accordance with claim 20, wherein said first nozzle points downward relative to horizontal proximately 52.5°

and said second nozzle points upward relative to horizontal 52.5°

.