Underwater work platform support system
First Claim
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1. A support system for supporting an underwater work platform in a controlled underwater position comprising:
- a work platform submerged in a body of water;
a support structure capable supported by the body of water above the work platform;
a plurality of cables connected between the support structure and the work platform for supporting the work platform;
motion sensing means associated with the support structure for sensing motion of the support structure in the body of water; and
length adjusting means responsive to the motion sensing means for adjusting a length of at least one of the cables in response to the sensed motions of the support structure.
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Abstract
A support system for supporting an underwater work platform includes a work platform submerged in a body of water and a support structure supported by the body of water above the work platform. The work platform is supported by a plurality of cables connected between the support structure and the work platform. Motions of the support structure in the body of water are sensed, and the length of the cables is adjusted in response to the sensed motions of the support structure so that the work platform can be maintained stationary even when the support structure is subjected to wave forces and currents.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A support system for supporting an underwater work platform in a controlled underwater position comprising:
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a work platform submerged in a body of water; a support structure capable supported by the body of water above the work platform; a plurality of cables connected between the support structure and the work platform for supporting the work platform; motion sensing means associated with the support structure for sensing motion of the support structure in the body of water; and length adjusting means responsive to the motion sensing means for adjusting a length of at least one of the cables in response to the sensed motions of the support structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30)
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15. A support system for supporting an underwater work platform in a controlled underwater position comprising:
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a work platform capable of being submerged in a body of water; a support structure capable of being supported by the body of water above the work platform; a plurality of cables connected between the work platform and the support structure for supporting the work platform; tension sensing means associated with at least one of the cables for sensing a tension of the at least one of the cables; and buoyancy adjusting means responsive to the tension sensing means for adjusting buoyancy of the work platform in response to changes in the sensed tension.
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16. A support system for supporting an underwater work platform comprising:
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a work platform submerged in a body of water and having three lower support points defining a lower equilateral triangle; a support structure supported by the body of water above the work platform and having three upper support points defining an upper equilateral triangle; six cables connected between the work platform and the support structure and supporting the work platform, two of the cables being connected to the work platform in a vicinity of each of the lower support points and two of the cables being supported by the support structure in a vicinity of each of the upper support points; six winches mounted on the support structure, each winch connected to a corresponding one of the cables for adjusting the length of the corresponding cable; motion sensing means for sensing motion of the support structure in the body of water; and means for operating the winches in response to the sensed motion to adjust the lengths of the cables to compensate for the motions of the support structure. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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17. A method for controlling an underwater work platform comprising:
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supporting a work platform submerged in a body of water by a plurality of cables connected between the work platform and a support structure disposed above the work platform; sensing a tension in at least one of the cables; and adjusting the buoyancy of the work platform in response to changes in the sensed tension.
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31. A support system for supporting an underwater work platform in a controlled underwater position comprising:
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a work platform submerged in a body of water and having three lower support points defining a lower triangle; a support structure supported by the body of water above the work platform and having three upper support points defining an upper triangle; six cables connected between the work platform and the support structure and supporting the work platform, each of the upper support points being connected to one of the lower support points by one of the cables and connected to another of the lower support points by another of the cables; and length adjusting means operatively associated with at least two of the cables for independently adjusting the lengths of the at least two of the cables. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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35. A support system for supporting an underwater work platform comprising:
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a work platform submerged in a body of water and having three lower support points defining a lower triangle; a support structure comprising a plurality of vessels floating in the body of water above the work platform and having three support points defining an upper triangle, each vessel having at least one of the support points; and six cables connected between the work platform and the support structure and supporting the work platform, each of the upper support points being connected to one of the lower support points by one of the cables and connected to another of the lower support points by another of the cables.
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36. A support system for supporting an underwater work platform in a controlled underwater position comprising:
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a work platform submerged in a body of water; a support structure capable supported by the body of water above the work platform; a plurality of cables connected between the support structure and the work platform for supporting the work platform; and length adjusting means operatively associated with the cables for adjusting lengths of one or more of the cables to move the work platform relative to the support structure with six degrees of freedom. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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39. A method for controlling an underwater position of an underwater work platform comprising:
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supporting a work platform submerged in a body of water by six cables connected between three lower support points on the work platform and three upper support points on a support structure floating in the body of water above the work platform, each of the upper support points being connected to one of the lower support points by one of the cables and connected to another of the lower support points by another of the cables; sensing motion of the support structure in the body of water; and adjusting the length of at least one of the cables in response to the sensed motion of the support structure to compensate for the sensed motion to maintain the work platform substantially stationary. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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43. A support system for supporting an underwater body in a controlled position comprising:
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a first body submerged in water; a second body supported by the water above the first body; a plurality of tension members extending between lower support points on the first body and upper support points on the second body, each of the upper support points being connected with one of the lower support points by one of the tension members and connected to another of the lower support points by another of the tension members; a plurality of length adjusting mechanisms each associated with a corresponding one of the tension members for adjusting a length of the corresponding tension member. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
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46. A method of controlling a position of an underwater body comprising:
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supporting a first body submerged in water by a plurality of tension members connected between a plurality of lower support points on the first body and a plurality of upper support points on a second body floating in the water above the first body, each of the upper support points being connected to one of the lower support points by one of the tension members and connected to another of the lower support points by another of the tension members; adjusting lengths of a plurality of the tension members while maintaining all the tension members in tension to adjust a position of the first body.
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Specification