APPARATUS FOR UNDERWATER COVERING OF A LINE, SUCH AS A PIPELINE AND/OR OTHER OBJECTS, WITH LOOSE MATERIAL

Abstract: Apparatus for underwater covering of a pipe line (10) or the like with loose bulk material (15), comprising a floating apparatus, a chute (1) suspended therefrom and hanging down vertically the lower end portion of said chute being angularly adjustable with respect to the main portion about a horizontal hinge (6) pin extending in the direction of movement of the floating apparatus and preferably as well about a hinge pin perpendicular to the first mentioned hinge pin as well as rotatable about a vertical axis, said lower portion of the chute (2) having at its lower end means for deflecting the flow of loose material in an essentially horizontal direction which is parallel to the main direction of travel of the floating apparatus.

Description: The invention relates to an apparatus for under­ water covering of a line, such as a pipeline laid on the bottom of the water or in a trench of the bottom of the water, with loose material, said apparatus comprising a floating apparatus, a chute which is suspended therefrom and hangs down vertically with its mouth at a distance above the pipeline, and means for positioning the mouth of the chute relative to the pipeline. Such an apparatus is known, for example from DE-A-­ 28 22 974. In this known apparatus the mixture of water and loose material, which is, for example, sucked up from the hold of a ship or is supplied in some other way, is directed at the pipeline to be covered through a pipe hanging down vertically. The lower end of the chute is vertically adjustable for the purpose of keep­ ing the mouth of the chute at a distance above the pipeline to be covered. In addition, said bottom end is adjustable in various directions by means of hauling cables which run upwards at an angle in various direc­ tions to the floating apparatus and are connected to winches, in order to hold the mouth of the chute as well as possible above the pipeline when the floating apparatus is moved by means of its drive elements, operating in the longitudinal and transverse directions along the course of the pipeline. This floating apparatus is itself affected by the wash of the waves and the current or wind forces. It is therefore difficult with this known apparatus to keep the mouth of the chute in the correct manner above the pipeline. The result of this is that the loose material coming out of the chute is deposited over a wider area than is necessary for covering the pipe. This is partly due to deviations between the course of the pipe to be covered and the actual travel path of the floating ap­ paratus. Since the latter is very bulky, corrections of the travel direction are slow to take place, and they require the longitudinal and transverse screws or other positioning means such as propulsion means based on the Voigt-Schneider principle to be in constant operation. The consequent unavoidable transverse spread of the loose material delays the operation of covering the pipe with loose material and means a loss of loose material because the loose material deposited beside the pipe is not beneficially used for covering of the pipe. The jet of loose material emerging from the chute has a high velocity, due to the action of the delivery pump forcing the mixture in the chute downwards, and due to the force of gravity. This jet of loose material can damage the pipe to be covered, in particular if the loose material contains coarse-grained material such as gravel and/or stones, which are desirable to give bulk to the covering layer. As a result of the transverse spread, the jet of loose material can also erode the bottom on either side of the pipeline to be covered. The object of the invention is then to produce an apparatus by means of which it is possible to position accurately the mouth of the chute, despite deviating movements of the floating apparatus, with considerably lower energy consumption and at the same time avoiding damage to the pipe to be covered and erosion of the bot­ tom. This object is achieved according to the invention in the first place through the fact that the chute is provided, at a distance up from the mouth, with a horizontal hinge whose hinge pin is parallel to the main direction of travel of the floating apparatus, means are provided for adjusting the angular position of the part of the chute below the hinge relative to the part above it, and the chute has at its lower end means for deflecting the flow of loose material in an essentially horizontal direction before said flow emerges, this direction being parallel to the main direction of travel of the floating apparatus. The hinge directed in the main direction of travel on the lower part of the chute, with its adjusting means, such as hydraulic cylinders, permits rapid correction of the mouth. This correction facility is not affected by the slowness of the floating apparatus, whose path can now be easily corrected. The transverse spread of the loose material can easily be avoided in this way. The adjustment of the angular position of the lower part of the chute requires little energy, the con­ sequence of this being that less energy is needed for positioning of the floating apparatus. It is sufficient to position the latter roughly and to carry out the fine adjustment at the lower end of the chute by setting the angular position about the horizontal hinge. Due to the fact that the lower end of the chute is also provided with means for deflecting the direction of flow of the loose material to a horizontal jet, damage to the pipe to be covered and erosion of the bottom are avoided. The jet is now no longer directed straight at the pipe to be covered, but is diverted in a direction which is at a distance above the pipe to be covered and, after the emergence of the jet from the mouth, a divi­ sion between the constituents making up the flow of mix­ ture takes place. This thus means that the water of the flow of mixture dissipates into the surrounding water, while the heavier constituents of the loose material sink to the bottom, and thus onto the pipe to be covered. However, this takes place with less force than in the case of a jet directed straight down. Under the influence of wind and current conditions, the direction of travel of the floating apparatus can form an angle with the course of the pipe to be covered, and this angle can vary. If just a single horizontal hinge pin is used, it is no longer very easy to direct the mouth correctly relative to the pipe to be covered, because the emerging jet will also form an angle with the course of the pipe. Provision can now be made for this according to the invention, in that the chute is provided with a second horizontal hinge whose pin is perpendicular to that of the first hinge, and means are provided for adjustment relative to each other of the angular position of the chute parts on either side of this second hinge. With the second horizontal hinge, corrections are possible, so that in this case, i.e. with a deviating direction of travel, the mouth can be held better above the course of the pipeline. The best solution is obtained if according to the invention the chute is rotatably fixed above the horizontal hinge(s) at the part of the chute above said hinge(s) on a pin which coincides with the central axis of the part of the chute above said hinge(s). A single horizontal hinge whose hinge pin runs parallel to the main direction of travel together with the vertical swivel pin of the chute makes it possible to direct the emerging jet correctly. For, by turning about the vertical axis, one can ensure that the horizontal hinge is always parallel to the course of the pipe, and the lower end of the chute can thereby be held above the pipe to be covered. By means of the second horizontal hinge pin, the angle of emergence can also be influenced, so that slight deviations of the emerging jet relative to the horizontal are possible. Through the deflection of the flow of mixture and the accurate con­ trol facility for the low bulk of the lower end of the chute, better depositing efficiency is achieved, with lower energy consumption, and a consequent saving in costs. Besides, there is no longer any danger of damage to the pipe to be covered, and no erosion of the sur­ rounding area now occurs. The vertical swivel pin of the chute at a point above the horizontal hinge pin(s) can be at any desired point above said pin(s), thus either near the horizontal hinge or near the upper end of the chute or at any desired point between these. The deflection of the jet can be produced according to the invention in various ways. For example, it is possible to bend the lower end through at least 90 de­ grees, preferably through essentially 100 degrees. This jet pipe obtained through bending can be directed in the direction of travel, but it can also be directed in the opposite direction. It is also possible for the chute to have two out­ let pipe parts bent in opposite directions, so that loose material can be deposited simultaneously forwards and backwards on the pipe to be covered. It is also possible to make provision according to the invention for the chute to have at a distance below its lower end an essentially horizontal impact plate, provided with side walls which define the outflow open­ ing directed in the main direction of travel forwards and/or backwards. This produces a calmer flow of loose material, which flows over the front edge and/or rear edge of the impact plate. According to the invention, said impact plate can have at the outflow opening(s) an overflow edge some distance above the face of the impact plate. An upward component is hereby given to the overflowing mass. The impact plate can also be the bottom of a box connecting with the chute and having one or more outflow openings in said side wall(s), which are transverse to the main direction of travel. With the apparatus according to the invention it is possible to direct a mixture of water and sand onto the pipe to be covered, just as with the apparatus known from DE-A-28 22 974. In pipelines for the transportation of gas or oil it is desirable to use a covering of suf­ ficient weight, in order to prevent these pipelines from drifting up. With the apparatus according to the invention, which is characterized in that a jet of loose material emerges from the mouth of the chute, which is directed essentially horizontally, and emerges at a distance above the pipeline to be covered, it is now easier to add coarse-grained material, such as gravel and/or stones, to the mixture of water and loose material. For this coarse-grained material is no longer directed straight at the pipe to be covered, and cannot damage it. In addition, one can now vary the composition of the layer as desired. Apart from water, the mixture can consist of sand and gravel, sand, gravel and stones, or gravel and stones of varying dimensions. If the jet is directed downstream, i.e. viewed in the direction of movement sprayed forward, then the heavier parts will land on the pipe to be covered closest to the mouth, and the lighter parts will be carried away further, but will thereby cover the pipe earlier than the heavier parts, so that the latter come to rest on top of the lighter parts. If the flow from the mouth is directed upstream, i.e. directed backwards, the opposite will take place, and the lighter parts will come to rest on the heavier parts. If the jet emerges both forwards and backwards, then a combination of these two effects is obtained. Apart from the avoidance of damage to the pipe to be covered, a filter build-up of the covering layer is thus also obtained. Moreover, the lighter parts will be spread over a somewhat wider range than the heavier parts, which permits a good transition to the original bottom. It is pointed out that a pipe projecting under water, having a bent lower end and being capable of pivoting about a horizontal hinge is known per se, for example from DE-A-17 56 049, but it is for a suction line, and not for a deposit pipe, and is not for covering a pipeline. It is also pointed out that it is known from NL-A-­ 6607965 when passing a pipe, line or cables under a channel, by means of a flushing device conveyed through the bottom of the channel simultaneously with the flushing of the pipe in the groove formed on the flushed line or pipe, through a feed pipe bent at right angles to spray a thixotropic medium on the line in the groove. Here the problems of depositing on a pipeline or the like to be covered do not occur. The invention will now be explained in greater detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a side view of a chute according to the invention for use in the process according to the invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the apparatus of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side view of a variant of the apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 shows the position of the apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2 in top view. Figs. 5 and 6 show in side view variants of the mouth of the chute. Figs. 1 and 2 show a chute 1 whose upper end (not shown) is suspended from a hopper vessel containing the bulk material, which is transformed with water to a pumpable mixture and fed to the chute 1. The feed of the bulk material to the chute can take place in any suitable manner, such as in the form of a pumpable mixture, but also by means of a grab or conveyor belt. The lower part of the chute is formed by a part 2 with an elbow bend type of lower part 3 whose mouth 4 has a central axis 5 which forms an angle of about 10 degrees with the horizontal. This lower part 2 is fixed by means of a horizontal hinge 6 to a chute part 7 which by means of a slewing ring 8 is rotatably fastened to the chute 1. Between the part 2 and the pipe part 7 is a hydraulic cylinder 9, by means of which the angular position about the horizontal hinge 6 can be set. If the central axis of the chute 1 is not directly above the pipeline 10, the mouth 4 can thus easily be taken precisely above the pipeline 10, by adjusting the angular position by means of the cylinder 9, and applying the covering 11 in such a way that it fills and totally covers the channel 12 containing the pipeline 10. The direction of movement can be in the direction of the arrow 13 of Fig. 1, but it can also be in the opposite direction. If the movement is in the direction of the arrow 13, the heavier stones 14 will fall first on the pipe 10 and into the channel 12, and the smaller parts 15 will fall on the heavier parts 14. With movement in the opposite direction the reverse is the case. As can be seen from Fig. 4, the ship 16 can be forced by wind and current to sail in such a way that the longitudinal axis 17 thereof forms an angle with the course of the pipeline 10. If only the horizontal hinge 6 were present, this would mean that the mouth of the lower part would not be correctly directed. In order to permit the correct adjustment, provision is made for the slewing ring 8 with drive means 18 (shown only schematically) shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Through turning about the vertical axis of the chute 1 it can be ensured that the direction of outflow from the mouth 4 is always correct. Instead of the slewing ring 8, it is also possible to use near the horizontal hinge 6 with cylinder 9 a second horizontal hinge 19 with cylinder 20, in which case the axis of the hinge 19 is perpendicular to that of the hinge 6. In order to keep the drawing clear, these hinges are shown above one another in Fig. 3. They can, however, lie in the same plane in the manner of a cardan hinge. These two hinges 6 and 19 can be sufficient to compensate for deviations in the position of the ship. A combination with the slewing ring 8 is, however, also conceivable. Fig. 3 also shows that instead of one elbow-shaped bend, the lower part 2′ can be provided with two bends 21 and 22 facing in opposite directions. Fig. 5 shows a lower part of the chute where at a distance below the chute an impact plate 23 is fitted with overflow edges 24, 25 and side walls 26. The material coming out of the chute hits the plate 23 and is diverted forwards and/or backwards. Fig. 6 shows that the impact plate 23 can be the bottom of a box 27 with one or more openings 28 in the side wall.

Claims: 1. Apparatus for underwater covering of a line, such as a pipeline laid on the bottom of the water or in a trench of the bottom of the water, with loose material, said apparatus comprising a floating ap­ paratus, a chute which is suspended therefrom and hangs down vertically with its mouth at a distance above the pipeline, and means for positioning the mouth of the chute relative to the pipeline, characterized in that the chute is provided, at a distance up from the mouth, with a horizontal hinge whose hinge pin is parallel to the main direction of travel of the floating apparatus, means are provided for adjusting the angular position of the part of the chute below the hinge relative to the part above it, and the chute has at its lower end means for deflecting the flow of loose material in an essen­ tially horizontal direction before said flow emerges, this direction being parallel to the main direction of travel of the floating apparatus. 2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that the chute is provided with a second horizontal hinge whose pin is perpendicular to that of the first hinge, and means are provided for adjustment relative to each other of the angular position of the chute parts on either side of this second hinge. 3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or 2, charac­ terized in that the chute is rotatably fixed above the horizontal hinge(s) at the part of the chute above said hinge(s) on a pin which coincides with the central axis of the part of the chute above said hinge(s). 4. Apparatus according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, charac­ terized in that the chute is bent through at least 90 degrees at its lower end. 5. Apparatus according to Claim 4, characterized in that the chute is bent through essentially 100 degrees at its lower end. 6. Apparatus according to Claim 4 or 5, charac­ terized in that the chute has outlet pipe parts bent in two opposite directions. 7. Apparatus according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, charac­ terized in that the chute is provided at a distance below its lower end with an essentially horizontal im­ pact plate, provided with side walls which define the outflow opening directed in the main direction of travel forwards and/or backwards. 8. Apparatus according to Claim 7, characterized in that the impact plate has at the outflow opening(s) an overflow edge some distance above the face of the impact plate. 9. Apparatus according to Claim 7, characterized in that the impact plate is the bottom of a box connecting with the chute and having one or more outflow openings in said side wall(s), which are transverse to the main direction of travel. 10. Process for the application of the apparatus according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the mixture of water and loose material the loose material at any rate consists of coarse-grained material such as gravel and/or stones, preferably of differing volume and dimensions.

Inventors: VOLBEDA, JOHAN HENDRIK
Applicants: HOLLANDSCHE BETON GROEP N.V.
Application year: 1987
Main classification: F16L1
IPC codes: F16L1, E02D15