Combined apparatus for handling of modules and tools and laying of elongate articles

Abstract: Deck space is restricted on board a vessel. Accordingly the present invention provides a combined apparatus for handling modules (14) and tools and laying of an elongate flexible article (19) from a vessel (15) supported on a body of water, including a vertical passage (8) through the vessel and a frame structure (1) supported above the vertical passage, guide means (13) on said frame structure for guiding said elongate flexible article from above and down through the frame structure and the vertical passage, tensioner means (7) supported on said frame structure for applying tension to said elongate flexible article, means (2) for storing of modules and/or tools on board said vessel, means for bodily moving said modules/tools from the storing means and towards said frame structure, means in said frame structure for allowing moving of said modules/tools into said frame structure to a position below said tensioner means and above said vertical passage, and means on said frame structure for supporting and lowering said modules/tools down through said vertical passage.

Description: The present invention relates to a combined apparatus for handling modules and tools and laying of elongate flexible articles from a vessel supported on a body of water. According to WO-A-91/15699, when laying a cable or pipeline offshore the cable or pipeline may be spooled off a reel or drum and lowered into the water through a vertical passage in the vessel. A frame structure may be supported above such a vertical passage, said frame structure including guide means for guiding the cable or pipeline from above and down through the frame structure and the vertical passage. Tensioner means supported in the tower-like frame structure are used for applying tension in the cable or pipeline. It is also known to handle modules and tools through a vertical passage or moonpool on board a vessel. Deck space is restricted on board a vessel and valuable deck space will be saved if one could combine the facilities for laying of cables/pipelines with those of handling modules and tools through a moonpool. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a combined apparatus for handling modules and tools and laying of elongate flexible articles from a vessel supported on a body of water without the various means and components for such handling and laying interfering with another. According to the invention there is provided an apparatus for laying of an elongate flexible article from a vessel supported on a body of water, including a vertical passage through the vessel and a frame structure supported above the vertical passage, guide means on said frame structure for guiding said elongate flexible article from above and down through the frame structure and the vertical passage, and tensioner means supported on said frame structure for applying tension to said elongate flexible article, characterised in that: means are provided for storing of modules and/or for storing of tools on board said vessel; said tensioner means is located in an upper part of the frame structure supported at a level above the vertical extension of said modules/tools; skidding means are provided for bodily moving said modules/tools from the storing means and towards and into said frame to a position below said tensioner means and above said vertical passage; and elevating and handling means is provided on said frame structure for supporting and lowering said modules/tools through said vertical passage. In this combined apparatus said modules/tools can be moved towards the frame structure and into it to said position above said vertical passage. The modules/tools may then be lowered down through the vertical passage by the elevating and handling means. The same elevating and handling means may be adapted to hold said elongate flexible article when said tensioner means is not applying tension to said elongate flexible article. The frame structure may include a horizontal ring means on a frame top side, said ring means supporting said guide means and said elevating and holding means for horizontal rotational movement. Said elevating and holding means may comprise a winch mounted on said ring means. Said tensioner means may preferably comprise a plurality of track tensioner belts. The skidding means may be adapted for enabling longitudinal and transverse skidding of modules/tools on deck, without any off the deck lifting operation. The invention further provides a method of operating an apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein in one period of operation an elongate article is laid beneath the surface of a body of water by means of said guide means, tensioner means and vertical passage, and in another period of operation a module or tool stored in advance in said storage means is moved using said skidding means towards and into the frame structure of the apparatus, into said position below the tensioner means and above said vertical passage, and then supported by said elevating and handling means provided on the frame structure, is lowered through said vertical passage to a desired position beneath the surface of the body of water. The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter relative to a non-limitative embodiment and the attached drawings which illustrate: Figure 1 a perspective view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 a schematic side view of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 a schematic side view of the apparatus of Figure 1 on board a vessel; Figure 4 a further schematic side view of the apparatus of Figure 1 on board a vessel; and Figure 5 an exploded view of a frame structure of the apparatus of Figure 1. The apparatus in Figure 1 includes a frame structure 1 and a storage and skidding structure 2. The frame structure 1 has a lower part forming a working arch 3, in the bottom part of which there are two moonpool sliding doors 4 and 5. The frame structure 1 has an upper part 6 wherein track tensioners 7 are arranged (see Figure 2). Preferably there are a total of four track tensioners (only two shown in Figure 2), each being moveable to and from a vertical centerline in the frame structure 1. An elongated article such as a cable can be laid out on the sea bottom, vertically through the frame structure 1 and the underlying vertical passage 8 (Figure 3) engaged by the tensioners 7. The tensioners 7 may be moved radially outwards by means of suitable drive means (not shown) if and when necessary, for instance, to let a thickened cable part go through, in which case the cable will be supported by auxiliary means, such as a wire from a winch 9. The frame structure 1 further includes a top side rotating assembly 10. This assembly 10 includes a circular rail 11 whereupon runs a carriage 12 which supports an arched guide means 13 as well as the winch 9. The carriage 12 may thus move in a circular path about a vertical axis substantially corresponding to the vertical centerline in the frame structure 1. The storage and skidding structure 2 is adapted for storing of modules and tools (one module 14 is illustrated in Figure 1) and skidding of modules/tools into the working arch 3, to a handling position in the frame structure 1, above the vertical passage 8. In this position a module or a tool may be elevated (lowered and raised) by suitable means, for instance, by means of the winch 9. In Figure 3 the apparatus hitherto described is placed on board a vessel 15 having a deck 16, a bottom 17 and a vertical passage or moonpool 8. A reel (not shown) is supported on the vessel deck 16. This reel carries a length of cable 19 wound thereon. When laid out the cable 19 is unwound from the reel and is, by means of the guide means 13, guided down into the frame structure 1 between the caterpillar tensioners 7. Thus the cable 19 is laid down in the sea through the moonpool 8. The winch 9 is used for temporarily holding the cable 19 if and when for some reason the tensioner assembly is opened, for instance, if the cable 19 has an enlargement such as a joint 20. The moonpool doors 4 and 5 (Figure 1) are sliding doors, which may be moved to and from each other, and may be used to centralize and support the cable 19. When not used for laying out of a cable or a pipeline the apparatus may be used for module handling procedures. Modules or tools may be transported from a storage position to a deployment position over the moonpool 8 in the working arch 3. A vertical module handling system, eg including the winch 9 transports the modules and tools from deck level to for instance a subsea template (not shown). The arrangement in Figure 4 is the same as in Figure 3, the only difference being that the apparatus is arranged with the working arch at a tween deck level 21 where modules/tools 14 are stored and may be transported into the working arch 3. From the description so far one will understand that there is provided a combined apparatus adapted for use for different operations, namely laying out of for instance, a cable and horizontal and vertical handling of modules and tools as used in subsea operations. Longitudinal and transverse transporation of modules on deck is possible, without any free lifting operation. Lowering of modules and tools (for instance connection tools) is through a moonpool 8. During the latter operation the modules may be guided with known guide means in the sea. The elevating system, ie the winch 9 may of course include necessary heave compensation. When in a laying out mode a flexible cable or pipeline is deployed to a vertical position in between the track tensioners 7 and lowered to the seabed through the moonpool 8. The winch 9 includes an A-frame 22 which permits deployment of a winch cable from the centerline to the side of the tensioner or in between a flexible cable and the tensioner structure. An extra crane structure is disclosed at 23. A number of handling winches (not shown) may be arranged at deck level around the apparatus. As disclosed in Figure 5 the apparatus may preferably include a frame structure 1 having three main parts, namely a lower part 3 forming a working arch, a tower-like upper part 6 and a top side rotatable assembly 10. These three parts may preferably be constructed separately and assembled on site (see direction arrows in Figure 5). This favours the construction on site (easier handling of components) and of course also dismantling. The fourth part of the apparatus - the storage and skidding unit 2 - is not shown in Figure 5. The embodiments of the invention hereinbefore described are given by way of example only and are not meant to limit the scope thereof in any way.

Claims: An apparatus for laying of an elongate flexible article (19) from a vessel (15) supported on a body of water, including a vertical passage (8) through the vessel and a frame structure (1) supported above the vertical passage, guide means (13) on said frame structure for guiding said elongate flexible article from above and down through the frame structure and the vertical passage, and tensioner means (7) supported on said frame structure for applying tension to said elongate flexible article, characterised in that: means (2) are provided for storing of modules (14) and/or for storing of tools on board said vessel; said tensioner means (7) is located in an upper part of the frame structure supported at a level above the vertical extension of said modules/tools; skidding means are provided for bodily moving said modules/tools from the storing means and towards and into said frame structure to a position below said tensioner means and above said vertical passage; and elevating and handling means is provided on said frame structure for supporting and lowering said modules/tools through said vertical passage. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said elevating and handling means comprises a winch (9) adapted to hold said elongate flexible article when said tensioner means is not applying tension to said elongate flexible article and to deploy said modules/tools once positioned in said frame structure. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the frame structure includes a horizontal ring means (11) on a frame top side, said ring means supporting said guide means and said elevating and handling means for horizontal rotational movement thereof. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said tensioner means comprises a plurality of track-type tensioner belts. A combined apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, including sliding doors (4, 5) for opening and closing of said vertical passage. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein said frame structure includes a lower part comprising legs for supporting the upper part of the frame structure at four corners so as to define a working arch (3). An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6, wherein said frame structure includes a lower part forming a working arch (3), a top part forming a tower-like structure (6) and a top side rotational part (10). An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, wherein said modules/tools are stored and said skidding means is arranged at a tween deck level (21). A method of operating an apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein in one period of operation an elongate article is laid beneath the surface of a body of water by means of said guide means (13), tensioner means (7) and vertical passage (8), and in another period of operation a (14) module or tool stored in advance in said storage means (2) is moved using said skidding means towards and into the frame structure of the apparatus, into said position below the tensioner means and above said vertical passage, and then, supported by said elevating and handling means provided on the frame structure, is lowered through said vertical passage to a desired position beneath the surface of the body of water.

Inventors: BRANCHUT JEAN-PIERRE, LUPI ANGE, BRANCHUT, JEAN-PIERRE, LUPI, ANGE
Applicants: STOLT COMEX SEAWAY AS, STOLT COMEX SEAWAY A/S
Application year: 1995
Main classification: F16L1
IPC codes: F16L1