A pneumatic excavator configured to be pneumatically actuated includes an actuator; a flow valve fluidly coupled to the actuator an air actuation conduit; and a barrel coupled to an egress of the flow valve, where the barrel defines an outlet of the pneumatic excavator. Actuating the actuator causes compressed air to be transmitted from the actuator through the an air actuation conduit to a first port of the flow valve to open the flow valve and compressed air from a supply of compressed air passes through the flow valve and the outlet of the pneumatic excavator. Releasing the actuator causes the compressed air to be transmitted from the actuator through the at least one air actuation conduit to a second port of the flow valve to cause the flow valve to close and the flow valve prevents the compressed air from the supply of compressed air from passing therethrough.

A device for coupling to a working end of a hydrovac boom hose is disclosed. The device includes a tubular suction tube configured for removably coupling to the working end of the hydrovac boom hose such that an opening of the working end remains unobstructed. A plurality of high pressure rotating turbo nozzles are located around a circumference of the tubular suction tube such that the rotating turbo nozzles surround the working end of the hydrovac boom hose to dislodge earthly materials under the device. The high pressure rotating turbo nozzles are configured for emitting high pressure water that dislodge earthly material. An outer housing to enclose and protect the tubular suction tube, rotating turbo nozzles, and onboard locating device, and to provide an air duct for ambient air to pass down threw. A plurality of air vents in the outer housing that provide flow of ambient air to an area being excavated. The conduit coupled with the outer housing, the conduit for allowing ingress of water to the plurality of high pressure rotating turbo nozzles.

A method of improving surf conditions above a seabed is provided. The seabed is at least partly formed of unrestrained sediment. The method includes moving some of the sediment to form a formation of unrestrained sediment. A grooming device is provided for improving surf conditions above a seabed. The device is movable in a direction of travel along the seabed and includes an outlet and an arrangement. The outlet is for directing, in a direction transverse to the direction of travel, a stream of water to move some of the sediment. The arrangement is for engaging the seabed to resist force resultant from the directing the stream of water.

The present invention provides an improved pipeline burying apparatus that uses specially configured jetting nozzles that intake sea water surrounding the nozzle. The apparatus provides a frame supporting spaced apart left and right inclined pipe sections that are configured to be placed on opposing sides of the pipeline to be buried. Each inclined pipe section is fitted with a plurality of jetting nozzles that are positioned on one of the inclined pipe sections, in vertically spaced apart positions and in horizontally spaced apart positions. In one embodiment, the main central longitudinal channel has an inlet section with an inlet section diameter, a discharge section having an outlet section diameter and a connecting section that is in between the inlet section and the outlet section.

A grapevine soil-cleaning device and engineering machinery installed with the soil-cleaning device, comprising an air blower (4), an air vent direction reversal device, a soil-retaining device, an angular sensor (7) and a controller (19). The controller (19) is connected to the air blower (4), the angular sensor (7), the air vent direction reversal device and the soil-retaining device respectively. The present device achieves non-contact soil cleaning by blowing air, and has the advantages of no harmful impact on buds and branches, one-time cleaning, and highly efficient soil cleaning. The air vent direction reversal device may achieve a consistent air-blowing direction when the grapevine soil-cleaning device moves among rows of the grapevine. The soil-retaining device may hold back the blown soil and reduce the displacement distance of the blown soil. An auxiliary air pipe is provided below a main air pipe to assist soil-cleaning operations and avoid generating pits on a ridge due to concentrated wind power of the main air pipe. The air vent direction reversal, adjustment of the air power of the air blower and automated direction reversal of the soil-retaining device when moving among ridges are achieved by using the angular sensor (7) and the controller (19), thus achieving a high level of technological intelligence.

There is disclosed an excavation apparatus (5), such as an underwater excavation apparatus, having means for producing, in use, at least one vortex, spiral or turbulent flow in a laminar flow of fluid, e.g. water. The excavation apparatus (5) comprises a rotor (10) having a rotor rotation axis (A), wherein, in use, flow of fluid past or across the rotor (10) is at a first angle (?) from the axis of rotation (A). The excavation apparatus (5) comprises the rotor (5) and means or an arrangement for dampening reactive torque on the apparatus (5) caused by rotation of the rotor (10), in use. The turbulent flow is provided within, such as within a (transverse) cross-section, of the laminar flow.

The invention relates to a dredging method for dredging a navigation channel for guaranteeing a nautical depth of a navigation channel. The method comprises performing agitation for mobilizing sediment and displacing the mobilized sediment to a collector which is embedded in the bottom of the navigation channel, the collector being a trench in the navigation channel wherein the trench has, when not being filled with sediment, a bottom level positioned substantially deeper than the nautical depth of the navigation channel. The method also comprises, in a step different from said performing agitation dredging, after solidification of the sediment collected in the collector, removing the solidified sediment from the collector so that the collector again has a bottom level positioned substantially deeper than the nautical depth of the navigation channel.

A jetting system for an undersea trencher has jetting conduits extending aftward of its trench-cutting jetting swords. Jetting conduit nozzles direct liquid radially from their jetting conduits into the trench after the trench is excavated by the jetting sword cutting nozzles. The jetting conduits direct sufficient liquid into the trench to maintain the mix of trenched soil and water in the trench along the length of the conduits at not more than a super-critical density, extending the distance in which the product being laid in the trench is able to descend in the trench and increasing the likelihood that the product will be buried at the intended trench depth.

An underwater trenching apparatus and pumping apparatus and method of operating an underwater trenching apparatus is disclosed. The underwater trenching apparatus and pumping apparatus includes: first and second pumps and a trench-cutting jetting tool with first and second sections, the first pump having an inlet for fluid connection with a source of water and an outlet fluidly connected to the first section of the jetting tool, the second pump having an inlet for fluid connection with a source of water and an outlet fluidly connected to the second section of the jetting tool, wherein the outlet of the first pump is fluidly connected to the inlet of the second pump by valve means that is operable to divert at least a portion of an outlet flow of the first pump to the inlet of the second pump.

A supersonic air knife having a compressor and a barrel and nozzle includes an adjustable grasping handle assembly forming barrel handle comprising i) a pair of clasping elements, each clasping element having two gripping surfaces configured to engage the barrel at a point of engagement, with one point of engagement on each side of a first centerline of the barrel; ii) a pivot pin coupling the two clasping elements together on one side of the centerline of the barrel; and iii) A handle with a threaded element engaging the pair of clasping elements configured to draw the clasping elements together around the barrel.