Abstract
Machinery and methods are described whereby a free flying, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) can safely capture and take on board lightly managed seismic sensor devices (payload) while they are in-transit via a surface vessel in a (deep) water column. ROV payload can be replenished without the need for the ROV to return to the surface vessel to receive additional payload and to do so without the need for heavy launch and recovery machinery. The reverse process of returning payload from the ROV to the surface vessel is also disclosed.
Claims
1. A method for deploying and manipulating a payload in an unstable environment, comprising: deploying a plurality of unit payloads from a marine surface vessel, wherein the step of deploying a plurality of unit payloads comprises: providing, on the marine surface vessel, the plurality of unit payloads each having a non-removable passive affixment device and a non-removable active affixment device diametrically disposed about a perimetal region of each unit payload; detachably directly, serially linking at least two of the plurality of unit payloads on the marine surface vessel to form a payload chain by directly coupling the passive affixment device of one of the unit payloads to the active affixment device of another one of the unit payloads; detachably coupling the payload chain to a lift line that is controllably deployable from the marine surface vessel into/out of a water column; and deploying the lift line and the coupled payload chain into the water column.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detachably linking at least two of the plurality of unit payloads comprises detachably connecting a passive affixment device of a respective unit payload with an active affixment device of a respective immediately adjacent unit payload.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing, on the marine surface vessel, the plurality of unit payloads, further comprises orienting each of the plurality of unit payloads in a manner such that its passive affixment device is in a deployment leading position and its active affixment device is in a deployment trailing position.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of detachably coupling the payload chain to a lift line further comprises detachably coupling a first end of a tag line to a terminal trailing active affixment device wherein a second end of the tag line is fixedly coupled to the lift line.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising slidably coupling the first end of the tag line to the lift line.
6. The method of claim 4, further comprising slidably, detachably coupling the passive affixment device of a leading unit payload to the lift line.
7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: capturing the payload chain in the water column, wherein the step of capturing the payload chain comprises: providing an ROV including a robotic arm and a payload stowage compartment, in the water column in proximity to a leading end of the deployed payload chain; de-coupling the passive affixment device of the leading deployed unit payload from the lift line; starting with the de-coupled leading deployed unit payload, drawing the payload chain into the stowage compartment while controlling the ROV to fly upward and forward; and upon at least partial capture of the payload chain, de-coupling the terminal, trailing, active affixment device of the payload chain from the first end of the tag line.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising unlinking the payload chain in the stowage compartment.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface vessel and the deployed payload chain are in-transit.
10. A method for manipulating and recovering a payload from a submerged ROV in an unstable environment to a marine surface vessel, comprising: providing an ROV including a robotic arm and a payload stowage compartment including a payload chain consisting of a plurality of detachably, directly, serially linked unit payloads each having an active affixment device and a passive affixment device connected thereto; providing a deployed lift line including a tag line having a passive affixment device attached to a first end thereof and being fixedly coupled at a second end thereof to the deployed lift line from the marine surface vessel; capturing the passive affixment device attached to the first end of the tag line with the robotic arm and engaging it with the active affixment device disposed on a leading stowed end of the payload chain; and extracting the payload chain from the stowage compartment of the ROV.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of extracting the payload chain from the stowage compartment of the ROV further comprises controlling the ROV to fly downward and away from the lift line.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein the surface vessel, the deployed lift line, and the ROV are in-transit.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF FIGURES
(1) FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary deck configuration of a marine seismic exploration surface vessel, according to an illustrative aspect of the invention;
(2) FIG. 2 shows a different view of the deck illustrated in FIG. 1;
(3) FIG. 3 illustrates a single OBS (node) equipped with two attachment apparatus at opposing perimetal locations, according to an illustrative aspect of the invention;
(4) FIG. 4 illustrates a linked chain of nodes, according to an illustrative aspect of the invention;
(5) FIG. 5a shows the detail of an active affixment device of a node in a closed/locked position; FIG. 5b shows the detail of the active affixment device in an open/release position, according to non-limiting, illustrative aspects of the invention;
(6) FIG. 6 shows a chain of nodes delivered from a node storage area oriented on a conveyor, according to an illustrative aspect of the invention;
(7) FIG. 7 shows a tag line attaching the node chain to the lift line, according to an illustrative aspect of the invention;
(8) FIG. 8 shows details of the most rearward node of the node chain constrained in relation to the lift line by a tie down, according to an illustrative aspect of the invention;
(9) FIG. 9, in similar fashion, shows details of the most forward node of the node chain constrained in relation to the lift line by a tie down, according to an illustrative aspect of the invention;
(10) FIG. 10 illustrates the node chain fully affixed to lift line in a node affixment area by a tag line and tie downs, and ready for deployment into the water column, according to an illustrative aspect of the invention;
(11) FIG. 11 illustrates the node chain being deployed from the stern of the surface vessel, according to an illustrative aspect of the invention;
(12) FIGS. 12a and 12b, respectively, a node chain and two serial node chains deployed in a water column, according to an illustrative aspect of the invention;
(13) FIG. 13 shows an ROV equipped with two robotics arms and a node storage compartment, according to an illustrative aspect of the invention;
(14) FIGS. 14-18 show a deployed node chain in the water column prior to and being captured by an ROV, according to illustrative aspects of the invention;
(15) FIGS. 19(a, b), illustrate the ROV 800 employing its robotic arm to release the active affixment device of the last node by actuating the node's affixment device, leaving the entire node chain free of the tag line previously carrying lift from the lift line to the node chain, according to illustrative aspects of the invention;
(16) FIG. 20 illustrates one of many ways to release the individual nodes that make up the node chain from each other in the storage area of the ROV so they can be deployed individually on the ocean bottom using the ROV robotic arm, according to an illustrative aspect of the invention;
(17) FIG. 21 illustrates a node recovery process that begins with the ROV recovering a first node from the ocean bottom with its robotic arm and placing it in the node storage skid on the skid conveyor in the ROV, according to an illustrative aspect of the invention;
(18) FIGS. 22(a-f) illustrate the process of re-creating the node chain from the individual recovered nodes in the storage skid of the ROV, according to illustrative aspects of the invention;
(19) FIG. 23 illustrates how the ROV is controlled to fly back to a position in close proximity to an unused tag line on the lift line, and employ its robotic arm to acquire the passive affixment device of the tag line and engage it with the active affixment device of the leading (recovery) node of the node chain, according to an illustrative aspect of the invention;
(20) FIG. 24 illustrates the ROV advancing the skid conveyors inside the node storage skid while flying down and away from the lift line, leaving the weight of the node string to be carried by the tag line, according to an illustrative aspect of the invention;
(21) FIG. 25 shows the ROV flying free of the node chain so that the node chain can be recovered to the surface and the ROV can return to recover additional nodes, according to an illustrative aspect of the invention; and
(22) FIG. 26 illustrates how the node chain hangs in the water column with a natural concave curve through center points of the node covers, according to an illustrative aspect of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY, NON-LIMITING EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
(23) FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary deck 10 configuration of a marine seismic exploration surface vessel. A first end of a lift line 100 is affixed to a lift device 20 (e.g., winch) mounted on the deck 10, passes down a center path of a conveyor 30, and over a ramp 40 overhanging the stern of the vessel. The second end of the lift line 100 is tensioned by weight 110. Ramp 40 may incorporate rollers, sheaves, or other mechanisms to reduce friction between the ramp 40 and lift line 100.
(24) FIG. 2 provides a different view of deck 10. Conveyor 30 is in two parts: 30a and 30b, such that lift line 100 may pass down the center of the conveyor below a top level of the conveyors 30a and 30b so as to allow nodes 200 (FIG. 3) to be transported on the conveyor surface without interference from the taught lift line 100. A path to and from a node storage area (not shown) is indicated at 201.
(25) FIG. 3 illustrates a single node 200 equipped at opposing perimetal locations with two attachment apparatus, an active affixment device 210 and a passive affixment device 220. The active affixment device 210 is of a type resembling a self-locking gate latch, which when engaged with a properly sized passive affixment device of an immediately adjacent node will open to allow that passive affixment device to enter, but once fully engaged will not allow the release of same without outside action. Specifically, the active affixment device 210 will engage and capture the passive affixment device 220 (as well as other passive affixment devices) of an immediately adjacent node so as to form a linked chain of nodes 400 as seen in FIGS. 4 and 6. The number of linked nodes can be controlled as desired up to the carrying capacity of the associated machinery.
(26) FIG. 5a shows the detail of a non-limiting, exemplary, active affixment device 210 in a closed/locked position and, in FIG. 5b, in an open/release position. The device may be spring- or tension-loaded so as to remain closed unless acted upon at an activation point (e.g., 211, 212, or 213) as illustrated.
(27) In FIG. 6, nodes delivered from a node storage area are shown oriented on the conveyor 30 joined one to another to form the illustrated six node chain 400. The node chain 400 is not at this point attached to the lift line 100.
(28) In FIG. 7, the node chain 400 is affixed to the lift line 100 via a tag line 300. Tag line 300 has an affixment device 310 (active or passive) on each end thereof. The first end of the tag line is fixedly attached to the lift line 100 at 320 by a coupling component. The second end of the tag line is engaged with and captured by the active affixment device 210 on the forward most node 200-1 of the node chain 400. Tag line 300 carries lift from the lift line 100 to the node chain 400 once the assembly passes overboard on the ramp 40 shown in FIG. 6.
(29) In FIG. 8, the most rearward (on launch) node 200-1 of node chain 400 is shown constrained in relation to the lift line 100 by a tie down 500, the first end (501) of which is in fixed engagement with tag line passive affixment device 310 and the second end (510) of which is slidably engaged with the lift line 100. This keeps the bottom of node 200-1 in close proximity to the lift line 100, preventing the node chain 400 from being pushed away from the lift line 100 by propeller wash or other hydrodynamic forces that might be encountered once the assembly is in the water and the vessel is in motion. The tie down 500 is illustrated as a rigid member but may be a flexible line, a rope, or coupler with appropriate terminal hardware as known in the art.
(30) As shown in FIG. 9, in similar fashion, the illustrated first (most forward-on launch) node 200-6 in node chain 400 is constrained by tie down 600, the first end of which is, or includes, an active affixment device 610 in releasable, fixed engagement with the passive affixment device 220 attached to node 200-6, and the second end (620) of which is slidably engaged with lift line 100, similar to that of tie down 500 as described above.
(31) FIG. 10 illustrates the node chain 400 fully affixed to lift line 100 in a node affixment area 700 by tag line 300, tie down 500, and tie down 600, and ready for deployment into the water column. The lift device 20 pays out lift line 100 while the conveyors beneath node chain 400 are active towards the stern causing the node chain 400 to move aft and subsequently over the ramp 40 as illustrated in FIG. 11. Once overboard and clear of the ramp 40, the node chain 400 will orient itself in a roughly vertical orientation as seen in FIG. 12a. As illustrated in FIG. 12b, multiple node chains 400 may be serially connected so as to transit the water column in a single descent. The weight 110 produces tension in the lift line 100 between the weight 110 and the fixed passive attachment point 320 (FIG. 7) in the lift line 100. Increasing the mass of weight 100 increases the tension in this section of lift line 100 causing it to act like a rigid pipe member. Because the node chain 400 is fixed at top and bottom in close proximity to this section of lift line by tie downs 500 and 600, the entire assembly can be allowed to descend through the water column at relatively high speeds, which might otherwise cause severe or uncontrolled motion in the node chain 400.
(32) FIG. 13 shows an ROV 800 equipped with two robotics arms 810 and 820 and a node storage compartment (skid or tray) 900.
(33) As shown in FIG. 14, while the surface vessel (and therefore the trailing node chain) is in-transit, the node chain(s) 400 is rapidly lowered through the water column, as enabled by the instant invention, to minimize the transit time to the operating depth near the ROV. Once at depth, the vertical descent of the node chain is halted, and the node chain(s) may be further stabilized by heave compensation machinery (not shown) made part of the lifting device 20, by acting to alter the path of the lift line 100 aboard the surface vessel, or other means. The ROV 800 is controlled to approach the suspended node chain 400 from behind (i.e., in the in-transit direction) and activate a robotic arm 820 to release tie down 600 by acting on the release point 612 (similar to 212 in FIG. 5a) of the active affixment device of tie down 600, thereby releasing it from the passive affixment device 220 on node 200-6 (see also FIG. 9), thereby releasing the constraint on the bottom of node chain 400.
(34) As illustrated in FIG. 15, once released, the tie down 600 will fall away from the node to which it was attached, allowing the node chain 400 to move free from the lift line 100 to which it was held by tie down 600.
(35) As seen in FIG. 16, the ROV 800 employs its robotic arm 820 to capture and lift node 200-6 (the terminal (leading deployed) node of node chain 400) onto the skid conveyor 920. The conveyor 920 is activated, drawing the node chain 400 into the node storage skid 900. The ROV 800 is controlled to slowly fly upward and forward as the entire node chain is drawn into the node storage skid 900 as illustrated in FIGS. 17-18.
(36) In FIGS. 19(a, b), the ROV 800 employs its robotic arm 820 again to release the active affixment device 210 of node 200-1 by actuating lever 212, leaving the entire node chain 400 free of tag line 300 previously carrying lift from the lift line 100 to node chain 400. Node chain 400 is safely aboard the ROV 800 in the node storage skid 900 and the ROV is free to return to its node deployment work.
(37) One further task is to release the individual nodes 200-1-200-6 that make up node chain 400 from each other in the storage skid so they can be deployed individually on the ocean bottom using the ROV 800 robotic arm 810. FIG. 20 illustrates one of many ways, as those skilled in the mechanical arts will appreciate, to accomplish this. A release apparatus (e.g., spring-loaded catch) 920 is fastened above the node chain 400 in the node storage skid 900. The release apparatus is attached so as to swing out of the way in one direction as nodes are loaded but when nodes are advanced for deployment the release apparatus 920 will be fixed in position and activate the active affixment device 210 by catching the lever arm 212 (see FIG. 5a) on node 200-2, thereby releasing node 200-1 for deployment with the ROV's robotic arm 810 (not shown). This completes the deployment process.
(38) Node recovery begins with ROV 800 recovering a first node 200-6 from the ocean bottom with its robotic arm 810, and placing it in the node storage skid 900 on the skid conveyor 920 following paths similar to those indicated at P1-P3 in FIG. 21. The robotic arm 810 is then used to make a final orientation correction marked P4 such that the active and passive affixment devices 210 and 220 are aligned with the centerline of skid conveyors 920.
(39) FIGS. 22(a-f) illustrate the process of re-creating the node chain 400. In FIG. 22a, skid conveyors 920 are operated aftward as indicated moving the individual node 200-6 towards the interior of the node storage skid 900. In FIG. 22b, the robotic arm 810 places a second node 200-5 at the front of the node storage skid 900, orients it as described herein above, and holds it in place. In FIG. 22c, while the robotic arm 810 holds node 200-5 still, the skid conveyors are advanced in the forward direction to engage the active affixment device 210 of node 200-6 with the passive affixment device 220 of node 200-5. This process is repeated in FIGS. 22(d-f) and continues until the node chain 400 includes the desired number of nodes.
(40) As illustrated in FIG. 23, the ROV 800 is controlled to fly back to a position in close proximity to an unused tag line 300 on the lift line 100, and employs its robotic arm 820 acquire the passive affixment device 310 of tag line 300 and engages it with the active affixment device 210 of node 200-1 of node chain 400. The release apparatus 920 of prior FIG. 20 is withdrawn or removed to prevent the nodes from being released from each other as they were in the deployment process.
(41) As illustrated in FIG. 24, the ROV 800 advances the skid conveyors 920 inside the node storage skid 900 while flying down and away from the lift line 100, leaving the weight of the node string 400 to be carried by the tag line 300.
(42) In FIG. 25, the ROV 800 flies free of the node chain 400 so that the node chain 400 can be recovered to the surface and the ROV 800 can return to recover additional nodes.
(43) As illustrated in FIG. 26, the nodes of the node chain 400 can be affixed one to another by many means. As illustrated throughout, the nodes were connected at the upper perimetal edge of the node, above the plane passing through the node's center of gravity. This causes the node chain 400 to hang in the water column with a natural concave curve through center points of the node covers. This natural curve assures that when the nodes are brought back aboard the vessel by means of ramp 40, and the vessel is in-transit as indicated, they will always come aboard top-up. When back on conveyors 30a and 30b in the node affixment area 700, the node chain 400 may be disassembled and the individual nodes returned to storage where their data can be downloaded and the node batteries recharged.
(44) While several inventive embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the function and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the inventive embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the inventive teachings is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific inventive embodiments described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure.
(45) All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.
(46) The indefinite articles a and an, as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean at least one.
(47) The phrase and/or, as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean either or both of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with and/or should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., one or more of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the and/or clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to A and/or B, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as comprising can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.
(48) As used herein in the specification and in the claims, or should be understood to have the same meaning as and/or as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, or or and/or shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as only one of or exactly one of, or, when used in the claims, consisting of, will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term or as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. one or the other but not both) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as either, one of, only one of, or exactly one of. Consisting essentially of, when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.
(49) As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase at least one, in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase at least one refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, at least one of A and B (or, equivalently, at least one of A or B, or, equivalently at least one of A and/or B) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.
(50) As may be used herein and in the appended claims for purposes of the present disclosure, the term about means the amount of the specified quantity plus/minus a fractional amount of or reasonable tolerance thereof that a person skilled in the art would recognize as typical and reasonable for that particular quantity or measurement. Likewise, the term substantially means as close to or similar to the specified term being modified as a person skilled in the art would recognize as typical and reasonable as opposed to being intentionally different by design and implementation.
(51) It should also be understood that, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, in any methods claimed herein that include more than one step or act, the order of the steps or acts of the method is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps or acts of the method are recited.
(52) In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as comprising, including, carrying, having, containing, involving, holding, composed of, and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases consisting of and consisting essentially of shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03.
