Subsea garages for unmanned underwater vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11505294-B2
Application number	US-201716467967-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2017
Priority date	Dec 16, 2016
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

A subsea garage for an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) has a body having a receptacle for the UUV, an open top providing a transit path for the UUV into and out of the receptacle and a base opposed to the open top, the base being arranged to lie on the seabed. At least one post is movable, subsea, relative to the body into a deployed position extending upwardly from the body above the open top. A lid may also be movable relative to the body between a closed position that closes the open top and an open position that allows the UUV to move along the transit path through the open top. A fixed post may extend upwardly from the body above the open top, in which case the lid may enclose the post when in the closed position and expose the post when in the open position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A subsea garage for an un ne underwater vehicle (UUV), the garage comprises:
a body having a receptacle for the UUV, and an open top providing a transit path for the UUV into and out of the receptacle;
a base opposed to the open top, the base being arranged to lie on the seabed; and
at least one post that is movable, subsea, relative to the body into a deployed position extending upwardly from the body above the open top and into a retracted position substantially beneath the open top;
wherein the or each post is accommodated within the body when in the retracted position.

2. The subsea garage of claim 1 , wherein the or each post translates when moving relative to the body into the deployed position.

3. The subsea garage of claim 1 , wherein the or each post rotates when moving relative to the body into the deployed position.

4. The subsea garage of claim 1 , wherein the each post has a lifting formation for attachment to a listing line to lift the subsea garage.

5. The subsea garage of claim 1 , further comprising a crossbar structure attached to the or each post.

6. The subsea garage of claim 5 , wherein the crossbar structure has a lifting formation for attachment to a lifting line to lift the subsea garage.

7. The subsea garage of claim 1 , and being responsive to a command from, or presence of, the UUV to move the each post into the deployed position.

8. The subsea garage of claim 1 , further comprising a lid that is movable, subsea, relative to the body between a closed position that closes the open top and an open position that allows the UUV to move along the transit path through the open top.

9. The subsea garage of claim 8 , wherein the or each post is linked to the lid to move the lid into the open position on deployment of the post.

10. The subsea garage of claim 8 , wherein the or each post is linked to the lid to be deployed in response to movement of the lid into the open position.

11. The subsea garage of claim 8 , wherein the or each post is movable relative to the body for deployment after opening movement of the lid.

12. The subsea garage of claim 8 , wherein the lid is arranged to lift from the closed position to the open position while remaining over the open top of the body.

13. The subsea garage of claim 8 , wherein the lid is arranged to translate laterally from the closed position to the open position.

14. The subsea garage of claim 8 , wherein the lid is arranged to rotate from the closed position to the open position.

15. The subsea garage of claim 14 , wherein the lid is arranged to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis offset to a side of the body.

16. The subsea garage of claim 14 , wherein the lid is arranged to rotate about a substantially vertical axis offset to a side of the body.

17. The subsea garage of claim 8 , wherein the lid is in sections that are arranged to move apart from each other as the lid moves from the closed position into the open position.

18. The subsea garage of claim 17 , wherein the sections of the lid are arranged to move downwardly as they move apart.

19. The subsea garage of claim 8 , wherein the lid has a lifting formation for attachment to a lifting line to lift the subsea garage.

20. The subsea garage of claim 8 and being configured to respond to a command from, or presence of, the UUV to move the lid into the open position.

21. A subsea garage for an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) a, the garage comprising:
a body having a receptacle for the UUV, an open top providing a transit path for the UUV into and out of the receptacle and a base opposed to the open top, the base being arranged to lie on the seabed;
at least one post extending upwardly from the body above the open top; and
a lid that is movable subsea relative to the body between a closed position that closes the open top and an open position that allows the UUV to move along the transit path through the open top;
wherein the lid encloses and shrouds the post when in the closed position such that the post is fully covered by the lid in the closed position and exposes the post when in the open position, and wherein the lid comprises a top plate that lies over the post in the closed position and a skirt depending from the top plate, which skirt lies beside the post when the lid is in the closed position.

22. The subsea garage of claim 21 , wherein the skirt of the lid extends from the top plate to the open top of the body when the lid is in the closed position.

23. The subsea garage of claim 21 , wherein the lid is arranged to lift from the closed position to the open position while remaining over the open top of the body.

24. A method of guiding an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) into or out of a subsea garage that has an open-topped body, the method comprising:
moving at least post of the subsea garage relative to the body, subsea, from a retracted position, in which the or ach post is accommodated within the body, into a deployed position extending upwardly above the open top of the body; and
with reference to the or each post, navigating the UUV along a transit path through the open top into or out of a receptacle within the body.

25. The method of claim 24 , comprising moving the or each post in response to a command from, or presence of, the UUV.

26. The method of claim 24 , preceded or followed by lifting the subsea garage while bearing its weight through at least one post when in the deployed position.

27. The method of claim 24 , comprising moving a lid relative to the body, subsea, between a closed position that closes the open top and an open position that allows the UUV to move along the transit path through the open top.

28. The method of claim 27 , comprising moving the or each post into the deployed position with the lid as the lid moves into the opens position.

29. The method of claim 27 , comprising moving the or each post into the deployed position after moving the lid into the open position.

30. The method of claim 24 , preceded or followed by lifting the subsea garage while bearing its weight through the lid when in the closed position.

31. The method of claim 24 , wherein the or each post is in the deployed position during any of the following phases:
entry of the TRW into the subsea garage;
exit of the UUV from the subsea garage; and
docking or undocking of the UUV in or from the subsea garage.

32. The method of claim 24 , wherein the or each post is in the retracted position whenever:
the UUV is not entering or exiting the subsea garage; and
the subsea garage is not being lifted.

33. A method of guiding an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) into or out of a subsea garage having an open-topped body, the method comprising:
exposing, subsea, at least one previously-enclosed post that extends upwardly above the open top of the body by moving a lid relative to the body between a closed position that closes the open top and in which the post is shrouded by the lid such that the post is fully covered by the lid, and an open position that allows the UUV to move along a transit path through the open top, the lid comprising a top plate that lies over the post in the closed position and a skirt depending from the top plate, which skirt lies beside the post when the lid is in

Assignees

• Subsea 7 Ltd

Inventors

• Wilson Lee
• Jamieson James Andrew
• Sherry Wayne

Classifications

• B63G2008/008

  Docking stations for unmanned underwater vessels, or the like · CPC title

• B63B2027/165

  Deployment or recovery of underwater vehicles using lifts or hoists · CPC title

• B63G8/001 Primary

  Underwater vessels adapted for special purposes, e.g. unmanned underwater vessels; Equipment specially adapted therefor, e.g. docking stations (self-propelled or direction controlled diving chambers with mechanical link to a base B63C11/42) · CPC title

• B63C11/52

  Tools specially adapted for working underwater, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G05D1/10

  Simultaneous control of position or course in three dimensions (G05D1/12 takes precedence) · CPC title