Underwater cable deployment system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9316333-B2
Application number	US-201314038233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2013
Priority date	Sep 27, 2012
Publication date	Apr 19, 2016
Grant date	Apr 19, 2016

Abstract

An underwater cable deployment system for deploying an ocean bottom cable on the seabed including a cage having a lower frame and an upper frame, which lower frame is adapted to receive the ocean bottom cable and the upper frame is connected to an umbilical cable mounted on a vessel, the upper frame being removably attached to the lower frame, guiding and tensioning means for deploying the ocean bottom cable on the seabed, the lower frame further including a recording unit which is connected to the ocean bottom cable and is adapted to record data detected by at least one sensor unit of the ocean bottom cable and an electrical power unit adapted to provide power to the recording unit and to the ocean bottom cable.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An underwater cable deployment system for deploying an ocean bottom cable on the seabed, comprising:
a cage including a lower frame and an upper frame, said lower frame being adapted to receive the ocean bottom cable and said upper frame being connected to an umbilical cable mounted on a vessel, said upper frame being removably attached to the lower frame;
guiding and tensioning means for deploying the ocean bottom cable on the seabed,
said lower frame further comprising a recording unit being connected to the ocean bottom cable and being adapted to record data detected by at least one sensor unit of the ocean bottom cable and an electrical power unit adapted to provide power to the recording unit and to the ocean bottom cable,
wherein the ocean bottom cable is spirally coiled within the lower frame of the cage, having one end connected to the recording unit and the other end mounted on the guiding and tensioning means in a position allowing deployment of the ocean bottom cable on the seabed.

2. The underwater cable deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the recording unit is removably attached to the lower frame of the cage.

3. The underwater cable deployment system of claim 1 , wherein the recording unit is a solid part of the lower frame of the cage.

4. The underwater cable deployment system according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical power unit is a solid part of the recording unit.

5. The underwater cable deployment system according to claim 1 , wherein the recording unit is adapted to be connected to a Remotely Operated Vehicle.

6. The underwater cable deployment system according to claim 1 , wherein the lower frame further comprises an acoustic transmission system being connected to the recording unit and to the electrical power unit for performing acoustic transmission between the cage and the vessel.

7. The underwater cable deployment system according to claim 1 , wherein the guiding and tensioning means are included on the upper frame of the cage and are powered by the umbilical cable.

8. The underwater cable deployment system according to claim 7 , wherein the guiding and tensioning means include a pair of guiding rollers, a tensioner comprising a pair of wheels and a guiding gutter.

9. The underwater cable deployment system according to claim 1 , wherein the upper frame is adapted to be removed from the lower frame by a Remotely Operated Vehicle or by a remote hydraulic/electrical locking system powered by the umbilical cable.

10. The underwater cable deployment system according to claim 9 , wherein the upper frame is adapted to be attached to the lower frame of another cage.

11. The underwater cable deployment system according to claim 1 , wherein the deployment of the ocean bottom cable is configured to be monitored by a Remotely Operated Vehicle or by cameras attached to the cage and powered by the umbilical cable.

12. The underwater cable deployment system according to claim 1 , wherein the umbilical cable is configured to provide clock reference to the recording unit.

13. A method for deploying an ocean bottom cable from a vessel to the seabed, comprising the steps of:
disposing the ocean bottom cable into a lower frame of a cage, said lower frame including a recording unit and an electrical power unit, said recording unit being connected to the electrical power unit;
connecting one end of the ocean bottom cable to the recording unit;
removably attaching an upper frame of the cage to the lower frame of the cage, said upper frame including guiding and tensioning means;
mounting the other end of the ocean bottom cable to the guiding and tensioning means;
attaching to the upper frame an umbilical cable being adapted to drive the cage downwardly towards the seabed by means of a winch located at the deck of the vessel;
driving the cage downwardly from the vessel proximally to the seabed;
initiating movement of the vessel in a predetermined direction of deployment of the ocean bottom cable on the seabed, said cage following the movement of the vessel and said ocean bottom cable being driven by the guiding and tensioning means and being deployed in said predetermined direction of movement of the cage, wherein movement of the vessel in said predetermined direction and operation of said guiding and tensioning means are terminated once said ocean bottom cable has been fully deployed on the seabed;
further lowering the cage to position it on the seabed;
removing the upper frame from the lower frame;
retrieving the upper frame of the cage by means of the winch, said lower frame staying on the seabed.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising attaching said upper frame of the cage to at least another lower frame for effecting sequential processes of laying ocean bottom cables in predetermined directions onto the seabed.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising providing clock reference to the recording unit by means of the umbilical cable, once the cage is positioned on the seabed.

Assignees

• Sercel Rech Const Elect

Inventors

• Duboue Alexis
• Voisin Noel

Classifications

• B63C11/42

  with independent propulsion or direction control · CPC title

• F16L1/16 Primary

  on the bottom · CPC title

• B63C11/40 Primary

  adapted to specific work · CPC title

• G01V1/3852

  to the seabed · CPC title

• H02G1/10

  in or under water · CPC title