Variable-draft barge, and system and method of transferring loads from the barge to a supporting structure in a body of water

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9725864-B2
Application number	US-201414762158-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2014
Priority date	Jan 24, 2013
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A variable-draft barge configured to transfer loads in a body of water, and having a water line which is a function of the draft; the barge having: a hull; an underbody; at least one first chamber located in the hull and floodable selectively to alter the draft of the barge; at least one flood valve located below the water line to flood the first chamber; and a control device configured to selectively open the flood valve to flood the first chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A variable-draft barge configured to transfer a load in a body of water, said barge comprising:
a hull;
an underbody;
a first chamber located in the hull and being selectively floodable to alter a draft of the barge;
a second chamber located at a higher level than the first chamber, said second chamber being selectively floodable;
a flood valve located below a water line and configured to enable a flood of the first chamber, said water line being a function of the draft of the barge;
a control device configured to selectively open the flood valve to flood the first chamber; and
a pump configured to transfer water from the first chamber to the second chamber.

2. The variable-draft barge of claim 1 , wherein the flood valve is located along the underbody.

3. The variable-draft barge of claim 1 , wherein the flood valve includes a throttle valve.

4. The variable-draft barge of claim 1 , wherein the flood valve includes a gate valve.

5. The variable-draft barge of claim 1 , wherein the flood valve is over 0.5 meters in diameter.

6. The variable-draft barge of claim 5 , wherein the flood value is 0.8 meters to 1.2 meters in diameter.

7. The variable-draft barge of claim 1 , wherein the second chamber has at least one fast-drain device connecting the second chamber to an outside of the barge.

8. The variable-draft barge of claim 7 , wherein the fast-drain device includes a fast-drain valve configured to drain the second chamber when the fast-drain valve is above the water line.

9. The variable-draft barge of claim 1 , wherein the second chamber is adjacent to the first chamber.

10. The variable-draft barge of claim 9 , wherein the second chamber is over the first chamber.

11. The variable-draft barge of claim 1 , which includes a plurality of additional chambers connected to one another by connecting openings, wherein at least one of the additional chambers is connected to the first chamber by at least one of the connecting openings.

12. A load transferring system comprising:
a load;
a variable-draft barge including:
a hull,
an underbody,
a first chamber located in the hull and being selectively floodable to alter a draft of the barge,
a second chamber located at a higher level than the first chamber, said second chamber being selectively floodable,
a flood valve located below a water line and configured to enable a flood of the first chamber, said water line being a function of the draft of the barge,
a control device configured to selectively open the flood valve to flood the first chamber, and
a pump configured to transfer water from the first chamber to the second chamber; and

a supporting structure resting on a bed of a body of water and having at least one supporting member connectable to the load.

13. The load transferring system of claim 12 , wherein the load is at least a deck unit.

14. The load transferring system of claim 12 , wherein the load includes a plurality of coupling members, each with a coupling seat being engageable by a respective supporting member of the supporting structure.

15. A method of transferring a load from a barge to a supporting structure in a body of water, said barge including a hull, an underbody, a first chamber located in the hull and being selectively floodable to alter a draft of the barge, a flood valve located below a water line and configured to enable a flood of the first chamber, said water line being a function of the draft of the barge, and a control device configured to selectively open the flood valve to flood the first chamber, and the supporting structure resting on the bed of the body of water and having a supporting member connectable to the load, said method comprising:
(a) moving the load, equipped with a coupling member, into a transfer position via the barge supporting the load;
(b) increasing the draft of the barge by opening the flood valve, flooding at least the first chamber and pumping the water in the first chamber to at least one second chamber at a higher level than the first chamber to:
(i) lower the load,
(ii) bring the coupling member of the load into contact with the supporting member of the supporting structure, and
(iii) completely transfer the load from the barge to the supporting structure; and

(c) moving the barge from the transfer position.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein increasing the draft of the barge includes flooding at least the first chamber again after pumping the water from the first chamber to the at least one second chamber.

17. The method of claim 15 , which includes reducing the draft of the barge by draining the at least one second chamber using a fast-drain device.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein draining the at least one second chamber includes opening at least one fast-drain valve of the at least one second chamber when the at least one fast-drain valve is above the water line.

19. A variable-draft barge configured to transfer a load in a body of water, said barge comprising:
a hull;
an underbody;
a first chamber located in the hull and being selectively floodable to alter a draft of the barge;
a plurality of additional chambers including:
a plurality of fore additional chambers;
a plurality of aft additional chambers; and
a plurality of lower intermediate additional chambers located between the aft additional chambers and the fore additional chambers;

a plurality of upper intermediate second chambers connected to the lower intermediate additional chambers by at least one pump;
a flood valve located below a water line and configured to enable a flood of the first chamber and at least one of the lower intermediate additional chambers, said water line being a function of the draft of the barge;
a first tunnel connecting the body of water to at least one of the plurality of additional chambers, the flood valve communicating fluidically with the first tunnel; and
a control device configured to selectively open the flood valve to flood the first chamber.

20. The variable-draft barge of claim 19 , wherein the at least one of the additional chambers is connected to the first tunnel.

21. The variable-draft barge of claim 20 , wherein said connection is via a feed valve.

22. The variable-draft barge of claim 21 , wherein the control device is configured to selectively open and close the feed valve.

23. The variable-draft barge of claim 19 , wherein the first tunnel is located at a bottom of the hull, substantially halfway along an axis of the hull.

24. The variable-draft barge of claim 19 , which includes a second tunnel in fluidic communication with another one of the plurality of additional chambers.

25. The variable-draft barge of claim 24 , wherein the second tunnel is perpendicular to the first tunnel.

26. The variable-draft barge of claim 24 , wherein the second tunnel is in fluidic communication with the first tunnel.

Assignees

• Saipem Spa

Inventors

• Ardavanis Kimon
• Oldani Andrea
• Faldini Roberto

Classifications

• E02B2017/0043

  Placing the offshore structure on a pre-installed foundation structure · CPC title

• B63B35/003

  for transporting very large loads, e.g. offshore structure modules (construction methods for artificial islands mounted on piles E02B17/00; for transporting marine vessels B63B35/40; docks B63C1/00) · CPC title

• B63B43/06

  using ballast tanks (conduits for emptying or ballasting B63B13/00) · CPC title

• E02B2017/0047

  using a barge · CPC title

• E02B2017/0056

  Platforms with supporting legs · CPC title