Suction pile

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9815526-B2
Application number	US-201415026244-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2014
Priority date	Sep 30, 2013
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates to a suction pile comprising a cylinder shaped body ( 1 ) with a closed end ( 3 ) and an open end ( 2 ), means ( 4 ) for attaching an arrangement to ejecting entrapped water, air and mud, but also provide a pressure difference within the suction pile during installation, and an attachment system ( 10 ) for attaching external equipment to the suction pile, the suction pile is formed with a skin portion ( 17 ) and at least one flange portion ( 6 ). At least one of the flange portions ( 6 ) comprises an element ( 11, 26 ) that form at least a part of the attachment system ( 10 ) for external equipment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A suction pile comprising:
a cylinder shaped body having a closed upper end and an open lower end, the body comprising at least one segment which includes a skin portion and at least one flange portion; and
an attachment system for attaching external equipment to the suction pile;
wherein at least one of the flange portions comprises an increased thickness in at least one direction compared to the skin portion;
wherein at least one of the flange portions comprises an element that forms at least a part of the attachment system;
wherein the flange portion comprising the element extends from the closed end and at least partly along the cylindrical shaped body; and
wherein the body is formed of at least two segments.

2. A suction pile according to claim 1 , wherein the flange portions extend into the interior of the cylinder shaped body and the closed end.

3. A suction pile according to claim 1 , wherein each segment comprises a flange portion at each of its ends which faces a neighboring segment.

4. A suction pile according to claim 3 , wherein the element forming at least a part of the attachment system is positioned in a flange portion facing a flange portion of a neighboring segment.

5. A suction pile according to claim 3 , wherein the attachment system comprises:
at least one recess formed in at least one flange portion of at least one of the segments; and
at least one attachment piece which comprises a first section having complimentary form to the recess and a base section which is connected to the first section;
where the attachment system is configured such that when one segment is connected to a neighboring segment, the attachment piece is positioned with the first section within the recess and with the base section extending a distance out of the suction pile.

6. A suction pile according to claim 5 , wherein the attachment system comprises at least three recesses, within each of which one attachment piece is positioned, and wherein each recess is positioned between different neighboring segments.

7. A suction pile according to claim 5 , wherein the flange portions facing each other are formed with mirrored recesses.

8. A suction pile according to claim 5 , wherein the first section of the attachment piece has a width which is larger than a width of the base section.

9. A suction pile according to claim 5 , wherein the attachment system comprises a base plate which is connected to at least one base section and is positioned on an outside of the suction pile.

10. A suction pile according to claim 1 , wherein at least one segment is at least partially formed from a composite material.

11. A suction pile according to claim 1 , wherein the cylinder shaped body comprises a cylindrical wall portion and the closed upper end comprises an end portion, and wherein a majority of the segments are substantially equal and each segment forms a part of the cylindrical wall portion and a part of the closed end portion.

12. A suction pile according to claim 1 , where the attachment system is positioned in the closed end of the suction pile.

Assignees

• Fmc Kongsberg Subsea As

Inventors

• Sundqvist Gøran
• Medbøen Hans Kristian
• Kunkel Renny

Classifications

• B63B21/27 Primary

  by suction · CPC title

• E02D27/525

  using elements penetrating the underwater ground (sinking work pieces E02D15/08, sinking caissons E02D23/02) · CPC title

• E02B2017/0078

  Suction piles, suction cans · CPC title

• E02D2250/0053

  using suction or vacuum techniques · CPC title

• E02D7/20

  Placing by pressure or pulling power · CPC title