Mooring bed assessment apparatus and method
US5970901A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 22, 1997 |
| Grant date | Oct 26, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 22, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB63B2021/262
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
Apparatus provided for producing measurement data capable of characterizing a burial trajectory (2) traced out in a sea-bed soil (3), and additionally to be capable of measuring a soils parameter such as the penetration resistance of the soil (3). In particular the apparatus checks for the anchorability of a particular sea-bed location and also provides a certain indication of the nature of the soil in stratae in the bed at this location. Specifically the apparatus achieves measurements via a point on a burying apparatus (5) as the burying apparatus moves in the trajectory. More especially the apparatus includes means (19, 29) located in a body (12) carried by the burying apparatus to sense the distance along the trajectory (2) separating two spaced points on the trajectory, and from that by additional means sense the position of a point in the soil at a particular instant thereby enabling the path of the trajectory (2) to be plotted. These additional means can comprise for example an inclinometer (28) indicating the angle of the body (12) at a particular instant. The body (12) can further include a penetrometer (17) to measure soil resistance.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.