US-12617508-B2 - Frame for an underwater drilling assembly

Abstract

Underwater drilling assemblies and systems are disclosed. The underwater drilling assemblies and systems include drill assemblies, frames for drill assemblies, and connection flange assemblies to be fastened to a ship skin. The underwater drilling assemblies and systems further include waste cartridges and automatic air-bleed valve assemblies.

Inventors

• Joseph E. Farrell, III
• Jeroen MOOIJ
• Todd G. Holtz
• Nolan B. CONWAY
• Cody C. KURTZ
• Petrus Maria Leonardus VAN DER SANDEN
• Josephus KUIJS
• Peter Theo Frank VAN POPPEL
• Ewoud Anton Georges GOORIX
• René Timotheus Gerardus WITTEMAN

Assignees

• RESOLVE MARINE GROUP, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20231117

Claims (19)

1. 1 . An underwater drilling assembly, comprising: a drill assembly; a connection flange assembly configured to be attached to a ship skin by the drill assembly, wherein the connection flange assembly comprises a plurality of guide tabs; and a frame supporting the drill assembly, wherein the frame comprises: a lower platform comprising attachment legs extending therefrom, wherein the attachment legs are configured to attach the underwater drill assembly to a ship skin, and wherein each attachment leg comprises: a fluidic actuator comprising an output shaft; an expandable leg assembly attached to the output shaft; a suction cup base attached to the expandable leg assembly by way of a ball and socket joint; and a guide flange comprising a slot configured to receive one of the guide tabs of the connection flange assembly.
2. 2 . The underwater drilling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the expandable leg assembly comprises: an upper leg portion attached to and translatable by the output shaft; and a lower leg portion spring loaded against the upper leg portion to permit a retraction movement of the upper leg portion relative to the lower leg portion upon retraction of the output shaft.
3. 3 . The underwater drilling assembly of claim 2 , wherein the expandable leg assembly further comprises an outer housing comprising a slot defined therein, and wherein the lower leg portion comprises a plunger attached to the lower leg by way of a pin, and wherein the pin extends radially outward from the plunger and is received within the slot.
4. 4 . The underwater drilling assembly of claim 3 , wherein the outer housing is fixedly attached to the lower platform.
5. 5 . The underwater drilling assembly of claim 4 , wherein the connection flange assembly comprises a guide fin, wherein the outer housing comprises a guide bracket extending from a lower end of the outer housing, wherein the guide bracket comprises a slot, and wherein the guide fin is positionable within the slot to guide the frame relative to the connection flange assembly.
6. 6 . The underwater drilling assembly of claim 2 , wherein the lower leg portion comprises a plunger, wherein the plunger comprises a head slidably supported within the upper leg portion, and wherein a coil spring is positioned between the head and a bottom of the upper leg portion.
7. 7 . The underwater drilling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fluidic actuator comprises a hydraulic actuator.
8. 8 . The underwater drilling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lower leg portion comprises a ball portion extending therefrom, wherein the suction cup base comprises a socket, and wherein the ball portion is positioned within the socket.
9. 9 . An underwater drilling assembly frame, comprising: a frame; and a plurality of legs configured to secure the frame to a ship skin, wherein each leg comprises: a suction cup base; a piston; an outer column fixedly attached to the frame; an inner column positioned within the outer column, wherein the inner column comprises: an upper tube fixedly attached to the piston; and a lower leg vertically constrained relative to the suction cup base, wherein the piston is actuatable to expand the upper tube relative to the lower leg to pull the upper tube away from the ship skin.
10. 10 . The underwater drilling assembly frame of claim 9 , wherein the lower leg is spring loaded against the upper tube.
11. 11 . The underwater drilling assembly frame of claim 10 , wherein the outer column comprises a slot defined therein, and wherein the lower leg comprises a plunger attached to the lower leg by way of a pin, and wherein the pin extends radially outward from the plunger and is received within the slot.
12. 12 . The underwater drilling assembly frame of claim 11 , further comprising a flange mountable to the ship skin, wherein the flange comprises a guide fin, wherein the outer column comprises a guide bracket extending from a lower end of the outer column, wherein the guide bracket comprises a slot, and wherein the guide fin is positionable within the slot to guide the frame relative to the flange.
13. 13 . The underwater drilling assembly frame of claim 10 , wherein the lower leg comprises a plunger, wherein the plunger comprises a head slidably supported within the upper tube, and wherein a coil spring is positioned between the head and a bottom of the upper tube.
14. 14 . The underwater drilling assembly frame of claim 9 , wherein the piston is actuatable by a hydraulic actuator.
15. 15 . The underwater drilling assembly frame of claim 9 , wherein the lower leg comprises a ball extending therefrom, wherein the suction cup base comprises a socket, and wherein the ball is positioned within the socket.
16. 16 . A method for attaching an underwater drilling assembly to a ship skin, wherein the underwater drilling assembly comprises a frame, a drill assembly attached to the frame, and a connection flange assembly comprising a gasket, wherein the frame comprises a plurality of legs, wherein each leg comprises a suction cup base and an expandable leg assembly, the method comprising: lowering the underwater drill assembly onto a ship skin and pressing the gasket against the ship skin to provide a seal against the ship skin with the connection flange assembly; positioning each suction cup base of the plurality of legs against the ship skin; initiating a suction force to secure each suction cup base to the ship skin; actuating a fluidic actuator of each leg to pull an upper leg portion of the expandable leg assembly of each leg to increase a holding force of the plurality of legs; attaching the connection flange assembly to the ship skin; and drilling a hole in the ship skin.
17. 17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein actuating the fluidic actuator of each leg to pull the upper leg portion of the expandable leg assembly of each leg comprises pulling the upper leg portion upwardly relative to the ship skin and a lower leg portion of the expandable leg assembly.
18. 18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein actuating the fluidic actuator of each leg to pull the upper leg portion of the expandable leg assembly of each leg comprises applying a pulling force to the suction cup base which is less than a suction force applied by the suction cup base.
19. 19 . The method of claim 16 , the method further comprising actuating a spring mechanism within the legs to permit independent vertical movement of each leg relative to the ship skin.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a U.S. National Stage Entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Patent Application No. PCT/US2023/080325, titled FRAME FOR AN UNDERWATER DRILLING ASSEMBLY, filed Nov. 17, 2023, which claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/426,591 titled MARINE SALVAGE DRILL ASSEMBLIES AND SYSTEMS, filed Nov. 18, 2022 the entire disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND The present disclosure relates to drilling systems, assemblies, and components that may be employed for marine salvage. SUMMARY In various aspects of the present disclosure, an underwater drilling system for marine salvage is disclosed. The underwater drilling system comprises a frame, a drill assembly supported by the frame, and a connection flange assembly configured to be attached to a ship skin by the drill assembly. Hydrocarbons, for example, can be extracted from a ship through the ship skin by way of the connection flange assembly after the connection flange assembly is attached to the ship skin and the drill assembly is decoupled from the connection flange assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Various aspects described herein, together with advantages thereof, may be understood in accordance with the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings as follows. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an underwater drilling system comprising a frame, a drill assembly supported by the frame, and a connection flange assembly configured to be affixed to a ship skin by the underwater drilling system, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the underwater drilling system of FIG. 1, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the underwater drilling system of FIG. 1, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 3A is a partial perspective view of the underwater drilling system of FIG. 1, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a top view of the underwater drilling system of FIG. 1, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a front view of the underwater drilling system of FIG. 1, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a side view of the underwater drilling system of FIG. 1, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an attachment leg of the underwater drilling system of FIG. 1, wherein the attachment leg comprises a fluidic actuator, an expandable leg assembly attached to the fluidic actuator, and a suction cup base configured to be secured to a ship skin, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view of the attachment leg of FIG. 7, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the attachment leg of FIG. 7, wherein the expandable leg assembly comprises an upper leg portion attached to and translatable by the fluidic actuator and a lower leg portion spring loaded against the upper leg portion, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a schematic representation of the underwater drilling system of FIG. 1 and an attachment leg thereof configured to engage a concave ship skin surface, wherein the attachment leg is illustrated in a retracted configuration, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a schematic representation of the underwater drilling system and attachment leg of FIG. 10, wherein the attachment leg is illustrated in an extended configuration, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 12 is a schematic representation of the underwater drilling system and attachment leg of FIG. 10, wherein the attachment leg is illustrated in a first holding configuration, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 13 is a schematic representation of the underwater drilling system and attachment leg of FIG. 10, wherein the attachment leg is illustrated in a second holding configuration, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 14 is a schematic representation of the underwater drilling system of FIG. 1 and an attachment leg thereof configured to engage a convex ship skin surface, wherein the attachment leg is illustrated in a retracted configuration, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 15 is a schematic representation of the underwater drilling system and attachment leg of FIG. 14, wherein the attachment leg is illustrated in an extended configuration, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. FIG. 16 is a schematic representation of the underwater drilling system and attachment leg of FIG. 14, wherein the attachment leg is illustrated