| 摘要 |
A pipeline laying ship and an improved method of laying a pipeline in a marine environment is disclosed. The A pipeline laying ship has a hull with a deck area and a moon pool that extends through the hull midships. The pipeline welding stations are provided on the deck in between the bow of the hull and the moon pool. A superstructure is positioned in front of the moon pool and extends upwardly from the deck. The superstructure includes a track that is comprised of a plurality of supports for supporting a pipeline to be launched to the seabed. The superstructure has upper and lower sections that are removable with respect to each other. The upper section pivots upon the lower section in the preferred embodiment. The superstructure lower section supports the welded pipeline as it is being fabricated in a first plane that includes a central longitudinal axis fo the pipeline. The upper section supports the pipeline on a second plane that forms an acute angle with the first plane. A pipeline launching section is also supported by the superstructure and provides a straightener, tensioner and a clamping mechanism for supporting the pipeline. The launching section is positioned generally above the moon pool and is movable in an arcuate path that enables the launching section to be spaced laterally away from the pipeline as it is being fed to the lower section of the superstructure. The launch section is also movable, preferably pivoting about a horizontal axis for moving the launch section into an inclined, tilted orientation that is useful, for example, in launching pipelines in shallower water. |
