| 摘要 |
Apparatus for submerging a floatation body for placement beneath a floating structure is comprised of a tank which is divided into at least two sealed compartments. The tank has a total gross weight which is greater than the buoyancy force of the floatation body and yet has a volume which will allow it to float when filled with air. In order to tailor the gross weight of the tank for use with floatation bodies having a range of buoyancies, weights are removably attachable to the tank. Fluid passageways are provided in the bottom of each compartment, and an air outlet, containing a control valve, is located near the top of each compartment to permit selective flooding of the compartment to submerge the tank. Air inlets entering the top of each compartment are provided with control valves to allow selectively refilling the respective compartments from a remote air generating system. The method includes attaching the floatation body to the tank with straps and opening the air outlet valves until sufficient water enters the tank through the fluid passageways to submerge the floatation body to a depth where it is located beneath the level of the structure. The submerged apparatus is then manipulated until the floatation body is located underneath the structure and pressurized air is forced into the tank from the air generating system through the air inlets, thereby displacing the water out of the compartments through the fluid passageways, until the floatation body is raised to a position where it is completely supported by the structure. The floatation body is then released from the apparatus by removing the straps, and the tank is raised to the surface by completely refilling it with air.
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