Anchoring system and method

Abstract

An anchoring system installed on a bottom of a body of water. The anchoring system has a tube sheet with an access tube defining a flow channel therethrough. One or more water tubes pass through the tube sheet. Each of the water tubes defining a longitudinal channel through the tube sheet. Each longitudinal channel has an open end at the top side and a closed end below the bottom side. A plurality of flow channels pass through the tube sheet. A skirt extends from the bottom of the tube sheet and defines a volume within the skirt encompassing at least a portion of the water tubes and the flow channels. A shock absorber is coupled to the closed end of at least one of the plurality of water tubes. The anchoring system is installed using negative pressure and extracted using positive pressure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An anchoring system configured to be installed on a bottom of a body of water, the bottom of the body of water being formed of a bottom material, the anchoring system comprising:
 a tube sheet having a top side and a bottom side;   an access tube defining a flow channel through the tube sheet from the top side to the bottom side;   a plurality of water tubes passing through the tube sheet, each of the plurality of water tubes defining a longitudinal channel from the top side to the bottom side of the tube sheet, each longitudinal channel comprises an open end at the top side and a closed end below the bottom side;   a plurality of flow channels through the tube sheet from the top side to the bottom side;   a skirt extending from the bottom side of the tube sheet and defining a volume within the skirt below the tube sheet encompassing at least a portion of the water tubes and the flow channels; and   a shock absorber coupled to the closed end of at least one of the plurality of water tubes.   
     
     
         2 . The anchoring system according to  claim 1 , wherein the shock absorber comprises an air chamber. 
     
     
         3 . The anchoring system according to  claim 2 , wherein the air chamber comprises at least one flexible wall configured to withstand undersea pressure and maintain a pressure differential between the longitudinal flow channel and the air chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The anchoring system according to  claim 3 , wherein the at least one flexible wall comprises a neoprene material. 
     
     
         5 . The anchoring system according to  claim 3 , further comprising a cylinder wherein the at least one flexible wall closes the closed end longitudinal channel. 
     
     
         6 . The anchoring system according to  claim 1 , wherein the shock absorber withstands pressures in excess of 20,000 PSI. 
     
     
         7 . The anchoring system according to  claim 1 , wherein the shock absorber is rounded at a bottom end to facilitate penetration into the bottom material. 
     
     
         8 . The anchoring system according to  claim 1 , further comprising an excavation pump operatively coupled to the access tube on the top side of the tube sheet, the excavation pump transferring at least a portion of the bottom material from the bottom side to the top side of the tube sheet. 
     
     
         9 . The anchoring system according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one valve port fluidly coupled to the plurality of flow channels. 
     
     
         10 . The anchoring system according to  claim 9 , wherein the at least one valve port is configured to remove water, the bottom material, and a combination of water and the bottom material from the volume of the skirt. 
     
     
         11 . The anchoring system according to  claim 9 , wherein an injected material is injected into the at least one valve port and deposited within the volume of the skirt. 
     
     
         12 . The anchoring system according to  claim 11 , wherein the injected material comprises barite mud. 
     
     
         13 . The anchoring system according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of flow channels are located near an edge of the tube sheet and an edge of the skirt. 
     
     
         14 . The anchoring system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a reinforcement structure coupled to the skirt. 
     
     
         15 . The anchoring system according to  claim 14 , wherein the reinforcement structure resists lateral motion and maintains the position of the skirt. 
     
     
         16 . The anchoring system according to  claim 1 , wherein the anchoring system is cylindrical. 
     
     
         17 . A method of installing an anchoring system on a bottom of a body of water, the bottom of the body of water being formed of a bottom material, the method comprises:
 submerging the anchoring system and lowering the anchoring system until a bottom of a skirt rests on the bottom of the body of water, the skirt defining an inner volume with the bottom of the body of water;   pumping, using an excavation pump, the bottom material from the inner volume through an access tube to produce a negative pressure within the inner volume, the negative pressure configured to pull the anchoring system beneath the bottom of the body of water;   continuing to pump the bottom material from the inner volume until the bottom of the skirt reaches a solid substrate;   injecting a mud denser than the bottom material into the inner volume using one or more flow channels; and   dissipating lateral motion, vertical motion, and a combination of lateral and vertical motion of the anchoring system using a plurality of shock absorbers on a bottom end of a plurality of water tube within the skirt.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprises stabilizing the anchoring system with a reinforcement structure. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17  in which the mud comprises barite. 
     
     
         20 . A method of removing an anchoring system installed on a bottom of a body of water, the bottom of the body of water being formed of a bottom material, the method comprises:
 providing suction to at least one flow channel to withdraw a mud denser than the bottom material from a skirt defining an inner volume of the anchoring system, the skirt in contact with a solid substrate of the body of water;   pumping water through an access tube to produce a positive pressure within the inner volume of the anchoring system causing the skirt to lift from the solid substrate of the body of water;   continuing to pump water into the inner volume until the anchoring system becomes free from the bottom of the body of water; and   lifting the anchoring system from the bottom of the body of water.