System for the dradging of underwater sea-beds

Abstract

A system for dredging underwater sea-beds includes a floating platform; a dredging tool positioned on the platform to face the water and having a system that lowers and lifts the dredging tool, further having at least three connection points associated with the platform to connect the ends of warping cables that are anchored to the shore at the opposite ends, and further having tensioning devices; a sediment collection system that collects sediment captured by the dredging tool; a system detecting the position of the platform; a system detecting the position of the dredging tool; a system detecting seabed configuration; a system detecting the quantity of sediment removed from the seabed; a remote command and control system for the system that lowers and lifts the dredging tool, a tensioning system for the warping cables; a detection system; and a system that supplies the equipment on board of the platform.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for dredging an underwater seabed, comprising:
 a platform provided with flotation means;   a dredging tool provided on a portion of said platform facing water surface, the dredging tool having means for lowering and lifting the dredging tool, and at least three connection points associated with said platform, the at least three connection points connecting ends of respective warping cables, which are anchored to a shore at opposite ends, the dredging tool further having tensioning means for the warping cables;   sediment collection means for sediment collected by the dredging tool;   means for detecting a position of said platform;   means for detecting a position of said dredging tool;   means for detecting seabed configuration;   means for detecting a quantity of the sediment removed from the seabed;   remote command and control means of said means for lowering and lifting said dredging tool, the tensioning means for the warping cables, and the means for detecting the absolute position of the platform, the position of the dredging tool, the seabed configuration, and the quantity of the sediment removed from the seabed; and   means for supplying equipment on board the platform.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the dredging tool is a bucket, the sediment collection means comprising an underwater hopper which discharges the sediment to the ground, the platform being moved the sediment collection point to a discharge area where said underwater hopper is located. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the platform, in the portion facing the water surface, is provided with a screen wall that surrounds the bucket. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the means for detecting the quantity of the sediment removed from the seabed comprise a load cell coupled to the means for lowering and lifting the dredging tool. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein said means for lowering and lifting the dredging tool comprise a winch mounted on an upper portion of the platform. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the dredging tool is a dredging pump, and the sediment collection means comprise a floating duct. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the dredging pump is an electric pump, powered by feeding means connected to the platform. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 6 , further comprising means for detecting a mass flow rate of the dredging pump, which are arranged along said floating duct. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said tensioning means for the warping cables are provided on the platform. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said tensioning means for the warping cables are positioned on the shore. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 9 , wherein said tensioning means comprise winches. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein said winches provide means for detecting a tension of the warping cables. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein said winches are made with a pulling part, comprising two first drums that wind one of the warping cables for a number of turns and on a single layer, and an accumulating part, comprising a third drum with a larger diameter than the two first, which wraps the warping cables, a motorized pulley being provided upstream of the two first drums which keeps the one of the warping cables under constant tension. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said remote command and control means comprise a software loaded on a computer, which is interfaced with the tensioning means of the warping cables, with the means for detecting the quantity of the sediment removed by the dredging tool, with the means for detecting the position of the dredging tool, and with the means for detecting the position of the platform. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising optical detection means, both surface and submerged, wind detection means, and detection means of a wave state of the water surface which are all interfaced with the remote command and control means. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the tensioning means of the warping cables and the means for lifting and lowering means the dredging tool are numerical control machines.