System for performing light subsea intervention work

Abstract

A small size subsea vehicle is designed to comprise the form of a subsea tool and include a common drive interface that allows quick connect/disconnect with the subsea vehicles (ROVs and AUVs). A subsea tool system comprising the small size subsea vehicle comprises a main vehicle 100 with a tool interface comprising a common drive interface 104a and a power interface 104b; and a subsea tool system 102 comprising predetermined footprint configured to fit within a predetermined space, e.g., one smaller than a narrow region or a constricted area where a larger subsea vehicle cannot enter due to size constraints of the larger subsea vehicle; a predetermined set of tools 103, each tool of the predetermined set of tools comprising a common drive interface 103a; and a tool repository 115.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 ) A subsea tool system, comprising:
 a) a housing comprising a predetermined footprint, the predetermined footprint configured to fit within a predetermined space;   b) a small remotely operated vehicle comprising a predetermined size smaller than a narrow region or a constricted area where a larger subsea vehicle cannot enter due to size constraints of the larger subsea vehicle;   c) a main vehicle adapter adapted to operatively connect the small remotely operated vehicle to a main vehicle; and   d) a tether management system (TMS) disposed at least partially within the housing, the TMS adapted to provide an adaptive length tether connection between the small remotely operated vehicle and the housing, the TMS comprising:
 (a) a cable retriever; and 
 (b) a cable operatively connected to the cable retriever and the small remotely operated vehicle, the cable retriever adapted to selectively spool in or spool out the cable. 
   
     
     
         2 ) The subsea tool system of  claim 1 , wherein the small remotely operated vehicle comprises a diameter of 300 mm and a length of 435 mm. 
     
     
         3 ) The subsea tool system of  claim 1 , further comprising a power source operatively in communication with the TMS. 
     
     
         4 ) The subsea tool system of  claim 1 , wherein main vehicle adapter comprises a male adapter configured to connect with the main vehicle through a tooling interface to provide power to the subsea tool system. 
     
     
         5 ) The subsea tool system of  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a corrosion resistant material. 
     
     
         6 ) The subsea tool system of  claim 1 , wherein the small remotely operated vehicle further comprises:
 a) a lighting system;   b) a camera;   c) a sensor; and   d) a predetermined set of thrusters configured to assist movement of the small remotely operated vehicle while maneuvering in a subsea environment.   
     
     
         7 ) A system, comprising:
 a) a main vehicle, comprising:
 i) a rounded front end; 
 ii) a rounded aft end; and 
 iii) a tool interface, comprising:
 (1) a common drive interface; and 
 (2) a power interface; 
 
   b) a subsea tool system, comprising:
 i) a housing comprising a predetermined footprint, the predetermined footprint configured to fit within a predetermined space; 
 ii) a small remotely operated vehicle comprising a predetermined size smaller than a narrow region or a constricted area where a larger subsea vehicle cannot enter due to size constraints of the larger subsea vehicle; 
 iii) a main vehicle adapter adapted to operatively connect the small remotely operated vehicle to a main vehicle; and 
 iv) a tether management system (TMS) disposed at least partially within the housing, the TMS adapted to provide an adaptive length tether connection between the small remotely operated vehicle and the housing, the TMS comprising:
 (1) a cable retriever; and 
 (2) a cable operatively connected to the cable retriever and the small remotely operated vehicle, the cable retriever adapted to selectively spool in or spool out the cable; 
 
   c) a predetermined set of tools, each tool of the predetermined set of tools comprising a common drive interface; and   d) a tool repository configured to selectively store the predetermined set of tools.   
     
     
         8 ) The system of  claim 7 , wherein the common drive interface comprises a plug and play interface. 
     
     
         9 ) The system of  claim 7 , wherein the tool interface is capable of providing simultaneous mechanical bi-directional torque/rotational power and communication via induction. 
     
     
         10 ) The system of  claim 16 , wherein the tool interface comprises a pinless inductive connection configured to provide rotational power, mechanical power, data communication between the small remotely operated vehicle tool and the main vehicle, or a combination of rotational power, mechanical power, and communication between small remotely operated vehicle tool and the main vehicle. 
     
     
         11 ) The system of  claim 10 , wherein data communication comprises communication of data and command signals between the main vehicle and a secondary subsea vehicle or the small remotely operated vehicle using an inductor provided on and between the tooling interface and a male adapter of the subsea tool system. 
     
     
         12 ) The system of  claim 7 , wherein the main vehicle comprises a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), a subsea drone, a dredging vehicle, a subsea crawler, a hybrid underwater vehicle, a resident remotely operated vehicle, or a skid. 
     
     
         13 ) A method for tool use subsea using a subsea tool system comprising a main vehicle which comprises a rounded front end, a rounded aft end, and a tool interface, the tool interface comprising a common drive interface and a power interface; a subsea tool system, comprising a housing comprising a predetermined footprint configured to fit within a predetermined space, a small remotely operated vehicle comprising a predetermined size smaller than a narrow region or a constricted area where a larger subsea vehicle cannot enter due to size constraints of the larger subsea vehicle, a main vehicle adapter adapted to operatively connect the small remotely operated vehicle to a main vehicle, and a tether management system (TMS) disposed at least partially within the housing where the TMS is adapted to provide an adaptive length tether connection between the small remotely operated vehicle and the housing and where the TMS comprises a cable retriever and a cable operatively connected to the cable retriever and the small remotely operated vehicle, the cable retriever adapted to selectively spool in or spool out the cable; a predetermined set of tools, each tool of the predetermined set of tools comprising a common drive interface ( 103   a ); and a tool repository configured to selectively store the predetermined set of tools, the method comprising:
 a) using a main vehicle to position the subsea tool system at a predetermined subsea location;   b) selecting a first tool from a predetermined set of tools, each tool of the predetermined set of tools comprising a common drive interface; and   c) operatively connecting the first tool to the tool interface.   
     
     
         14 ) The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a) detaching the first tool from the tool interface subsea;   b) selecting a second tool from the predetermined set of tools; and   c) operatively connecting the second tool to the tool interface subsea.   
     
     
         15 ) The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a) placing the predetermined set of tools into a tooling cage or tooling basket near the predetermined subsea location proximate a subsea infrastructure or subsea asset;   b) placing the subsea tool system in the tooling cage or tooling basket near the predetermined subsea location; and   c) using the small remotely operated vehicle to carry the subsea tool system in the tooling basket along with the predetermined set of tools.   
     
     
         16 ) The method of  claim 15 , wherein the subsea infrastructure or subsea asset comprises a tooling interface connection, the method further comprising:
 a) operatively connecting the subsea tool system to the subsea infrastructure or subsea asset via the tooling interface connection;   b) providing power to the subsea tool system through the subsea asset or subsea infrastructure via a tooling interface; and   c) establishing a data connection between the subsea tool system and the subsea asset or subsea infrastructure via the tooling interface connection.   
     
     
         17 ) The method of  claim 13 , wherein the tool interface comprises a detachable wet mate connector tied to subsea infrastructure, the method further comprising providing power and data communication through the detachable wet mate connector and the tooling interface connection. 
     
     
         18 ) The method of  claim 13 , wherein the main vehicle comprises a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) or an autonomously operated vehicle (AUV), the method further comprising docking the subsea tool system on a semi-permanent tooling basket to facilitate easy replacement of the subsea tool system in case the subsea tool system fails or gets damaged or gets stuck or needs to be relocated to enable expanded use of the subsea tool system. 
     
     
         19 ) The method of  claim 13 , further comprising, if the subsea tool system is faulty or is not working properly, using the TMS to use the tether to retrieve the subsea tool system back to a static unit/cage. 
     
     
         20 ) The method of  claim 13 , further comprising using the subsea tool system to function as an antenna that is capable of receiving and transferring communication signals wirelessly from a separate subsea vehicle.