Importance

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Abstract

A system for excavating a trench in the sea bottom and removing the excavated spoil from the trench in order to enable an elongated structure, such as a pipeline, to settle into the trench is disclosed along with a corresponding method of operating such system. The system includes a sea sled which can be towed along the bottom of the sea and a towing vessel for towing the sled along the sea bottom. The sea sled includes a frame to be disposed over the area in which the trench is to be formed, a fluid jet excavator mounted on the frame and located adjacent to the rear end of the sea sled and a spoil removal mechanism mounted on the frame and located aft of the fluid jet excavator. Both the center of buoyancy and the center of gravity of the sled are located in front of the fluid jet excavator. The towing vessel is coupled to the sled through a tow line connecting mechanism and is coupled in such manner that the effects of any heaving and/or pitching movements of the vessel upon the fluid jet excavator sled are minimized. The spoil removal machanism is appropriately constructed so that the spoil that is removed from the trench is deposited at a sufficient distance from the sides of the sled so as to minimize the possibility of the spoil immediately slipping back into the trench.

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First Claim