AIR-BLEED ASSEMBLY FOR AN UNDERWATER DRILLING ASSEMBLY
Underwater drilling assemblies and systems are disclosed. The underwater drilling assemblies and systems include drill assemblies, frames for drill assemblies, and connection flange assemblies to be fastened to a ship skin. The underwater drilling assemblies and systems further include waste cartridges and automatic air-bleed valve assemblies.
1 . An underwater drilling system, comprising:
a drilling assembly;
a frame supporting the drilling assembly;
a connection flange assembly configured to be attached to a ship skin by the drilling assembly, wherein the connection flange assembly comprises a drill cavity defined therein; and
an automatic air-bleed valve assembly fluidically coupled to the drill cavity, wherein the automatic air-bleed valve assembly is attached to the frame by way of a fluidic pivot coupling, and wherein the automatic air-bleed valve assembly comprises:
an auto-bleed valve; and
an external float member.
2 . The underwater drilling system of claim 1 , wherein the fluidic pivot joint comprises a hydraulic swivel elbow.
3 . The underwater drilling system of claim 1 , wherein the automatic air-bleed valve assembly further comprises:
a body portion defining an inner fluid chamber and an air-release aperture; and
an inner shuttle valve body comprising an internal float, wherein the internal float is configured to permit movement of the inner shuttle valve body relative to the body portion to seal the air-release aperture and to unseal the air-release aperture.
4 . The underwater drilling system of claim 3 , wherein the inner shuttle valve body comprises:
an internal tube comprising an open bottom in fluid communication with the inner fluid chamber; and
an upper vent head.
5 . The underwater drilling system of claim 4 , wherein the upper vent head comprises a plug configured to seal and unseal the air-release aperture.
6 . The underwater drilling system of claim 3 , wherein the air-release aperture is defined in a top plate of the body portion.
7 . The underwater drilling system of claim 1 , further comprising a waste cartridge fluidically coupled to the drill cavity, and wherein the automatic air-bleed valve assembly is upstream of the waste cartridge such that air is configured to be released by way of the automatic air-bleed valve assembly before reaching the waste cartridge.
8 . An air-bleed assembly for use with an underwater drilling system, the air-bleed assembly comprising:
an input tube fluidically couplable to a drill cavity; and
a head assembly, comprising:
a frame comprising an upper vent;
a first float;
an internal cavity fluidically coupled to the input tube and the upper vent; and
a shuttle movable within the internal cavity such that air pressure is configured to push the shuttle away from the upper vent to automatically unseal and escape through the upper vent.
9 . The air-bleed assembly of claim 8 , wherein the input tube further comprises a tube comprising a fluidic pivot coupling configured to permit the first float to bias the head assembly toward an equalized pressure position.
10 . The air-bleed assembly of claim 8 , wherein the frame comprises a chamber wall defining the internal cavity extending between a lower plate of the frame and an upper plate of the frame.
11 . The air-bleed assembly of claim 10 , wherein the shuttle comprises a second float engaged with the chamber wall, and wherein the second float provides an outer seal between an upper portion of the internal cavity and a lower portion of the internal cavity.
12 . The air-bleed assembly of claim 11 , wherein the upper vent comprises a first upper vent, wherein the shuttle comprises an inner tube comprising a second upper vent in fluid communication with the upper portion of the internal cavity and an open bottom in fluid communication with the lower portion of the internal cavity.
13 . The air-bleed assembly of claim 12 , wherein the upper plate comprises a first upper plate, and wherein the shuttle further comprises a second upper plate configured to seal the first upper vent when the shuttle is in an upper-most position and unseal the first upper vent when the shuttle is not in the upper-most position.
14 . The air-bleed assembly of claim 13 , wherein a gap is defined between the second float and the first upper plate when the shuttle is in the upper-most position.
15 . A method for automatically bleeding air from a drill cavity of an underwater drilling assembly, wherein the underwater drilling assembly comprises a frame, a drill assembly mounted to the frame, and a flange assembly through which a hole is drilled by the drill assembly into a ship skin, wherein the drill cavity is defined in the flange assembly, the method comprising:
attaching the underwater drilling assembly to the ship skin;
drilling the hole in the ship skin through the flange assembly;
bleeding air within the drill cavity through an automatic air-bleed valve assembly comprising an external float, an internal chamber, a shuttle movable within the internal chamber to seal and unseal a top plate of the automatic air-bleed valve assembly upon generating an air pressure greater than a fluid pressure applied to the shuttle within the internal chamber; and
sealing the flange assembly.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein bleeding air within the drill cavity further comprises passing air through an inner tube of the shuttle.