Reel drive apparatus 38 for use on a ship 32 comprises a reel 12 with a reel body 14 and an end plate 16 at or adjacent to each end of the body 14. These end plates 16 axial constrain flexible cable and/or pipe. A reel support 20 is mountable to the deck 42 of a ship 32 and the reel 12 is seatable for rotation in an upright condition on this support 20. A reel drive unit 36 engages with the reel 12 to impart a rotational drive to the reel 12 to wind and/or unwind the cable/pipe. A crane 34, such as a boom crane or other lifting device, is used to hoist, suspend and position the reel drive unit 36 at or adjacent each reel 12. A cable/pipe-unwinding system and ship 32 has such apparatus; a method of selectively unwinding flexible cable/pipe from a reel 12 without fully untethering neighbouring reels comprises using reel drive apparatus 38; and a method of changing a flexible cable/pipe to be unwound from a ship 32 into a sea or wound from the sea onto a ship 32 comprises using reel drive apparatus 38.
Reel drive apparatus
2018-04-11
Patent
Electronic Resource
English