Hydrodynamic Winch for Salvage Operations

Abstract

Abstract : Lifting heavy loads (1000 tons or more) from ocean depths using the present winching or lifting methods is, for practical purposes, nonexistent. Pontoons and winches have been used for limited loads and limited depths, but breakout forces, buoyance controls, dynamic-wave induced cable stresses, etc., have made very heavy lifts almost impossible. The hydrodynamic winch is a proposed solution to this problem.