Patents by Inventor Massimo Fontolan

Massimo Fontolan has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10415350
    Abstract: An underwater hydrocarbon processing facility has at least one fluid processing clusters provided with modules having, each, one fluid processing device and a plurality of first connection members configured to define the inlet and the outlet of the process fluids; and an interconnection unit having a plurality of second connection members defining inlet and outlet for the process fluids and configured to be operatively coupled to corresponding first connection members configured to operatively interconnect the modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: SAIPEM S.P.A.
    Inventors: Alessandro Radicioni, Fabrizio Gardini, Massimo Fontolan
  • Publication number: 20180016877
    Abstract: An underwater hydrocarbon processing facility has at least one fluid processing clusters provided with modules having, each, one fluid processing device and a plurality of first connection members configured to define the inlet and the outlet of the process fluids; and an interconnection unit having a plurality of second connection members defining inlet and outlet for the process fluids and configured to be operatively coupled to corresponding first connection members configured to operatively interconnect the modules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Publication date: January 18, 2018
    Inventors: Alessandro Radicioni, Fabrizio Gardini, Massimo Fontolan
  • Patent number: 9523445
    Abstract: A self-propelled underwater vehicle for underground laying a continuous elongated member in a bed of a body of water having a work assembly, which is configured to be set, at least partly, into the bed, and is provided with two facing supporting walls for delimiting a space there-between and supporting two opposite scarp slopes; and drive assemblies, which are arranged on opposite sides of the work assembly and are configured to rest on the bed and advancing the work assembly in a travelling direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: SAIPEM S.P.A.
    Inventors: Diego Lazzarin, Massimo Fontolan
  • Patent number: 8973237
    Abstract: A method of joining two portions of an underwater pipeline laid on the bed of a body of water to conduct fluid and/or gas, the method including: joining a telescopic sleeve, having a first coupling head, to a first end of a first pipeline portion above the body of water; laying the first end, the telescopic sleeve, and the first coupling head on the bed of the body of water; joining a second coupling head to a second end of a second pipeline portion above the body of water; laying the second end and the second coupling head on the bed of the body of water, close to the first coupling head; roughly aligning the first and second coupling head in the body of water; and clamping the first and second coupling head to each other in the body of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Saipem S.p.A.
    Inventor: Massimo Fontolan
  • Patent number: 8974149
    Abstract: A method of joining two portions of an underwater pipeline for conducting fluid and/or gas on the bed of a body of water, the method including the steps of: joining a telescopic sleeve, having a first coupling head, to a first end of a first pipeline portion above the body of water; positioning the first end, the telescopic sleeve, and the first coupling head in a first given position on the bed of the body of water; joining a second coupling head to a second end of a second pipeline portion above the body of water; positioning the second end and the second coupling head in a second given position, close to the first coupling head, below the body of water; and connecting the first and second coupling head hermetically below the body of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: SAIPEM S.p.A.
    Inventors: Massimo Fontolan, Roberto Brandi, Luca Michelazzo, Bruno Rosa
  • Publication number: 20150063916
    Abstract: A self-propelled underwater vehicle for underground laying a continuous elongated member in a bed of a body of water having a work assembly, which is configured to be set, at least partly, into the bed, and is provided with two facing supporting walls for delimiting a space there-between and supporting two opposite scarp slopes; and drive assemblies, which are arranged on opposite sides of the work assembly and are configured to rest on the bed and advancing the work assembly in a travelling direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Publication date: March 5, 2015
    Inventors: Diego Lazzarin, Massimo Fontolan
  • Patent number: 8944725
    Abstract: A method of temporarily supporting a soil mass susceptible to slide at a scarp slope bounding the soil mass includes advancing a supporting wall in an advancing direction along the scarp slope; and, in addition to the movement in the advancing direction, also moving a surface portion, in direct contact with the soil mass, of the supporting wall, so as to minimize friction between the soil mass and the supporting wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Saipem S.p.A.
    Inventors: Diego Lazzarin, Massimo Fontolan
  • Patent number: 8939678
    Abstract: A method of laying underwater pipelines in the bed of a body of water, the method including laying an underwater pipeline along a given path on the bed of the body of water; breaking up a ground mass along the path to a given depth in the bed; and fluidifying the broken ground mass beneath the underwater pipeline to sink the underwater pipeline into the fluidified ground mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Saipem S.p.A.
    Inventors: Diego Lazzarin, Massimo Fontolan
  • Patent number: 8899877
    Abstract: A method of underground laying a continuous elongated member in a bed of a body of water, wherein the continuous elongated member lies on the bed of the body of water along a given path; the method including the steps of: fragmenting a soil mass in the bed along the given path and under the continuous elongated member, so as to form in the bed two scarp slopes bounding the fragmented soil mass by two soil masses susceptible to slide; advancing two supporting walls along the given path in an advancing direction, along the respective two scarp slopes, and transferring the fragmented soil mass between the two supporting walls, so as to promote sinking of the continuous elongated member between the two supporting walls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Saipem S.p.A.
    Inventors: Diego Lazzarin, Massimo Fontolan
  • Publication number: 20120269582
    Abstract: A method of joining two portions of an underwater pipeline for conducting fluid and/or gas on the bed of a body of water, the method including the steps of: joining a telescopic sleeve, having a first coupling head, to a first end of a first pipeline portion above the body of water; positioning the first end, the telescopic sleeve, and the first coupling head in a first given position on the bed of the body of water; joining a second coupling head to a second end of a second pipeline portion above the body of water; positioning the second end and the second coupling head in a second given position, close to the first coupling head, below the body of water; and connecting the first and second coupling head hermetically below the body of water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: Saipem S.p.A
    Inventors: Massimo Fontolan, Roberto Brandi, Luca Michelazzo, Bruno Rosa
  • Publication number: 20120261914
    Abstract: A method of joining two portions of an underwater pipeline laid on the bed of a body of water to conduct fluid and/or gas, the method including: joining a telescopic sleeve, having a first coupling head, to a first end of a first pipeline portion above the body of water; laying the first end, the telescopic sleeve, and the first coupling head on the bed of the body of water; joining a second coupling head to a second end of a second pipeline portion above the body of water; laying the second end and the second coupling head on the bed of the body of water, close to the first coupling head; roughly aligning the first and second coupling head in the body of water; and clamping the first and second coupling head to each other in the body of water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: Saipem S.P.A.
    Inventor: Massimo Fontolan
  • Publication number: 20120121339
    Abstract: A method of underground laying a continuous elongated member in a bed of a body of water, wherein the continuous elongated member lies on the bed of the body of water along a given path; the method including the steps of: fragmenting a soil mass in the bed along the given path and under the continuous elongated member, so as to form in the bed two scarp slopes bounding the fragmented soil mass by two soil masses susceptible to slide; advancing two supporting walls along the given path in an advancing direction, along the respective two scarp slopes, and transferring the fragmented soil mass between the two supporting walls, so as to promote sinking of the continuous elongated member between the two supporting walls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2009
    Publication date: May 17, 2012
    Inventors: Diego Lazzarin, Massimo Fontolan
  • Publication number: 20120057940
    Abstract: A method of temporarily supporting a soil mass susceptible to slide at a scarp slope bounding the soil mass includes advancing a supporting wall in an advancing direction along the scarp slope; and, in addition to the movement in the advancing direction, also moving a surface portion, in direct contact with the soil mass, of the supporting wall, so as to minimize friction between the soil mass and the supporting wall.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Inventors: Diego Lazzarin, Massimo Fontolan
  • Publication number: 20110211913
    Abstract: A method of laying underwater pipelines in the bed of a body of water, the method including laying an underwater pipeline along a given path on the bed of the body of water; breaking up a ground mass along the path to a given depth in the bed; and fluidifying the broken ground mass beneath the underwater pipeline to sink the underwater pipeline into the fluidified ground mass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Applicant: Saipem S.p.A.
    Inventors: Diego Lazzarin, Massimo Fontolan